REPLIES TO QUERIES on RAE's 2 nd Call for Tenders for the project "Development of Greek Electric Power and Natural Gas Systems Simulator Including Planning, Execution and Settlement of Short- Term Whole-Sale Markets" 1. QUESTION No. 1 Further to point 3d of Chapter 3 of the Call for Tenders for the "Development of Greek Electric Power and Natural Gas Systems Simulator including planning, execution and settlement of short term wholesale markets" please clarify whether a document translated into Greek by a certified lawyer is considered to be an official translation. REPLY to QUESTION No. 1 Following your email of 23/5/2006, we would like to inform you that all translations conducted by a certified lawyer are accepted according to the provisions of the Call for Tenders released on the 10 th of May 2006 by RAE. 2. QUESTION No. 2 Ύστερα από σχετική πληροφόρηση µου από την ΡΑΕ µε παρέπεµψαν σε εσάς για την περαιτέρω πληροφόρησή µου αναφορικά µε την προκήρυξη στην ιστοσελίδα της ΡΑΕ µε τίτλο "Development of Greek Electric Power and Natural Gas Systems Simulator Including Planning, Execution and Settlement of Short-Term Whole-Sale Markets". Θα παρακαλούσα για την παροχή διευκρινίσεων επί του θέµατος της ύπαρξης ή µη δυνατότητας αναπλήρωσης της εµπειρίας (σε συγκεκριµένο αντικείµενο-τοµέα) του (υποψήφιου) Εργολάβου - Αναδόχου από κάποιον Υπεργολάβο, ο οποίος και θα διαθέτει την απαιτούµενη από την σύµβαση εµπειρία για τον συγκεκριµένο τοµέααντικείµενο. Στην προκήρυξη υπάρχει η εξής σχετική πρόβλεψη "In the latter case, the experience of any potential subcontractor shall be without prejudice to the question of the principal economic operator s (Consultant s) liability and experience"(σελ. 4 τελευταία πρόταση), στο κείµενο της οποίας όµως, διατυπώνεται επιφύλαξη ως προς την εµπειρία του Υπεργολάβου την οποία φαίνεται να εξαρτά από την εµπειρία και την ευθύνη του "Consultant". Υπάρχει, τελικά, δυνατότητα αναπλήρωσης της µη υπάρχουσας, σε συγκεκριµένο αντικείµενο, εµπειρίας του Εργολάβου από τον Υπεργολάβο, ή απαιτείται σε κάθε περίπτωση ο Εργολάβος να διαθέτει εξειδικευµένη και πλούσια εµπειρία για όλα ανεξαιρέτως τα επιµέρους αντικείµενα-πεδία της προκήρυξης; 1
REPLY to QUESTION No. 2 With regard to your protocol number I-38401/26.05.2006 e-mail request for In relation to the above, the 10.05.2006 Call s provision that the experience of any potential subcontractor shall be without prejudice to the question of the principal economic operator s (Consultant s) liability and experience (page 4), clearly states that it is the Consultant, and not any Subcontractors, who should have all the relevant experience that is required by the Article12.1.2 par. 2 Past Relevant Experience of the Tenderer (page 23) of the Call. 3. QUESTION No. 3 With respect to the International Call for Tenders as published in Official Journal of the European Communities 2006/S 91-097565 of 13.05.2006 concerning the Development of Greek Electric Power and Natural Gas Systems Simulator Including Planning, Execution and Settlement of Short-Term Whole-Sale Market we would like to request for the following clarification: Clarification: Tender Specifications, page 14/61: 3. Further excluded from the participation in a public contract are: d) Foreign legal or physical entities that do not submit the whole documents of Chapter 12.1.1 officially translated into Greek Question: Can you please clarify what is being meant by the term official translation? a) Should foreign companies follow the laws and regulations concerning the translation of documents that are applicable to their countries of establishment or the 2
contracting authority require further/other actions to be taken? (Example: Greek regulations to be followed in any case). Please advise in details. b) In terms of the Greek Legislation which procedure does the contracting authority consider as sufficient? Is the verification of the translation of the original document by a duly authorised lawyer considered as proper evidence or the tenderer should address to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to obtain the translation? Is there any other option to be considered? Please advice. REPLY to QUESTION No. 3 With regard to your protocol number I-38753/01.06.2006 e-mail request for In relation to the above, the Article 3 par. 3 of the 10.05.2006 Call provides that excluded from the participation in a public contract are among others, the d) Foreign legal or physical entities that do not submit the whole of their documents of Chapter 12.1.1 officially translated into Greek. (page 14). An official translation should be made according to the legal provisions of the country in which the legal or physical entities are established (your question a). In case that these entities are established in Greece, as an official translation is considered to be the one that is conducted by either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or a duly authorized attorney at law (your question b). 