Request for Proposal (RFP) - Consultancy Services for Integrating Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) into the Grid for Energy Transition (Indonesia)

New amendment added #3: This third amendment initiated to extend the proposal submission deadline by 01 week up to 30 Sep 2024.

New clarification added: Questions: 1. Please inform us which UNOPS placing the order, UNOPS in Jakarta or overseas? . As transacation will be in Indonesia, we would like to have confirmation whether UNOPS will absorp taxation charge or not.2. Under RFP section I Instruction to Offerors point 18 about Duties & Taxes mentioned UNOPS has an exemption for taxation, but we would like to get confirmation whether as the international organization already received tax exemption certificate from Indonesia taxation authority? We need this once order/contract come from UNOPS in Jakarta.3. Can we have a Financial Statement of UNOPS as part of customer due diligence in our internal control system?4. May we be shared the ETP RBMF (Result Based Monitoring Framework) document ?5. Kindly inform whether the bidder shall consider the cost of staying at hotel for all participants during all  workshop and training activities? 6. Kindly inform, whether the bidder shall consider the cost of the transportation and other expenses (allowances,etc) of the workshop participants from their original locations to workshop venue ?7. Kindly inform who will provide the list of the workshop participants and training participants ?8. Kindly inform are the workshop participants and training participants from outside Jabodetabek city and/or outside Indonesia ?9. If the workshop participants and training participants are from outside Jabodetabek city and/or outside Indonesia, kindly inform if bidder shall consider their transportation to reach workshop and training venues ? If yes, kindly inform the number of participants and their original cities/countries ?10. Kindly inform the location of the ETP secretariat for the 1 in person workshop purpose (page 17 of 28 document RFP_Section_II_Schedule of Requirement-TOR of BESS INO-RFP_2024_53298).11. We understood that in this bid, the bidder is not required to provide proposal security, kindly confirm ?12. We understood that the bidder may submit offer in IDR currency (as the activities and deliverables are in Indonesia), kindly confirm ?Answers:1. The contracting party will be UNOPS EAPMCO Asia Pacific Region based in Thailand Bangkok. Referer to our financial proposal template, in case of local tax applicable, please kindly fill in the information in the seperate rows between net costs and tax amounts.2. Normally UNOPS is one of UN organ and exclusive previlige for tax exemption, however, for some specific country such as Indonesia, in the absense of Host Country Agreement with the Government, we will applicable taxes to the selected supplier.3. UNOPS operates globally and is one of the United Nations agencies managing the procurement transaction for more than 1 Billion per year, please find more about us at www.unops.org. We normally do not provide our Financial Statement to the bidders as this requirement is part of our evaluation criteria selecting the bidder only. Due diligence check for us should not required from the supplier end as all the contract issue by UNOPS is very transparancy in accordance with the international laws and abitration.4. We are not able to share the RBMF at this stage. This document will be shared at the project kick off stage, with the winning bidder. The RBMF related to this project can be found on pages 18-19 of the TOR.5. Bidder doesn't need to consider hotel accommodation for all invited participants, however, please provide a budget for the bidder's team if travelling from different city/country. UNOPS will pay per diem (DSA) to the winning bidder, costs for hotel accommodation for bidder's team will be taken from the per diem allowance. The event should cover accommodation only during the training, as outlined in paragraph 20, page 12 of the TOR: "Accommodation should be arranged for 20 government and State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) official participants."6. No, the bidder is not required to cover transportation costs or other expenses (such as allowances) for the workshop participants.7. The list of participants must be decided in consultation with the ETP team and the government beneficiary.8. The participants can be from Jabodetabek or other regions within Indonesia. If there are any potential participants from outside Indonesia, can be facilitated to join online.9. No need to cover transportation costs for workshop participants.10. We cannot provide this detail at this stage, as indicated in the TOR, the cost for this will be covered outside the financial scope of the bidder's proposal, hence, no need to factor this cost in.11. Yes, we would like to confirm that Bid Security is not required.12. Refer to our Particular Section, the proposal currency should be USD (United State Dollars). 

