Introduction
Mercy Corps Liberia Request for Qualification is for pre-qualification of potential Building construction companies interested in being evaluated and who will later be invited to submit proposals for Design-Build services as described below.
1.1 Procurement Description
Qualification statements received will be evaluated transparently by a committee of reviewers, per the evaluation criteria provided.
The purpose of this pre-qualification tender is to shortlist/pre-qualify contractors for a variety of future procurements of Mercy Corps. The shortlisted contractors will receive future Requests for Bids, whereby the contract award will be issued to the most competitive, reasonable, and responsive bid.
New applicants and applicants not prequalified will have a chance to re-apply after one year after an open advertisement.
Applicants that are awarded subsequent tenders will be required to provide performance security as required in the future tender documents.
1.2 General Description of the Proposed Procurement Activities
The Urban Fabric Initiatives (UFI) are small-scale public space upgrading and community infrastructure projects co-designed and co-constructed by residents and urban stakeholders in the framework of urban projects funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). To date, AFD has funded UFIs in Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Kenya, all of which are part of the UFI Network. The Urban Fabric Initiatives is a two-year (May 2024 – May 2026) pilot project to be implemented in the Greater Monrovia (Lakpazee, Wood Camp, and Shoe Factory Communities) area as part of the first initiatives designed under the Monrovia Integrated Development Project (MIDP) framework. The overall objective is to improve access, utilization, and management of public spaces resilient to the effects of climate change. The UFI will be implemented closely with the Ministry of Public Works and local and national authorities (including Monrovia City Council and Paynesville City Council).

The UFI will work with the three communities to identify small-scale construction and facility upgrading or development based on the available lands, communities’ needs, and social construction to improve the interaction within public space and the social fabric of the communities. These small-scale projects can range from furniture installation for public seating to play groups/sports pitches to community halls, public buildings, water kiosks, and parks and green spaces. The UFI also supports the utilization of local solutions and materials, ranging from up-circling and recircling to introducing environmentally friendly and sustainable materials in the designs and construction of public spaces.
MC Liberia’s pilot infrastructure/construction activities for greater Monrovia are in three communities listed below:
I. Lakpazee Community
II. Shoe Factory Community
III. Wood Camp Community
2.1 Schedule
The following is a schedule of the pre-qualification tender process; all dates are subject to change.

2.2 Submittal Requirements and Format

Mercy Corps will accept the Statement of Qualification (SOQ) as a soft copy as follows:

The soft copy of SOQ shall be sent to the Email address: lr-tenders@mercycorps.org. The email shall be titled “Pre-Qualifications for UFI Building Contractor for Lapakzee, Shoe Factory or Wood Camp. The submission deadline is detailed in section 2.1 of this document. Building Contractor can apply for any of the three locations.

The size of the Email should not exceed 15 MB.

MC will not consider any SOQ sent to another Email address. Statements of Qualification should follow the requirements and format described in this Request for Qualification. All electronic copies must be submitted in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. All text should be in English. Any other information shall be presented in a readable format. All signatures must be accompanied by a printed name, title, and date.

Any Statement of Qualification that fails to meet the deadline may not be considered.

2.3 Clarifications

Requests for clarifications regarding this pre-qualification process should be sent to lr-tenders@mercycorps.org before/by Friday, October 18, 2024, at 2:30 pm (West African Time). All responses to questions received will be forwarded to the email address through which the questions were received by the date and time in section 2.1.

2.4 Acceptance of Successful Response

Documentation submitted by Design-Build Contractors will be verified by Mercy Corps and evaluated as per established criteria. Successful Design-Build Contractor(s) will be added to the “pre-qualified” status for a maximum period of one year.

Mercy Corps will invite pre-qualified Design-Build Contractors to submit bids in response to a given future Scope of Work. Pre-qualified Design-Build Contractors will be notified of pre-qualified status by email, using the contact address provided in the Statement of Qualification.

2.5 Past Performance

Past performance will be given due consideration in the pre-qualifying process. Previous contracts in line with this pre-qualification requirement will be considered.

