Extension of submission deadline for Tender on Mobile and Data services for People in Need Moldova

By present, People in Need Moldova is announcing extension of submission deadline for Tender on Mobile and Data services for People in Need Moldova.

New deadlines are like follows:

Submission deadline: 20^th March 2024, COB

Questions/Qlarifications: 15^th March 2024, COB

Terms of Reference

Mobile and Data services for PIN Moldova

Background

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech non-governmental organization that provides relief aid and development assistance while working to defend human rights and democratic freedom. It is one of the largest reliefs and development organizations in post-communist Europe and has administered projects in 37 countries over the past 30 years. See here for more information about PIN: www.peopleinneed.net.

People in Need (PIN) has been active in Moldova since 2003, focusing on education, supporting civil society, and fostering sustainable development. PIN's programs aim to curb youth migration, assist emerging entrepreneurs and organic farmers, and promote social inclusion for vulnerable groups, including those with disabilities. By collaborating with local authorities and empowering civic activists, PIN strives to advance good governance and robust community engagement for a resilient Moldovan society.

PIN Moldova is seeking a reliable telecommunications provider. The objective of the contract is to secure comprehensive mobile and data services that will enable PIN Moldova to maintain effective communication and data exchange across its widespread operations within the country. This is to ensure seamless coordination and support of its development programs and civil society initiatives. The initial duration of the contract will be for two years.

1. Mandatory General Requirements

1.1. The Bidder must be a Licensed Operator for Mobile Telephony in the Republic of Moldova and owns and operates the key network assets to provide the service offered in Moldova.

1.2 The Bidder shall provide direct dialling to the following destinations and include the following services:

1. Closer User Grup (CUG) within operator’s network
2. Moldovan Mobile Networks;
3. Fixed Moldovan Telecommunications Networks;
4. Data services (3G/4G, SMS)
5. International calls:
6. Voice and Data Roaming services

1.3. The Bidder shall offer the services for a two years period in a form of following packages:

*PIN reserves the right to change the number of packages/subcriptions

1.4.  Numbers porting

• The Bidder shall envisage the porting of all existing PIN SIM cards (68 numbers) to the new service provider network. Any costs associated with the porting exercise must be included in the Financial Proposal.
• The expected interruption of the service for each individual account must be stated in the proposal of the bidder. It cannot exceed more than 3 hours during the business hours (09.00-17.00) and more than 4 hours outside working ours (Chisinau time).
• The interruption of the service to each specific number must be announced by SMS to all affected users at least 72 hours before the actual interruption has taken place so that users can factor the interruption time into their work plans

1.5. The Bidder shall provide a designated English/Romanian/Russian speaking Key Account Manager as a single point of contact for the PIN for all administrative and technical issues. The key account manager will provide invoices on regular basis on time, monthly, quarterly and ad hoc basis. The key account manager will provide information regarding calls and other technical interruptions. The key account manager will reply for all other requests.

1.6. The Bidder shall provide an on-line account management tool, which shall cover all VPN central management tasks including but not limited to:

• Logistics Officer for activation, suspension and de-activation of all SIM cards with no limit to the up time of the account
• Authorization for access to levels of voice and data services, voice and data SIMs or a combination of services on one SIM, assigning user names, cost centre identifiers enabling and restricting dialling and roaming settings

2. Mandatory Billing and Reporting Requirements

2.1.         All circuit-switched outgoing calls shall be billed in one-second billing increments, meaning that the PIN shall be obliged to pay for the exact duration of the call. There should be no call establishment costs (Bidders shall state otherwise). All calls shall be rounded to the next second for billing purposes. Timing shall begin when the called station has answered and the two-way communication becomes possible and shall end when either party hangs up. The PIN shall not be charged for uncompleted calls, i.e. when the phone hangs up before the called station answers, or where a busy signal is received.

