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EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL REGIONAL AND URBAN POLICY Policy Director

CALL FOR TENDERS

N° 2017CE16BAT025

Outsourcing of the preparation of the annual summaries

of data on Financial Instruments

supported by the ERDF and CF

2014-2020 programming period

TENDER SPECIFICATIONS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... 2

1. INFORMATION ON TENDERING .......................................................................... 4

1.1. Participation ......................................................................................................... 4

1.2. Contractual conditions.......................................................................................... 4

1.3. Compliance with applicable law .......................................................................... 4

1.4. Joint tenders.......................................................................................................... 4

1.5. Subcontracting ...................................................................................................... 5

1.6. Structure and content of the tender ...................................................................... 5

1.7. Identification of the tenderer ................................................................................ 6

2. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................. 6

2.1. General background ............................................................................................. 6

2.2. Objectives ............................................................................................................. 8

2.3. Scope of the contract ............................................................................................ 8

2.4. Tasks..................................................................................................................... 8

2.5. Input by the Contracting Authority .................................................................... 10

2.6. The methodology................................................................................................ 10

2.7. Work organisation: ............................................................................................. 11

2.8. Time schedule .................................................................................................... 11

2.9. Deliverables ........................................................................................................ 12

2.10. Volume of the contract ..................................................................................... 13

3. CONTENT, STRUCTURE AND GRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE

DELIVERABLES ..................................................................................................... 14

3.1. Content ............................................................................................................... 14

3.2. Structure ............................................................................................................. 15

3.3. Graphic requirements ......................................................................................... 15

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4. EVALUATION AND AWARD ............................................................................... 15

4.1. Verification of non-exclusion............................................................................. 15

4.2. Selection criteria ................................................................................................. 16

4.3. Award criteria ..................................................................................................... 19

4.4. Ranking of tenders ............................................................................................. 20

5. ANNEXES ................................................................................................................ 21

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1. INFORMATION ON TENDERING

1.1. Participation

Participation in this procurement procedure is open on equal terms to all natural and legal

persons coming within the scope of the Treaties, as well as to international organisations.

It is also open to all natural and legal persons established in a third country which has a

special agreement with the Union in the field of public procurement on the conditions laid

down in that agreement. Where the plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement1

concluded within the World Trade Organisation applies, the participation to this procedure is

also open to all natural and legal persons established in the countries that have ratified this

Agreement, on the conditions it lays down.

1.2. Contractual conditions

The tenderer should bear in mind the provisions of the draft contract which specifies the

rights and obligations of the contractor, particularly those on payments, performance of the

contract, confidentiality, and checks and audits.

1.3. Compliance with applicable law

The tender must comply with applicable environmental, social and labour law obligations

established by Union law, national legislation, collective agreements or the international

environmental, social and labour conventions listed in Annex X to Directive 2014/24/EU2.

1.4. Joint tenders

A joint tender is a situation where a tender is submitted by a group of economic operators

(natural or legal persons). Joint tenders may include subcontractors in addition to the

members of the group.

In case of joint tender, all members of the group assume joint and several liabilities towards

the Contracting Authority for the performance of the contract as a whole, i.e. both financial

and operational liability. Nevertheless, tenderers must designate one of the economic

operators as a single point of contact (the leader) for the Contracting Authority for

administrative and financial aspects as well as operational management of the contract.

1 See http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_E/gproc_e/gp_gpa_e.htm

2 Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public

procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC (OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 65).

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After the award, the Contracting Authority will sign the contract either with all members of

the group, or with the leader on behalf of all members of the group, authorised by the other

members via powers of attorney.

1.5. Subcontracting

Subcontracting is permitted but the contractor will retain full liability towards the Contracting

Authority for performance of the contract as a whole.

Tenderers are required to identify all subcontractors whose share of the contract is above

10 % and whose capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria.

During contract performance, the change of any subcontractor identified in the tender or

additional subcontracting will be subject to prior written approval of the Contracting

Authority.

1.6. Structure and content of the tender

The tenders must be presented as follows:

Part A: Identification of the tenderer (see section 1.7)

Part B: Non-exclusion (see section 4.1)

Part C: Selection (see section 4.2)

Part D: Technical offer

The technical offer must cover all aspects and tasks required in the technical

specifications and provide all the information needed to apply the award criteria.

Offers deviating from the requirements or not covering all requirements may be

rejected on the basis of non-compliance with the tender specifications and will not be

evaluated.