3. Eligibility Criteria and Submittal Requirements

3.1 Design-Build Contractor Eligibility

Design-Build Contractors may not apply and will be rejected as ineligible if they:

• Are not registered companies
• Does not have valid business registration and tax clarence as of the time of submittal
• Is not ALCC certified
• Are bankrupt or in the process of going bankrupt
• Have been convicted of illegal/corrupt activities, and/or unprofessional conduct
• Have been guilty of grave professional misconduct
• Have not fulfilled obligations related to payment of social security and taxes
• Are guilty of serious misrepresentation in supplying information
• Are in violation of the policies outlined in Mercy Corps Anti Bribery or Anti-Corruption Statement
• Design-Build Contractors are on any list of sanctioned parties issued by; or are presently excluded or disqualified from participation in this transaction by the United States Government or United Nations by the United States Government, the United Kingdom, the French Development Agency, the European Union, the United Nations, other national governments, or public international organizations.

Additional eligibility criteria, if applicable, are stated in section 3.2 of this pre-qualification package.

3.2 Mercy Corps’ Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Statement

Mercy Corps strictly prohibits:

• Any form of bribe or kickback in relation to its activities

This prohibition includes any request from any Mercy Corps employee, consultant, or agent for anything of value from any company or individual in exchange for the employee, consultant or agents taking or not taking any action related to the award of a contract or the contract once awarded. It also applies to any offer from any company or individual to provide anything of value to any Mercy Corps employee, consultant, or agent in exchange for that person taking or not taking any action related to the award of the contract or the contract.

• Conflicts of interests in the awarding or management of contracts

If a company is owned by, whether directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, any Mercy Corps employee or any person who is related to a Mercy Corps employee, the company must ensure that it and the employee disclose the relationship as part of or prior to submitting the offer.

• The sharing or obtaining of confidential information

Mercy Corps prohibits its employees from sharing, and any Design-Build Contractor from obtaining, confidential information related to this solicitation, including information regarding Mercy Corps’ price estimates, competing Design-Build Contractor, or competing offers, etc. Any information provided to one offeror must be provided to all other Design-Build Contractors.

• Collusion between/among Design-Build Contractors

Mercy Corps requires fair and open competition for this solicitation. No two (or more) companies submitting Statements of Qualification can be owned or controlled by the same individual(s). Companies submitting offers cannot share prices or other offer information or take any other action intended to pre-determine which company will win the solicitation and what price will be paid.

Violations of these prohibitions, along with all evidence of such violations, should be reported to: integrityhotline@mercycorps.org

Mercy Corps will investigate allegations fully and will take appropriate action. Any company, or individual that participates in any of the above prohibited conduct, will have its actions reported to the appropriate authorities, will be investigated fully, will have its offer rejected and/or contract terminated, and will not be eligible for future contracts with Mercy Corps. Employees participating in such conduct will have his/her employment terminated.

Violations will also be reported to Mercy Corps’ donors, who may also choose to investigate and debar or suspend companies and their owners from receiving any contract that is funded in part by the donor, whether the contract is with Mercy Corps or any other entity.

3.3 Certification Regarding Terrorism

It is Mercy Corps’ policy to comply with humanitarian principles and the laws and regulations of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, French Development Agency (AFD), host nations, and other applicable donors concerning transactions with or support to individuals or entities that have engaged in fraud, waste, abuse, human.

3.4 Content

The Statement of Qualification shall contain only the sections listed below, separated by dividers, and shall respond fully to all requirements of the Request for Qualification. See below for the required sections and page limits. The prequalification application forms which are not filled out completely and submitted in the prescribed manner will not be considered. All the documents that form part of the proposal must be written in English and be indelible.

3.5 Qualification Requirements

3.5.1 Executive Summary – Cover Letter (1 page limit):

Submit an Executive Summary Narrative which generally familiarizes reviewers with the company’s understanding of and ability to achieve the stated specific to works. The intent of the Executive Summary is to give a brief introduction to the company’s general capabilities, experience, and interest in performing the work.

3.5.2 Project Team Qualification and Experience

Submit the information as required below. Where forms are provided, they should be used. The absence of any required submittal information may disqualify the Applicant.

1. Company’s Background and Performance (5 pages max)
   1. Describe the organizational structure, lines of responsibility, and roles within the company.
   2. Identify and explain any legal claims asserted by or against the company within the past three years (not negotiated change orders considered normal course of business.). Describe any labor disputes within the past three years.

