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SERVICE CONTRACT FORECAST
Euro Mediterranean Transport Project –
Benchmarking contract
Location: Mediterranean region
1. Publication reference: EuropeAid/116896/C/SV/Multi
3. Programme : Meda 4. Financing : Budget line – B7-4100
5. Contracting Authority
European Commission, on behalf of beneficiary MEDA countries and territories
7. Contract description
The overall objective of this benchmarking contract is to contribute to the analytical basis of regional and national reform efforts in the transport sector, in order to guide and facilitate the decisions of policy makers, donors and financiers. This shall be done in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, other regional activities in the sector (Transport Forum, existing regional and planned national MEDA projects).
The specific objectives of this contract are to develop the data base needed to assess the performance of the transport sector in the region and to contribute to the preparation and then the update of the Regional Transport Action Plan (RTAP) and help decision makers develop and adopt policy reforms. This will be done by developing (1) a limited set of performance and efficiency indicators, (2) regularly calculate and evaluate these according to a standard methodology and with accuracy across the 12 Mediterranean Partners, (3) provide a brief analysis of the evidence, (4) compare against best practices and (5) disseminate this information widely.
The contract will have duration of 3,5 years and will cover most part of the inputs of the Euromed Regional Transport Programme approved by the European Commission in November 2001.
8. Indicative maximum budget : 2.500.000 €
9. Intended timing of publication : October 2003
11. Legal basi : MEDA Regulation (CE) n° 2698/2000 of the Council dated 27 November 2000.
Euro
Mediterranean Transport Project
“Motorways of the Sea Contract”
MEDA
1. Publication reference
EuropeAid/121468/C/SV/Multi
2. Procedure
Restricted
3. Programme
MEDA
4. Financing
BGUE-B2004-19 080201
5. Contracting Authority
The European Commission, on behalf of the beneficiary countries and territories
CONTRACT SPECIFICATION
6. Nature of contract
Fee-based
7. Contract description
The development of Motorways of the Sea (MoS) represent an interesting opportunity to extend the major Trans-European Transport Axes to the neighbouring countries of the EU in the Mediterranean region. The success of the MoS will however depend on the establishment of efficient intermodal transport links, between the EU and the MEDA region as well as between the MEDA partners themselves.
The aim of this contract is to explore the existing potential in this regard, to promote the concept of MoS and foster the development of transport intermodality in the region, and to give rise to and support pilot initiatives in the areas concerned.
The work will consist of: (i) Disseminating information and raising interest from government authorities and a wide range of stakeholders (public administrations, regulatory bodies, port and airport authorities, as well as economic, commercial and social actors from different spheres) on intermodality (including in respect of its development in the EU) and the MoS concept. (ii) Identifying the most promising opportunities at regional, sub-regional and national levels, as well the constraints to be overcome (in terms of legislation, taxation, logistics, lack of infrastructure, poor administrative efficiency, insufficient access to finance, etc). (iii) Preparing a strategic plan of actions, to be followed by stakeholders’ endorsement and mobilisation/networking, feasibility studies, in addition to contacts with financing institutions, if required. (iv) Support pilot initiatives, once the priorities will be established, through capacity building measures (training, study tours, etc) as well as detailed legislative, economic, technical and financial studies aimed to prepare the ground for reform and infrastructure investment.
Broad policy dialogue between the Euro-Med Partners will also be encouraged, as well as liaison with the High Level Group on the extension of Trans-European Transport Axes and the ongoing EuroMed Transport Project.
The expected project outcomes should contribute to the establishment of effective connections of ports to road and rail networks, the creation of logistical platforms facilitating these connections, efficient port services and the minimisation of transit times, through which a boost to economic and social development might be anticipated.
8. Numbers and titles of lots
N/A
9. Maximum budget
EUR 4,800,000
10. Scope for additional services
N/A
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
11. Eligibility
Participation is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons of the EU Member States, and of the MEDA Partner Countries and Territories.
12. Candidature
All eligible natural and legal persons (as per item 11 above) or groupings of such persons (consortia) may apply.
A consortium may be a permanent, legally-established grouping or a grouping which has been constituted informally for a specific tender procedure. All members of a consortium (ie, the leader and all other partners) are jointly and severally liable to the Contracting Authority.
The participation of an ineligible natural or legal person (as per item 11) will result in the automatic exclusion of that person. In particular, if that ineligible person belongs to a consortium, the whole consortium will be excluded.