Part E: Financial offer

The price for the tender must be quoted in euro. Tenderers from countries outside the

euro zone have to quote their prices in euro. The price quoted may not be revised in

line with exchange rate movements. It is for the tenderer to bear the risks or the

benefits deriving from any variation.

Prices must be quoted free of all duties, taxes and other charges, including VAT, as

the European Union is exempt from such charges under Articles 3 and 4 of the

Protocol on the privileges and immunities of the European Union. The amount of

VAT may be shown separately.

The quoted price must be a fixed amount which includes all charges (including travel

and subsistence). Travel and subsistence expenses are not refundable separately.

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1.7. Identification of the tenderer

The tender must include a cover letter signed by an authorised representative presenting the

name of the tenderer (including all entities in case of joint tender) and identified

subcontractors if applicable, and the name of the single contact point (leader) in relation to

this procedure.

In case of joint tender, the cover letter must be signed either by an authorised representative

for each member, or by the leader authorised by the other members with powers of attorney.

The signed powers of attorney must be included in the tender as well. Subcontractors that are

identified in the tender must provide a letter of intent signed by an authorised representative

stating their willingness to provide the services presented in the tender and in line with the

present tender specifications.

All tenderers (including all members of the group in case of joint tender) must provide a

signed Legal Entity Form with its supporting evidence. The form is available on:

http://ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/legal_entities/legal_entities_en.cfm

Tenderers that are already registered in the Contracting Authority’s accounting system (i.e.

they have already been direct contractors) must provide the form but are not obliged to

provide the supporting evidence.

The tenderer (or the leader in case of joint tender) must provide a Financial Identification

Form with its supporting documents. Only one form per tender should be submitted. No form

is needed for subcontractors and other members of the group in case of joint tender. The form

is available on: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/index_en.cfm

The tenderer (and each member of the group in case of joint tender) must declare whether it is

a Small or Medium Size Enterprise in accordance with Commission Recommendation

2003/361/EC. This information is used for statistical purposes only.

2. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

2.1. General background

The new regulatory framework3 for Cohesion Policy Funds i.e. European Regional

Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the

3 The regulatory framework for the 2014-2020 programming period comprises the following Regulations:

- Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013

laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European

Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development

and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European

Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime

and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (hereafter CPR).

- Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on

the European Regional Development Fund and on specific provisions concerning the Investment for

growth and jobs goal and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 (hereafter ERDF Regulation).

- Regulation (EU) No 1300/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on

the Cohesion Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1084/2006 (hereafter CF Regulation).

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European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime

and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (jointly referred to as the European Structural and Investment

Funds (ESIF)) as agreed by the co-legislators has greatly reinforced the possibility to make

use of innovative financial instruments for the 2014-2020 period. The legal framework sets

out detailed rules on how Member States and regions can make use of ESIF to support equity,

guarantee and loan instruments across a full range of the policy's activities. These instruments

offer significant potential to provide flexible and market driven instruments in areas where

there is a market failure or suboptimal investment situation but where potential investments

are financially viable. These instruments may also provide for revolving and leverage effects.

In view of the increased share of resources delivered through financial instruments, it became

necessary to enhance the transparency of the implementation process and to ensure

appropriate monitoring by the Member States and by the Commission.

In line with Article 46(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1303/2013 (hereafter CPR) the

managing authorities shall send to the Commission a specific report covering the operations

comprising the financial instruments as an annex to the annual implementation report (AIR)4.

For the purpose of assessing the performance of financial instruments, the Commission is

required to collect and aggregate the information sent by the managing authorities and

provide summaries of data on the progress made in financing and implementing the financial

instruments as required by Article 46(4) of the CPR:

"Each year, starting in 2016, the Commission shall, within six months of the deadline

for the submission of the annual implementation reports referred to in Article 111(1)

for the ERDF, ESF and the Cohesion Fund, Article 75 of the EAFRD Regulation for

the EAFRD, and the relevant provisions of Funds-specific rules for the EMFF,

provide summaries of the data on the progress made in financing and implementing

the financial instruments, sent by the managing authorities in accordance with this

Article. Those summaries shall be transmitted to the European Parliament and the

Council and shall be made public."

For the purposes of the specific annex on financial instruments referred to in Article 46(1)

CPR, the managing authorities use the model set out in Annex I of the Commission

Implementing Regulation No (EU) 821/20145. The reporting model ensures that a specific

- Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on

the European Social Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 (hereafter ESF

Regulation)

- Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on

support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and repealing

Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 (hereafter EARDF Regulation).

- Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2328/2003,

(EC) No 861/2006, (EC) No 1198/2006 and (EC) No 791/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1255/2011 of

the European Parliament and of the Council (hereafter EMFF Regulation).

4 Starting with 2016, the reports will be sent by the 31 May, with the exception of 2017, 2019 and the final

report, which will be submitted by 30 June.

5 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 821/2014 of 28 July 2014 laying down rules for the

application of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards,

detailed arrangements for the transfer and management of programme contributions, the reporting on

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report covering the operations comprising financial instruments and annexed to the annual

and final implementation reports includes all categories of information required in Article

46(2) CPR and that they are reported in a consistent and comparable way and can be

consolidated and aggregated.

2.2. Objectives

The objective of this action is to prepare the summaries6 of data for 2016, 2017 and 2018 on the

progress made in financing and implementing financial instruments supported by ERDF and CF

in the programming period 2014-2020.

2.3. Scope of the contract

This contract will cover the preparation of the summaries of data for 2016, 2017 and 2018 on

Financial instruments supported from ERDF and CF including the analysis of the information

on financial instruments according to Article 46 CPR and information in the financial report

(Article 112 CPR) as concerns FIs supported by ERDF and CF [see Annex 2 Commission

Implementing Regulation (EU) No 821/2014 Annex I model for reporting on financial

instruments and Annex 3 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1011/2014 Annex II

Model for transmission of financial data Table 2].

2.4. Tasks

The tasks and deliverables of this service contract concern only ERDF and CF.

Task 1: Preparation of the annual summaries of data as required by Article 46(4) CPR

Article 46(4) of the CPR stipulates that each year starting in 2016, the Commission shall,

within six months of the deadline for the submission of the AIR, provide summary of the

ERDF and CF data on the progress made in financing and implementing the financial

instruments (hereafter the FI summary of ERDF and CF data), sent by the managing

authorities in accordance with Article 46 CPR. Each year, the FI summary of ERFD and CF

data will be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council and it will be made

public.

By 30 June 2017, 31 May 2018 and 30 June 2019 Managing Authorities have to submit their

information on financial instruments for the previous year through SFC2014. The structured

data consist of cumulative data (mainly numerical) per financial instrument at the level of

priority axes. The contracting authority will provide the data to the contractor as specified in

point 2.5.

financial instruments, technical characteristics of information and communication measures for operations

and the system to record and store data

6 This refers to three years’ contract.

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The contractor will analyse information on financial instruments provided in accordance with

Article 46 CPR and present the information in the format according to the outline of the

summary of data to be provided by the Contracting Authority.

The tasks of the contractor are as follows:

1) Verify received data per Member State including the plausibility check7 of the data on

FIs per programme.

This verification of the data shall include:

Year by year comparison of data;

Cross-check of the information in the Annex of the AIR with the information

provided in the financial data of 31 January according to Article 112 of the CPR;

Flagging up problems of incomplete, incoherent and implausible information;

provide a report on findings by Member State and OP, identifying and grouping

common and systematic errors (Annex 1 of the FI summary of ERDF and CF

data);

Keeping a logbook of incomplete, incoherent and implausible data which had to be

manipulated for the purpose of analysis;

2) Aggregate, group and provide cumulative data;

3) Calculate indicators on the progress of the implementation of financial instruments;

4) Analyse and interpret data;

5) Draft a descriptive part summarising the overall progress;

6) Prepare graphical presentation and format data tables ready for publishing;

7) Prepare FI country factsheets (annex 2 of the FI summary of ERDF and CF data);

8) Prepare country sheets on implementation of financial instruments per MS (annex 3 of

the FI summary of ERDF and CF data);

9) Building a database of FI data year by year progressively: build an electronic database

to store information; this should be user friendly for year on year comparison. The

database will have to be compatible with Commission software and it should be easy

to extract the data, and to make queries.

7 The plausibility check should include check for implausible reporting and violation of basic principles,

including based on the reporting exercise of 2015 data, for example, subtotals larger than totals; higher

amounts invested in final recipients than the amounts paid to FI; amounts committed to FI, but no funding

agreements signed; number of contracts signed lower than the number of investments made; FI reported as

EU-level instruments, when it is not the case; commitments by thematic objectives exceed the commitments

according to the funding agreements; no information reported concerning the ex-ante assessment, however

data provided on commitments; amounts committed in the funding agreements, but no funding agreement

signed; disbursement made to final recipients, but no funding agreement signed; payments to final

recipients, but no payments made to FI; no amounts of investments in final recipients, but number of

investments provided; inconsistency in reporting information about products at the level of the fund and at

the level of the product; the body implementing the FI is reported but no selection has started; in relation to

guarantee instrument, there is no information about the amounts set aside for guarantees, while there is

information about the loans provided. This list is not exhaustive and the contractor may suggest additional

plausibility checks depending on the quality and coverage of data submitted by the managing authorities.

