Country: Somalia
Closing date: 06 Sep 2016
1.0 PROCEDURES AND RULES
UNICEF is the agency of the United Nations mandated to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child UNICEF strives to establish children’s rights as international standards of behaviour towards children. UNICEF’s role is to mobilise political will and material resources to help countries ensure a “first call for children". UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children.
UNICEF carries out its work through its headquarters in New York, 8 regional offices and 125 country offices world-wide. UNICEF also has a research centre in Florence, a supply operation based in Copenhagen and offices in Tokyo and Brussels. UNICEF’s 37 committees raise funds and spread awareness about the organisations mission and work.
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE RFP
The purpose of this RFP is to provide Sea Freight Services for UNICEF Somalia as stipulated in the TOR.
1.3 FORECAST SCHEDULE
The schedule of the contractual process is as follows:
a) Closing date and time for submission of full proposal**: 06/09/2016 at 10.00 a.m. Nairobi Time**.
b) Award Notice: To be determined.
c) Signature of contract: To be determined.
1.4 RFP CHANGE POLICY
All requests for formal clarification or queries on this RFP must be submitted in writing via email to somsupply@unicef.org prior to the closing date and time on: 30/08/2016 at 4.30 p.m. Nairobi Time. Please make sure that the e-mail mentions the RFP reference number.
Only written inquiries will be entertained. Please be informed that if the question is of common interest, the answer will be shared with all potential RFP bidders.
Erasures or other corrections in the proposal must be explained and the signature of the applicant shown alongside. All changes to a proposal must be received prior to the closing time and date. It must be clearly indicated that it is a modification and supersedes the earlier proposal, or state the changes from the original proposal. Proposals may be withdrawn on written request received from bidders prior to the opening time and date. Bidders are expected to examine all instructions pertaining to the work. Failure to do so will be at bidder’s own risk and disadvantage.
1.5 RFP RESPONSE FORMAT
Full proposals should be submitted in English and must be received not later than 06/09/2016 by 10.00 a.m. Nairobi Time. Proposals received after the stipulated date and time will be invalidated.
The proposals should be submitted as follows:-
a) Sealed Envelope 1: Technical proposal only without mention of the budget – the envelope should be clearly marked with “RFP No.; Name of Company; Technical Proposal”.
b) Sealed Envelope 2: Financial Proposal - the envelope should be clearly marked with “RFP No.; Name of Company; Financial Proposal”.
c) Sealed Envelope 3: Outer envelope containing the individual envelopes for Technical & Financial proposals – the envelope should be clearly marked with “RFP No.; Company Name”.
d) Please remember to sign the “Request for Proposal for Services Form” on Page 3 of the RFP document and return together with the proposal.
Note: Proposals not submitted in this manner will be invalidated.
BIDS may be hand-delivered or sent by Courier to:-
UNICEF SOMALIA SUPPORT CENTRE OFFICE,
UN GIGIRI COMPLEX, BLOCK Q, GROUND FLOOR
P.O. Box 44145-00100
Nairobi
Bidders are requested to provide details (Name/ID No.) of the persons delivering a day in advance by sending an email to somsupply@unicef.org to facilitate clearance to enter the UN complex.
Due to the nature of this RFP, there will be no public opening of proposals and responsible officers will open technical proposals when the specified time has arrived.
1.6 BIDDER RESPONSE
1.6.1 Formal submission requirements
The formal submission requirements as outlined in this Request for Proposal must be followed, e.g. regarding form and timing of submission, marking of the envelopes, no price information in the technical proposal, etc.
1.6.2 Mandatory criteria:
All mandatory (i.e. must/have to/shall/should/will) criteria mentioned throughout this Request for Proposal have to be addressed and met in your proposal.
All references to descriptive materials should be included in the appropriate response paragraph, though the material/documents themselves may be provided as annexes to the proposal/response.
It is important that you read all of the provisions of the request for proposal, to ensure that you understand UNICEF’s requirements and can submit a proposal in compliance with them. The bidder must also provide sufficient information in the proposal to address each area of the Proposal Evaluation to allow the evaluation team to make a fair assessment of the candidates and their proposal. Note that failure to provide compliant proposals may result in invalidation of your proposal.
1.7 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
Information, which the bidder considers proprietary, should be clearly marked "proprietary", if any, next to the relevant part of the text, and UNICEF will treat such information accordingly.
