EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Trade

Transcription

1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Trade Directorate A - Resources, Information and Policy Coordination The Director Dear Sir/Madam, Brussels, 17/06/2016 ARES(2016) ) Subject: Framework Contract in cascade to organise events, conferences, seminars and meetings in the European Union, mainly in the context of trade policy activities The European Commission is planning to award the contract referred to above. The procurement documents consist in the contract notice, this invitation letter, the tender specifications with their annexes and the draft contract. If you are interested in this contract, you should submit a tender in one of the official languages of the European Union. You must submit your tender exclusively on paper, in one original and two copies. The tender must be placed inside two closed envelopes addressed as indicated below. Both envelopes should be marked as follows: "INVITATION TO TENDER RELATED TO TRADE 2016/A1/28. The inner envelope should be marked as follows: "CALL FOR TENDERS NOT TO BE OPENED BY THE INTERNAL MAIL DEPARTMENT". The inner envelope must also contain two closed envelopes, one containing the technical tender and the other the financial tender. Each of these envelopes must clearly indicate the content ("Technical" and "Financial"). The time limit for receipt of the tender is 31 August You must use one of the means of submission listed below. Receipt is understood as the time at which the tenderer hands over the tender to the post office or courier service or central mail department. (Means of submission Time limit Evidence Address for delivery CALL FOR TENDERS Post 24:00 CET Postmark Framework Contract to organise events in the European Union, mainly in the context of Trade policy activities- TRADE 2016/A1/28 European Commission Directorate-General for Trade, For the attention of Unit A1 - Resources and Strategic Planning (CHAR 07/173) 1

2 B 1049 Brussels Belgium Courier 24:00 CET Deposit slip of courier service CALL FOR TENDERS Framework Contract to organise events in the European Union, mainly in the context of Trade policy activities- TRADE 2016/A1/28 European Commission In person (hand delivery) 17:00 CET Proof of receipt, signed and dated by the official in the central mail department who takes delivery Directorate-General for Trade, For the attention of Unit A1 - Resources and Strategic Planning (CHAR 07/173) Avenue du Bourget 1 B-1140 Brussels (Evere) Belgium Mail can be received from to Monday to Fridays. The service is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and official holidays of the Contracting Authority. Tenders must be: - signed by an authorised representative; - perfectly legible so that there can be no doubt as to words and figures; - drawn up using the model reply forms in the tender specifications. The period of validity of the tender, during which tenderers may not modify the terms of their tenders in any respect, is indicated in Heading IV.2.6 of the contract notice. Submission of a tender implies acceptance of all the terms and conditions set out in the procurement documents and, where appropriate, waiver of the tenderer's own general or specific terms and conditions. The submitted tender is binding on the tenderer to whom the contract is awarded for the duration of the contract. All costs incurred for the preparation and submission of tenders are to be borne by the tenderers and will not be reimbursed. A maximum of two representatives per tender can attend the opening of tenders as provided in Section IV.2.7 of the contract notice. For organisational and security reasons, the tenderer must provide the full name and ID or passport number of the representatives at least 3 working days in advance to: trade-contracts@ec.europa.eu. Failing that, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to refuse access to its premises. Contacts between the Contracting Authority and candidates or tenderers are prohibited throughout the procedure save in exceptional circumstances and under the following conditions only: 2

3 Before the date of receipt indicated above: Upon request, the Contracting Authority may provide additional information solely for the purpose of clarifying the procurement documents. Any request for additional information must be made in writing only through the etendering website at in the "questions and answers" tab, by clicking "create a question". The Contracting Authority is not bound to reply to requests for additional information received less than six working days before the date of receipt of tenders indicated above. The Contracting Authority may, on its own initiative, inform interested parties of any error, inaccuracy, omission or any other type of clerical error in the text of the procurement documents. Any additional information including that referred to above will be posted on the etendering website indicated above. The website will be updated regularly and it is your responsibility to check for updates and modifications during the submission period. After the opening of tenders: If obvious clerical errors in the tender need to be corrected or confirmation of a specific or technical element is necessary, the Contracting Authority will contact the tenderer provided this does not lead to substantial changes to the terms of the submitted tender. This invitation to tender is in no way binding on the Contracting Authority. The Contracting Authority's contractual obligation commences only upon signature of the contract with the successful tenderer. Up to the point of signature, the Contracting Authority may cancel the procurement procedure without the candidates or tenderers being entitled to claim any compensation. This decision must be substantiated and the candidates or tenderers notified. Once the Contracting Authority has opened the tender, it becomes its property and it shall be treated confidentially. You will be informed of the outcome of this procurement procedure (award decision) by e- mail only. It is your responsibility to provide a valid address together with your contact details in your tender and to check this address regularly. If processing your reply to the invitation to tender involves the recording and processing of personal data (such as your name, address and CV), such data will be processed pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data. Unless indicated otherwise, your replies to the questions and any personal data requested are required to evaluate your tender in accordance with the specifications of the invitation to tender and will be processed solely for that purpose by Ms. Sofia Munoz Albarran Head of Unit A1 Resources and Strategic Planning. Details concerning the processing of your personal data are available on the privacy statement at: 3