13. Number of applications
No more than one application can be submitted by a natural or legal person (including legal persons within the same legal group), whatever the form of participation (as an individual legal entity or as leader or partner of a consortium submitting an application). In the event that a natural or legal person (including legal persons within the same legal group) submits more than one application, all applications in which that person (and legal persons within the same legal group) has participated will be excluded.
14. Shortlist alliances prohibited
Any tenders received from tenderers comprising firms other than those mentioned in the short-listed application forms will be excluded from this restricted tender procedure. Short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for the contract in question.
15. Grounds for exclusion
As part of the application form, candidates must submit a statement to the effect that they are not in any of the exclusion situations listed in Section 2.3.3 of the Practical Guide to contract procedures financed from the General Budget of the European Communities in the context of external actions (available from following Internet address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/index_en.htm).
16. Sub-contracting
Sub-contracting is not allowed.
17. Number of candidates to be short-listed
On the basis of the applications received, at least 4 and at most 8 candidates will be invited to submit detailed tenders for this contract.
PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE
18. Provisional date of invitation to tender
October 2005
19. Provisional commencement date of the contract
January 2006
20. Initial period of execution and possible extension of the contract
36 months
SELECTION AND AWARD CRITERIA
21. Selection criteria
The following selection criteria will be applied to candidates. In the case of applications submitted by a consortium, these selection criteria will be applied to the consortium as a whole:
1) Economic and financial standing of candidate [based on item 3 of the application form]
The average annual turnover of the candidate (for the Leader in case of consortium) must exceed 2.000.000 € per year in the last three years (2002 -2003 -2004) or management of similar budget in case of public entities, NGOs, etc.
2) Professional capacity of candidate [based on items 4 and 5 of the application form]
At least 10 staff currently work for the candidate in the transport sector, notably in reform and strategic planning in this sector.
3) Technical capacity of candidate [based on items 5 and 6 of the application form]
a) The candidate has managed or been the lead partner of a consortium in at least three international donor-funded projects with a total budget of minimum EUR 3,000,000 in the past three years (2002 – 2003 – 2004);
b) The candidate has managed or been the lead partner of a consortium in at least three technical assistance projects in fields related to this contract with a total budget of minimum EUR 2,000,000 in the past three years (2002 – 2003 – 2004)
c) The candidate has demonstrated experience of implementing projects/ programmes in the MEDA region in the past three years (2002 – 2003 – 2004)
If more than 8 eligible candidates meet the above selection criteria, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the applications of these candidates must be re-examined to identify the eight best applications for the tender procedure. The only factors which will be taken into consideration during this re-examination are:
1) Preference will be given to candidates which have the most demonstrated experience in international technical assistance projects as regards reform and strategic planning in the transport sector, in the past 3 years.
2) Preference will be given to candidates which demonstrate the largest experience in the MEDA region.
22. Award criteria
As specified in the tender dossier annexed to the letter of invitation to tender which will be sent to short-listed candidates.
APPLICATION
23. Deadline for receipt of applications
10 October 2005, 16:00 Central Europe Time.
Any application received after this deadline will not be considered.
24. Application format and details to be provided
Applications must be submitted using the standard application form (available from the following Internet address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/index_en.htm), whose format and instructions must be strictly observed.
Any application which does not observe these provisions will be automatically eliminated. Any additional documentation (brochure, letter, etc) sent with an application will not be taken into consideration.
25. How applications may be submitted
Applications must be submitted in English exclusively to the Contracting Authority:
1 EITHER by recorded delivery (official postal service) to :
European Commission
EuropeAid Co-operation Office
Financing, Contracts and Audits (AIDCO A/5)
EuropeAid/121468/C/SER/Multi
J-54 01/230
B-1049 Brussels, Belgium
2 OR hand delivered (including courier services) directly to the Contracting Authority in return for a signed and dated receipt to:
European Commission
Service du Courrier Central
EuropeAid Co-operation Office
Financing, Contracts and Audits (AIDCO A/5)
EuropeAid/121468/C/SER/Multi
J-54 1/230
Rue de Genève, 1
B-1140 Brussels-Evere
The Contract title and the Publication reference (see item 1 above) must be clearly marked on the envelope containing the application and must always be mentioned in all subsequent correspondence with the Contracting Authority.
Applications submitted by any other means will not be considered.
26. Operational language
All written communications for this tender procedure and contract must be in English.
27. Additional information
N/A
28. Date of publication of contract forecast
April 2005
29. Legal basis
MEDA Regulation (CE) n° 2698/2000 of the Council dated 27 November 2000