Invitation to tender

Date of publication Simap: 25.07.2022

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 Cooperation SDC
Procurement authority/Organizer: Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation SDC
Acting through the Embassy of Switzerland in North Macedonia,  attn Stanislava Dodeva, Maksim Gorki 19,  1000  Skopje,  the Republic of North Macedonia,  E-mail:  stanislava.dodeva@eda.admin.ch

1.2 Offers should be sent to the following address

PLEASE DO NOT OPEN - BID
Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation SDC
Acting through the Embassy of Switzerland in North Macedonia,  attn Stanislava Dodeva, Maksim Gorki 19,  1000  Skopje,  the Republic of North Macedonia,  E-mail:  stanislava.dodeva@eda.admin.ch

1.3 Desired deadline for questions in written form

15.08.2022

Remarks: No individual information is permitted. Any questions may be submitted anonymously by 15.08.2022 (23:59 Swiss time) on the forum space at www.simap.ch. Questions submitted late cannot be answered. Answers will be published on www.simap.ch by 22.08.2022. Tenderers are themselves responsible for downloading the answers from www.simap.ch and for taking them into consideration in the preparation of the bids.

1.4 Deadline for submitting offers

Date: 26.09.2022, Specific deadlines and formal requirements:  Bids should include all the documents stipulated in section 6 and submitted in a sealed envelope as follows:
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 (USB memory stick) with all Technical Proposal and all Financial Proposal documents.
OR
d) Alternative for submission of offers due to exceptional situation of Covid-19: Due to the situation of Covid-19, the tenderers can by way of exception submit the bid by email exclusively. Please follow instructions under chapter 8.4.2 point d).

1.5 Date of the opening of bids:

29.09.2022, 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

GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT, USE AND PROTECTION PROGRAMME (GWP) IN NORTH MACEDONIA Inception Phase 01.01.2023 – 31.12.2023 Phase 101.01.2024 – 31.12.2027

2.3 Reference / project no.

7F-10044.01

2.4 Division into lots?

No

2.5 Common Procurement Vocabulary

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

2.6 Subject and scope of the contract

In order to fulfil the obligations under the EU Water Framework and Groundwater Directives, a long-term, multi-level and systemic Programme GWP is planned to be implemented, It foresees to address many existing limitations and requirements and shall enable collaborative, effective, more transparent and sustainable management and protection of the groundwater resources of North Macedonia.

2.7 Location where service is to be delivered

Republic of North Macedonia

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

Start: 01.01.2023, End: 31.12.2027

This contract is subject to renewal: Yes

Description of renewals: The contracting authority reserves the right to award subsequent mandates to the successful tenderer of this tender procedure if a change of tenderer for goods, work or services to replace, supplement or extend supplies already provided is not possible for economic or technical reasons, would cause considerable difficulties or would entail substantial additional costs.
However, follow-up mandates are subject to the existence of sufficient legal basis after the validity period of the “Federal Act of 30 September 2016 on Cooperation with the States of Eastern Europe”, namely 31 December 2024.

2.9 Options

No

2.10 Award criteria

AC1 Qualification and experience of bidding organisation and nominated team  Weighting 40% 
AC2 Understanding of the project and general approach  Weighting 25% 
AC3 Programme organisation  Weighting 10% 
AC4 Financial proposal  Weighting 25% 

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 01.01.2023 and finish 31.12.2027

Remarks: Inception Phase Start: 01.01.2023 end: 31.12.2023
Phase 1 Start: 01.01.2024 end: 31.12.2027

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, but limited to max. 3 members (including lead member). 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, in annex 4 'Tenderer 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. 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: 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: 25.07.2022  until  26.09.2022
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, 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

For Phase 1: General Conditions of Business (GCB) for Project Implementation Mandates – Version May 2021.
These General Conditions of Business (GCB) 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

as indicated in tender document

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.