The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will release a tender to establish a panel for construction and project management services in late November. The panel will service the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, other areas of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as other Commonwealth agencies. There will be two elements to the tender. Tenders can bid for one, or both. The first element is a project management service, including services such as surveys and studies, design, construction delivery and maintenance. The second element is a head contractor for construction, including services required for the physical delivery of capital infrastructure (assumes the pre-project and design already undertaken).
Tenders will need to demonstrate capability in at least one of the following sectors: water, energy, telecommunications and transport.
What do you need to know about our tender processes?
The selection criteria for the Panel will reflect DFAT’s commitment to quality infrastructure, including maximising and upskill local private sector and local labour participation, being responsive to the needs of partner governments, climate and disaster resilience, promoting gender equality and social inclusion, and applying appropriate safeguards.
Selection criteria emphasises our infrastructure values – quality, gender equality and social inclusion, use and upskilling of local labour and private sector and climate and disaster resilience.
Our procurement is bound by the Commonwealth Procurement Rules which informs the way we manage procurement processes.
We are committed to maintaining transparent, fair and competitive processes and achieving a value for money outcome.
When considering participation in our tender processes, some important policies you should be familiar with include:
- Fraud control
- Child protection
- Disability inclusive development
- Gender equality and women’s empowerment
- Indigenous strategy
- Environmental and social safeguards
- Climate change
- Disaster resilience
- Prevention of sexual exploitation and harassment
How will the tender be structured?
There is likely to be two elements to the tender. Tenders can bid for one, or both. The first element is a project management service, including services such as surveys and studies, design, construction delivery and maintenance. The second element is a head contractor, including services required for the physical delivery of capital infrastructure (assumes the pre-project and design already undertaken).
Are there opportunities for SMEs or organisations specialising in one part of these two elements to bid for the work?
The tender will likely seek organisations that can deliver across all of the services. For organisations who specialise in one or a few of these services, your opportunity will likely be at the sub- contracting level. Data collected by DFAT in the past 12 months shows that just over 50% of aid program contracts are further sub-contracted. All aid program sub-contracting opportunities are advertised at www.ausconnect.dfat.gov.au . We encourage you to build relationships with organisations tendering for the panel.
Does the tender allow for consortiums / joint ventures?
DFAT will only contract to one legal entity for each panel contract. However, we do allow consortia and joint ventures to tender and contract.
Will the panel be made available to sovereign financing recipients?
The organisations on the panel will be offered to sovereign financing recipients from AIFFP. It is optional for sovereign financing recipients to use the panel.
What happens once the panel is established?
Once the panel is established and projects are ready, DFAT will approach the panel with details of individual projects, seek proposals and select a supplier from the panel. The panel can also be used by other areas of DFAT and other Commonwealth agencies.
Is this process open only to Australian firms?
DFAT’s procurement is not tied to Australian firms – tenders are open to all international companies.
When will the tender documents be released, and where will they be published?
Tender documents are being finalised and expected to be released in late November, 2019. The panel tender will be published on AusTender. You can register your interest on www.austender.gov.au
DFAT’s Business Opportunities page publishes designs, concepts, updates and expressions of interest. www.dfat.gov.au
AusConnect advertises subcontracting opportunities within the Australian aid program. www.ausconnect.dfat.gov.au
You can also join the DFAT Supplier Network on LinkedIn.
Any more questions?
Feel free to contact us at aiffp@dfat.gov.au
Thank you for your interest in working with DFAT.