Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development (UCORD) Inception Phase: 14.01.2022 – 31.08.2022 Phase I: 01.09.2022 – 31.08.2026

The project “Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development” (UCORD) aligns with the State Strategy for Regional Development 2021-2027, which helps Ukraine to capitalize on the achievements of its decentralization reform, as well as to strengthen partner relations between the regions and reduce inter- and intra-regional asymmetries in economic development and quality of life. The project overall goal is: Citizens, businesses and public authorities contribute to and equally benefit from effective and coherent regional development that fosters improved quality of life, resilience, peace and social cohesion in Ukraine. The project will consist of three components: 1) Support to regional development agencies, 2) Improved public services delivery with a focus on environment, 3) Social cohesion through culture. The project will work at the national level and in target regions covering two cycles of state strategies for regional development.

Ukraine, nationwide and in selected regions defined in the ProDoc during the Inception Phase.

The project “Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development” (UCORD) aligns with the State Strategy for Regional Development 2021-2027, which helps Ukraine to capitalize on the achievements of its decentralization reform, as well as to strengthen partner relations between the regions and reduce inter- and intra-regional asymmetries in economic development and quality of life. The project overall goal is: Citizens, businesses and public authorities contribute to and equally benefit from effective and coherent regional development that fosters improved quality of life, resilience, peace and social cohesion in Ukraine. The project will consist of three components: 1) Support to regional development agencies, 2) Improved public services delivery with a focus on environment, 3) Social cohesion through culture. The project will work at the national level and in target regions covering two cycles of state strategies for regional development.

The contracting authority reserves the right to award subsequent mandates to the successful tenderer of this tender procedure if a change of tenderer for goods, work or services to replace, supplement or extend supplies already provided is not possible for economic or technical reasons, would cause considerable difficulties or would entail substantial additional costs.

However, follow-up mandates are subject to the existence of sufficient legal basis after the validity period of the “Federal Act of 30 September 2016 on Cooperation with the States of Eastern Europe”, namely 31 December 2024.

The bids are not opened publicly. In accordance with Art. 11 let. e PPA, the contracting authority safeguards the confidential character of all information provided by the tenderer.

Partial offers are not permitted.

Conditions for tenderers from Non-Member States of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement:None.

Terms of business: For Phase I: General Conditions of Business (GCB) for Project Implementation Mandates – Version May 2021. For inception Phase: General Terms and Conditions for FDFA Mandates Type A and B – Version May 2021 or General Conditions of the FDFA for local mandates – Version May 2021. These General Conditions of Business (GCB) shall be deemed to have been accepted by the contractor on submission of the bid.

Negotiations: remain reserved.

Essential requirements:The contracting authority may only award public contracts for the supply of goods, work and services in Switzerland to tenderers that ensure compliance with the workplace health and safety regulations and the terms and conditions of employment applicable at the place of performance, the notification and authorisation duties under the Federal Act of 17 June 2005 on Measures to Combat Illegal Employment (IEA) and the provisions on the equal treatment of men and women in terms of equal pay (see Art. 12 para. 1 PPA). For goods, work or services to be supplied abroad, the tenderer must, as a minimum, ensure compliance with the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organization as set out in Annex 6 PPA (see Art. 12 para. 2 PPA). Accordingly, the contracting authority may only award a public contract to tenderers that, as a minimum, comply with the legal provisions on the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources applicable at the place of performance (see Art. 12 para. 3 PPA in conjunction with Annex 2 PPA). Any subcontractors that are permitted must meet the requirements set out in Article 12 paras. 1–3 PPA. These obligations must be incorporated into the agreements between tenderers and subcontractors.

Procedures for appeal:This is a public contract under Annex 5 no. 1 let. d PPA. There is no right of appeal.

Deadline / Remarks: Bids should include all the documents stipulated in section 6 and submitted in a sealed envelope as follows: a) one original signed hard copy of the Technical and Financial Proposal labelled 'Original', b) two signed copies of the Technical and Financial Proposal labelled 'Signed Copy', c) one data storage device (e.g. CD, DVD, USB memory stick) with all Technical Proposal and all Financial Proposal documents. OR d) Alternative for submission of offers due to exceptional situation of Covid-19: Due to the situation of Covid-19, the tenderers can by way of exception submit the bid by email exclusively. In this case, the complete bid (format pdf) must be submitted to [email protected] by 15.10.2021, 23:00 (CEST) at the latest. The email must mention “Tender UCORD” in the reference line. It is possible to submit a bid in more than one email in clearly labelled batches. Tenderers must confirm in the email the binding force of the bid. The receipt of the bids submitted via email will be acknowledged via email at the latest until 20.10.2021. In all cases the tenderer must retain proof of the timely submission of the bid. Bids submitted late cannot be taken into consideration. They will be returned to the tenderer. Language for bids: English.

Remarks (Desired deadline for questions in written form)No individual information is permitted. Any questions may be submitted anonymously by 10.09.2021 on the forum space at www.simap.ch. Questions submitted late cannot be answered. Answers will be published on www.simap.ch by 15.09.2021. Tenderers are themselves responsible for downloading the answers from www.simap.ch and for taking them into consideration in the preparation of the bids.

National reference publication: Simap of 01.09.2021 , doc. 1212789Desired deadline for questions in written form: 10.09.2021.

Documents of the invitation to tender are available from01.09.2021until 15.10.2021

Conditions for obtaining the tendering documentation: The documentation on the public call to tender for the project mentioned can be downloaded from the platform www.simap.ch under Running procedures, Confederation, Invitations to tender. In order to do so, you first have to register in the mentioned project. You will then be able to log in, using the password that you will have been sent by email, and download the documentation required.