2. Provide a brief description of representative projects performed within the past five (5) years which are relevantly similar in scale, type, and complexity to this project; include a client reference for each listed project and accomplishment/completion certificate on Form 2. A portfolio showing relevant design and construction projects (fast track small to medium scale projects) completed in the last 5 years (such that proposed staff would have worked on).
3. With a focus on the knowledge, resources, and capabilities, describe any unique expertise or advantages of the company that would benefit the overall success of the UFI project.

1. Describe the company’s current commitments to other projects; how the company will manage resources to ensure timely performance of activities.

1. Describe the company’s willingness to work in Montserrado in Liberia.

2. Organizational Chart (1-page max): Submit an organizational chart demonstrating the basic structure of the company and the integration of any major provider, sub-organization, and/or sub-contractor(s).
3. Key Personnel CV’s (15 pages max): Based on the type of Activities described in Section 1.2, provide one CV each for the committed Construction/Project Manager, Architect, CAD and Revit Expert, Quality control engineer, Health, Safety and Environmental Officers, Quantity Surveyor, Surveyor, Site engineers, Site inspector or foreman and Superintendent. The CV shall indicate he/she is certified to perform such services within the relevant jurisdiction. These roles are considered “key personnel” and substantially contribute to the evaluation of the company; the master agreement will require that the key personnel be committed to the project and shall not be replaced or substituted without pre-authorization by Mercy Corps. Failure to comply with this term may preclude the company from bidding on Task Orders.

1. Financial capacity -The company should submit an official bank letter (confirming account opening date and current balance), bank statement for the last six months.

3.5.3 Management:

1. Equipment List (2-page max):

Provide a list of major equipment owned by the company and describe what type of equipment the company generally rents on an as-needed basis. Copies of previous and/or existing rental contracts or receipts.

1. Quality Management Narrative (2-page max):

Describe the Proposer’s commitment and specific plan for ensuring quality control. Provide the name and qualifications of the individual responsible for ensuring quality control.

1. Health, Safety, and Environmental Policy (no limit): submit the company’s Health, Safety and Environmental plan.

Submit a summary of the company’s safety record over the past three years. Companies should be aware that Mercy Corps requires strict compliance with safety regulations in Liberia and Civil Defense requirements, as a minimum standard. Meeting safety requirements is an integral part of compliance with any Task Order.

1. Risk and Mitigation method (1-page limit): briefly describe the most common risks on construction projects and the company’s method for evaluating and mitigating such risks.

3.5.4 Forms

Complete and submit the documents/proof, as required in section 5.

4. Evaluation Criteria

4.1 Confidentiality

Information relating to the Design-Build Contractors, their evaluation and result shall not be disclosed to other Design-Build Contractors, or any other persons not officially concerned with the pre-qualification process until the PASS/FAIL notification of pre-qualification results is made to all Design-Build Contractors.

4.2 Evaluation of applications

Mercy Corps will use criteria and requirements defined in the table below. Mercy Corps reserves the right to waive minor deviations of compliance from the qualification criteria if they do not materially affect the technical capability and financial resources of a contractor.

The Statement of Qualification shall comply with the criteria established in this Request for Qualification. Each component of the Statement of Qualification as described in Section 3, will be evaluated to determine if it meets the minimum criteria. Statement of Qualification components that do not comply with the Request for Qualification requirements, such as minimum qualification, page limits, and content may be disqualified. The Design-Build Contractor should receive a passing rating on all criteria.

Eligibility Submittals:

• Proof of legal business registration (Liberia Business Registry Certificate, ALCC Certificate, MPW Certificate).
• Copy of Tax Clearance Certificate for the year 2023 and 2024 (LRA)

• The company should submit the financial statement for the last six (6) months as a soft copy in scanned PDF format or on a Flash Drive.
• Submission of filled, signed, and stamped “Declaration of eligibility & Building Contractor, information” form by the prospective Building Contractor.

Submission Mechanism:

The bidder shall submit the statement of qualifications (SOQ) as a softcopy via Email as described in section 2.3, the same submission mechanism should be followed.

Technical Criteria and Requirements

The focus will be on contractors with previous experience in works with a value above USD 100,000.00 per project, preferably in urban and peri-urban settings.

Note: Building Contractors in Monrovia and Paynesville are encouraged to apply.

Only applicants that score 70% and above will be shortlisted.

(PREQUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS)

All Building Contractors must submit the following:

1. Executive Summary – cover letter – 1 page max.
2. Company Background and Performance – 5-page max.
3. Ministry of Public Works Certificates
4. Organizational Chart – 1 page max.
5. Key Personnel CVs – 15-page max.
6. Equipment List –2-page max.
7. Health, Safety, and Environmental Policy (no limit)
8. Quality Management Policy – 2 pages max.
9. Risk and Mitigation method – 1 page max
10. Financial Capacity (on flash drive)
11. Form 1 – Building Contractor information form
12. Form 2 – Project Experience
13. Forms

Form 1 – Building Contractors Form

The information provided will be used to evaluate the Company for Eligibility to contract with Mercy Corps.

Please complete all fields.

Building Contractor Information

References

Building Contractors Self-Certification of Eligibility

Company certifies that:

It, its affiliates and subsidiaries, owners, officers, directors, and key employees (to the best of its knowledge) are not the subject of any government sanctions, designations, donor rules or prohibitions, or laws prohibiting transactions with it/them. It is not the subject of any donor government investigation into its misconduct with any other recipient of that donor’s funding.

1. It, its affiliates and subsidiaries, owners, officers, directors, and key employees have not and do not engage in any form of terrorism or attacks on civilians and do not provide any form of material support or financial resources for individuals or organizations that do engage in any form of terrorism or deliberate attacks on civilians.
2. It, its affiliates and subsidiaries, owners, officers, directors, and key employees have not and do not engage in weapons or drugs manufacture, transport, sale, or distribution.
3. It is not in default on any material credit agreement, bankrupt or being wound up, are having its affairs administered by the courts, have entered into arrangements with creditors, have suspended business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations.
4. It has not been determined to be in breach of a material contract by any legal body anytime within the past 2 years.
5. It pays taxes as and when due and is not currently the subject of any investigation or proceeding related to back-owed taxes.
6. It provides workers compensation insurance to its workers in accordance with the laws of the countries where it operates.
7. It pays social security obligations as required in the countries where it operates.
8. It, its owners, officers, and directors have not been convicted of an offense concerning its professional conduct and has not engaged in grave professional misconduct.
9. It, its affiliates and subsidiaries, owners, officers, directors, and key employees have not been the subject of criminal investigation or judgement for fraud, corruption, human trafficking, spying, weapons transport or smuggling, sexual exploitation or abuse, involvement in a criminal organization or any other criminal activity.
10. It treats its employees with dignity and respect and maintains social operating standards, including working conditions and social rights: avoidance of child labor, bondage, forced labor, human trafficking, or exploitation; assurance of safe and reasonable working conditions; freedom of association; freedom from exploitation, abuse, and discrimination; protection of basic social rights of its employees and Mercy Corps beneficiaries.
11. To the best of its knowledge, no Mercy Corps employee, officer, consultant or other party related to Mercy Corps has a financial interest in the Company’s business activities, nor is any Mercy Corps employee related to any owner, officer, director or employee of the company, and, if so, it will ensure that the relationship is disclosed to Mercy Corps and will not use for improper influence. Discovery of an undisclosed Conflict of Interest will result in immediate revocation of the Company’s Prequalified status and disqualification of Company from participation in future Mercy Corps procurement.
12. It understands that attempting to or agreeing to provide anything of value to any Mercy Corps employee, agent, or representative for the purpose of encouraging that person to award Company a contract or take or not take any action related to any contract will result in immediate termination of any agreement. The company certifies that it does not engage in such conduct.
13. It understands that Mercy Corps seeks fair and open competition and the fairest price available and that any attempt by the company to subvert fair and open competition, including working with other bidders to fix prices, working to exclude competition, seeking confidential information from Mercy Corps or other bidders, using multiple related or controlled companies to give the appearance of competition, or any similar activity, will result in termination of any agreement. The company certifies that it does not engage in such conduct.
14. It understands that Mercy Corps prohibits any of its partners or suppliers from bribing public officials and certifies that it does not do so.
15. It is not conducting business under other names or aliases that have not been declared to Mercy Corps.

If the Company cannot certify to any of the above it should explain why not. Mercy Corps may consider the individual circumstances for some situations. However, any false certification could be grounds for immediate disqualification and termination of any future agreement.

By signing the Building Contractor Information Form, you certify that your Company is eligible to perform Building services to major donor-funded organizations and that all the above statements are accurate and factual.

Company Name:

Name of Representative:

Title:

Signature:

Date:

Form 2 – Experience of Company