New clarification added: Questions1. Could we please ask for extention of submission at 30 Sept 2024 ? 2. Do we need to include the purchasing price of the IEC standards into our (non-personal) budget overview, or will these standards be provided free of cost to the (relevant) consortium members?Answers:1. Due to multiple requests from bidders for an extension, the submission deadline has been further extended from 23 to 30 September 2024, at 5:00 PM BKK/JKT (GMT+7).2. You may include the cost under your non-personnel costs. However, please be aware that doing so may impact your competitiveness in the bidding process, particularly regarding the financial aspect.

New clarification added: Questions: 1. For the analysis of BESS value streams and use cases (such as energy arbitrage, ramping support, ancillary services, and loss reduction), could you clarify the level of detail required? Are you expecting high-level strategic insights or more detailed quantitative modeling and simulations to support these use cases? Do we need to use real PLN data that requires us to have NDA with PLN? 2. If specialized software is required for modeling, analysis, or system integration, will the cost of purchasing or licensing this software be considered a reimbursable expense? Should these costs be included in the project budget, or will they be covered separately?3. Regarding the assessment of renewable energy’s potential to meet emission reduction targets, should this analysis be based on forecasting future renewable energy contributions by the consultant, or should we rely on existing regulatory targets and projections? Answer:1. We are expecting more detailed quantitative modeling and simulations to support the analysis of BESS value streams and use cases. To ensure the accuracy and relevance of the analysis, it will be necessary to use real data from PLN. Consequently, a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with PLN will be required for accessing this data.2. You may include the cost of specialized software under your non-personnel costs; however, please be aware that this could impact your competitiveness in the bidding process, particularly on the financial aspect. We expect bidders to have the necessary expertise in this area, which means they should already have access to and be proficient with the required software.3. We are expecting the analysis to cover several scenarios. While existing regulatory targets and projections should be included, we also require the consultant to develop additional scenarios that explore more aggressive utilization of BESS in the grid. These alternative scenarios will help assess the potential for renewable energy to exceed current targets and contribute more significantly to emission reduction efforts.

New clarification added: Question:Referring to UNOPS GCC and the previous response that “there is no limitation (unlimited liability and insurance) to the time and amount as per clause no.5 and 6 of the GCC”. Please confirm that additional clause in the contract cannot be added to limit the liability to a specific sum.Responses: All the bidders are required to adhere with UNOPS's General Term and Conditions of the Contract (GCC) and the additional clause imposed by the bidder is not allowed as we required all the bidders to accept GCC as it is.

New clarification added: Question 1. Is it possible to have more than one expert for each Key Expert positions described in the TOR? Response: The bidder should propose qualified staff as required by each position and the bidder could propose additional staff depending on the approaches and methodology proposed by the bidders. However, kindly note that proposing too many additional staff could impact the competitiveness of the bidder's financial scores which will be used to determine the final cummulatives scores for the technically compliant bidder.