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Where comparison with previous years of 2014-2020 programming period is considered

necessary, the contractor shall use the material delivered under the 2016 exercise (the data of

2015 will be provided by the Contracting Authority, as specified in point 2.5) and annual

summaries that will be prepared in 2017, 2018 and 2019 by the contractor.

The tender should propose a methodology to carry out the above task. This should include the

number of days to be spent, the preparatory work and the outline of the delivery of the task.

Task 2: Preparation of a stock-taking paper

The contractor shall take stock of what went well and can be improved, main findings, where

appropriate improve methodology for analysing data and propose changes to the Q&A and

annotated reporting template.

During the lifecycle of the service the contractor shall build up a reference log on

systemic issues and errors and maintain a list of typical errors and identify the ones

for which the checks could be automated. The contractor shall improve the

methodology for effective and efficient analysis of the data on financial instruments.

The tender should propose a methodology to carry out the above task. This should include the

number of days to be spent, the preparatory work and the outline of the delivery of the task.

2.5. Input by the Contracting Authority

The Contracting Authority will provide the contractor with:

Data on financial instruments under Article 46 CPR submitted via SFC for 2015, 2016,

2017 and 2018:

o the data of 2016 will be provided as soon as possible after 30/06/2017 and no

later than 15/07/2017;

o the data of 2017 will be provided as soon as possible after 31/05/2018 and no

later than 15/06/2018;

o the data of 2018 will be provided by the 30/06/2019 and no later than 15/07/2019.

o the data of 2015 will be made available after the kick-off meeting;

The outline for the FI summary of data;

The FI summary of ERDF and CF data prepared in 2016;

Q&A;

Annotated reporting template;

Financial data according to Article 112 CPR:

o the financial data of 31/01 will be available to the contractor as soon as possible

and at the latest together with the data on FI under Article 46 CPR;

Financial instruments data analysis spreadsheets used for the summaries of data in 2016;

Relevant legislative texts.

2.6. The methodology

The contractor is expected to use a range of methods suitable to carrying out the tasks. The

appropriate mix, which shall be described in the tender, shall include quantitative (especially

statistical) analysis and reliability checks, data manipulation, database design and development.

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2.7. Work organisation:

As part of the tender documentation, the team to be involved in this contract should be

identified, describing their skills and qualifications, quantifying the input of each member of

the team in terms of days and explaining the distribution of tasks between the different team

members involved. The attention of tenderers is drawn to the need for strong co-ordination,

guidance and quality control which will be needed for the successful delivery of this contract.

Due to the nature of the contract regular meetings with DG REGIO officers are needed in

order to monitor and discuss progress of the tasks. A maximum of 5 meetings (e.g. kick-off,

progress meetings, presentations) is foreseen each year. The meetings should be organised in

Brussels. Attendance via video-conferencing could be considered (with the exception of the

first and last meeting). The final schedule of the activities and the meetings to discuss the

work programme of each year will be decided at the kick-off meeting.

The kick-off meeting will consist of a general dialogue regarding the strategy and the methods

planned for preparation of the annual summaries. The Contracting Authority reserves the right

to further clarify during this meeting the deliverables taking into account the actual time of

the kick-off meeting vis-à-vis the reporting deadlines.

Approximately one month before the deadline indicated in point 2.9 (1) for submitting each

annual summary of data by the contractor, the contractor is required to attend a briefing

meeting in the premises of the Commission in Brussels.

Each year, after the approval of all the deliverables under task 1 by the Commission, the

contractor will be expected to give an oral presentation of the annual summary, highlighting

main results and conclusions. This presentation will take place in Brussels and within the

Commission premises. Costs relating to the organisation of this presentation and of any other

meeting requiring travelling will be covered by the overall budget of the contract.