4 Your personal data may be registered in the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) if you are in one of the situations mentioned in Article 106 of the Financial Regulation 1. For more information, see the Privacy Statement on 17/06 /2016, Peter Sandler, Director Resources, Information and Policy Coordination [signed] 1 Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (OJ L 298 of , p. 1) as amended. 4

5 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Trade Directorate A - Resources, Information and Policy Coordination Resources and Strategic Planning CALL FOR TENDERS N TRADE 2016/A1/28 Framework Contract to organise events, conferences, seminars and meetings in the European Union, mainly in the context of trade policy activities TENDER SPECIFICATIONS 5

6 Version of October 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INFORMATION ON TENDERING Participation Contractual conditions Compliance with applicable law Joint tenders Subcontracting Structure and content of the tender Identification of the tenderer TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Background information or mission statement of the Directorate General for Trade (DG Trade): The project focus or content Objectives of the project Work to be carried out/services to be rendered Management of the Framework Contract EVALUATION AND AWARD: Verification of non-exclusion Selection criteria Award criteria Ranking of tenders ANNEX 1. TENDER SUBMISSION FORM, DECLARATION ON HONOUR ON EXCLUSION AND SELECTION CRITERIA, STATEMENT OF EXCLUSIVITY AND AVAILABILITY, BANKING REFERENCES FORM, LEGAL ENTITIES FORM ANNEX 2. QUOTATION FORM FOR PRICE ANNEX 3. MODEL FRAMEWORK CONTRACT ANNEX 4. DAILY SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCES AND ACCOMMODATION RATES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

7 1. INFORMATION ON TENDERING 1.1. Participation Participation in this procurement procedure is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons coming within the scope of the Treaties, as well as to international organisations. It is also open to all natural and legal persons established 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. Where the plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement 2 concluded within the World Trade Organisation applies, the participation to this procedure is also open to all natural and legal persons established in the countries that have ratified this Agreement, on the conditions it lays down Contractual conditions The tenderer should bear in mind the provisions of the draft contract which specifies the rights and obligations of the contractor, particularly those on payments, performance of the contract, confidentiality, and checks and audits Compliance with applicable law The tender must comply with applicable environmental, social and labour law obligations established by Union law, national legislation, collective agreements or the international environmental, social and labour conventions listed in Annex X to Directive 2014/24/EU Joint tenders A joint tender is a situation where a tender is submitted by a group of economic operators (natural or legal persons). Joint tenders may include sub-contractors in addition to the members of the group. In case of joint tender, all members of the group assume joint and several liabilities towards the Contracting Authority for the performance of the contract as a whole, i.e. both financial and operational liability. Nevertheless, tenderers must designate one of the economic operators as a single point of contact (the leader) for the Contracting Authority for administrative and financial aspects as well as operational management of the contract. After the award, the Contracting Authority will sign the contract either with all members of the group, or with the leader on behalf of all members of the group, authorised by the other members via powers of attorney. 2 See 3 Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC (OJ L 94, , p. 65). 7

