ACTIVITIES :: eGovernment :: Funding :: Call for Tenders :: SMART 2011/0074 :: Frequently asked questions
Smart 2011/0074 - Frequently asked questions
Clerical error(s): There appears to be a clerical error in section 5.2.2
Financial and economic capacity (page 20); Documentary evidence. The text should
read:
"Photocopies of annual income statements and balance sheets or extracts signed
by the authorised representative of the legal entity for the last 3 financial
years."
Questions:
Which countries are eligible to participate in this tender?
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/gproc_e/memobs_e.htm#partiesBased on Article 106 of the Financial Regulation and in accordance with Part 2 Administrative Details, section 1: Eligibility Requirements of the Tender Specifications, participation in the present tendering procedure is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons from one of the EU Member States and to all natural and legal persons in a third country which has a special agreement with the Union in the field of public procurement on the conditions laid down in that agreement. Operators in third countries which have signed a bilateral or multilateral agreement with the Union in the field of public procurement must be allowed to take part in the tendering procedure on the conditions laid down in that agreement. The Commission will refuse tenders submitted by operators in third countries which have not signed such agreements for the present call for tender.
Under the Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) Croatia, FYROM, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro have been granted access to tendering procedures of the Union regardless the value of the purchase.
Pursuant to the EEA agreement, suppliers of Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein have full access to tendering procedures organised by the Union institutions regardless the value of the purchase.
Where the Plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement concluded within the WTO applies, the contracts are also open to nationals of the countries that have ratified this Agreement, on the conditions it lays down. The following states have ratified the GPA: Canada, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands with respect to Aruba, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States; Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein are also GPA Parties, but their suppliers already enjoy full access under the EEA Agreement.
Furthermore, the Union has bilateral agreements with Mexico and Chile.
For more information on the list of parties to the GPA and the countries that have signed a bilateral agreement with the EU, please consult the following links:
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/
When will the results of the study “The functioning and usability of the Points of Single Contact under the Services Directive – State of play and way forward” that the tender specifications refer to (page 3, last bullet point) be available?
The study "The functioning and usability of the Points of Single Contact under the Services Directive – State of play and way forward” is still ongoing and preliminary results are not yet available. Work on the study commenced at the beginning of April 2011. The actual testing of the Points of Single Contact (PSC) will be carried out throughout the month of June, followed by a series of interviews with PSC managers in July/August. The final outcome of the study (30 country reports and an overall evaluation report) will be made available at the end of November 2011.
What is the geographical scope of the study? 27 EU Member States? Other?
The geographical scope of the study is the 27 EU Member States as well as Croatia, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey. As specified in the call for tender, the study results will support the discussion with Member States on those cross-border public services that have the potential to be further deployed in 27 Member States. Tenderers shall propose their own mix of methodologies and justify their choice to meet the objectives set. We also indicate that samples must not necessarily include all European countries but must be representative of the diversity of administrative cultures in Europe and the different levels of eGovernment deployment in European countries and regions.
Will the detailed work plan, that has to be part of the tender documents (offer), be discussed and agreed upon with DG INFSO (upon award of the contract) and shall the final detailed work plan then be included in the Inception Report by the contractor?
The submitted work plan, as well as all other tender documents, is not re-negotiable after the award of the contract. However, adaptation can be made to adjust the work plan to the actual circumstances. The final work plan then shall be included by the Contractor in the D1.1 Inception Report.
What period of time is meant with “the past three years” in the tender specifications, page 20: Criterion: "Relevant expertise of the tenderer and other applicants, including subcontractors if any, acquired in the last three years, in the field of eGovernment, in particular in cross-border services and any other relevant areas for this study. Documentary evidence: List of relevant studies and contracts in the field of the proposed study performed in the past three years, or currently being performed, with their respective values.”
The requirement "the past three years" refers to all specific documentary evidence or qualified references within a three years period preceding the submission deadline for this call for tender.
Will a relevant project/study that has been initiated for example in 2006 but ended in 2009 be accepted as a valid reference for the criterion: "Relevant expertise of the tenderer and other applicants, including subcontractors if any, acquired in the last three years, in the field of eGovernment, in particular in cross-border services and any other relevant areas for this study?" Are ongoing projects acceptable?
Any relevant project or any relevant study that has been initiated earlier but ended within the past three years-period as defined above, will be accepted as a valid reference for the criterion "performed in the past three years". Ongoing projects are also acceptable.
Will the Europass format be accepted by DG INFSO, in order to present the CVs of the proposed team members?
No specific format is prescribed for the CVs. The Europass format, however, fulfils the qualifications to present the CVs of the proposed team members.