2.8. Time schedule

The following table gives a synoptic view of the deliverables along with the related timetable:

Timing Deliverable /

Meeting

Output

Beginning July 2017 M1 Kick-off meeting with the Commission services

2017 EXERCISE – The 2017 FI Summary of ERDF and CF data

Mid July 2017 M2 Meeting to discuss 2017 work plan and Q&A

Beginning

September 2017

D1 2017 Draft annual summary of data, annexes and a

detailed data table on financial instruments

Beginning October

2017

M3 Meeting to discuss 2017 draft annual summary of data

with the Commission services

End October 2017 D2 2017 Final version of summary of data and annexes;

detailed data table on financial instruments if any

update

Mid November 2017 M4 Oral presentation of the 2017 FI summary of ERDF

and CF data

End December 2017 D3 2017 stock taking paper

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2018 EXERCISE – The 2018 FI Summary of ERDF and CF data

May 2018 M5 Meeting to discuss 2018 work plan

Beginning August

2018

D4 2018 Draft annual summary of data, annexes and a

detailed data table on financial instruments

Beginning

September 2018

M6 Meeting to discuss 2018 draft annual summary of data

with the Commission services

End September 2018 D5 2018 Final version of annual summary of data and

annexes; detailed data table on financial instruments if

any update

Mid October 2018 M7 Oral presentation of the 2018 FI summary of ERDF

and CF data

End November 2018 D6 2018 stock taking paper

2019 EXERCISE – The 2019 FI Summary of ERDF and CF data

June 2019 M8 Meeting to discuss 2019 work plan

Beginning

September 2019

D7 2019 Draft annual summary of data , annexes and a

detailed data table on financial instruments

Beginning October

2019

M9 Meeting to discuss 2019 draft summary of data with

the Commission services

End October 2019 D8 2019 Final version of summary of data and annexes;

detailed data table on financial instruments if any

update

Mid November 2019 M10 Oral presentation of the 2019 FI summary of ERDF

and CF data

Mid December 2019 D9 2019 stock taking paper

Mid December 2019 D10 Database and handover document

2.9. Deliverables

In the period 2017-2019, the contractor is expected to provide the following deliverables:

1) Annual summaries of data covering task 1. The contractor shall prepare in total 3 annual

summaries with the following deadlines:

The 2017 FI summary of ERDF and CF data (Situation as at 31/12/2016) – by 31

October 2017;

The 2018 FI summary of ERDF and CF data (Situation as at 31/12/2017)– by 30

September 2018 and;

The 2019 FI summary of ERDF and CF data (Situation as at 31/12/2018) – by 31

October 2019.

The summary shall include:

Annex 1: Report on incomplete, incoherent and implausible data for the respective

year;

Annex 2: FIs country factsheets per Member State including a legend (data on

financial instruments per MS presented in a table format/excel or compatible format,

ready for publication);

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Annex 3: Country fiches on financial instruments (a short summary of 1 page,

including a graph, on implementation of financial instruments per country).

Each summary shall be no more than 75 pages without annexes. It shall also include an

abstract of no more than 200 words and a publishable executive summary of maximum 6

pages, in English, French and German. It shall finally include a power-point presentation

summarising the results and conclusions.

Detailed data table on the financial instruments for all the member states shall be also

provided in a structured electronic form (unlocked excel table for further use and

modification).

2) Annual stock-taking papers - On annual basis at the end of each year and where necessary

improve the methodology for analysing data and propose changes to questions and answers

and the annotated reporting template. The stock-taking paper should contain the logbook of

manipulations of data made.

3) The database built up over the years and handover document (max 30 pages plus annexes)

containing the documentation of the database and describing the methodology that has been

applied. This document should contain suggested improvements to the annual summaries of

data (in 2019).

All the different deliverables shall be submitted in English in an easily accessible style. French

and German versions have to be provided for the Executive Summary and the abstract only.

Each deliverable will be examined by the Commission, which may ask for additional

modifications or propose changes in order to redirect the work if necessary. Deliverables must

be approved by the Commission.

The specific deadline for each deliverable is specified above and starts on the date of the entry

into force of the contract. The preparation of the annual summaries envisages several meetings in

Brussels in relation to the deliverables as indicated in point 2.7.

All data and graphs used in the reports should be submitted to the Commission separately and

need to be provided in MS Excel format or equivalent application compatible with MS Office.

2.10. Volume of the contract

Maximum EUR 300.000 (lump sum, including fees, travel expenses and other costs).

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3. CONTENT, STRUCTURE AND GRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE

DELIVERABLES

The Contractor must deliver the summaries and other deliverables as indicated below.

