Invitation to tender

Date of publication Simap: 08.06.2020

1. Contracting authority

1.1 Official name and address of the contracting authority

Contracting authority/Authority of assignment: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Procurement authority/Organizer: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Global Programme Water Division,  attn Daniel Maselli, Freiburgstrasse 130,  3003  Bern,  Switzerland,  E-mail:  daniel.maselli@eda.admin.ch

1.2 Offers should be sent to the following address

PLEASE DO NOT OPEN – BID
Daniel Maselli
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Global Programme Water Division,  attn Daniel Maselli, Freiburgstrasse 130,  3003  Bern,  Switzerland,  E-mail:  daniel.maselli@eda.admin.ch

1.3 Desired deadline for questions in written form

15.06.2020

Remarks: No information is given by telephone. Any question can be made by 15.06.2020 anonymously in the forum space at www.simap.ch. Questions submitted late cannot be answered. Answers will be published on www.simap.ch by 19.06.2020. Bidders are themselves responsible for downloading the answers from SIMAP and for taking them into consideration in the preparation of the bids.

1.4 Deadline for submitting offers

Date: 20.07.2020, Specific deadlines and formal requirements:  The “Technical Proposal” and “Financial Proposal” shall be submitted in one envelope and shall contain:

a. one original signed hard copy of the Technical and Financial Proposal labelled “Original”
b. two signed copies of the Technical and Financial Proposal labelled, “Signed Copy”
c. one data storage device (e.g. CD, DVD, USB-Memory Stick) of all Technical Proposal and all Financial Proposal documents.

Alternative for submission of offers due to exceptional situation of Covid-19:
Due to the exceptional situation of Covid-19 the bidders can by way of exception submit the bid by email only. In this case bidders send the bid (format pdf) to daniel.maselli@eda.admin.ch and paola.bo-verat@eda.admin.ch latest by 20 July 2020, 22:00 hours Swiss Time. Bids received late cannot be taken into consideration. They will be returned unopened to the bidder.
The email must mention “Tender Backstopping GPW & RésEAU” in the reference line. And bidders must confirm in the email the binding force of the bid.
The receipt of the bids submitted via email will be acknowledged via email on 21.07.2020.
Language for participant applications: English

1.5 Date of the opening of bids:

22.07.2020, Remarks:  The bids are not opened publicly. In accordance with PPO Art. 8 para. 1d, the contracting authority safeguards the confidential character of all information provided by the bidder. The information to be published after the award of the mandate and the information to be disclosed in the framework of the PPA Art. 23 para. 2 and 3 remain subject to reservation.

1.6 Type of contracting authority

Confederation (Central federal administration)

1.7 Type of procedure

Open procedure

1.8 Type of order

Order for services

1.9 Scope of international treaties

No

2. Objects of procurement

2.1 Service category CPC:

[27] Other services

2.2 Project title of the acquisition

Backstopping Mandate for the RésEAU, and for the Global Programme Water (2 Lots), 1 September 2020 – 31 August 2025 Lot 1: targeted support to the ‘RésEAU’ Lot 2: targeted support to the GPW

2.3 Reference / project no.

Z7F-FFG22600001

2.4 Division into lots?

Yes
Offers are possible for  all lots

Lot no.: 1

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

Short description: Lot 1: targeted support to the ‘RésEAU’ Start of implementation: 01.09.2020 Delivery date: 31.08.2025 Remarks: For each lot, subcontractors are permitted and welcomed with the intention to cover a wide range of relevant required specific competences thus combining the best possible expertise for service delivery. However, consortia are not allowed. Bids can be submitted separately for each of the two lots or for both lots but always with clearly separated offers as two separate contracts will be issued. The estimated total number of working days for the entire duration of the requested service provision amounts to 3800 working days for Lot 1. Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system: Start: 01.09.2020, End: 31.08.2025 This contract is subject to renewal: Yes Description of renewals: The option of directly awarding follow-up mandates is reserved. Options: No Award criteria: AC 1: Qualification and experience of nominated team (implementer, backstopper)  Weighting 30%  AC 2: Understanding of the mandate and general approach  Weighting 20%  AC 3: Procedure and project organisation  Weighting 25%  AC 4: Financial Proposal  Weighting 25%

