Invitation to tender

Date of publication Simap : 06.01.2015

1. Contracting authority

1.1 Official name and address of the contracting authority

Authority of need/Authority of assignment : Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Authority of procurement/Organizer : Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Regional Cooperation South Asia Division,  attn Renate Lefroy, Freiburgstrasse 130,  3003  Bern,  Switzerland,  E-mail:  renate.lefroy@eda.admin.ch,  URL www.eda.admin.ch

1.2 Applications for participation should be sent to the following address

PLEASE DO NOT OPEN
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Regional Cooperation South Asia Division,  attn Renate Lefroy, Freiburgstrasse 130,  3003  Bern,  Switzerland

1.3 Desired deadline for questions in written form

19.01.2015

Remarks : No information is given by telephone. Any question can be made by 19.01.2015 anonymously in the forum space at www.simap.ch. Questions submitted late cannot be answered. Answers will be published on www.simap.ch by 30.01.2015. Bidders are themselves responsible for downloading the answers from SIMAP and for taking them into consideration in the preparation of the participant applications.

1.4 Deadline for submitting applications for participation

Date: 09.02.2015, Specific deadlines and formal requirements:  Participant applications contain all documentation in accordance with Section 5 Contents of the participant applications and are to be submitted as follows:
a. one original signed hard copy labelled “Original”
b. three signed copies labelled, “Signed Copy”
c. one data storage device (e.g. CD, DVD or Memory Stick) of all documents.

1.6 Type of contracting authority

Confederation (Central federal administration)

1.7 Type of procedure

Selective procedure

1.8 Type of commission

Order for services

1.9 According to GATT/WTO agreement, respectively treaty

No

2. Objects of procurement

2.1 Service category CPC:

[27] Other services

2.2 Project title of the acquisition

Nepal Agricultural Services Development Programme (NASDP) Phase 1

2.3 Reference / project no.

7F-08998.01

2.4 Common Procurement Vocabulary

CPV:	98300000 - Miscellaneous services

2.5 Detailed task description

1. Reinforcing farmer’s voice: NASDP will strengthen the Research – Extension – Education triangle and reinforce the position of farmers as actors in the innovation system and not mere subjects of the relations between research, extension and education. This is central to outcome 1 and will include a beneficiary assessment and the inclusion of measures to address the needs of different categories of farmers, especially of women and the disadvantaged. NASDP will cooperate closely with SBLL and other development projects to reach this objective.

2. Strengthening and establishing AFECs: NASDP will continue to support the development of AFEC in each VDC as the entry point for agriculture development activities. This measure is a continuation of SDC strategy, is in line with MoAD policies, and is seen as a precursor of the Community Agricultural Extension Service Centers (CAESC) planned in the ADS.

3. Improving the quality and relevance of research and extension services: NASDP will strengthen the capacity of existing public and private research and extension service providers to address the need identified in the AFECs. This will include up-scaling and mainstreaming mechanisms to promote best practices and appropriate incentive systems
• Integration of the agricultural education system in the innovation system
• Facilitate and fund collaborative activities between the various innovation actors to enhance coordination and increase the relevance of research outputs.
• Continued attention to gender and social inclusion considerations.

4. Increase the critical mass of scientists and improve the research process in Nepal to respond to the productivity and production challenges of tomorrow including the feminisation of agriculture due to migration and climate change. NASDP will allocate a specific budget to support the research process to ensure the participation of agriculture science in agriculture innovation in the country.

5. Use the opportunities offered by remittances and returnee migrants: NASDP will support the agriculture innovation process at district level and will use innovative approaches to gather and publicize the best agri-business options for investment and offer innovation brokerage services to returnee migrants who might be interested in using their new skills and capital for agri-business investment. This intervention targeting remittances and returnee migrants will broaden the impact of the SDC funded Safer Migration and SKILL projects.

6. Continued attention will be given to gender, social, economic and geographic exclusion and due consideration to migration: the current massive youth outmigration has multiple and complex links with agricultural development. The high differentiation of Nepal society has led in the past to polarization and social conflict. NASDP will identify mechanisms that value diversity and fund joint innovation research and extension programs. Specifically, NASDP programs will recognize women as independent and autonomous farmers, and will work to ensure women’s access to means of production and enhance their leadership competence and improving women’s position in the different bodies supported by NASDP.

2.6 Location where service is supplied

Nepal

2.7 Division into lots?

No

2.8 Will variants be accepted?

No

2.9 Are partial offers permitted?

No

2.10 Implementation date

Start  01.07.2015  and finish  30.06.2019

Remarks : Preparatory Period: 01.07.2015 - 31.12.2015
Implementation Phase 1: 01.01.2016 - 30.06.2019

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

Participants can submit (a) as single firm, or (b) as a consortium of organizations. However, one bidder is allowed to participate only in one bid either independently or in a form of a consortium. If bidders participate in the procedure as a consortium, they must identify a member of the consortium who performs the lead function (deputation, co-ordination). The bidder lists all members and their roles. All members of the consortium together bear responsibility for the bid. In the case of a consortium, Economic and financial capability (SCW1) and General Experience (part of SCW2) will be considered only that of the lead organisation, whereas organisational capacity and experience (SCW2), Network (SCW3) and Personnel Resources (SCW4) will be weighted 60% for the lead organisation and 40% for the rest of the partner organization of the consortium. Same consortium members and key programme staff including experts are not allowed to be proposed in more than one bid.

3.6 Subcontractor

Subcontractors are permitted. If the bidder engages a subcontractor to provide certain services, the bidder bears full responsibility for the provided services. He lists all subcontractors involved with their assigned roles.

3.7 Suitability criteria

based on the criteria given in the documentation

3.8 Evidence required

based on the evidence required in the documentation

3.9 Award criteria:

based on the criteria given in the documentation

3.10 Conditions to obtain the participation documents

Registrations for the obtaining of the participation documents are desired until : 09.02.2015
Costs: none
Conditions of payment : none

3.11 Number of max. admitted participants

4

3.12 Intended date for the determination of the selected participants

11.03.2015

3.13 Intended deadline for submitting offers

27.04.2015

3.14 Languages for applications for participation

English

3.15 Validity of offers

210 days after deadline for receipt of offers

3.16 Supplying source of the participation documents for the prequalification

at www.simap.ch
Participation documents for the prequalification are available from : 06.01.2015  until  09.02.2015
Language of the participation documents :  English
Further information to obtain the participation documentation : Further information to obtain the tender documentation: The documentation on the public call to tender for the project mentioned has to 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 countries not party to the WTO agreement

None

4.2 Terms of business

General Conditions of Business for the project implementation mandates

4.3 Negotiations

remain reserved

4.4 Basic procedural principles

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 abroad, the bidder must ensure at least compliance with the International Labour Organization’s fundamental conventions in accordance with Annex 2a PPO.
These principles shall be deemed accepted by the Contractor on submission of the offer.

4.5 Additional information

1. The option of directly awarding follow-up mandates is reserved.
2. The tender proceeds in accordance with Section 3 of the Federal Ordinance on Public Procurement (FOPP). There is no right of appeal

4.6 Official organ of publication

www.simap.ch