4. QUESTION No. 4 QUESTION 1: Referring to par. 3 Participation of above Tender and specifically (see pg.13): "Groupings in specific do not have the obligation to vest a specific legal form during the tendering procedure. In case though of contract award to a grouping, said grouping might be asked to form a consortium. In the latter case the grouping should 3
do so. Each Member of the consortium will then be held jointly and in full liable towards RAE for the entirety of the project." we would ask if it is sufficient for a group of Companies, during the tendering procedure, to comply p.t (10) art. 12.1.1 General Profile (see pg. 21) a Declaration, signed by each of the companies member of consortium/ joint venture, according to Italian Law, in which they specify: in case of contract award the companies will form a consortium /joint venture with indication of the leader of the union of companies\consortium\joint venture that has the right to sign the contract, the percentage or part of the project that each of the member will undertake. QUESTION 2: All the Tender documents can be signed from a represant who have a proxy from the company's legal representative. REPLY to QUESTION No. 4 With regard to your protocol number I-38754/01.06.2006 e-mail request for In relation to the above and with regard to your Question 1, the Article 3 of the 10.05.2006 Call provides that Groupings in specific do not have the obligation to vest a specific legal form during the tendering procedure. In case though of contract award to a grouping, said grouping might be asked to form a consortium. In the latter case the grouping should do so. Each Member of the consortium will then be held jointly and in full liable towards RAE for the entirety of the project. Therefore, each and every member of the consortium should comply with the Article 12.1.1 par. 10, according to which, The documentation mentioned in points (3) to (9) hereinabove [ ] in the case of a consortium [ ] shall be furnished for each member of the consortium. (page 21). Any declaration about forming a consortium/joint venture, in case of a contract award and irrespectively of the percentage or part of the project that each member will undertake, should adhere the above noted provisions that each and 4
every member of the consortium will be held jointly and in full liable towards RAE for the entirety of the project. Regarding to your Question 2, the Tender documents could be signed by any legal representative who has the power to do so. 5. QUESTION No. 5 Θα παρακαλούσα για τις ακόλουθες διευκρινίσεις: (α) Θα υποβληθεί κοινή προσφορά εκ µέρους µιάς οµάδας εταιριών, πού θα δηµιουργήσουν κοινοπραξία. Στην σελίδα 7 τής διακήρυξης αναφέρεται ρητά ότι : Consultants do not have the obligation to form a consortium during the tendering procedure Και πάλι στη σελίδα 16 τής διακήρυξης αναφέρεται : Groupings in specific do not have the obligation to vest a specific legal form during the tendering procedure. In case though of contract award to a grouping, said grouping might be asked to form a consortium. In the latter case the grouping should do so. Όµως, στη σελίδα 24 (άρθρο 12.1.1 περ. 10) αναφέρεται : In the case of submission of a joint tender by a group / consortium / joint venture, a constitution deed is required as well as a relevant statement of responsibility from which the leader of the union of companies / consortium,. Ερωτάται : υπάρχει µήπως αντίφαση αφού στην αρχή τής διακήρυξης δηλώνεται ότι ενώσεις επιχειρήσεων, στο στάδιο υποβολής τής προσφοράς, δεν είναι υποχρεωµένες να δηµιουργήσουν κοινοπραξία, ενώ πιο κάτω αναφέρεται ότι απαιτείται η υποβολή καταστατικού εγγράφου κοινοπραξίας (κοινοπρακτικού) µε την κατάθεση τής προσφοράς; (β) κάθε εργοληπτική επιχείρηση πού µετέχει σε κοινοπραξία πρέπει να αποδεικνύει ότι διαθέτει αυτοτελώς όλα τά επαγγελµατικά προσόντα πού απαιτεί η διακήρυξη ή µήπως αρκεί για το παραδεκτό τής συµµετοχής τής κοινοπραξίας η ζητούµενη εµπειρία να προκύπτει από το άθροισµα τής εµπειρίας των εργοληπτικών επιχειρήσεων πού µετέχουν στην κοινοπραξία; (γ) µπορούν οι εταιρίες πού συµµετέχουν στον διαγωνισµό να αναπληρώνουν τις ελλείψεις τους σε τεχνικές και οικονοµικές δυνατότητες, δανειζόµενες τεχνική εµπειρία και οικονοµική δυνατότητα από άλλα πρόσωπα, τά οποία τη διαθέτουν (π.χ. από µητρική ή θυγατρικές εταιρίες);, δηλαδή µπορεί η επίκληση τής εµπειρίας να γίνει στο πρόσωπο µιάς συγγενικής επιχείρησης ή επιχείρησης µε την οποία υπάρχει συµβατική έννοµη σχέση σύµβαση για την παραχώρηση µέσων και ικανοτήτων; (δ) πώς µετράται η εµπειρία νέων εργοληπτικών επιχειρήσεων; (ε) σε περίπτωση υποβολής κοινής προσφοράς από περισσότερες επιχειρήσεις, στο όνοµα τίνος εκδίδεται η εγγυητική επιστολή συµµετοχής; 5
