Skip to main content
Service for Foreign Policy Instruments
Call for tendersClosed

Market access support for EU business in Canada in the CETA context

Details

Status
Closed
Publication date
Deadline date
Opening of tenders
Department
Service for Foreign Policy Instruments

Description

1. Publication reference

EuropeAid/DH/SER/137-941

2. Procedure

Restricted

3. Programme title

Market access support for EU business in Canada in the CETA context

4. Financing

Partnership Instrument 2015 Annual Action Programme (ref. C/2015/4109 of 22.6.2015)

5. Contracting Authority

European Union, represented by the European Commission (EU Delegation to Canada)

CONTRACT SPECIFICATION

6. Nature of contract

Fee-based

7. Contract description

The general objective of this action is to help EU business to take full advantage of trade opportunities between Canada and the EU, in particular opportunities arising from the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This objective will be achieved by providing facilitated access to relevant information and building a structured channel for coordinated feedback to the European Commission / the EU Delegation in Canada on core trade, investment and market access issues in Canada.

The selected contractor will work together with the network of European Union Chambers of Commerce in Canada (EUCCAN) to develop a sustainable communication platform between key EU stakeholders in Canada – such as EU Member State chambers of commerce, EU Member State trade representatives, business associations, EU business and the EU Delegation. The selected contractor would be responsible for, among other things, providing relevant substantive content for a dedicated website and an electronic newsletter edited by EUCCAN, and for organizing an annual stakeholder meeting.

To these ends, the selected service contractor would serve as an interlocutor for the key stakeholders under the guidance of the EU Delegation to Canada, facilitating a regular information flow and providing analysis as necessary.

The experts under this contract could for example be expected to, among other things:

  • Establish a platform to support the existing EU stakeholders in Canada (mentioned above). This would include the collection, analysis and distribution of market access and other trade related information, particularly in the context of CETA implementation. It would also include the preparation and execution of business surveys and drafting of analytical thematic reports and policy recommendations.
  • Work together with the network of European Union Chambers of Commerce in Canada (EUCCAN) to develop a sustainable two-way communication channel linking the above-mentioned stakeholders and EU business (whether already established in Canada or just exploring the Canadian market). This will include the provision of relevant substantive contents for a dedicated website and an electronic newsletter edited by EUCCAN.
  • Develop and implement a strategy to assist EU businesses in Canada in identifying key trade, investment and market access issues they face in Canada and communicating these to the European Commission and the Canadian authorities in a coherent way. This would be done in cooperation with the above-mentioned EU stakeholders in Canada.
  • Organise an annual EU stakeholder meeting.
  • Prepare structured feedback (reports, recommendations) in reaction to detected challenges on market access, business opportunities and/or CETA implementation at provincial or federal level.

8. Number and titles of lots

n/a

9. Maximum budget

800.000 EUR

10. Scope for additional services

The Contracting Authority may, at its own discretion, extend the project in duration and/or scope subject to the availability of funding up to a maximum not exceeding the length and value of the initial contract . Any extension of the contract would be subject to satisfactory performance by the Contractor.

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

11. Eligibility

Participation is open to all natural persons who are nationals of - and legal persons (participating either individually or in a grouping/consortium of tenderers) effectively established in - a Member State of the European Union or in an eligible country or territory (e.g. Canada) as defined under the Regulation (EU) N°236/2014 establishing common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's Instruments for External Action (CIR) for the applicable Instrument under which the contract is financed (see also heading 29 below). Participation is also open to international organisations.

12. Candidature

All eligible natural and legal persons (as per item 11 above) or groupings of such persons (consortia) may apply.

A consortium may be a permanent, legally-established grouping or a grouping which has been constituted informally for a specific tender procedure. All members of a consortium (i.e., the leader and all other members) are jointly and severally liable to the Contracting Authority.

The participation of an ineligible natural or legal person (as per item 11) will result in the automatic exclusion of that person. In particular, if that ineligible person belongs to a consortium, the whole consortium will be excluded.

13. Number of applications

No more than one application can be submitted by a natural or legal person whatever the form of participation (as an individual legal entity or as leader or member of a consortium submitting an application). In the event that a natural or legal person submits more than one application, all applications in which that person has participated will be excluded.

14. Shortlist alliances prohibited

Any tenders received from tenderers comprising firms other than those mentioned in the short-listed application forms will be excluded from this restricted tender procedure unless prior approval from the Contracting Authority has been obtained (see Practical Guide – PRAG- 2.4.3.). Short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for the contract in question.

15. Grounds for exclusion

As part of the application form, candidates must submit a signed declaration, included in the standard application form, to the effect that they are not in any of the exclusion situations listed in Section 2.3.3.1 "Exclusion Criteria" of the PRAG.

16. Sub-contracting

Subcontracting is allowed.

17. Number of candidates to be short-listed

On the basis of the applications received, between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to submit detailed tenders for this contract. If the number of eligible candidates meeting the selection criteria is less than the minimum of 4, the Contracting Authority may invite the candidates who satisfy the criteria to submit a tender.

PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE

18. Provisional date of invitation to tender

July 2016

19. Provisional commencement date of the contract

December 2016

20. Initial period of implementation of tasks

24 months

SELECTION AND AWARD CRITERIA

21. Selection criteria

The following selection criteria will be applied to candidates. In the case of applications submitted by a consortium, these selection criteria will be applied to the consortium as a whole:

1) Economic and financial capacity of the candidate (based on item 3 of the application form). In case of the candidate being a public body, equivalent information should be provided. The reference period which will be taken into account will be the last three years for which accounts have been closed.

  • The candidate's/consortium's average annual turnover (over the last three years) must have been at least EUR 400 000.
  • The current ratio for the last year (current assets/ current liabilities) must be at least 1.

2) Professional capacity of the candidate(based on items 4 and 5 of the application form).The reference period which will be taken into account will be the last three years before the submission deadline.

  • At least 10 staff members work for the candidate/consortium in fields related to the following domains (not necessarily in all of them):
      • legal and regulatory framework for foreign business in Canada;
      • European Union trade policy or trade with the European Union
      • relations, in the context of international trade and/or foreign investment, with any of these stakeholders:
          • chambers of commerce,
          • business associations and/or organised business
          • Canadian Federal or Provincial Governments;
      • stakeholder platform building and policy advice
  • Out of the 10 staff members working in the relevant fields, a minimum of 5 must be permanently employed.

3) Technical capacity of the candidate (based on items 5 and 6 of the application form). The reference period which will be taken into account will be the last five years from submission deadline.

  • The candidate (or consortium members) has (have) provided, or is (are) providing services under at least 2 distinct projects with the candidate's (or consortium members') proportion being at least 100.000 EUR for its services in each project. References submitted for all these projects must together cover services falling under all the following domains:
      • legal and regulatory framework for foreign business in Canada;
      • European Union trade policy or trade with the European Union
      • relations, in the context of international trade and/or foreign investment, with any of these stakeholders:
          • chambers of commerce,
          • business associations and/or organised business
          • Canadian Federal or Provincial Governments;
      • stakeholder platform building and policy advice

In case of ongoing projects only the part completed during the reference period (supported by documentary evidence, including value) will be taken into consideration. If a candidate/tenderer has implemented the project as part of a consortium, the percentage that the candidate/tenderer has successfully completed must be clear from the supporting evidence, together with a description of the nature of the services provided if the selection criteria relating to the pertinence of the experience have been used.

Previous experience which caused breach of contract and termination by a Contracting Authority shall not be used as reference.

An economic operator may, where appropriate and for a particular contract, 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. Such entities, for instance the parent company of the economic operator, must respect the same rules of eligibility and notably that of nationality, as the economic operator.

If more than 8 eligible candidates meet the above selection criteria, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the applications of these candidates must be reexamined to identify the eight best candidates. The only factors which will be taken into consideration during this re-examinations:

The highest number of reference projects found eligible under criteria 3a which cover the following field:

  • i) legal and regulatory framework for foreign business in Canada;

22. Award criteria

Best value for money.

APPLICATION

23. Deadline for receipt of applications

17:00 hours on 20 June 2016, Ottawa time.

Any application received by the Contracting Authority after this deadline will not be considered.

24. Application format and details to be provided

Applications must be submitted using the standard application form (B3), the format and instructions of which must be strictly observed. The application form is available from the following Internet address: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/annexes.do?chapterTitleCode=B

Any additional documentation (brochure, letter, etc) sent with an application will not be taken into consideration.

25. How applications may be submitted

Applications must be submitted in English exclusively to the Contracting Authority in a sealed envelope including one identical digital copy:

  • EITHER by recorded delivery (official postal service) to :

Attn. Raul Sanchez Pascual
European Union Delegation to Canada
150 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1900*
Ottawa K2P 1P1
Ontario, Canada

  • OR hand delivered (including courier services) directly to the Contracting Authority in return for a signed and dated receipt to:

Attn. Raul Sanchez Pascual
European Union Delegation to Canada
150 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1900*
Ottawa K2P 1P1
Ontario, Canada

*Please note that access to the 19th floor is restricted and the telephone in the main lobby should be used to obtain access to the floor.

The Contract title and the Publication reference (see item 1 above) must be clearly marked on the envelope containing the application and must always be mentioned in all subsequent correspondence with the Contracting Authority.

Applications submitted by any other means will not be considered.

26. Alteration or withdrawal of applications

Candidates may alter or withdraw their applications by written notification prior to the deadline for submission of applications. No application may be altered after this deadline.

Any such notification of alteration or withdrawal shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with Item 25. The outer envelope (and the relevant inner envelope if used) must be marked 'Alteration' or 'Withdrawal' as appropriate.

27. Operational language

All written communications for this tender procedure and contract must be in English.

28. Date of publication of prior information notice

26 March 2016

29. Legal basis

Regulation(EU) N°236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 laying down common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for financing external action .

Regulation (EU) No 234/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a Partnership Instrument for cooperation with third countries.

30. Additional information

Questions, clearly stating the reference and title of the call, can be sent to the following email address: DELEGATION-CANADA-PIateeas [dot] europa [dot] eu (DELEGATION-CANADA-PI[at]eeas[dot]europa[dot]eu)

More information about the Partnership Instrument and the project can be found at:

Candidates are advised to make sure that the email provided in the standard application form is checked regularly as email will be the main means of communication between the contracting authority and the applicant.