Department of Health and Human Services Awarded a Contract to THE EVENT PLANNING GROUP LLC for $303,867.17

Summary of Award

The JSON data provided outlines an awarded contract between the U.S. federal government and the contract recipient, The Event Planning Group LLC. This contract involves a purchase order for "BOARD OF SCIENTIFIC COUNSELORS (BSC) SUPPORT SERVICES," under the category of professional, scientific, and technical services.

### Contract Overview

The contract is identified by the unique award ID "75N92019P00087" and falls under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The principal goal of the contract is to support the Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), which likely involves logistical and professional services for scientific advisory activities. #### Contract Financials - **Total Obligation**: The total monetary obligation under the contract is $290,867.17. However, the base and all options sum up to $303,867.17, indicating a reserved amount for potential future extensions or options. - **Total Account Outlay**: The actual expenditures amount to $23,085.24. - **Account Obligation**: There is an account obligation of -$12,226.54, suggesting a negative obligation likely due to cancellations or reductions. ### Recipient Details The recipient, The Event Planning Group LLC, is located in Silver Spring, Maryland. This entity is categorized under several business classifications, such as woman-owned and minority-owned, indicating its positioning within designated small business groups: - Black American Owned Business - Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Business - Self-Certified Small Disadvantaged Business - Woman Owned Small Business The company operates within the NAICS code 541990, "All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services," suggesting a broad array of offerings in managing scientific and technical events or services. ### Transactions Analysis The contract includes multiple transactions, each with significant fiscal changes: 1. **P00001 (2019-10-01)**: An initial large disbursement transaction of $153,786.46. This early action indicates the commencement of contracted services. 2. **P00002 (2020-09-30)**: This reflects another substantial transaction amounting to $158,400.05, indicating continual service delivery under the contract terms. 3. **P00004 (2021-10-01)**: This transaction registers a decrease with an amount of $44,518.60, signaling a possible reduction in needed services or adjustments in contract execution. 4. **P00005 (2022-10-01)**: A smaller transaction of $9,703.38 illustrates regular continuation or transition phases of service provision. 5. **P00006 (2024-01-08)**: Here, a negative transaction of -$97,763.52 appears, suggesting a clawback or adjustment from previous financial provisions, possibly aligning the contractual payments with the actual services rendered. 6. **P00007 (2025-04-10)**: The largest negative transaction of -$184,922.87, likely represents a major reconciliation, seeking to settle any overages or unfulfilled parts of the contract. These reductions and negative amounts demonstrate typical contract management practices, which may include corrections after service audits or aligning with revised scopes. ### Governmental Context The contracting and funding agency for this contract is NIH under HHS, which underscores the significance of maintaining scientific advisory services crucial to the agency's mission. NIH plays a critical role in advancing medical research and public health services, thus the operational support from The Event Planning Group LLC assists in the administrative and logistical frameworks needed for scientific discussions and evaluations. ### Contractual Specifics The contract period spans from November 1, 2018, to September 30, 2023, providing a long-term engagement for the recipient to support NIH activities. Notably, it outlines a "FIRM FIXED PRICE" stipulation which suggests a predetermined cost structure regardless of actual service time or expenses experienced by the recipient. ### Competition and Acquisition Details A peculiar aspect of this contract is its lack of competition ("NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP"), implying that the service was uniquely suited to The Event Planning Group LLC, or it was designated under "SAP NON-COMPETITION (FAR 13)" procedures. Such a process is used often to expedite the procurement of certain necessary services when competition is unfeasible or inapplicable within the simplified acquisition threshold. The contract is categorized under "SUPPORT- PROFESSIONAL: OTHER" with PSC code R499, reaffirming the service-oriented nature of this award focused on professional and scientific technical support. In summary, this contractual agreement between NIH and The Event Planning Group LLC underscores the federal government's reliance on specialized small businesses to perform critical support roles in larger scientific and public health initiatives. The contractual financial dynamics, alongside the recipient's recognized business status, highlight significant federal efforts to engage diverse entities in service procurement, while striving for transparency and detailed audit trails in financial transactions.