8 1.5. Subcontracting Subcontracting is permitted but the Contractor will retain full liability towards the Contracting Authority for performance of the contract as a whole. Tenderers are required to identify sub-contractors whose capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria. During contract performance, the change of any sub-contractor identified in the tender or additional subcontracting will be subject to prior written approval of the Contracting Authority Structure and content of the tender The tenders must be presented as follows: Part A: Identification of the tenderer (see section 1.7) Part B: Verification of non-exclusion (see section 3.1) Part C: Selection criteria (see section 3.2) Part D: Technical offer The technical offer must cover all aspects and tasks required in the technical specifications and provide all the information needed to apply the award criteria. Offers deviating from the requirements or not covering all requirements may be rejected on the basis of non-compliance with the tender specifications and will not be evaluated. Part E: Financial offer The budget of the contract, including all costs is estimated not to exceed Euro for its total duration of 4 years. Prices for the tender must be quoted in euro. The price quoted may not be revised in line with exchange rate movements. It is for the tenderer to bear the risks or the benefits deriving from any variation. Prices must be quoted free of all duties, taxes and other charges, including VAT, as the European Union is exempt from such charges under Articles 3 and 4 of the Protocol on the privileges and immunities of the European Union. The amount of VAT may be shown separately Identification of the tenderer The tender must include the tender submission form (see annex 1) signed by an authorised representative presenting the name of the tenderer (including all entities in case of joint tender) and identified sub-contractors if applicable, and the name of the single contact point (leader) in relation to this procedure. In case of a joint tender, the cover letter must be signed either by an authorised representative for each member, or by the leader authorised by the other members with powers of attorney. The signed powers of attorney must be included in the tender as well. Sub-contractors that are identified in the tender must provide a letter of intent signed by an authorised representative 8

9 stating their willingness to provide the services presented in the tender and in line with the present tender specifications. All tenderers (including all members of the group in case of joint tender) must provide a signed Legal Entity Form with its supporting evidence. The form is available on: Tenderers that are already registered in the Contracting Authority s accounting system (i.e. they have already been direct Contractors) must provide the form but are not obliged to provide the supporting evidence. The tenderer (or the leader in case of joint tender) must provide a Financial Identification Form with its supporting documents. Only one form per tender should be submitted. No form is needed for sub-contractors and other members of the group in case of joint tender. The form is available on: 2. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 2.1. Background information or mission statement of the Directorate General for Trade (DG Trade): The European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade develops and implements the EU's trade policy in order to help secure prosperity, solidarity and security in Europe and around the globe. Trade policy must deliver growth, jobs, investment and innovation while seeking to improve conditions for citizens, consumers, workers and self-employed, small, medium and large enterprises, and the poorest in developing countries. It shall do so in line with the principles and objectives of the Union's external action, and with the external objectives of EU internal policies, as well as in consistency with the European social model and values. DG Trade is in charge of developing and implementing the common trade policy of the European Union in accordance with the objectives set out in Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). The common commercial policy as it is referred to in the Treaty is one of the exclusive competences of the European Union mandated to the European Commission in accordance with article 3 of the TFEU. DG Trade supports the EU's Trade Commissioner in shaping a trade environment that is good for European citizens, workers, business and consumers and helping world trade and development, thereby boosting competitiveness, jobs and growth in the process. The current Commission has placed this among its top political priorities. As trade is one of the few instruments available for improving the economy without burdening state budgets, it contributes to the achievement of a number of the ten priorities identified by the Juncker Commission, in particular to giving a "New Boost to Jobs, Growth and Investment". At the same level, the Commission has recognised that concluding trade agreements with the world's trade partners, and in particular with the US, is a prime objective and has spelled this out in its priority for a "A Reasonable and Balanced Free Trade Agreement with the US". Finally, success in the EU is inextricably bound up with the success of our trading partners, both in the developed and developing world, which links our policy closely with the Commission's priority "EU as a Stronger Global Actor". Whilst defining trade policy, we must embrace the reality of the changing economic system of the world, looking at all the ways EU companies interact with the rest of the world. Today s global and digital system is based on international value chains that see conception, design and production happen in a series of steps across many countries. 9

10 In recent years, the debate about trade has intensified and broadened. We are aware of the high and legitimate expectations from our stakeholders to follow and influence how trade policy is made. We are therefore putting increased emphasis on transparency. Public concerns cover substantive issues such as the way regulation and investment will be dealt with in trade agreements and the consistency of EU trade policy with broader European and international values. These issues remain at the core of our negotiation positions. All these elements have been set out in the trade and investment policy strategy Communication "Trade for All", adopted by the College of Commissioners on 14 October 2015 ( See also: en.htm 2.2. The project focus or content In the context of its activities, DG Trade organises negotiation rounds, events, seminars, conferences and meetings in countries of the European Union. For this reason it needs different services. Such services will consist of providing full logistical support to organise these events and meetings, mainly in the context of trade policy activities. These services will be provided in the European Union. Because of the nature of some meetings, in particular those concerning trade negotiations round organised by the Commission, the Contractor should be able to book meeting rooms for several events at short notice. In general, an event has a length of between 3 to 5 working days, exceptionally going up to 10 with an average number of around 60 invited participants and a main focus on Brussels for the organisation of trade negotiating rounds Objectives of the project The objectives of the current project, which is tendered by DG Trade, are: a) To draw on the services of companies specialising in the organisation and planning of events, conferences and seminars in the European Union and, particularly, in Brussels; b) To assist the Contracting Authority to enhance the effective coordination of activities in question, where appropriate to expand and improve them; c) To draw on the capacity of these companies and in particular to mobilise a network of local suppliers within the European Union Work to be carried out/services to be rendered The Contractors will be responsible for the organisation, logistics and management of planned events, conferences, seminars and meetings taking place in the European Union mainly in the context of trade policy activities. The activities shall include the following: Logistical Assistance by an Event Coordinator For each event, the Contractor will nominate an Event Coordinator, whose assistance will be required in the margins of the dates of the event. 10