New clarification added: QUESTIONDear UNOPS Procurement Team,We have great pleasure and interest in preparing our bid for participation in tender notice 53298 for Integrating a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) into the Grid for Energy Transition in Indonesia.We would like to address the following list of clarification questions based on the information provided in the TOR document. Your feedback will help us facilitate the proposal's preparation and fulfill the TOR's requirements.1. Gender Equality (Points 8 and 36, bullet 7):Point 8: We understand the importance of gender equality in project implementation. We propose to follow best practices by setting specific targets for female participation in training programs, ensuring gender-sensitive content in our deliverables, and promoting equal representation in stakeholder consultations. However, we would like to clarify if UNOPS has specific requirements or KPIs for gender-sensitive methodologies beyond maintaining a balanced representation within our project staff.Point 36, bullet 7: It appears that consultants are required to explicitly include the gender they identify with in their documentation. We would appreciate confirmation if this is indeed the case. 2.      Assessment and Model-based Analysis (Point 15):We anticipate that the necessary datasets and information will be provided by designated contact persons. Could you confirm the availability of data and the readiness of these contact persons to support our work throughout the project? Additionally, while the scenario development and analysis are core to the project, we would appreciate particularly concerning the number of scenarios and the balance between qualitative and quantitative analysis. 3.      Workshops (Points 15.f, 16.f, and 17.f):The TOR does not specify whether the two half-day workshops need to be spaced out or if they can be conducted consecutively. We would appreciate it if you could confirm if there are preferences regarding the timing and format of these workshops. 4.      Academic Manuscript (Point 26, Deliverable 7, Footnote 10):We understand that the academic manuscript is expected to be more comprehensive than a typical policy paper, involving the development of a new regulation that meets journal standards. Could you please clarify if this document is intended to serve as a wrap-up of the policy framework and roadmap, or if there are additional specific requirements you expect to be addressed?  5.      Local Presence (Point 36, last bullet & Point 40):The TOR indicates the need for close coordination with stakeholders in Indonesia, suggesting a requirement for local presence. Could you clarify whether this requirement would be satisfied by having a resource person with in-country experience or if a formal domicile in Indonesia is necessary? We seek to understand if any form of local presence or experience would suffice, or if there are more stringent requirements regarding the consultant's or consortium’s physical presence in Indonesia.Your clarifications will be much appreciated.ANSWER1. We expect the consultant to propose appropriate gender-sensitive methodologies that fit the local and project context/deliverables, where applicable. We encourage bidders to propose a gender-balance project team and have a target for gender-disaggregated data for events/workshops participants, minimum 35% of women participants.2. Many datasets are required for this project. ETP and MEMR will facilitate access to PLN-related data, while other publicly available datasets should be proposed in your bidding documents. The final number of scenarios and the balance between qualitative and quantitative analysis will be determined in consultation with relevant stakeholders during project implementation. We invite you to propose scenarios in your bid, which will be considered and discussed later during implementation.3. Our initial idea is that the workshops should be spaced out and focus on different topics. However, the exact timing and format of the workshops may be adjusted during the project’s implementation phase based on the evolving needs and dynamic factors.4. The specific regulations and focus of the academic manuscript have not yet been determined. Our goal is to identify regulations that will most effectively support the development of BESS in Indonesia. The manuscript’s focus will be guided by the findings of the study, and further details will be provided once the project's outcomes are clear.5. Local Presence (Point 36, last bullet & Point 40): ToR required firm and staff with experience and understanding of local contact, this would be satisfied by the bidder illustrated their past experience of the firm as well as proposed staffing for such requirement. In this regards, for the efficiency of the implementation, UNOPS suggested the bidder for local partnering with Indonesian entity, thought it is not strictly as a "Must" for partnering with local though it is more on the propose method and approach from the bidder on how it works best for the ToRs. 

New clarification added: QUESTIONQuestion 1: In accordance with RFP Section II, Qualification Criteria, numeral 46, Criteria 2, The offeror is required to provide a minimum of two customer references from clients with whom similar services have been successfully provided within the past five years.In the event that the offeror is a joint venture, at least one reference from the joint venture should be provided. In the event that the offeror is an association or consortium (not a joint venture), is it necessary to submit at least one reference from the association or consortium? Please confirm whether this requirement is exclusively for legally established JVs. Question 2:In accordance with RFP Section II; Qualification Criteria, numeral 46, Criteria 3, Financial Capacity/Financial Stability: Bidders must demonstrate a minimum annual turnover of 250,000 USD over the past three years.In the case of a joint venture, the annual turnover is calculated based on the total annual turnover of the JV members. Is it required that each partner of the association or consortium submit audited financial statements or similar documentation? Or, as mentioned above, is this requirement exclusively for legally established JVs? Question 3: In the event that a bidder is partnering with a local entity as a sub-consultant, the expertise of the sub-consultant entity will be considered in assessing the qualifications, capacity, and expertise of the Offeror, as outlined in item 1.1.ANSWER1) In case of association or consortium, the requirement applied is the same as the JV and therefore, it is required to submit once reference from each consortium member2) Similarly to the above response, the requirement for association or consortium is the same as the requirement for JV and therefore each consortium member is required to submit the financial statement3) In case of engagement with a sub-consultant, only the company experience of the main consultant will be considered. However, if the bidder propose a personnel from the sub-consultant as one of the key personnel, for the assessment criteria of said key personnel UNOPS will consider the individual experience of the relevant personnel. 

