Invitation to tender

Date of publication Simap: 22.10.2020

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
Division Middle East and North Africa – Development, MENA-D,  attn Ms Laura Bott, Freiburgstrasse 130,  3003  Berne,  Switzerland,  E-mail:  jessica.francey@eda.admin.ch

1.2 Offers should be sent to the following address

PLEASE DO NOT OPEN - Bid
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Division Middle East and North Africa – Development, MENA-D,  attn Ms Laura Bott, Freiburgstrasse 130,  3003  Berne,  Switzerland,  E-mail:  jessica.francey@eda.admin.ch

1.3 Desired deadline for questions in written form

03.11.2020

Remarks: No information is given by telephone. Any questions must be addressed by 3.11.2020 in the forum space on www.simap.ch in anonymised form (i.e. without disclosing any information that could reveal the identity of the questioner). Questions submitted late cannot be answered. The answers are published on SIMAP by 10.11.2020. Bidders are themselves responsible for downloading the answers from SIMAP and for taking them into consideration in the preparation of their bids.

1.4 Deadline for submitting offers

Date: 03.12.2020, Specific deadlines and formal requirements:  Bids contain all documentation in accordance with Section 5 Structure and content of the bid and are to be submitted in a sealed envelope as follows:
a.one original signed hard copy labelled «Original»
b.one signed copies labelled, «Signed Copy»
c.one data storage device (e.g. CD, DVD or Memory Stick) of all requested documents.
Language(s) for bids: English.
Due to the exceptional situation related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the bidders are by way of exception only allowed to submit the bid by email. In this case bidders send the bid (format pdf) to ad-dress to be confirmed jessica.francey@eda.admin.ch by 3.12.2020 midnight CET. Bids received later cannot be taken into consideration. They will be returned to the bidder.
The email must mention “Shareweb Management & Facilitation Mandate 2021-2026” in the reference line. 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 until 04.12.2020 at the latest.

1.5 Date of the opening of bids:

14.12.2020, Time of day:  12:00, Remarks:  The bids are not opened publicly. In accordance with PPO Art. 8 para. 1d, the contracting authority safeguards the con-fidential character of all information provided by the bidder. The information to be pub-lished 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

“Shareweb Management & Facilitation Mandate for SDC’s Peace, Governance and Equality Cluster (PGE): DDLG Network, FCHR Network and Gender Network, 01.03.2021 to 28.02.2026 in Switzerland”

2.3 Reference / project no.

Z7FS23700003, Z7FO15400009 and Z7FS23000003

2.4 Division into lots?

No

2.5 Common Procurement Vocabulary

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

2.6 Subject and scope of the contract

The overall purpose is to provide combined technical and methodological support in using the Shareweb for efficient, interactive and innovative learning processes, knowledge sharing and competency building, as well as communication. This includes a user-oriented support to the graphic and content development and management of the Sharewebs of different SDC’s units: FCHR, DDLGN and Gender, while at the same time developing a common Shareweb space, for the larger thematic Cluster Peace, Governance and Equality (PGE).

2.7 Location where service is to be delivered

Switzerland

2.8 Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Start: 01.03.2021, End: 28.02.2026

This contract is subject to renewal: No

2.9 Options

Yes

Description of options: Core Services: 1.03.2021-29.02.2024
optional services: 1.03.2024-28.02.2026

2.10 Award criteria

AC1:Qualifications of the personnel to be deployed (CVs)  Weighting 60% 
AC2:Approach, clarity of concept, team composition  Weighting 20% 
AC3: Financial offer  Weighting 20% 

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?

No

2.13 Implementation date

Start 01.03.2021 and finish 28.02.2026

Remarks: Core services: 1.03.2021-29.02.2024
optional services: 1.03.2024-28.02.2026

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

Consortia of bidders 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 al-located 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
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 pro-ject. 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.
Both the DDLGN Shareweb and the Gender Sharewebs are accessible by external organisations, by clicking on the links mentioned above. The FCHR Shareweb is not accessible by external organisations. If interested bidders would like to obtain access to the FCHR Shareweb, they are requested to write an E-mail to Jessica.francey@eda.admin.ch and attach a scanned, signed Declaration of Confidentiality (Annex 7), in order to be granted the access to the FCHR Shareweb up to 03.12.2020.

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 con-tractor 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 com-pliance with the International Labour Organization’s fundamental conventions in ac-cordance 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 (PPO). There is no right of appeal.