11 The Event Coordinator will be the main point of contact between the Contracting Authority and the Contractor during each specific event, and will have the support of the Project Director and other staff if deemed necessary. The Event Coordinator will be responsible for the coordination and planning of services leading up to the event, as specified in each specific contract, and s/he will ensure smooth running of the event, manage and the logistics on the ground as well as the coordination of tasks that s/he allocates to local third party suppliers throughout the duration of the event, e.g. interpreters/hostesses/stewards/security guards Specific Logistical and Technical Tasks Conference rooms and facilities In line with the Contracting Authority's request for services, the Contractor will assure the reservation of the appropriate conference/meeting rooms, and arrange for appropriate technical equipment, coffee breaks, light beverages and light buffet lunch. The Contractor must take into account the number of participants, accessibility, local security situations and facilities for disabled participants. At the Contracting Authorities request, the hire of additional conference/meeting rooms, for break-out sessions or secretarial work during the event may be necessary as well as the hiring of appropriate conference equipment throughout the event. The hire of conference equipment may cover the following: audio equipment: microphone(s), loudspeaker(s), etc.; projection devices: overhead projector(s), beamer, video projector(s), wide projection; screen(s), television set(s), DVD player(s), WIFI ; transmission material for the deaf as well as translation/communication facilities for deaf or blind participants; PC, printer and photocopier Local assistance If specified by the Contracting Authority in the request for services, the Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that local assistance is available throughout the event either offered by the venue/sub-contractor or, if not, carried out by the Contractor through various duties such as: Assistance at the event: such as welcoming participants, distributing badges, guide the participants to the meeting rooms, passing round the microphone. IT and audio-visual assistance ; Local correspondent/coordinator for preparation work running up to the event and/or coordinate different third party suppliers on the ground and liaise with participants on any issues that may arise. For that purpose, hostesses/stewards as well as the staff from the Contractor or the sub-contractor should be dressed in a way to be identified at first glance by the participants, as being part of the 11

12 staff. They should be proficient in English and French for all events and the language of the Member State where the event takes place Security guards If specified by the Contracting Authority in the request for services and taking into account the level of the participants, their nationalities and the level of risk evaluated by the local authorities, the Contractor is responsible for ensuring the security of participants to the event. When specified, the venue should be secured by filtering the entrances and exits, checking the invitation list versus ID cards and should be equipped with video monitoring. Security guards should all wear a uniform in order to be identified at first glance by the participants, as being part of the security staff. They should be proficient in English and French for all events and the language of the Member State where the event takes place Provision of interpreters If specified by the Contracting Authority in the request for services, the Contractor shall ensure the provision of interpreters needed to provide the conference interpretation. The Contracting Authority will communicate requirements beforehand (e.g. languages to be used by speakers). Interpreters for deaf people may be required. The Contractor shall ascertain what language(s), if any, might usefully be provided in simultaneous interpretation to allow active participation of the participants. The languages shall be agreed with the Contracting Authority. The Contractor shall be responsible for hiring appropriate translation equipment, such as cabins and equipment needed for simultaneous interpreting Local transport If specified by the Contracting Authority in the request for services, the Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that local transport is available throughout the event, for example: Arranging transfers between airport, hotel and conference venue if the hotel or venue is far away; Arranging transfers between airport and hotel during transit; Hiring inter-city / intra-city transfers as part of the conference programme. This service shall only be called upon should the venue be unable to organise a shuttle service Lunches and Dinners If specified by the Contracting Authority in the request for services, the Contractor is responsible for booking and organising lunches and/or dinners outside the conference facilities throughout the event. The Contractor shall make the necessary reservations for the appropriate number of people on the basis of a standard three-course menu to be decided directly by the Contractor. The Contractor must take any cultural, religious or personal specificity of participants into consideration and provide suitable food and drinks. 12