1.8 RIGHTS OF UNICEF
UNICEF reserves the right to accept any proposal, in whole or in part; or, to reject any or all proposals. UNICEF reserves the right to invalidate any Proposal received from a Bidder who has previously failed to perform properly or complete contracts on time, or a Proposal received from a Bidder who, in the opinion of UNICEF, is not in a position to perform the contract. UNICEF shall not be held responsible for any cost incurred by the Bidder in preparing the response to this Request for Proposal. The Bidder agrees to be bound by the decision of UNICEF as to whether her/his proposal meets the requirements stated in this Request for Proposal. Specifically, UNICEF reserves the right to:
a) Contact any or all references supplied by the bidder(s);
b) Request additional supporting or supplementary data (from the bidder(s));
c) Arrange interviews with the bidder(s);
d) Reject any or all proposals submitted;
e) Accept any proposals in whole or in part;
f) Negotiate with the service provider(s) who has/have attained the best rating/ranking, i.e. the one(s) providing the overall best value proposal(s);
g) Contract any number of candidates as required to achieve the overall evaluation objectives.
1.8.1 Validity
Proposal must be valid for a minimum of ninety (90) days from the date of opening of this RFP and must be signed by all candidates included in the submission. For proposals from institutions, the proposal must also be signed by an authorised representative of the institution. Bidders are requested to indicate the validity period of their proposal in the Proposal Form. UNICEF may also request for an extension of the validity of the proposal.
1.8.2 Insurance Clause
The contractor will be wholly responsible for their staff and must make the necessary arrangements and payments with the relevant companies for Health Insurance and Medical Evacuation etc.
1.8.3 Technical Proposal
The technical proposal should address all aspects and criteria outlined in this Request for Proposal, especially in its statement of work, terms of reference and paragraph 1.10 of this Request for Proposal. However, all these requirements represent a wish list from UNICEF. The bidders are free to suggest/ propose any other solution. UNICEF welcomes new ideas and innovative approaches. (NOTE: No price information should be contained in the technical proposal).
1.8.4 Price Proposal
The price proposal should be in line with the TOR, indicating overall/total cost of assignment and itemized budget.
1.9 PROPOSAL EVALUTION
After the RFP opening, each proposal will be assessed first on is technical merits and subsequently on its price. The proposal with the best overall value, composed of technical merit and price, will be recommended for approval. UNICEF will set up an evaluation panel composed of technical UNICEF staff and their conclusions will be forwarded to the internal UNICEF contracts Review Committee.
The evaluation panel will first evaluate each response for compliance with requirement of the RFP. Responses deemed not to meet all of the mandatory requirements will be considered non-compliant and rejected at this stage without further consideration. Failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions contained in this RFP, including provision of all required information may result in a response or proposal being disqualified from further consideration.
1.9.1 Evaluation Method
The evaluation method will be the Cumulative Analysis evaluation (point system with weight attribution) which uses a total score from the combination of weighted technical and financial attributes,
1.9.2 Technical Proposal
The technical proposals will be evaluated against specified criteria below. The total amount of points allocated to the technical proposal is 70 points and only technical proposals which receive a minimum of 50 points will be considered further.
(i)Overall Response: 8 Points (each number 4 points)
Understanding of and responsiveness to UNICEF’s requirements
a) Completeness of response and range of services available.
b) Overall concord between RFP requirements and proposal.
(ii)Implementation and Operational Methodology: 20 Points (each number 5 points)
The Technical Offer including Work Plan and Approach, comprising of;
a) Description of Implementation and Operational Methodology: Does the company own vessels and if so, what capacity? Advice schedules for the areas of operations.
b) Key personnel: Demonstrate that they have sufficient numbers of experienced, knowledgeable staff with sufficient technical skills in Freight Forwarding.
c) Change control system / processes [1].
d) Existence of SOPs and internal control.
e) Inventory management system; batch management capabilities.
(iii) 3. Technical Capacity:Organization’s Background, Experience, Expertise and Other Attributes: 42 points (each number 6 points)
a) Demonstrate the total tonnage that they have moved by sea from 2013 to 2015, broken down by location / import or export, destination, for Somali sea freight.
b) Provide evidence that they have proven relevant expertise and capacity to provide the required services; such as the ability to handle and manage high sensitive and perishable supplies e.g. Medicines Pharmaceuticals, nutrition & micronutrient supplies throughout their entire supply chain.
c) Demonstrate that they have sufficiently comprehensive, functional and clear systems and tools to support the needs of UNICEF.
d) Additional resources which can be made available to the project.
e) Financial Soundness of the company.
f) References for similar contracts: Provide contact persons’ names, titles, telephone numbers and email details of major customers (International / UN organizations), a minimum of five (5) referees / customers.
g) Monitoring and data exchange systems: Track and Trace, EDI, etc.
