Geographically-limited open invitation to tender to companies registered in The Netherlands

Nr. 2009/4001/tgr

1. Awarding Authority:

The European Patent Organisation (EPO) through the European Patent Office: Headquarters, Erhardtstrasse 27, D-80331 Munich, Postal address: EPO, D-80298 Munich.

The European Patent Organisation (EPO) through the European Patent Office: Headquarters, Erhardtstrasse 27, D-80469 Munich, Postal address: EPO, D-80298 Munich.

The European Patent Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation set up pursuant to the European Patent Convention which entered into force in 1977. At present it has 34 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom). The executive body of the EPO is the European Patent Office which is charged with the searching and examination of European patent applications and the granting of European patents. It employs approximately 6700 staff at EPO headquarters in Munich, a branch at The Hague/Rijswijk (NL) and sub-offices in Berlin and Vienna (the number of Member States and staff members indicated may change).

2. Award procedure:

Geographically-limited to the Netherlands, open invitation to tender with discretionary award of contract.

3. Description of the contract:

• a Purpose of the contract:

  Renewal of sheet piling.

• b Division into lots:

  Not applicable.

• c Any deposits and guarantees required:

  Not applicable.

• d Main terms concerning payment:

  Payments will be made in instalments on the basis of work completed and accepted.

• e Qualifications required by law:

  The Contractor must be eligible for a permit to carry out the Works from the local authorities.

4. Place and period of performance:

• a Place at which the contract is to be performed:

  European Patent Office

  Branch office in The Hague (NUTS-code NL332)

  Patentlaan 2

  NL-2288 EE Rijswijk (ZH).

• b Duration of contract or time limit for delivery or completion of services/work:

  The Works shall commence immediately following signature of the Agreement by both parties. Execution of the Works shall take place in 2009 and shall be completed and accepted by 15 September 2009.

5. Variants:

Proposals for variants, the effect of which would be to reduce significantly the rights and safeguards of the EPO are not allowed.

6. Requests for the Procurement Documents and receipt of bids:

• a Name and address of department from which the Procurement Documents and clarification of the Procurement Documents may be requested:

  European Patent Office

  Central Procurement The Hague (Log No. 2009/4001/Tgr)

  Patentlaan 2,

  NL- 2288 EE Rijswijk, the Netherlands

  Postal address: P.O. Box 5818, NL-2280 HV Rijswijk, the Netherlands,

  Fax No. (+31) 70 340 3977

  e-mail dhtenderclarifications@epo.org

  Procurement Documents will be forwarded upon written or faxed request.

• b Final date for receipt by the EPO of requests for the Procurement Documents:

  18 March 2009, 12.00 hrs (CET).

• c Final date for receipt by the EPO of requests for clarification:

  01 April 2009, 17.00 hrs (CET).

  Questions must be submitted by letter or fax.

• d Final date for receipt of bids/number of copies to be sent:

  17 April 12.00 hrs (CET).

  Two copies, in addition to the original bid to be marked as such.

• e Address to which the requests for clarification and bids must be sent:

  See point 6(a).

• f Language or languages in which requests for clarification and bids must be drawn up:

  English, French or German.

  The Procurement Documents will only be available in English, this being the EPO’s most commonly used official language in the Netherlands, where the works are to be carried out.

7. Legal form of the grouping in the event of a joint bid:

If several bidders submit a joint bid, one must be designated as prime contractor responsible for performance of all the obligations under the contract.

8. Information and evidence concerning the bidder’s financial and economic standing and technical and professional competence:

See Procurement Documents.

9. Period during which the bidder is bound by his bid:

Six months following the final date for receipt of bids indicated in point 6(d).

10. Criteria for the award of contract:

The contract shall be awarded to the bidder whose bid is to be preferred having regard to the bidder’s:

• compliance with the provisions of the Procurement Documents;

• experience with similar projects;

• ability to make alternative proposals;

• proposed building team, e.g. the deployment of subcontractors;

• price, including unit prices etc., in relation to the offered Works;

• organisational ability;

• presentation of the bid.

11. Other information:

The EPO reserves the right to visit the bidder’s premises during the evaluation of the bids.

12. Miscellaneous:

Contract award is expected to take place in May 2009.

A bidders’ information meeting will be held in the European Patent Office in Rijswijk. Date and time will be announced in the letter of invitation to tender.