Lot no.: 2

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

Short description: Lot 2: targeted support to the GPW Start of implementation: 01.09.2020 Delivery date: 31.08.2025 Remarks: For each lot, subcontractors are permitted and welcomed with the intention to cover a wide range of relevant required specific competences thus combining the best possible expertise for service delivery. However, consortia are not allowed. Bids can be submitted separately for each of the two lots or for both lots but always with clearly separated offers as two separate contracts will be issued. The estimated total number of working days for the entire duration of the requested service provision amounts to 350 working days for Lot 2. Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system: Start: 01.09.2020, End: 31.08.2025 This contract is subject to renewal: Yes Description of renewals: The option of directly awarding follow-up mandates is reserved. Options: No Award criteria: AC 1: Qualification and experience of nominated team (implementer, backstopper)  Weighting 30%  AC 2: AC2Understanding of the mandate and general approach  Weighting 20%  AC 3: Procedure and project organisation  Weighting 25%  AC 4: Financial Proposal  Weighting 25%

2.5 Common Procurement Vocabulary

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

2.6 Subject and scope of the contract

The tendered Backstopping Mandate (BSM) aims at supporting on one hand the ‘RésEAU’ and on the other hand the GPW by providing a wide range of specialized thematic, conceptual, methodological and technical services based on a solid state of the art expertise.
The required backstopping is divided into two separate lots:
Lot 1 shall deliver targeted support to the ‘RésEAU’
Lot 2 shall deliver targeted support to the GPW

The minimum offer must comprise one lot (i.e. Lot 1 or Lot 2).

2.7 Location where service is to be delivered

The services will have to be supplied both in Switzerland and abroad according to the needs. For Lot 1 a number of services will have to be supplied outside Switzerland, while for Lot 2 most services will have to be supplied in Switzerland.

2.11 Will variants be accepted?

Yes

Remarks: Variants are to be indicated expressly as such and to be submitted separately in addition to the basic bid. Bidders must give reasons in writing for the advantages and equivalence of the variants in relation to the achievement of objectives. Otherwise they will not be taken into consideration.

2.12 Are partial offers permitted?

Yes

Remarks: Partial offers are permitted. The minimum offer must comprise one lot (i.e. Lot 1 or Lot 2).

3. Conditions

3.1 General conditions of participation

None

3.2 Deposits/guarantees

None

3.3 Conditions of payment

None

3.4 Costs to be included

None

3.5 Consortium of bidders

Bidding consortia are not permitted.

3.6 Subcontractor

Subcontractors are permitted, subject to the prior approval of the awarding entity. If the bidder engages subcontractors in order to carry out the work, the bidder will assume overall responsibility. It will list all the subcontractors involved, together with the roles allocated to them, in annex 1 "Bidder information".

Any contractual delegation by the contractor of performance of all or part of the present contract to subcontractors shall be subject to the prior written consent of the contracting authority. Subcontractors and their personnel must satisfy all conditions stipulated in the present contract and the appendices thereto. The contracting authority shall be liable solely to the contractor. In the event that the contractor delegates performance of all or part of the contract, the contractor shall bear sole liability for the acts of any subcontractors.

3.7 Eligibility criteria

Based on the criteria given in the documentation

3.8 Evidence required

Based on the evidence required in the documentation

3.9 Conditions for obtaining the tendering documentation

Costs: none

3.10 Languages

Languages for offers: English

3.11 Validity of offers

180 days after deadline for receipt of offers

3.12 Supplying source of the tendering documentation

at www.simap.ch
Documents of the invitation to tender are available from: 08.06.2020  until  20.07.2020
Languages of documents: English
Further information for obtaining the tendering documentation: The documentation on the public call to tender for the project mentioned can be downloaded from the platform www.simap.ch under: Running procedures, Confederation, Invitations to tender. In order to do so, you first have to register in the mentioned project. You will then be able to log in and use the password that you will have been sent by e-mail to download the documentation desired.

4. Other information

4.1 Conditions for tenderers from Non-Member States of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement

None

4.2 Terms of business

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS (GTC) OF THE SWISS FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (FDFA) FOR MANDATES (TYPE A for employed persons AND TYPE B for legal persons and institutions).
These General Conditions of Business (GTC) shall be deemed accepted by the contractor on submission of the offer.

4.3 On-site visit

remain reserved

4.4 Essential requirements

The contracting authority awards public contracts for services provided in Switzerland only to bidders who ensure compliance with the health and safety regulations and employment conditions for employees, as well as equal pay for women and men.
If the service is provided outside Switzerland, the participant must ensure at least compliance with the International Labour Organization’s fundamental conventions in accordance with Annex 2a PPO.
The self-declaration form “Compliance with working conditions, workplace health and safety regulations and requirement of equal pay for men and women: Declaration by the supplier” has to be signed and is to be submitted with the participant application.

4.6 Additional information

The option of directly awarding follow-up mandates is reserved.

4.7 Official organ of publication

www.simap.ch

4.8 Procedures for appeal

The tender proceeds in accordance with Section 3 of the Federal Ordinance on Public Procurement (FOPP). There is no right of appeal.