13 Travel If specified by the Contracting Authority in the request for services, the Contractor is responsible for booking, purchasing, modification, cancellation and dispatch of travel tickets to participants and speakers. Air tickets: Unless otherwise indicated in the specific request for services (see Annex 3, contract model, point I.5.3), these are economy class tickets (and include airport tax and, where appropriate, any charges for making the tickets available for collection at the airport of departure). Flight tickets are to be arranged based on the shortest itinerary, from the nearest available airport of the place of work/residence of the invitee and/or the capital city of the respective country to the airport of the city where the event takes place. Deviations from these principles must be authorised in writing beforehand by the Contracting Authority of each assignment. In order to allow for ticket price fluctuations, a special contingency margin of 10% of the total flight costs will be foreseen in the estimate given in reply to the request for services. The Contractor should to the extent possible, provide electronic tickets and depending on the location of the venue, sub-contract to locally based travel agencies that may have easier access to local airlines and flight connections. Rail tickets: Where more appropriate (generally for journeys not exceeding a one way distance of 400 km and not including a sea crossing which can only be made by boat), travel may be arranged by rail rather than air at the rate of the first class rail ticket. Where the Contractor cannot fulfil these conditions and proposes an alternative, the Contracting Authority must authorise the alternative beforehand. Car: If authorised beforehand by the Contracting Authority, a participant who wishes to travel to an event by car, will be reimbursed up to the maximum cost of a first class rail ticket for the equivalent journey. The participant will be reimbursed a fixed rate of 0.22 per km when the first class rail fare cannot be defined. If several participants travel by the same car, only one reimbursement will be authorised. Evidence of the journey by car must be received from the participants. Changes and cancellations: The Contractor must provide participants with the necessary assistance whenever changes have to be made to tickets. Also, the Contracting Authority of the relevant assignment must be notified immediately of any major changes to flight times and its approval of such changes must first be obtained. Should there be no reaction from the Contracting Authority, the change cannot take place. The Contractor must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that any requests for cancellation are settled in the best interests of the Contracting Authority. Any additional costs owing to negligence attributable to the Contractor will be borne by the Contractor. Delivering tickets: The Contractor shall contact participants and speakers as necessary to make arrangements for sending electronic or paper tickets or making them available for collection at the airport/station of departure. Travel arrangements shall be made on the basis of a list of participants agreed by the Contracting Authority. Any changes requested by the Contracting Authority shall be notified to the Contractor as rapidly as possible. Should those changes result in extra costs, those costs shall be notified to the Contracting Authority and, if accepted, charged to the contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for all aspects of the travel arrangements including direct contacts with the participants and speakers. 13

14 Accommodation If specified by the Contracting Authority in the request for services, the Contractor is responsible for booking of appropriate hotel accommodation. Reservations must be made in the category of hotel as specified in each request for services, in the city and/or part of the city indicated. Unless the Contracting Authority indicates otherwise, breakfast must be included in the rate charged for the room. The request for services will indicate the approximate number of nights to be booked for participants. The final number of nights will be determined by the actual travel arrangements and itinerary. Where travel arrangements require that the participant must spend additional night(s) in the hotel or during transit, this must be authorised beforehand by the Contracting Authority. The Contractor shall negotiate the best possible rates per night on behalf of the Contracting Authority and where possible, make use of preferential rates put forth by the Contracting Authority. In any case, the maximum rate per night of accommodation for each participant shall not exceed the amounts indicated per country in Annex 4 4. Only under exceptional circumstances, and only if duly justified by providing three offers by three different hotels in the Contractors financial estimate, can the ceilings for accommodation provided for in Annex 4 be exceeded by a maximum of 50%. The Contractor shall settle the hotel bill for participants and speakers, excluding the staff of the European Institutions. The Contracting Authority may also require the event to be held in the hotel where accommodation has been reserved. In this case the hotel must have the appropriate conference rooms and facilities. If a participant is not willing to use the facility of reservation, s/he shall notify the Contractor in due course. If s/he decides to stay in a hotel different to the one selected by the Contractor at his/her own request, arrangements for another hotel shall not be made by the Contractor and shall not be covered by the European Commission, unless in case of unforeseen circumstances (e.g. unavailability of rooms in the selected hotel). The request for services may require the appropriate handling of arrangements for the participation of staff of the European Commission in line with the European Commission rules to be provided to the Contractor by the Contracting Authority. This may typically cover booking their rooms in the same hotel as the other participants. If it is the case, no extra charges will be accepted. Whenever possible, the Contractor shall organise through the hotel a shuttle service for a return journey between the airport and the hotel for all participants, and to be included within the management fee of this task Assessment Each participant shall be asked to provide individual feedback concerning the quality and utility of each seminar. This feedback shall be analysed and the results, together with the recommendation to improve future similar events, shall be included in the final report. 4 These rates are used by the European Commission in the context of missions of officials and other servants. In case of a revision by the European Commission, the Annex will be amended accordingly. 14