2.2.  The Bidder shall provide monthly invoices meeting the minimum requirements set forth in ITU Recommendation D.90 and GSM billing standards as follows:

1. A consolidated monthly invoice showing the PIN total and the summary lump sum and a variable cost per each subscription as a hard copy document and electronically. The monthly electronic invoice should be made available to the PIN in EXCEL o CSV format as an e-mail attachment and/or via on-line access);

b)   A detailed traffic bill for each subscription showing the originating network, called destinations, the timing and amount of data transferred for each call and the associated costs as a hard copy and electronically. Minimum required information related to a call should be: mobile number, date, time, duration, dialled number.

d)  Monthly payments after service delivery within maximum 10 working days after the receipt and approval of invoices and supporting documents for the preceding month

2.3. The Bidder should provide samples of anonymous billing/invoice files to facilitate the evaluation

2.4. The Bidder shall provide an on-line access to the real time detailed call and cost data for the network administrators as specified by the PIN. The availability of the detailed online data shall be minimum 12 months from the day it is posted.

3. Mandatory Contract revision Requirements

3.1. In the event the Contractor will provide conditions that are more favourable, new products and innovations or improved rates during the term of the Contract, the PIN reserves the right to amend the Contract after one year (1) in order to reflect such changes of conditions or rates.

3.2. The Bidder shall include in the Technical Proposal a review process describing how changes will be addressed and implemented during the term of the proposed contract. This shall include yearly revision of costs and tariffs based on market changes.

Evaluation of bids

The evaluation committee will evaluate and award the contract on the basis of the following evaluation method: lowest price for technically compliant offers. (The vendors must propose offers that meets all the technical requirements; only those that do will be considered. From these, the bid with the lowest price will win.)

1. Technical evaluation

The companies will be first technically evaluated on “comply/fail” bases against mandatory requirements specified below:

1. The company is a licensed Mobile Telephony Operator in the Republic of Moldova and owns the necessary key network assets to provide the services.
2. The supplier agrees to provide direct dialling services that include CUG, access to both mobile and fixed Moldovan networks, data services (3G/4G, SMS), international calls, and voice and data roaming services.
3. If necessary, the vendor will undertake the porting of 68 existing PIN SIM cards to their network, cover all associated costs, and ensure minimal service interruptions as detailed in the specifications.
4. The provider will appoint a designated tri-lingual Key Account Manager as the sole point of contact for all administrative and technical issues, including the provision of regular invoices and responses to queries.
5. The supplier agrees to offer an online account management service for VPN central management tasks, which includes PIN Logistics personnel for SIM card activation and de-activation, as well as authorization for service levels.
6. The company will bill all circuit-switched outgoing calls per second with no call establishment costs, ensuring that monthly invoices comply with ITU Recommendation D.90 and GSM standards.
7. The vendor agrees to supply a consolidated monthly invoice and a detailed traffic bill for each subscription electronically, with the specified information for each call.
8. The supplier consents to the condition of monthly payments being completed within a maximum of 10 working days following the service delivery and invoice approval.
9. The company will provide sample anonymous billing/invoice files for evaluation as requested.
10. The vendor guarantees the availability of real-time detailed call and cost data accessible online, with a minimum 12-month retention from the posting date.
11. The supplier concurs with a contract revision clause to include more favourable conditions, new innovations, or improved rates that may arise during the contract term.
12. The company will detail a review process for addressing and implementing changes during the contract term, including annual cost and tariff revisions based on market changes.
13. The provider asserts that no charges will be imposed for call establishment, and that billing will not include uncompleted calls.
14. The vendor will specify in their bid the proposed monthly usage for national calls and mobile internet access for each package, and offers the possibility of unlimited options.
15. The company agrees to accommodate any changes in the quantity of packages/subscriptions that PIN may request during the contract period, without altering the prices.
16. The company agrees to accept and adhere to the contract template provided by PIN.

1. Financial Evaluation

Under financial evaluation, the bid with the lowest price will be selected as the winner, provided it meets all technical and quality requirements outlined in the tender.

Checklist

The Proposal shall comprise of the following documents:

Technical Proposal

1. Copy of the company’s registration document.
2. Copy Operating License as required by law
3. Geographic coverage map
4. Full description the proposed packages as separate document (prices that will be applied after consuming the units included in the package, Call prices in Roaming, International Calls & Data Roaming Prices, Discount packages for Voice and Data Roaming services, other prices)
5. Detailed CV of Proposed Key Personnel
6. Samples of billing/invoice file
7. Annex I - Sworn Eligibility statement

Financial Proposal:

8. Annex_II_Quotation_form

Annex I | Annex II | Tender_notice_GSM 2024-2025