New clarification added: QuestionDear Sir / Madam,We still have the following questions related to Deliverable 6. How many nights of accommodation for the 20 GOI and SOE official participants should we arrange and book? Does it include dinner?Location : In WP6 deliverables (page 12) it is stated in Bandung, but in table 3. Summary of Meetings (page 15) it is stated Jabodetabek area for this Training Program/workshop, which one is correct?In point 19 a reference is made to 'para 18.C'. This paragraph does not seem to exists. What is this referring to?For this Deliverable 6, do we need to invite journalist(s) for the Consultation Workshop itself? (in reference to point 29).Many thanks in advance for your response.AnswerThank you for your questions regarding Deliverable 6. Please find the responses below:- Accommodation for the 20 GOI and SOE official participants should be arranged for a minimum of 3 nights, and it should include dinner.- The correct location for the training is Bandung, as stated on page 12.- Reference to 'Para 18.C': The reference to paragraph 18.C should actually refer to paragraph 19C.- For Deliverable 6, journalists will not be required to attend the workshop itself but will be involved in summarizing the event (for straight news coverage). Alternatively, we can prepare a press release to be disseminated to relevant media outlets. Further communication on these details will be discussed during the project implementation phase and in coordination with the beneficiary. 

New clarification added: QuestionDear UNOPS, In the financial form, there is a requirement for hotel accomodation for officials participating in the training programme. Does the unit daily rate for this line item also follow the UN ICSC Daily Subsistence Allowance's rate for Denpasar and Bandung? Thank you.Regards,Answer On the hotel accommodation for offcials participating the trainning program, the bidder can propose based on the current market rate in those area, however, considering that UN ICSC DSA is the maximum ceiling. For the purpose of competitive proprosals, the bidder may propose lower.

New clarification added: QUESTIONDear Sir / Madam,We have two questions. - In relation to Deliverable 2: Under point 14b, it states that the consultant should "Propose a set of national standards". In the title it mentiones: 'according to the list agreed by MEMR', and in 14c and 14d two specific IEC standards are mentioned. Can we assume that Deliverable 2 implies the translation and adaptation of the two standards mentioned in 14c and 14d (and that those are the ones agreed upon by MEMR already), or is the consultant expected to identify other standards, and translate / adapt those as well?- In relation to Deliverable 6. Do the training materials need to be created in Bahasa, in English, or both? And should the language of the session be in Bahasa only, or also in English?Many thanks in advance for your response. ANSWER1.  The standards mentioned in points 14c and 14d have been identified by MEMR as standards that should be adopted and are already part of their agenda for 2024 and 2025. In terms of proposing a set of national standards, as you may be aware, there are numerous IEC standards related to ESS. We kindly request that you identify the parts that are most urgent and relevant, and propose these additional standards to MEMR for adoption, alongside those already mentioned in 14c and 14d. However, please note that the proposed set of national standards only requires translation; there is no need for adoption beyond the two already specified in the TOR.2.  The training materials should be provided in both English and Bahasa Indonesia. The session itself should also accommodate both languages  