1.9.3Financial Proposal
Bidders should provide an all-inclusive budget as the successful company will be responsible for all project costs including security and insurance for its team members.
The contract will be awarded to the Vendor meeting the minimum threshold for the technical evaluation and offering the Lowest-Priced Technically Compliant evaluation.
Weights: 70 Points Technical proposal; 30 Points Financial proposal
2.0TERMS OF REFERENCE
I. Background
UNICEF wishes to procure ocean transport services for program supplies on a long term arrangement basis for a period of two years with possibility to extend for another year as follows: This LTA will be available to all zonal offices and will be managed by the Logistics Specialist at a national level.
II. Scope of Work
The contractor will provide sea freight services for the following locations and routes:
Estimated Volumes (Contractors should note that these are estimates only and must not be taken as confirmed volumes for shipment). Please note that some sailings such as trips from Mombasa to Berbera / Bossaso will typically comprise 1 trip run. UNICEF will endeavor to give at least 2 weeks’ notice of intention to sail but these services will be requested as required. The operator will commit to being able to make routes available within 2 weeks of the request.
The main commodities to be cleared, stored and shipped are, but will not be limited to:
a. Standard items like Emergency shelter items, e.g. blankets, plastic sheeting, buckets and Education Kits.
b. Heat/Humidity sensitive items like Therapeutic food, Pharmaceutical and Health related products, Water and Sanitation supplies and equipment
c. Assets such as Vehicles, IT equipment, e.g. Computers & Printers, Telecommunications equipment, e.g. HF/VHF radios, V-SAT’s, etc.
III. RFP Response: To respond to this bid, all respondents need to complete the attached Response Document. Prices should be filled in for the attached price schedule and quotes should be in USD excluding Duty and VAT. Bidders must indicate the maximum price validity period. All respondents should read the following notes and respond to the same in their quotation. Please note that respondents can quote for specific routes only, for combinations of routes or for all routes. UNICEF reserves the right to contract different organizations and create specific LTAs for each route as it sees fit.
IV. Performance Management Reporting: The respondent should indicate how it will provide regular updates to the UNICEF Supply & Logistics focal on the transport operation. UNICEF will require an online monitoring system to monitor all goods shipped from the date of receipt of shipping documents from UNICEF until the goods are delivered to and taken possession by the consignee or his agent.
V. Contracts Personnel: The contractor will appoint a senior key account manager as well as other co-ordination staff. The contractor shall be responsible for the professional and technical competence of its employees and will select for work under any subsequent agreement, reliable individuals who will perform effectively in the implementation of any subsequent agreement, respect the local customs, and conform to a high standard of moral and ethical conduct.
How to apply:
RFP RESPONSE FORMAT
Full proposals should be submitted in English and must be received not later than 06/09/2016by 10.00 a.m. Nairobi Time. Proposals received after the stipulated date and time will be invalidated.
The proposals should be submitted as follows:-
a) Sealed Envelope 1: Technical proposal only without mention of the budget – the envelope should be clearly marked with “RFP No.; Name of Company; Technical Proposal”.
b) Sealed Envelope 2: Financial Proposal - the envelope should be clearly marked with “RFP No.; Name of Company; Financial Proposal”.
c) Sealed Envelope 3: Outer envelope containing the individual envelopes for Technical & Financial proposals – the envelope should be clearly marked with “RFP No.; Company Name”.
d) Please remember to sign the “Request for Proposal for Services Form” on Page 3 of the RFP document and return together with the proposal.
Note: Proposals not submitted in this manner will be invalidated.
BIDS may be hand-delivered or sent by Courier to:-
UNICEF SOMALIA SUPPORT CENTRE OFFICE,
UN GIGIRI COMPLEX, BLOCK Q, GROUND FLOOR
P.O. Box 44145-00100
Nairobi
Bidders are requested to provide details (Name/ID No.) of the persons delivering a day in advance by sending an email to somsupply@unicef.org to facilitate clearance to enter the UN complex.
Due to the nature of this RFP, there will be no public opening of proposals and responsible officers will open technical proposals when the specified time has arrived. Zb