REPLY to QUESTION No. 5 With regard to your protocol number I-38756/01.06.2006 e-mail request for G.G.O.G. Α 121), the Call and supplementary by 82 to 85 of Law 2362/1995 In relation to the above and with regard to your question (a), although Consultants do not have the obligation to form a consortium during the tendering procedure (page 4), a constitution deed is required only In the case of submission of a joint Tender by a group / consortium / joint-venture (Article 12.1.1, par. 10, page 21). Concerning your question (b), the Financial and Technical Declarations of the Consultant - Prior Experience (Article 12.1.2, page 23) should be provided by each and every Member of the group/consortium/joint venture. Nonetheless, the Prior Experience of the Members could refer to different aspects of the Project. Regarding your question (c) and according the Article 12.1.2 Financial and Technical Declarations of the Consultant - Prior Experience (page 23), it is the Tenderers themselves that have to prove their own expertise, available infrastructure, professional experience and know-how, financial credibility and solvency and technical competence, as well as their Past Relevant Experience. Relating to question (d) the Call does not provide any ground whatsoever to differentiate between old and new Tenderers. 6. QUESTION No. 6 Regarding the Guarantee for Participation (Section 12.1.1 (12)). In our original Tender submitted this past 16 February, 2006 we included a Letter of Credit (LoC) for the guarantee which had a validity period of 250-days. It is our intention to again submit a Tender to RAE's Call for Market Simulation on 04 July. Our question; May we extend the term on the original letter of credit as opposed to having the bank re-issue a new letter of credit? This means that we will submit to RAE the old original letter of credit accompanied with a new letter from the Bank 6
saying that the old LoC remains valid until the new date as stated within the reissued Call. The re-issuance would provide to RAE the value and security it is seeking while significantly reducing the cost of a newly issued letter of credit to ourselves. The extension of the LoC will be fully documented by the (name of Bank) and all associated paper work will be included in the Tender. REPLY to QUESTION No. 6 With regard to your protocol number I-38821/03.06.2006 e-mail request for In relation to the above, the Guarantee for Participation (Article 12.1.1 par. 12, page 22) should clearly refer to 10.05.2006 Call for Tenders. An extension to a Letter of Credit which is not directly related to this Call, could not be accepted. 7. QUESTION No. 7 Regarding the Constitution Deed (Section 12.1.1 (10)). The Call states; In the case of submission of a joint Tender by a group / consortium / joint venture, a constitution deed is required In the United States we have not used a Constitution Deed in previous partnering agreements. The document of preference in the US is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which contains language that delineates the duties and responsibilities of each party in-terms of the proposed project. The MoU is signed by both parties and is legally binding. Our question is: Will RAE accept an Memorandum of Understanding between two parties participating as a joint partnership for purposes of presenting a Tender in response to the CfT on Simulation of Short Term Electricity and Natural Gas Operation and Markets? If not, can RAE please explain what a Constitution Deed is and what we need to do to get one to comply? 7
REPLY to QUESTION No. 7 With regard to your protocol number I-38819/03.06.2006 e-mail request for Concerning your I-38819/03.06.2006 question, a Memorandum of Understanding is acceptable, as long as it is equally legally binding for the relevant parties, as a Constitution Deed, according to the provisions of Article 12.1.1 par. 10 (page 21). 8