Invitation to tender

Date of publication Simap: 29.10.2021

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: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Western Balkan Division / Eastern Cooperation,  attn Ursula Keller Alazzawi, Freiburgstrasse 130,  3003  Bern,  Switzerland,  E-mail:  ursula.keller@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,  attn Ursula Keller Alazzawi, Freiburgstrasse 130,  3003  Bern,  Switzerland,  E-mail:  ursula.keller@eda.admin.ch

1.3 Desired deadline for questions in written form

08.11.2021

Remarks: No individual information is given to the tenderers. Any questions must be submitted by 08.11.2021 on the forum space at 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 will be published on SIMAP by 15.11.2021. Tenderers 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: 15.12.2021, Specific deadlines and formal requirements:  Bids should include all the documents stipulated in section 5 and submitted in a sealed envelope as follows:
a. one original signed hard copy labelled 'Original'
b. one signed copy labelled 'Signed copy'
c. one data storage device (e.g. CD, DVD or memory stick) with all requested documents.
OR
d. Alternative for submission of offers due to situation of Covid-19: Due to the exceptional situation of Covid-19, the tenderers can by way of exception submit the bid by email exclusively. In this case, the bid (format pdf) must be sent to ursula.keller@eda.admin.ch by 15.12.2021, 23:00 (CEST) at the latest.
The email must mention Backstopping Peace, Governance & Equality in the reference line. It is possible to submit a bid in more than one email in clearly labelled batches. Tenderers must confirm in the email the binding force of the bid. The receipt of the bids submitted via email will be acknowledged via email at the latest until 17.12.2021. In all cases the tenderer must retain proof of the timely submission of the bid. Bids submitted late cannot be taken into consideration. They will be returned to the tenderer.
Language for bids: English or French

1.5 Date of the opening of bids:

22.12.2021, Remarks:  The bids are not opened publicly. In accordance with Art. 11 let. e PPA, the contracting authority safeguards the confidential character of all information provided by the tenderer.

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 Support for the "Peace, Governance & Equality Cluster/ Section (PGE)” for the period 16.03.22-15.03.27 (Bern, Switzerland) Lot 1: Thematic support for the PGE cluster / section Lot 2: Support for facilitation and collective learning

2.3 Reference / project no.

Z7FO15400011

2.4 Division into lots?

Yes
Offers are possible for  all lots

Lot no.: 1

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

Short description: Lot 1: Thematic support for the PGE cluster / section Remarks: Thematic areas: 1) Fragility, Conflict & Human Rights, 2) Governance, 3) Gender Equality, 4) Social Equality. The type of services of the backstopping support in Lot 1 includes the 1) Elaboration of knowledge products, 2) Design and facilitation of participative learning and capitalization processes, 3) Support for learning events, capacity building, 4) Operational advice (in support to the thematic units), 5) Support for thematic monitoring and reporting and 6) Elaborating and managing communication content and tools. Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system: Start: 16.03.2022, End: 15.03.2027 This contract is subject to renewal: No Options: No Award criteria: AC 1: Qualification, expertise and professional experience of the nominated core team  Weighting 40%  AC 2: Understanding of the purpose and approach presented in the bid  Weighting 30%  AC 3: Organisational set up  Weighting 10%  AC 4: Financial offer – overall price  Weighting 20%

Lot no.: 2

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

Short description: Lot 2: Support for facilitation and collective learning Remarks: The type of services of the backstopping support in the lot 2 includes the 1) Guidance and support for f2f, hybrid and online facilitation of learning events 2) Support in the conceptualisation, design, steering and accompaniment of complex learning processes (complementary to the thematic support), 3) Support to further develop innovative facilitation and collective learning methods and skills in the PGE thematic areas and working context. Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system: Start: 16.03.2022, End: 15.03.2027 This contract is subject to renewal: No Options: No Award criteria: AC 1: Qualification, expertise and experience of nominated core team (backstopper)  Weighting 40%  AC 2: Understanding of the purpose and approach presented in the bid  Weighting 30%  AC 3: Organisational set up  Weighting 10%  AC 4: Financial offer – overall price  Weighting 20%

2.5 Common Procurement Vocabulary

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

2.6 Subject and scope of the contract

The SDC thematic units Fragility, Conflict & Human Rights (FCHR) / Governance / Gender and Social Equality jointly tender out this mandate for a thematic backstopping support. The three thematic units and networks have formed the Peace, Governance & Equality Cluster (PGE Cluster) to collaborate more systematically. The PGE Cluster functions as a knowledge and competence hub for PGE related policies, topics and methodologies/tools, collaborating under a common strategic approach. The overall purpose of the mandate is to provide thematic expertise and methodological support for the PGE cluster’s /section’s work on knowledge management and learning, capacity building, operational support and advice as well as thematic quality assurance (monitoring and reporting), in the thematic areas covered by the PGE cluster / future section.

2.7 Location where service is to be delivered

Switzerland (and Swiss representations abroad). The services will have to be supplied both in Switzerland and abroad according to the needs especially for Lot 1. In regular cases most services for Lot 1 and Lot 2 will have to be supplied in Switzerland.

2.11 Will variants be accepted?

No

2.12 Are partial offers permitted?

No

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 tenderers are permitted. If the SDC concludes the contract with several contractors (consortium), all parties must sign, having first designated a person to represent the consortium vis-à-vis the SDC. The representative is expressly authorised to act for and on behalf of the consortium members. The consortium members shall be jointly and severally liable. The tenderer lists all members and their roles.

3.6 Subcontractor

Subcontractors are permitted, subject to the prior approval of the awarding entity. If the tenderer engages subcontractors in order to carry out the work, the tenderer will assume overall responsibility. It must list all the subcontractors involved, together with the roles allocated to them.
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. As a general rule the tenderer is required to make the characteristic supply.

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: French, English

Language of the procedure: 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: 29.10.2021  until  15.12.2021
Languages of documents: French, 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, using the password that you will have been sent by email, and download the documentation required.

3.13 Conduct of dialogue

No

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

The General Conditions of Business (GTC) of the FDFA for mandates (type A and type B) – version May 2021 shall be deemed to have been accepted by the contractor on submission of the bid.

4.3 On-site visit

remain reserved

4.4 Essential requirements

The contracting authority may only award public contracts for the supply of goods, work and services in Switzerland to tenderers that ensure compliance with the workplace health and safety regulations and the terms and conditions of employment applicable at the place of performance, the notification and authorisation duties under the Federal Act of 17 June 2005 on Measures to Combat Illegal Employment (IEA) and the provisions on the equal treatment of men and women in terms of equal pay (see Art. 12 para. 1 PPA).
For goods, work or services to be supplied abroad, the tenderer must, as a minimum, ensure compliance with the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organization as set out in Annex 6 PPA (see Art. 12 para. 2 PPA).
Accordingly, the contracting authority may only award a public contract to tenderers that, as a minimum, comply with the legal provisions on the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources applicable at the place of performance (see Art 12 para. 3 PPA in conjunction with Annex 2 PPA).
Any subcontractors that are permitted must meet the requirements set out in Article 12 paras. 1–3 PPA. These obligations must be incorporated into the agreements between tenderers and subcontractors.

4.5 Already involved tenderers permitted to take part in the procedure

based on the information in the tender document

4.6 Additional information

The tender documentation is available in: English and French. The text of this announcement and the tender document has been translated from English to French. In case of discrepancies, the English version shall be authoritative.

4.7 Official organ of publication

www.simap.ch

4.8 Procedures for appeal

This is a public contract under Annex 5 no. 1 let. d PPA. There is no right of appeal.