3.1. Content

3.1.1. Summary of the ERDF and CF data on the progress made in financing and

implementing financial instruments in 2014-2020

The annual summary of data must include:

- an abstract of no more than 200 words and an executive summary of maximum 6 pages,

in English, German and French;

- the following disclaimer:

“The information and views set out in this report are those of the author(s) and do not

necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not

guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study. Neither the Commission nor

any person acting on the Commission’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which

may be made of the information contained therein.”

3.1.2. Publishable executive summary

The publishable executive summary must be provided in English, German and French and must

include:

- the following disclaimer:

“The information and views set out in this report are those of the author(s) and do not

necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not

guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study. Neither the Commission nor

any person acting on the Commission’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which

may be made of the information contained therein.”

3.1.3. Requirements for publication on Internet

The Commission is committed to making online information as accessible as possible to the

largest possible number of users including those with visual, auditory, cognitive or physical

disabilities, and those not having the latest technologies. The Commission supports the Web

Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 of the W3C.

For full details on the Commission policy on accessibility for information providers, see:

http://ec.europa.eu/ipg/standards/accessibility/index_en.htm

For the publishable versions of the study, abstract and executive summary, the contractor

must respect the W3C guidelines for accessible pdf documents as provided at:

http://www.w3.org/WAI/ .

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3.2. Structure

The outline for the summary of the data will be provided by the Contracting Authority.

3.3. Graphic requirements

The contractor must deliver the annual summaries of data and all publishable deliverables in

full compliance with the corporate visual identity of the European Commission, by applying

the graphic rules set out in the European Commission's Visual Identity Manual8, including its

logo. The graphic rules, the Manual and further information are available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/services/visual_identity/index_en.htm

A simple Word template will be provided to the contractor after contract signature. The

contractor must fill in the cover page in accordance with the instructions provided in the

template. The use of templates for studies is exclusive to European Commission's contractors.

No template will be provided to tenderers while preparing their tenders.

4. EVALUATION AND AWARD

The evaluation is based solely on the information provided in the submitted tender. It involves

the following:

Verification of non-exclusion of tenderers on the basis of the exclusion criteria

Selection of tenderers on the basis of selection criteria

Verification of compliance with the minimum requirements set out in these tender

specifications

Evaluation of tenders on the basis of the award criteria

The Contracting Authority may reject abnormally low tenders, in particular if it established

that the tenderer or a subcontractor does not comply with applicable obligations in the fields

of environmental, social and labour law.

The tenders will be assessed in the order indicated above. Only tenders meeting the

requirements of one step will pass on to the next step.

4.1. Verification of non-exclusion

All tenderers must provide a declaration on honour (see Annex 1), signed and dated by an

authorised representative, stating that they are not in one of the situations of exclusion listed

in that declaration on honour.

In case of joint tender, each member of the group must provide a declaration on honour

signed by an authorised representative.

8 The Visual Identity Manual of the European Commission is available upon request. Requests should be

made to the following e-mail address: comm-visual-identity@ec.europa.eu

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In case of subcontracting, subcontractors whose share of the contract is above 10% and whose

capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria must provide a declaration on honour

signed by an authorised representative.

The Contracting Authority reserves the right to verify whether the successful tenderer is in

one of the situations of exclusion by requiring the supporting documents listed in the

declaration of honour.

The successful tenderer must provide the documents mentioned as supporting evidence in the

declaration on honour before signature of the contract and within a deadline given by the

contracting authority. This requirement applies to each member of the group in case of joint

tender and to all subcontractors whose share of the contract is above 10% and whose capacity

is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria.

The obligation to submit supporting evidence does not apply to international organisations.

A tenderer (or a member of the group in case of joint tender, or a subcontractor) is not

required to submit the documentary evidence if it has already been submitted for another

procurement procedure and provided the documents were issued not more than one year

before the date of their request by the contracting authority and are still valid at that date. In

such cases, the tenderer must declare on its honour that the documentary evidence has already

been provided in a previous procurement procedure, indicate the reference of the procedure

and confirm that that there has been no change in its situation.

A tenderer (or a member of the group in case of joint tender, or a subcontractor) is not

required to submit a specific document if the contracting authority can access the document in

question on a national database free of charge.

4.2. Selection criteria

Tenderers must prove their legal, regulatory, economic, financial, technical and professional

capacity to carry out the work subject to this procurement procedure.

The tenderer may rely on the capacities of other entities, regardless of the legal nature of the

links which it has with them. It must in that case prove to the Contracting Authority that it

will have at its disposal the resources necessary for performance of the contract, for example

by producing an undertaking on the part of those entities to place those resources at its

disposal.