15 2.5. Management of the Framework Contract Management structure A strong management structure shall be required to follow the events, to co-ordinate both the work of the Event Coordinator, its team and the relationship with the services of the Contracting Authority, and to ensure that the timetable and milestones of the project are met. The tenderer must clearly outline the proposed management structure in the tender. The composition of the management team will be determined by the Contractor. However, it will comprise as minimum: one Project Director who will have the overall responsibility for the running of the Framework Contract as well as for all the contacts with the Contracting Authority; one Event Co-ordinator responsible for the appropriate outcome of all the specific contracts. In particular, the management team shall ensure the provision of high-quality services throughout the assignment. It would also be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Framework Contract. The CVs of the management team members will form part of the Framework Contract. Regarding the implementation of the specific contracts, if the Contractor needs to add additional members to the team delivering the services, the approval of the Commission will be requested. The proposed additional members have to meet the same requirements as the members of the team proposed in the tender of the Framework Contract as stated in this section. The Contractor shall send to the Commission all the documents needed for the verification of those requirements as stated in paragraph B Multiple Framework Contract in cascade A multiple Framework Contract will be concluded with the two tenderers that are ranked best when the bids are evaluated and that have obtained the minimum number of points required (see point 3.4). The term "multiple Framework Contract" refers to the situation whereby a Framework Contract is concluded separately but on identical terms, between the Commission and several service providers with a view to ensuring that a contract can be performed in succession by one or other of the Contractors. The request to provide services shall be sent to the second Contractor on the list (the "cascade system") in any of the following situations: a) If the first choice of Contractor is unable to carry out the work or does not reply by the deadline set in the request for services; b) In the event of default in respect of the performance of an order as described in Article I.11 of the model contract (see annex 3); c) Or in one of the circumstances described under Article II.18.1 of the model contract, but not entailing its termination. If the Commission does not approve the estimate submitted by the second Contractor and no agreement is found between the two parties within a reasonable deadline, the Commission reserves the right to return to the first Contractor under the terms of his initial bid. 15

16 Management fee Management fees for each event and item under point will be indicated by tenderers in the quotation form (Annex 2). The amount indicated shall be expressed in euro as a fee "per event" taking into account its length and number of participants or per task, for the services directly rendered or organised by the Contractor in addition to the core tasks. Tenderers shall complete the quotation form grid by quoting their management fee per event in relation to its length and the number of invited participants and the additional services. Management fees shall cover all of the Contractor's honoraria and its staff in order to manage the related service as well as the Contractor's commercial margin. The quoted prices must be fixed amounts which include all charges (including travel and subsistence). Where applicable, the offer shall also indicate the prices for unit of time (either in euro per hour, day or month). The Commission shall not reimburse separately travel or subsistence expenses, or any other costs such as translation costs, database management or administrative costs necessary to carry out the tasks of the contract (offices, secretarial assistance, communications, printing costs of documents, dispatch costs, etc.). Therefore, the tenderer is requested to take into account all these costs when preparing the offer Costs relating to third party suppliers The maximum costs of the services rendered to the Contractor by third parties in order to enable him to deliver the outputs required under the orders or specific contracts shall be specified in the financial estimate drawn up by the Contractor in reply to the request for services. Depending on the location, nature and estimated value of each assignment, the Contracting Authority may request that the Contractor's financial offer is established on the basis of three offers from three different third party suppliers, for the service(s) in question. All third party suppliers costs shall represent the true market rates for the service to be rendered to the Contracting Authority, equally benefiting from any negotiated discounts by the Contractor. The Contractor shall not benefit from any additional commercial margins, other than those represented in Annex 2 of the tender form. The costs generated by the services rendered by third parties will be disbursed as a reimbursable expenditure in accordance with Articles I.5.3 and II.22.1 of the model Framework Contract when the Contractor provides supporting documents. Due to its nature, no third party costs shall be generated through item assessment. This task shall be performed by the Event Coordinator and his/her team, whose honoraria shall be included in the management fees Reporting requirements For the Framework Contract The Contractor shall provide the following reports; 1) A yearly report will be provided to the Commission within one month following each year of operations starting with the signature of the contract. This stocktaking report will indicate inter alia both positive and well-functioning aspects of the Framework Contract as well as problems and obstacles met. It will propose recommendations aiming to improve the administrative and/or operational aspects of the Framework Contract and/or individual assignments. The core part of 16

