REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ) NUMBER: FY2457

FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF: ASSESSMENT OF SOLARIZATION OF HEALTH FACILITIES IN LIBERIA

ISSUE DATE: August 5, 2024

CLOSING DATE: August 23, 2024

1. INTRODUCTION:

The Catholic Relief Services, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualified and experienced firms for an assessment towards the solarization of health facilities across Liberia with investments from The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (The Global Fund). This assessment is the first step in a longer procurement process aimed at enhancing the reliability and sustainability of energy supply in health facilities including laboratories and county drug depots by installing solar power systems, thereby improving healthcare delivery.

Post-qualification Actions

• Verification of accuracy, correctness and authenticity of the information provided by the bidder on the legal, technical, and financial documents submitted.
• Inquiry and reference checking with entity that may have done business with the bidder.
• Inquiry and reference checking with other previous clients on the quality of performance of ongoing or previous contracts completed.
• Physical inspection of the bidder’s branches or other places where business transpires, with or without notice to the bidder.

Scope of work

• Within 45 calendar days after signature of contract, dispatch multiple teams for concurrent assessments within the country for completion of the assessment as described below.

• Conducting energy assessment of specific areas of selected health facilities according to the list annexed to this EOI.

• Supplying/arranging the requisite person-power and logistics (vehicles) to cover the 15 Counties in Liberia.

• Identifying solar photovoltaic systems tailored to the needs of each facility.
• Writing a final assessment report that includes the following:

1. A technical and financial assessment of an SPV solution for the element to be covered by the SPV solution at each site.
2. Comparison, for each site, a system which includes batteries versus one which doesn’t.
3. Design calculations, layout, and schematic drawings for each of the options detailed above including load-bearing capacity of roof or other areas being considered for installation.
4. Technical specifications and required Bill of quantities (BOQs) for each option which can feed into a procurement process for vendors supplying and installing the systems.
5. This must include estimate depreciation periods for key components of each system (panels, wiring, inverters, batteries, etc. and a recommended spare parts list).
6. Provide kWh per day estimates of the system.
7. Provide warranty estimates which can reasonably be expected from vendors for the main components of the system.
8. Provide information and implications of any local legal regulations or market barriers which will impact feasibility.

• Provide technical expertise to the bid committee to evaluate offers.

Duration of the activities:

• To be determined. The EOI should include a realistic and achievable budget and timeline for the assessment (see the “Submission Requirement” section for more details).

Eligibility Criteria

Interested firms must meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrated experience in solar power system design and installation, particularly in healthcare settings.

• Proven track record of successfully completing similar projects in developing countries, preferably in Africa.

• Technical and managerial capacity to execute the project.

• Compliance with local and international standards and regulations.
• Financial stability and capacity to undertake the project.

Submission Requirement

Interested firms should submit the following documents:

• Company Profile: Including relevant experience, organizational structure, and contact information.

• Technical Proposal: Detailing the approach and methodology for the assessment, including an energy audit plan, system design, and installation strategy.

• Financial Proposal: Including a detailed cost estimate for the assessment, and the LOE to support with the bid committee and technical acceptance work.

• References: Contact details of at least three clients for whom similar work has been completed.
• Legal Documents: Copies of business registration, tax clearance certificates, and any other relevant legal documents.

Evaluation and Selection Process

EOIs will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevant experience and past performance.

• Technical capability and approach including proposed timeline.

• Financial viability and cost-effectiveness.

• Compliance with submission requirements.

Top performers will be invited for a remote (online) or in-person presentation.

1. REQUIREMENTS & CONDITIONS
2. Delivery Location: Catholic Relief Services – 16^th street Sinkor and Gardiner Avenue, Seaside, C-140 Building
3. Bid validity: Quotes must be valid for 30 days from submission date.
4. Payment terms: N30
5. Currency: USD

• QUOTE SUBMISSION: Quotes are to be hand delivered to CRS office before 2:00pm no later than the bid due date (extension requests must be received in advance of bid due date).

1. EVALUATION: quotes will be evaluated using a 3-stage process
2. Responsiveness [Pass/Fail]: Quotes must be complete and compliant. A quote will be deemed complete and compliant if the quotation submission form is signed along with the quote, meets product specifications, is valid for at least 30 days, and is substantively responsive to the terms and conditions of the RFQ.
3. Technical Evaluation Weight 75%: The evaluation of technical specifications will be graded on a scale of 100 points breakdown as below:

Eligibility criteria:

A service provider must meet the below criteria to move to the technical and financial evaluation:

• Compliance with local and international standards and regulations: This Legal Documents such as the Copies of business registration, tax clearance certificates, and any other relevant legal documents

• Add the conflict-of-interest form to his submission

• Has more than 03 years’ experience
• Acknowledged its adherence to CRS supplier code of conduct

Evaluation: The technical evaluation will weight 75% and the financial 25% of the total score

Technical evaluation:

Financial evaluation: Below are the criteria for the financial evaluation

The weighted score will be calculated by applying 25% to the total score.