What is the difference between the selection criterion "Management capability" on page 21 of the tender specifications and the selection criterion on page 20 of the tender specifications: "Relevant expertise of the tenderer and other applicants, including subcontractors if any, acquired in the last three years, in the field of eGovernment, in particular in cross-border services and any other relevant areas for this study”? Shall the tenderer have to provide two separate lists of contracts or would one list be sufficient?
The criterion "Relevant expertise of the tenderer and other applicants, including subcontractors if any, acquired in the last three years, in the field of eGovernment, in particular in cross-border services and any other relevant areas for this study” refers to the professional competence of the tenderer in the field of cross-border eGovernment. On the other hand, the criterion "Management capability" refers to the ability of the tenderer's organisation and management staff to formally handle and conduct a multi-national and cross-border project. There are no specific requirements on how the list(s) of contracts is(are) to be presented as long as the tenderer shows the fulfilment of the criteria.
What is the difference, if any, between the evidences that tenderers should provide under criterion 1 (“List of relevant studies and contracts in the field…”) and under Criterion 3 (“List of relevant contracts”) of the technical background (section 5.2.3: p. 20 and p. 21). Is it only that in the latter case, there is a minimum threshold of the contracts’ budget (100k EUR)?
The listings relate to different requirements and it is up to the tenderer's discretion to draw up the list(s). The minimum threshold of the contracts' budget applies only to the selection criterion on management capability.
Does the tenderer have to provide one document presenting his technical offer in accordance with section 4.2 of the tender specifications or does the tenderer have to provide a separate document presenting the tenderer's approach responding to the requirements of each of the award criteria included in section 5.3.1 (i.e. three separate documents in total)?
As indicated in the tender specifications, part 2, section 4.2, the tenderer is expected to submit the technical section of the offer in a manner that allows for evaluation of the offer on the basis of each of the technical award criteria. It is up to the tenderer to decide on the structure of the technical section of his/her offer.
In order to meet the technical award criterion 2.3 "Quality of the proposed methodology mix to address qualitative and quantitative aspects of the analysis and data gathering (including the representativity of the sampling procedures, quality control, degree of multidisciplinary approach)” (Section 5.3.1, page 21), should tenderers only take into account the requirements stated under section Methodology in Part 1 of the Tender Specifications?
The section on Methodology (Part 1, Section 2 Objectives, Page 5) indeed provides indications as to what the methodology mix should entail. However, to decide upon the proposed methodology mix, tenderers should also take into account all other sections of the Tender Specifications.
Please clarify what is meant by the “degree of multidisciplinary approach” in the context of the technical award criterion 2.3 "Quality of the proposed methodology mix to address qualitative and quantitative aspects of the analysis and data gathering (including the representativity of the sampling procedures, quality control, degree of multidisciplinary approach)” (Section 5.3.1, page 21)?
The multidisciplinary approach in the context of criterion 2.3 refers to the involvement drawing from several subject disciplines. As eGovernment has a cross-sector aspect and as the study has a number of different objectives, such an approach is considered necessary to appropriately carry out the tasks foreseen in the Tender Specifications.
Given that the technical award criterion 3.2 (Section 5.3.1, page 22) foresees to assess the "Sound and realistic allocation of financial and human resources, including allocation of expertise”, under which section should the financial proposal as well as any other financial figures related to the tender be presented and how will these be evaluated?
As set out in Section 4 of the Tender Specifications (Layout of the tender), tenders must be presented in 3 sections; the price following the requirements laid down in the tendering documents shall be included the Financial section. The tenders will be qualitatively assessed on the basis of the technical award criteria and respective scores. These criteria also include the assessment of sound and realistic allocation of financial resources (criterion 3.2). Under criterion 3.2, the assessment is done specifically on the basis of how the financial resources have been allocated for professional fees, travel and subsistence costs and other costs, not on the basis of the total price. The total price of the tender will be taken into account only when the quality/price ratio is calculated, taking into account the award criteria listed in section 5.3.
How will the technical award criterion 1.3 "Value added in respect of information included in the tender specifications" (Section 5.3.1, page 21) be evaluated?
Evaluation of the tenders under criterion 1.3 will be carried out in consideration of the requirements set out in the Tender Specifications and based on the elements that reflect added value in respect of information already included in the Tender Specifications.
In the context of the selection criterion under 5.2.1, page 20, Professional Information, Documentary evidence "Declaration or certificate of enrolment in one of the professional or trade registers in the country of establishment", does the requirement to provide such documentary evidence apply to the lead partner? / each partner? / subcontractor?
As indicated in the check list of documents to be submitted, Annex 7 to the Tender Specifications, the evidence relating to the professional information is required from all the partners to the offer.