17 the report will not exceed 15 pages. The report will also contain annexes which will provide information on a number of issues such as: Statistical data: number of requests received, number to which the Contractor has replied, number of Specific Contracts awarded, amounts contracted and paid; Administrative data: name and nationality of the specific event co-ordinators; 2) A final report summarizing the aspects above among others will be required at the end of the Framework Contract. It must be delivered within one month following the end of the contract. The Contracting Authority may organise a meeting inviting all Contractors to report on and analyse the functioning of the Framework Contract on a yearly basis. The participation of Contractors shall then be required. However, their related travel and accommodation costs will not be reimbursed by the Contracting Authority. The Contractor must keep all the documents related to the Framework Contract implementation for a period of seven years following the closure of the Framework Contract For each Specific Contract Following the signature of a specific contract, the Event Coordinator is required to provide a regular up-date of the preparations informally over and/or telephone to the project officer. This shall include, mainly, the confirmation of the venue and accommodation arrangements, travel details for participants and speakers and the state of play of preparations of the event. However, following the signature of an order form or specific contract, additional requests may only be accepted on receipt of a written request by the Contracting Authority and only if sufficient budget is available under unforeseen costs. The Contractor will refer any additional requests it receives back to the Contracting Authority in Brussels. Final report: The Contractor shall be required to provide a final report for each specific assignment. In order for the final report to be accepted and evaluated, the following formal conditions must be satisfied: A final report shall be submitted by the Contractor no more than two months after the end of the specific assignment. An original of the final report must be received by the Contracting Authority, together with an electronic version submitted by . The report must contain the signature of the legal representative of the contracting organisation. The representative's name and his or her position/title in the contracting organisation should be given below the signature, which should be accompanied by the organisation's official stamp. The final report is presented in two parts: Part 1: Activities/Results The first part of the report shall refer to the activities/results. The aim is to provide a detailed picture of the event and, to this end, shall include at least the following information which will enable a quantitative and qualitative analysis of both the project's activities and results: - A summary of the activities undertaken; 17

18 - An indication of the problems encountered and possible solutions for future events; - The complete list of participants as well as the original attendance sheet; - Evaluation of the event by the participants. Please bear in mind that the purpose of the final report is to enable an overall evaluation of the service provided. Therefore, all activities shall be finalised before it is submitted. Part 2: Financial Report The financial report must give a clear and concise overview of all the expenditure claims related to the specific contract. The financial report shall be expressed in euro; Originals of all invoices relating to third party s expenditure. If the report does not meet the above criteria, the European Commission reserves the right not to evaluate it until its formal presentation is correct. The reporting language shall be English. 3. EVALUATION AND AWARD: The evaluation is based solely on the information provided in the submitted tender. It involves the following: Verification of non-exclusion of tenderers on the basis of the exclusion criteria; Selection of tenderers on the basis of selection criteria; Verification of compliance with the minimum requirements set out in these tender specifications; Evaluation of tenders on the basis of the award criteria. The Contracting Authority may reject abnormally low tenders, in particular if it is established that the tenderer or a sub-contractor does not comply with applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour law. The Contracting Authority will assess these criteria in no particular order. The successful tenderer must pass all criteria to be awarded the contract Verification of non-exclusion All tenderers must provide a declaration on honour (see Annex 1), signed and dated by an authorised representative, stating that they are not in one of the situations of exclusion listed in that declaration on honour. In the case of a joint tender, each member of the group must provide a declaration on honour signed by an authorised representative. 18