The tender must include the proportion of the contract that the tenderer intends to subcontract.

4.2.1. Declaration and evidence

The tenderers (and each member of the group in case of joint tender) and subcontractors

whose capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria must provide the declaration on

honour (see Annex 1), signed and dated by an authorised representative, stating that they fulfil

the selection criteria applicable to them individually. For the criteria applicable to the tenderer

as a whole the tenderer (sole tenderer or leader in case of joint tender) must provide the

declaration on honour stating that the tenderer, including all members of the group in case of

joint tender and including subcontractors if applicable, fulfils the selection criteria for which a

consolidated assessment will be carried out.

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This declaration is part of the declaration used for exclusion criteria (see section 4.1) so only

one declaration covering both aspects should be provided by each concerned entity.

The Contracting Authority will evaluate selection criteria on the basis of the declarations on

honour. Nevertheless, it reserves the right to require evidence of the legal and regulatory,

financial and economic and technical and professional capacity of the tenderers at any time

during the procurement procedure and contract performance. In such case the tenderer must

provide the requested evidence without delay. The Contracting Authority may reject the

tender if the requested evidence is not provided in due time.

After contract award, the successful tenderer will be required to provide the evidence

mentioned below before signature of the contract and within a deadline given by the

contracting authority. This requirement applies to each member of the group in case of joint

tender and to subcontractors whose capacity is necessary to fulfil the selection criteria.

A tenderer (or a member of the group in case of joint tender, or a subcontractor) is not

required to submit the documentary evidence if it has already been submitted for another

procurement procedure and provided the documents were issued not more than one year

before the date of their request by the contracting authority and are still valid at that date. In

such cases, the tenderer must declare on its honour that the documentary evidence has already

been provided in a previous procurement procedure, indicate the reference of the procedure

and confirm that that there has been no change in its situation.

A tenderer (or a member of the group in case of joint tender, or a subcontractor) is not

required to submit a specific document if the contracting authority can access the document in

question on a national database free of charge.

4.2.2. Legal and regulatory capacity

Tenderers must prove that they are allowed to pursue the professional activity necessary to

carry out the work subject to this call for tenders. The tenderer (including each member of the

group in case of joint tender) must provide the following information in its tender if it has not

been provided with the Legal Entity Form:

- For legal persons, a legible copy of the notice of appointment of the persons authorised to

represent the tenderer in dealings with third parties and in legal proceedings, or a copy of the

publication of such appointment if the legislation applicable to the legal person requires such

publication. Any delegation of this authorisation to another representative not indicated in the

official appointment must be evidenced.

- For natural persons, if required under applicable law, a proof of registration on a

professional or trade register or any other official document showing the registration number.

4.2.3. Economic and financial capacity criteria

The tenderer must have the necessary economic and financial capacity to perform this

contract until its end. In order to prove their capacity, the tenderer must comply with the

following selection criteria.

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- Criterion F1: Turnover of the last two financial years for which accounts have been closed

above EUR 500,000.00; this criterion applies to the tenderer as a whole, i.e. the combined

capacity of all members of a group in case of a joint tender.

Evidence (to be provided on request):

- Copy of the profit and loss accounts for the years 2014 and 2015 for which accounts have

been closed from each concerned legal entity;

- Failing that, appropriate statements from banks.

If, for some exceptional reason which the Contracting Authority considers justified, a tenderer

is unable to provide one or other of the above documents, it may prove its economic and

financial capacity by any other document which the Contracting Authority considers

appropriate. In any case, the Contracting Authority must at least be notified of the exceptional

reason and its justification. The Commission reserves the right to request any other document

enabling it to verify the tenderer's economic and financial capacity.

4.2.4. Technical and professional capacity criteria and evidence

A. Criteria relating to tenderers

Tenderers (in case of a joint tender the combined capacity of all members of the group and

identified subcontractors) must comply with the criteria listed below. The evidence must be

provided only on request.

The project references indicated below consist in a list of relevant services provided in the

past three years, with the sums, dates and clients, public or private, accompanied by

statements issued by the clients.

- Criterion A1: The tenderer must prove experience in the field of data collection, statistical

analyses, drafting reports and recommendations with at least 3 projects delivered in this field

in the last three years. Ongoing assignments with completed annual deliverables will be taken

into account as well.

Evidence A1: the tenderer must provide references for 3 projects delivered in these fields in

the last three years with a minimum value for each project of € 100,000.00.

