GOVERNMENT OF SAINT LUCIA

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, INNOVATION, GENDER RELATIONS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

EDUCATION QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (EQuIP)

INVITATION FOR BIDS

The Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL) has received financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) towards the cost of the Education Quality Improvement Project (EQuIP- the Project) and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under this contract.  Payment by CDB will be made only at the request of (GOSL) and upon approval by CDB, and will be subject, in all respects, to the terms and conditions of the Financing Agreement.  The Financing Agreement prohibits withdrawal from the financing account for the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, or for any import of goods, if such payment or import, to the knowledge of CDB, is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.  No party other than (GOSL) shall derive any rights from the Financing Agreement or have any claim to the proceeds of the Financing.

The Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development (MOE) through its Department of Education (DOE).  MOE has contracted Consultants who will assist the EQuIP with delivering the Project.  The Consultants have prepared designs and tender documentation and will assist in tender administration and evaluation and supervise Project activities.

GOSL, MOE now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for EQuIP003A.3 – Vide Bouteille Combined Primary School Expansion and Rehabilitation. The works include, but are not limited to the following:

The construction of a new, two-storey reinforced concrete building, of approximate total floor area of 13,571 sq. ft., of school teaching and administration space.  Set on a 43,044sq ft. lot, the facility, the building will house part of the Vide Bouteille Primary School. The works will include an external area, open breezeway, parking lot area (including drainage) for staff and visitors' vehicles connecting to the existing roadway, wheelchair and pedestrian accesses to building, septic system, and rainwater harvesting system.

Consideration will be limited to firms or joint ventures of firms, which are legally incorporated or otherwise organised in, and have their principal place of business in an eligible country and are either:  

(a)        more than fifty (50) percent beneficially owned by a citizen or citizens and/or a bona fide resident or residents of an eligible country, or by a body corporate or bodies corporate meeting these requirements; or

(b)       owned or controlled by the Government of an eligible country provided that it is legally and financially autonomous and operated under the commercial law of an eligible country and otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of the CDB Guidelines for Procurement (2006).

Eligible countries are member countries of CDB.

Eligible bidders will be required to submit full qualification information with their bids establishing their eligibility to bid and qualification to perform the contract if the bid is accepted.  Tender and qualification information are to be submitted in the English Language on the prescribed forms inserted in the Bid Documents.  Submissions that do not provide the information required, or do not demonstrate the prospective contractor’s ability to perform satisfactorily, will not qualify and will not be considered for further evaluation.

Qualification requirements include, inter alia:

(a)       a minimum average annual turnover of Seven Million Eastern Caribbean dollars (XCD 7,000,000.00) or Two Million, Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (USD 2,600,000.00), calculated as total certified payments received for contracts  in progress or completed, within the last five (5) years;

(b)       a demonstrable  cashflow, One Million Eastern Caribbean dollars (XCD 1,000,000.00) or Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand United States Dollars (USD 370,000.00); and

(c)       participation as contractor, management contractor, or subcontractor, in at least two (2) contracts within the last five (5) years , each with a value of at least three million five hundred thousand Eastern Caribbean Dollars (XCD3.5M) or One Million, Two Hundred and Ninety Five Thousand United States Dollars (USD 1,295,000.00), that have been successfully and substantially completed and that are similar to the proposed Works. The similarity shall be based on the physical size, complexity, methods/technology or other characteristics.

Bidding Documents may be obtained by eligible bidders from the first address below for a non-refundable fee of One Thousand Eastern Caribbean Dollars (XCD1,000.00).  Requests may be made by written application including email.  Written applications must be clearly marked: “Request for Bidding Documents for the EQuIP003A.3 – Vide Bouteille Combined Primary School Expansion and Rehabilitation”, along with the name, address and contact information of the bidder for which Bidding Documents are being requested. Payment should be by bank draft or bank guaranteed cheque made payable to:  Accountant General

Applicants who request that documents be forwarded to them must submit an account number from a local courier agent that accepts freight collect charges.  Documents will be promptly dispatched, but under no circumstance will Government of Saint Lucia or Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development or their authorised agent be held responsible for late delivery or loss of the documents so transmitted.

All bids shall be submitted either hard copy OR electronically. If hard copy submission is preferred, Bidders shall submit the requisite number of copies of the complete Bid with original signed Letter of Bid and Bid Security submitted by mail or by hand in a sealed envelope marked “Bid for the EQuIP003A.3 – Vide Bouteille Primary School Expansion and Rehabilitation” no later than 1200 hours Saint Lucia Time on October 9, 2020 to Address Number 2 below.

If electronic, Bidders shall submit the non-editable, encrypted (password protected) electronic copy of the complete Bid . The electronic copy of the Bid must be received by the Central Tenders Board at the email address saintluciactbprocurement@govt.lc with original signed Letter of Bid and Bid Security submitted by mail or by hand in a sealed envelope marked “Bid for the EQuIP003A.3 – Vide Bouteille Primary School Expansion and Rehabilitation” no later than 900 hours Saint Lucia Time on October 14, 2020

Bid opening will take place 1000 hours Saint Lucia Time on the same day of the deadline for submission at the second address below in the presence of bidder’s representatives who choose to attend or online via video conferencing.

Qualification information only must be simultaneously submitted to the third address below.

All bids must be accompanied by Bid Security of Fifty Thousand Eastern Caribbean Dollars (XCD50,000.00). Late bids will be rejected.

The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, and to annul the process and reject all bids, at any time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected prospective bidder(s) or any obligation to inform the affected prospective bidder(s) of the grounds for Department of Education and Gender Relation  action. The Department of Education Innovation and Gender Relations will not defray any costs incurred by any bidder in the preparation of bids.