19 In the case of subcontracting, all sub-contractors whose share of the contract whose capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria must provide a declaration on honour signed by an authorised representative. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to verify whether the successful tenderer is in one of the situations of exclusion by requiring the supporting documents listed in the declaration of honour. The successful tenderers must provide the documents mentioned as supporting evidence in the declaration on honour before signature of the contract and within a deadline given by the Contracting Authority. This requirement applies to each member of the group in the case of a joint tender and to all sub-contractors whose capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria. The obligation to submit supporting evidence does not apply to international organisations. A tenderer (or a member of the group in the case of a joint tender, or a sub-contractor) is not required to submit the documentary evidence if it has already been submitted for another procurement procedure and provided the documents were issued not more than one year before the date of their request by the Contracting Authority and are still valid at that date. In such cases, the tenderer must declare on its honour that the documentary evidence has already been provided in a previous procurement procedure, indicate the reference of the procedure and confirm that that there has been no change in its situation. A tenderer (or a member of the group in the case of a joint tender, or a sub-contractor) is not required to submit a specific document if the Contracting Authority can access the document in question on a national database free of charge Selection criteria Tenderers must prove their legal, regulatory, economic, financial, technical and professional capacity to carry out the work subject to this procurement procedure. The tenderer may rely on the capacities of other entities, regardless of the legal nature of the links which it has with them. It must in that case prove to the Contracting Authority that it will have at its disposal the resources necessary for performance of the contract, for example by producing an undertaking on the part of those entities to place those resources at its disposal. The tender must include the proportion of the contract that the tenderer intends to subcontract. The tenderer (and each member of the group in the case of a joint tender) must declare whether it is a Small or Medium Size Enterprise in accordance with Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC. This information is used for statistical purposes only Declaration and evidence The tenderers (and each member of the group in the case of a joint tender) and sub-contractors whose capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria must provide the declaration on honour (see Annex 1), signed and dated by an authorised representative, stating that they fulfil the selection criteria applicable to them. In the case of a joint tender or subcontracting, the criteria applicable to the tenderer as a whole will be verified by combining the various declarations for a consolidated assessment. This declaration is part of the declaration used for exclusion criteria (see section 4.1) so only one declaration covering both aspects should be provided by each concerned entity. 19

20 The Contracting Authority will evaluate selection criteria on the basis of the declarations on honour and evidence in relation to technical and professional capacity. Nevertheless, it reserves the right to require evidence of the legal and regulatory, financial and economic capacity of the tenderers at any time during the procurement procedure and contract performance. In such a case the tenderer must provide the requested evidence without delay. After contract award, the successful tenderers will be required to provide the evidence mentioned below before signature of the contract and within a deadline given by the Contracting Authority. This requirement applies to each member of the group in the case of a joint tender and to subcontractors whose capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria. A tenderer (or a member of the group in case of joint tender, or a sub-contractor) is not required to submit the documentary evidence if it has already been submitted for another procurement procedure and provided the documents were issued not more than one year before the date of their request by the Contracting Authority and are still valid at that date. In such cases, the tenderer must declare on its honour that the documentary evidence has already been provided in a previous procurement procedure, indicate the reference of the procedure and confirm that that there has been no change in its situation. A tenderer (or a member of the group in case of joint tender, or a sub-contractor) is not required to submit a specific document if the Contracting Authority can access the document in question on a national database free of charge Legal and regulatory capacity Where requested by the Contracting Authority, tenderers must prove that they are allowed to pursue the professional activity necessary to carry out the work subject to this call for tender. The tenderer (including each member of the group in the case of a joint tender) must provide the following information if it has not been provided with the Legal Entity Form: - For legal persons, a legible copy of the notice of appointment of the persons authorised to represent the tenderer in dealings with third parties and in legal proceedings, or a copy of the publication of such appointment if the legislation applicable to the legal person requires such publication. Any delegation of this authorisation to another representative not indicated in the official appointment must be evidenced. - For natural persons, if required under applicable law, a proof of registration on a professional or trade register or any other official document showing the registration number Economic and financial capacity criteria The tenderer must have the necessary economic and financial capacity to perform this contract until its end. In order to prove their capacity, the tenderer must comply with the following selection criteria. Criterion F1: Turnover of the last two financial years above EUR ; this criterion applies to the tenderer as a whole, i.e. the combined capacity of all members of a group in the case of a joint tender. Criterion F2: Sufficient economic and financial capacity to guarantee continuous and satisfactory performance throughout the envisaged lifetime of the contract. On request from the Contracting Authority, the tenderer should be able to provide the following evidence at short notice: - Copy of the profit and loss accounts and balance sheet for the last two years for which accounts have been closed from each concerned legal entity; 20