- Criterion A2: The tenderer must prove capacity to work (read and communicate) in

English.

Evidence A2: the tenderer must provide references for 3 projects delivered in the last three

years showing the necessary language coverage.

- Criterion A3: The tenderer must prove capacity to draft reports in English.

Evidence A3: the tenderer must provide one document of at least 10 pages (report, study,

etc.) in this language that it has drafted and published or delivered to a client in the last two

years. The verification will be carried out on 5 pages of the document.

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B. Criteria relating to the team delivering the service:

The team delivering the service should include, as a minimum, the following profiles.

Evidence will consist in CVs of the team responsible to deliver the service. Each CV should

indicate the intended function in the delivery of the service.

B1 - Project Manager: At least 6 years' experience in project management, including

overseeing project delivery, quality control of delivered service, client orientation and conflict

resolution experience with experience in management of team of at least 5 people.

Evidence: CV

B2 - Statistical analyst: At least 6 years of professional experience. Relevant higher

education degree or equivalent professional experience and at least 3 years' professional

experience in statistical analysis of data.

Evidence: CV

B3 - Expert in EU cohesion policy and ESI Funds: At least 6 years of professional

experience. Relevant higher education degree or equivalent professional experience and at

least 3 years' professional experience in the field of financial instruments.

Evidence: CV

B4 - Language quality check: at least 2 members of the team should have native-level

language skills in English or C2 level in the Common European Framework for Reference for

Languages9 in English.

Evidence: a language certificate or past relevant experience.

The contractor may use additional team members other than those required above as a

minimum. Should this be the case, the CVs of the experts/professionals should be presented in

the tender.

4.3. Award criteria

The contract will be awarded based on the most economically advantageous tender, according

to the 'best price-quality ratio' award method. The quality of the tender will be evaluated

based on the following criteria. The maximum total quality score is 100 points.

Quality of the proposed methodology (50 points – minimum score 50%)

- This criterion will assess the appropriateness of the methodology set out in the tender

and of the specific methodology described to address tasks 1 and 2 (see pg. 9);

9 See http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Cadre1_en.asp

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- The completeness, the clarity and the relevance of the technical approach in respect of

the tasks described in the tender specifications as well as the degree to which all

relevant issues are covered;

- Appropriate design of the technical approach as to produce sound analysis, credible

findings and valid conclusions.

Tenderers should give a thorough description of the approach proposed to attain the

Commission's objectives and to provide the requested outputs.

Organisation of the work and resources (30 points – minimum score 50%)

This criterion will assess how the roles and responsibilities of the proposed team and of the

different economic operators (in case of joint tenders, including subcontractors if applicable)

are distributed for each task. It also assesses the global allocation of time and resources to the

project and to each task or deliverable, and whether this allocation is adequate for the work.

The tender should provide details on the allocation of time and human resources and the

rationale behind the choice of this allocation.

Quality control measures (20 points – minimum score 50%)

This criterion will assess the quality control system applied to the service foreseen in this

tender specification concerning the quality of the deliverables, the language quality check,

and continuity of the service in case of absence of the member of the team. The quality

system should be detailed in the tender and specific to the tasks at hand; a generic quality

system will result in a low score.

Tenders must score minimum 50% for each criterion and minimum 70 % in total. Tenders

that do not reach the minimum quality thresholds will be rejected and will not be ranked.

4.4. Ranking of tenders

The contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender, i.e. the tender

offering the best price-quality ratio determined in accordance with the formula below. A

weight of 60/40 is given to quality and price.

score for tender X =

cheapest price

price of tender X

* 100 * price weighting (in %)

+ total quality score (out of 100)

for all award criteria of tender X *

quality criteria weighting (in %)

The tender ranked first after applying the formula will be awarded the contract.

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5. ANNEXES

Annex 1 - Declaration on honour

Annex 2 - Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 821/2014 laying down rules for

the application of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the

Council as regards detailed arrangements for the transfer and management of programme

contributions, the reporting on financial instruments, technical characteristics of information

and communication measures for operations and the system to record and store data:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2014.223.01.0007.01.ENG

Annex 3 - Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1011/2014 laying down the format

of the report (detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European

Parliament and of the Council as regards the models for submission of certain information to

the Commission and the detailed rules concerning the exchanges of information between

beneficiaries and managing authorities, certifying authorities, audit authorities and

intermediate bodies):

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2014.286.01.0001.01.ENG