New clarification added: QUESTIONHi teamI've been trying to clarify some of the general conditions of contract, with immediate reference to this procurement request, but also more broadly for other UN group procurement requests, given the general conditions apply across the board. I expect a brief discussion would be more efficient than likely several back-and-forth clarification requests, but as a starting point we have two key queries/concerns we'd like to discuss further around the terms:Firstly, the general conditions of contract appear to allow for unlimited liability in time, type and amount for the preferred consultant. As an extreme example, but one that nonetheless appears possible under the conditions, for this opportunity regarding battery policy in Indonesia, if the consultant provides advice and the Indonesian government and/or PLN heed that advice and directly invest, or support private sector investment in battery storage in Indonesia, but material changes in the market also occur (either external price drivers or internal decisions on market design etc), it implies the consultant would have unlimited liability for damages incurred. Then the discussion really becomes about debating whether or not there are damages. we would generally seek some reasonable limitation in liability, for example, three or four times the value of the engagement, and exclude liability for indirect damages.Secondly, the general conditions of contract provide the client with intellectual property rights for all products created, with no limitation in how they may be used. The conditions appear to provide exclusions for pre-existing intellectual property, such as our proprietary market modelling software, which is appropriate (if that's interpreted corrected). However, we would seek to limit the use of products delivered to be only for the purposes for which they are delivered or contracted.To discuss these in more detail, it would be appreciated if we could arrange a time for a brief call. As mentioned, this discusison and clarification would be relevant to this immediate opportunity, but also to future procurement opportunities for which we could seek to submit a proposal.ThanksANSWERPlease be informed that General Term and Conditions of the Contract is not negotiable. The standard GCC will remain constant for all UNOPS 's services agreement.1. Rerfeference to our GCC, there is no limitation (unlimited liability and insurance) to the time and amount as per clause no.5 and 6 of the GCC.2. Similar to responses no.1, interllectual property right for all products created under the contract with UNOPS will exclusively for UNOPS 's ownership only. On the exclusiion of the pre-existing interllectual property, the contractor should grant perpetrual license to use such proterty solely for the purpose of and in accordance with requirement of the agreement.On the request for seperate discussion meeting, kindly note that we have organized the pre-bid meeting to allow bidder to addressing the concern virtually, however, we have no plan to organize for another sessions seperately with any bidder individual as this will impact UNOPS intergrity and fairness with others bidder that should be access to equal opportunity and information. Thus, we remains available to clarify through our eSourcing portal until specific date specified under this tender.

New clarification added: Dear Bidders,Please be informed that the deadline for this tender has been extended for another 02 weeks as below: 1. Deadline for clarification extended from 02 to 16 Sep 2024 at 5:00 PM BKK/JKT GMT+72. Deadline for submission extended from 09 to 23 Sep 2024 at 5:00 PM BKK/JKT GMT+7With best regards,UNOPS Procurement Team 

New amendment added #2: This second amendment initiated to extend the proposal submission deadline by another 02 weeks

New amendment added #1: This amendment initiated to upload the minutes of pre-bid meeting held 23rd Aug 2024 and PPT slides amend as well as extending the bid submission deadline from 12:00 hours of 09 Sep 2024 to 17:00 hours of 09 Sep 2024.

New clarification added: Dear Bidder,Kindly find the below request for clarification questions and response from UNOPS as below:Questions from bidder: Dear Sir / Madam,Hereby we would like to confirm the participation of the Pondera Consult team in the Pre-Bid Meeting for RFP/2024/53298: Consultancy Services for Integrating Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) into the Grid for Energy Transition (Indonesia). We expect to participate with 1 or 2 people. Do you need to know the precise number of colleagues and their names before the meeting starts?UNOPS responses: Yes, please kindly provide the name of participants to us through email at chandanyu@unops.org. Once it is time for pre-bid meeting, please kindly attend through the provided link in the tender particular.With best regardsUNOPS Procurement Team