1. Price: Responsive quotes will undergo Price Evaluation as follows:

Price Weight 25%: The supplier with the lowest total price will receive a score of 100. All other bidders’ scores will be calculated in inverse proportion to the lowest price using the following formula.

X and Y represent the lower offer and the offer for which the score needs to be calculated, respectively: Score = (X/Y) * 100.

The price weight (%) will be applied to all scores.

1. Total Score Calculation

The total score for each supplier will be the sum of the weighted technical score and weighted price.

1. Rejection of Award:
2. CRS may reject any quote that is not substantively responsive to the terms and conditions of the RFQ.
3. CRS is not bound to accept the lowest or any quote and reserves the right to accept any quote in whole or in part and to reject any or all quotes without assigning any reason therefore and to Contract on any of the terms offered or on different terms.
4. CRS will send a Notice of Award to the winning bidder. The winning bidder agrees to acknowledge the purchase order by email upon award within one (1) business day under the terms and conditions stated herein.
5. Eligibility:

Vendors must not be associated or have been associated in the past directly or indirectly with a firm or any of its affiliates which have been engaged by CRS to provide services for the preparation of the design, specifications, and other documents to be used for the procurement of the goods under this request for quotation.

Bidders, Suppliers and Service Providers, while conducting their activities, are expected to comply with the following policies and regulations:

• CRS Terms and Conditions: http://crs.org/vendor-terms/vendor-terms.pdf
• CRS Suppliers and Service Provider Code of Conduct: https://www.crs.org/sites/default/files/supplier_code_of_conduct.pdf
• Global Fund Code of conduct for supplier: https://www.theglobalfund.org/media/3275/corporate_codeofconductforsuppliers_policy_en.pdf
• Cost of Providing Quotes:

Bidders shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of the quote, and CRS will not be liable for those costs, regardless of the conduct or outcome of the solicitation.

• Clarification and Amendments of Request for Quotation:

To assist in the examination, evaluation and comparison of Quotes, CRS may, at its discretion, ask the Supplier/Vendor for clarification of its Quote. The request for clarification and the response shall be in writing and no change in price or substance of the Quote shall be sought, offered, or permitted.

CRS may, for any reason, whether at its own initiative or in response to a clarification requested by a prospective supplier/vendor, amend the Request for Quotation. To afford prospective suppliers/vendors reasonable time to consider the amendments in preparing their offers, CRS may extend the deadline for the submission of quotes. Any amendments will be published in the same manner as the present tender.

1. Terms and Conditions

General terms and conditions of CRS applicable to goods and services can be downloaded at the following address: http://crs.org/vendor-terms/vendor-terms.pdf or obtained upon request from the CRS’ office and are applicable within the national legal context.

1. Additional Information:

Vendors should indicate their anticipated delivery timeline in their quotation. Failure to deliver the by the timeline in the final contract may result in the contract being withdrawn and awarded to another vendor.

Minimum Criteria: A quotation will not be considered further if it does not meet the following minimum criteria:

• Submitting a complete quotation by the specified deadline.
• Ability to provide samples which meet all standard specifications and include all specific requirements.

1. Negotiations and Selection:

Award may be made with or without negotiations between the CRS and the selected vendor. Award may be made to a vendor that provided the lowest priced technically acceptable quotation, or to a vendor other than the one that provided the lowest priced quotation, should that vendor be determined to have provided the best value quotation to CRS taking technical and cost factors into account.

All vendors that submit quotations in response to this RFQ will be notified of the results.

• Quotation Submission Form

The following document is part of this request for quotation and must be completed and returned with your offer.

Quotations must be completed according to the instructions in this request. Quotations must be completed in English, signed, and returned to CRS before the specified deadline. CRS’s terms and conditions applicable to goods and services are provided in section X. Terms and Conditions.

I, the undersigned, having read CRS’s terms and conditions applicable to goods and services for the request for quotation No. FY2457, as stated in the attached document, hereby offer to provide the goods and services specified in this request for quotation at the price or prices indicated, in accordance with all specified specifications, and subject to CRS’s terms and conditions applicable to goods and services established or specified in the document.

I, the undersigned, declare that: A) Our company and our personnel have no conflicts of interest in any activities that could represent, if we are selected, a conflict of interest with CRS. B) Our company confirms that the bidder or subcontractors have not been associated, or in any way involved, directly or indirectly, in the preparation of the project, specifications, and/or other documents used in this tender. C) Our company, its affiliates, or subsidiaries (including subcontractors or suppliers of any part of the contract) have not been declared ineligible by CRS in accordance with clause 9: Eligibility. D) We have not offered and will not offer any gift and/or favor of any kind in exchange for this request for quotation and will never do so during the execution of any awarded contract.

I, _______________ (Name of authorized signatory) ________, certify that I am ____________________ (position) _____________ of ________________ (legal name of the company)________________; by signing this request for quotation for and on behalf of (legal name of the company) _______________________________, I certify that all information contained in this document is accurate and true and that signing this offer falls within my authority.