Invitation for bids (2)- IRI عودة إلى الفرص

Background: The International Republican Institute (IRI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, organization dedicated to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide. Since 1983, IRI has worked to develop democratic institutions and ideals, carrying out a variety of international programs to promote freedom, self-government and the rule of law worldwide. IRI provides technical assistance in the areas of political party strengthening, developing civic institutions and open elections, promoting democratic governance and advancing the rule of law. 

To conduct this work, IRI requires Tunis-based dedicated full-time drivers to transport IRI staff to activities they implement throughout the country. IRI will provide cars for drivers to maintain and house. Most transportation will occur in Tunis, but IRI staff will need to be driven regularly outside of Tunis. Further, IRI needs someone who can help coordinate and manage other drivers. 

Period of Performance: July 1, 2020- June 30, 2021 with the option to extend one additional year. 

Scope of Work: Interested bidders must present the bids outlining their ability to perform the following tasks: 

• The resulting Contractor will report to the Resident Program Director or designate and assist in testing, and supervising other contract drivers to ensure planning and logistics for all transportation needs are met; 
• The Contractor will assist the Resident Program director or designate in ensuring vehicles used to transport expatriates and IRI visitors are in good and safe working order, including medical and emergency kits for each vehicle; 
• The Contractor will transport expatriates to and from the IRI office in Tunis and their homes in Tunis and its suburbs in the mornings and evenings Monday-Friday except for U.S. and Tunisian holidays. They will also remain at the IRI office during the workday hours (9-5) unless called upon to transport IRI staff to other locations;
• The Contractor will work regularly on weekends or past 5pm for no additional pay. Drivers will be provided with time off on weekdays to make up for hours worked in excess of 60 hours per week or during the weekend;
• The Contractor will also keep a log detailing all trips for IRI business, including starting and ending points per trip. The logs will be signed by IRI expatriate to whom they are assigned on a monthly basis;
• Most driving will occur in Tunis, but driver will regularly be asked to transport staff to all areas of Tunisia.
• IRI will provide drivers with 50 TND in phone credit per monthTechnical Bid: Interested bidders must present a technical bid not to exceed 5 pages (not including attachments and certifications) in Times New Roman, 12-point font, outlining the following information: 
  1. Bidders ability to perform the SOW as stated above. 2. Price broken down by monthly rate which is valid throughout the entire duration of 

  the agreement. 3. A detailed CV demonstrating professional driving experience (10 years preferred) 

  and level of language proficiencies in French, English and Arabic. 4. Proof of tax identification number and driver’s license. 

  If the Bidder is a U.S. organization/resident, or a foreign organization/resident which has income effectively connected with the conduct of activities in the U.S. or has an office or a place of business or a fiscal paying agent in the U.S., the technical bids must contain Bidder’s Taxpayer Identification Number. 

  Price information should be presented as a firm-fixed Unit Price for each of the deliverables identified below and in the format of the table below. Pricing must be valid for at least 60 (sixty) calendar days after the due date for proposal submission. The proposed Unit Price should be fixed and inclusive of all costs to perform, including inspection services, transportation, taxes, import duties (if any), and other levies. If there are any additional fees not reflected in the table below, such pricing must be fully described in the bid. Bids must be submitted in TND; payments under any resulting contract will be made in this currency.

IFB Terms and Conditions: 

1.Prospective Bidders are requested to review clauses incorporated by reference 

in the section “Notice Listing Contract Clauses Incorporated by Reference”. By submitting a bid, bidder agrees to comply with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation and agreement to the services identified above, and will specifically identify any disagreement with or exceptions to the terms, conditions, and provisions. 

2.IRI may reject any or all bids if such is within IRI’s interest.

3. The Bidder’s initial bid should contain the Bidder’s best offer.

4. IRI reserves the right to make multiple awards or partial awards if, after 

considering administrative burden, it is in IRI’s best interest to do so.

5. Discussions with Bidders following the receipt of a bid do not constitute a 

rejection or counteroffer by IRI.

6. IRI will hold all submissions as confidential and shall not be disclosed to third parties. IRI reserves the right to share bids internally, across divisions, for the purposes of evaluating the bids.

7. If IRI continues to require the goods and services and the price remains reasonable and within market norms, resulting contract may be renewed each year for up to 2 years with 30 days’ notice to the Contractor. Bidder must establish any price increase for each renewal year in the initial bid.

8. Bidders confirm that the prices in the bid/proposal/application/quote have been arrived at independently, without any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other bidder or competitor for the purpose of restricting competition.

9. Bidders agree to disclose as part of the bid submission: 

a-Any close, familial, or financial relationships with IRI staff and agents. For example, the bidder must disclose if a bidder’s mother conducts volunteer trainings for IRI.

b. Any family or financial relationship with other bidders submitting bids. For example, if the bidder’s father owns a company that is submitting another bid, the bidder must state this.

c. Any other action that might be interpreted as potential conflict of interest. 

Evaluation and Award Process: 

1. IRI may contact any Bidder for clarification or additional information, but Bidders are advised that IRI intends to evaluate the offers based on the written bids and reserves the right to make decisions based solely on the information provided with the initial bids. IRI may but is not obligated to conduct additional negotiations with the most highly rated Bidders prior to award of a contract, and may at its sole discretion elect to issue contracts to one or more Bidders.
2. 2. Mathematical errors will be corrected in the following manner: If a discrepancy exists between the total price proposed and the total price resulting from multiplying the unit price by the corresponding amounts, then the unit price will prevail and the total price will be corrected. If there were a discrepancy between the numbers written out in words and the amounts in numbers, then the amount expressed in words will prevail. If the Bidder does not accept the correction, the offer will be rejected.
3. 3. IRI may determine that a bid is unacceptable if the prices proposed are materially unbalanced between line items or sub-line items. Unbalanced pricing exists when, despite an acceptable total evaluated price, the price of one or more contract line items is significantly overstated or understated as indicated by the application of cost or price analysis techniques. A bid may be rejected if IRI determines that the lack of balance poses an unacceptable risk.

         4. IRI will conduct a source selection based as follows: 

Best Value

IRI intends to make an award to the responsible Bidder based on the following
evaluation factors:
a) French and Arabic Fluency – 15 percent
b) Level of professional driving experience – 45 percent
c) Price (monthly rate) – 40 percent
IRI intends to evaluate bids in accordance with these factors and make an award to the responsible bidder whose proposal is most advantageous to the program.
5. If a cost realism analysis is performed, cost realism may be considered in evaluating performance or price.

IRI Obligations Issuance of this IFB does not constitute and award commitment on the part of IRI, nor does it commit IRI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a quotation. 

Notice Listing Contract Clauses Incorporated by Reference IRI is required to make the contractor subject to the clauses of the prime award. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Where “flow-down” to the contractor is appropriate and applicable, references to “USAID” or ”Department of State” shall be interpreted to mean “IRI”, “Recipient” to mean “Contractor”, and “Subrecipient” to mean “lower-tier subrecipients”. Included by reference are 2 C.F.R. 200 and USAID Standard Provisions for Non-US Non- governmental Organizations/US Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions.