Sr.No

Page Ref.

Clause / Annex Reference

Exact Text from RFP

Question for Clarification

Response

3

Chapter I, Clause 3

"The proposal may form part of the final contractual documentation if the bidding company is invited by the Mission to enter into an Agreement."

Will the Mission strictly follow the technical solutions proposed in the L1 bidder's submission, or can mutually agree changes be made after the contract is awarded?

No changes will be acceptable once the contract is awarded.

3

Chapter I, Clause 2

"The selected company should sign the Contract... within 30 (Thirty) working days of the issue of Letter of Intent..."

Are the "30 working days" for signing the Agreement calculated excluding Australian and Indian public holidays?

The selected company should sign the Contract in the form of an Agreement, as per the Annexure-L, within 30 (Thirty) working days (excluding Australian & Indian public holidays) of the issue of Letter of Intent or within such time limit as may be specified by the Mission.

4

Chapter – I
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Point 6,

If the tender results in attracting only one effective offer, it shall be treated as a single tender enquiry situation and Mission will follow evaluation as
per guidelines of General Financial Rules of Govt. of India, Central Vigilance Commission, New Delhi, and the Ministry.

We seek clarification on said specific guidelines?

RFP provision is self-explanatory. In case only one effective offer is received, the tender will be treated as a Single Tender Enquiry and will follow evaluation as per the guidelines of GFR 2017, CVC and the Ministry.

5

Chapter I, Clause 4

"In the event of implementation of a 'Visa-Free' regime... the Mission & Posts will not have any liability to compensate the SP."

Is there a specific volume threshold (e.g., 25% reduction) that will trigger a contract review if applications fall significantly due to a 'Visa-Free' regime?

No. In the event of implementation of Visa-free regime, the Government of India/Mission/Posts will not, in any way be responsible and shall not have liability to compensate the SP.

6

Chapter 1: Request for Proposal (RFP)

8. The Mission/Posts handled approximately 6,55,636 number of services/ transactions during the three years from Jan-2022 to Dec-2024 (equivalent to 874
transactions/services per working day, assuming
250 working days in a year.

Please provide the centre-wise transaction details for the period from January 2022 to December 2024.

Indicative year-wise and jurisdiction-wise
break up is as follows:
Center
Sydney & Adelaide
2022-93830
2023-82321
2024-78342
Canberra & Brisbane
2022-25369
2023-24374
2024-26135
Melbourne
2022-78762
2023-88180
202488991
Perth
2022-21674
2023-24584
2024-23074

6

General Query
Chapter I Point 8

General Query

To better estimate operational requirements and future scaling needs, may the Mission kindly provide the monthly CPV application volumes from Jan 2025 to Oct 2025?

Para 8 of Chapter-I of the RFP may be referred to.

8

Chapter- II: Bidding Schedule and Process

Last Date for Submission of Bids: 15.12.2025 (1500 LT)

Considering the extensive documentation and multiple concurrent MEA tenders released in the same week, may the Mission consider granting a 2–3 week extension to ensure high-quality and compliant submissions from all bidders?

Last date for Submission of Bids is 22 December 2025 (1500 LT)

8

Chapter- II: Bidding Schedule and Process

Technical Bid Presentation by bidders: 22–23.12.2025

May the Mission kindly confirm whether the Technical Bid Presentation can be conducted virtually (via VC platform) instead of mandatory in-person format? Allowing virtual presentations will help ensure timely participation and smooth scheduling without compromising the evaluation process.

Hybrid mode

8

Chapter II : Bidding Schedule and Process

Pre- Bid Conference : 25.11.2025

It will be good if the Pre-bid conference is conducted in a hybrid mode. Please share the link for the meeting.

Pre-Bid conference was held in Hybrid mode

10

Chapter III (xix)

The signing of the Agreement between the Mission and SP - within thirty working days of the issue of the Letter of Intent

After accepting a Letter of Intent (LOI), what is the scope of negotiation before signing the final agreement, and does acceptance of an LOI foreclose all negotiation rights?

Draft agreement to be signed between the SP and the Mission is provided in Annexure-L of the RFP.  There is no scope for any negotiation as per the RFP

10

Chapter-VI  (Query raised during pre-bid conference)

JOINT VENTURE/CONSORTIUM.

Is the prospective bidder allowed to submit the bid documents with a Local Partner in Joint Venture, though at the time of submission of Organization Profile, this plan to enter into a joint venture with a local partner was not specified and Organization Profile of local Partner was not submitted?

As per clause v of Chapter-III of the RFP, in case the Bidding Company decides to bid with a local Partner, the Organization Profile of both partners should be submitted. The details of the partnership arrangement proposed should also be provided. The requirements of the local partner and Joint Venture (JV) are provided in Chapter VI: JOINT VENTURE/CONSORTIUM. Bidding companies that do not submit their Organisation Profile as also of the local partner in joint venure in the prescribed format within the timeline specified in Chapter II of this RFP will not be eligible to participate in the tender.

11

Chapter III: (xi)

The bidding company must deposit the Bid Security Deposit (EMD) and the requisite Bank Guarantees (BGs) mentioned in this RFP on its own without the involvement of any third party in any manner. The Bidding Company can also submit the Bid Security and Performance Security in the form of Insurance Surety Bonds (ISBs).

Kindly elaborate the term Performance Security; whether 'Performance Security' refers to the same requirement as the Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) under Chapter X, and whether ISBs may be submitted in lieu of PBG.

The following four Bank Guarantees are required under the RFP:

(1) Earnest Money Deposit (EMD)/ Bid Security (to be provided by all bidding companies)
(2) Bank Guarantee for the Government funds held (to be provided by the SP)
(3) Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG)/ Performance Security (to be provided by the SP)
(4) Bank Guarantee for the Premature Termination of the Contract (to be provided by the SP)

The Bidder/Service Provider shall have the option to submit the aforesaid four Bank Guarantees in the form of Insurance Surety Bonds (ISBs).

13

Chapter II, Clause (xiv)(k)

"Mission/Posts reserve the right to accept or reject any or all Proposal(s) and to annul the bidding process, at any time..."

Can the Mission annul the RFP before the 6-month bid validity period expires?

The Mission/Posts reserve the right to accept or reject any or all Proposal(s) and to annul the bidding process, at any time, thereby rejecting all proposals, prior to the award of the Contract/any Agreement being signed, without assigning any reasons

16

Chapters IV & V

"The Bidding Company must certify that the company and its subsidiaries are not involved in any unlawful or illegal activity..."

What are the security clearance criteria regarding ongoing criminal cases against top management/board members?

Criteria for security clearance shall be as decided by the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.

Financial bids shall be opened only after completion of security verification by the Ministry in respect of all bidders who have been declared technically qualified.

17

Chapter V:
Mandatory
Eligibility Criteria
(ii) & (iii)

(ii) The Bidding Company must have a minimum net worth equivalent to US$5 million. The Bidding Company must submit audited balance sheets and income statements for the last three years…
(ii) ….The average annual turnover of the Bidding Company during the three- year period (Jan 2021-Dec 2024) must be at least US$ 5,00,000, excluding any subsidy or financial help …

We kindly request you to confirm the applicable years for the conversion rate of US$ to INR for calculating the equivalent value of Turnover and Net Worth.

Bidders may submit information based on US$/INR conversion rate as per RBI/Central Bank of the country in respective years.

18

Chapter-V (Query raised during pre-bid conference)

The details of the proposed key personnel and their experience record must be provided.

Whether details/experience record is to be submitted in respect of all the staff proposed or in respect of key personnel only?

As per para 1 (viii) of Chapter-V of the RFP, the details of the proposed key personnel and their experience record must be provided.

19

Chapter V
Point No 1(x)

The Bidding Company must provide certificate that its operations are compliant with local laws and relevant tax regime.

Kindly clarify from whom the said certificate is to be provided?

The Service Provider will have to submit self certification in this regard.

25

Chapter VII
Point 1 A (xi) (a)

Perth Staff Strength
13 Nos.
08- Back-office Staff to
scrutinize and process
postal applications
-do-
01- Receptionist
01- Manager
02- Security
01- Staff for
Application Facilitating
Services

While Perth has proposed 08 back-office staff for scrutiny and processing of postal applications, the provision or mention of a submission counter for the collection of regular applications is not indicated. Please clarify this aspect.

Corrigendum being issued

26

Chapter VII
point No xi in Note under point C

SP shall also operate on a regular basis, an exclusive submission counter each at the Mission in Canberra and Post in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney with adequate number of staff for processing of applications.

Please share an estimate or indication as to how many counters and staff will be required.

Bidders are to make assessments in consultation with the Mission/Posts based on the number of applications

26

Chapter VII: Scope of Work and Deliverables Required
 
xi) Indian Consular Application Center (ICAC):
 
Para No. b)

Apart from the minimum staff strength mentioned in the above table, the SP shall also provide a minimum of four (04) dedicated Back-office Staff (including one IT expert) at each ICAC, to support the operations of ICACs and also to coordinate with the Mission for the smooth functioning of ICACs.

We would like to submit that deploying four dedicated back-office personnel (including an IT resource) at each ICAC may not be operationally justified. Since the majority of activities at the ICACs are handled at the counters themselves, the volume of back-office work at each location is expected to be minimal. Allocating additional four back-office resources per centre may therefore lead to under-utilization and also result in significant cost implications.
 
Kindly reconsider limiting this requirement to 1 Back-office staff at each ICAC.

Corrigendum being issued

29

Chapter VII: Scope of Work & Deliverables Required
Clause 1(B)(vii)

Postal Application

Kindly share details of applications received in person and received by post / courier at each ICAC.

Kindly refer to the para B (vii) of Chapter VII in this regard. There is no prescribed split of postal and regular applications

30

Chapter VII: Scope of Work and Deliverables Required Clause (x) Appointment
System (b)

The SP shall also maintain the turnaround time of 30 minutes for any applicant from token generation to acceptance of application and payment at the counter of ICAC.

The Tender specifies the turnaround time for 30 minutes and as per our understanding, the turnaround time will be only for submitting the application and a separate time would be allotted for form filing, photocopy, photograph services.

30-minute turnaround time is the standard requirement for the processing of applications, which includes capturing photographs and form filing, photocopy, photograph services providing photocopies as well. Separate time could be considered for Form filling if required.

31

Chapter VII
Point No. xii (a)

The SP shall provide an efficient and courteous telephonic enquiry system through Toll-free numbers / Voice Over Internet Protocol

Please provide number of calls / emails received for planning of call center.

Call received during July – Dec 2024 by the
current OSP
July - 15,740
Aug - 16,447
Sep - 18,616
Oct - 19,884
Nov - 17,810
Dec – 13,943
Email received during July – Dec 2024 by the
current OSP
July - 4,264
Aug - 4,561
Sep - 5,585
Oct - 4,738
Nov - 4,573
Dec - 3,189

39

Chapter VII: Scope of Work and Deliverables Required Clause G
Return of documents to the applicants
(c)

Despatch the document(s)/passport/ PCC to applicants via courier in a secured manner on the same day (or the next working day in case of delayed receipt).

Please be kind to clarify if the courier service is mandatory or optional?

Courier service is a mandatory deliverable to be provided by the SP, with the option for applicant to collect passport/document from ICACs.

46

Chapter VII
Reference Clause P (vii)

Submission hours: ICAC should remain open for five days a week from Monday to Saturday. Acceptance of application at the counters of ICAC should be at least 37.5/42.5 hours per week and Back Office
working time should be at least 48 hours per week. (Working hours/submission hours can be modified by Mission).
Working days per week : 5 days (Monday to
Friday)
Minimum submission hours per day* : 7½ Hours
Minimum working hours per day : 8½ Hours
*Exact timings will be decided by Mission/Post(s).

The back-office working hours are mentioned as 48 hours per week. However, it also states that the minimum working hours are 8.5 hours per day for 5 days, which comes to 42.5 hours per week. Please clarify this difference.

Submission hours: ICAC should remain open for five days a week from Monday to Friday for the public and one additional day for clearing the backlog, if any. Acceptance of application at the counters of ICAC should be at least 37.5 hours per week and Back Office working time should be at least 48 hours per week. (Working hours/submission hours can be modified by Mission). Working days per week : 5 days (Monday to Friday) Minimum submission hours per day* : 7½ Hours Minimum working hours per day : 8½ Hours *Exact timings will be decided by Mission/Post(s).

48

Chapter VII: Scope of Work and Deliverables Required

Consular Camps: The SP may be required by the Mission/Posts to organize Consular Camps at any location within the consular jurisdiction of the Mission/Post(s) at no additional cost to the Government of India/Mission or applicants. SP will be required to provide services, including scrutiny of applications for consular/ Passport/ Visa/ OCI/ PCC/ Surrender Certificate / GEP Verification/Miscellaneous Attestation etc., and acceptance of fees. The same Service Fee should be levied on applicants. No additional service charge will be paid to the SP. These camps are to be organized in cities other than the location of the Centres.
The SP should quote financial bid keeping in mind this aspect and SP will not be allowed to charge any additional cost from anyone [either from the applicant or Mission/Posts/Ministry].

We request to kindly provide us how many consular camps will be conducted during a calendar year.

Since the organization of consular camps is a requirement in addition to regular ICAC centers, the following information is kindly requested:

Manpower & Resource Requirements:
Number of personnel required for consular camp operations.
Number of applications anticipated to be processed at each camp.
Number of camps to be conducted per year.

Camp Organization & Logistics:
Kindly provide logistics for proposed organization and conducting of consular camps.
Kindly specify the typical duration of each consular camp.

3. Infrastructure & Space Requirements: Please indicate the modalities for space requirements or infrastructure that is needed for the successful operation of a consular camp.

The organisation of consular camps will be done in close coordination with the Indian community organisations and other partners of the Mission/ Post. The SP is required to deploy manpower and equipment and also arrange for their transportation to the location of the consular camp. The basic infrastructure (space, power etc) will be coordinated by the Mission/ Post. The duration of the camps, logistics etc will vary from camp to camp.

49

Chapter VII, Section 3, Clause I

"SP shall provide, at no additional cost/charge, the following four Application Facilitating Services..."

Is an applicant required to pay the full bundled fee if they don't use any AFS? What is the refund mechanism?

AFS are not charged separately. The Service Fee charged by the Service Provider is inclusive of the charges for Application Facilitating Services, irrespective of whether the applicant avails any or all of these services

49

Chapter VII, Section 3, Clause IV

"SP shall not indulge in the sale or promotion of any value-added services, including premium lounge Services..."

Is the SP permitted to propose additional Value-Added Services at a later stage?

No

51

Chapter VII: Scope of Work and Deliverables Required Point 3 (I)

Application Facilitating Services at ICACs.
SP shall provide, at no additional cost/charge, the following four Application Facilitating Services, to applicants submitting consular applications at ICACs. Photocopy
Photographs
Form Filing
Courier Service

Please clarify the total revenue generated from photocopy, photograph, form-filling, and courier services availed by applicants over the past three years, as this information is required for the preparation of the financial bid..

No such data is available with the High Commission

54

(Chapter X: Bank Guarantees)

Three BGs must be submitted:
(i) BG for Government funds held temporarily;
(ii) Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) fixed @ 5% of the contract value;
(iii) BG for Premature Termination of Contract.

May the Mission confirm whether Insurance Surety Bonds (ISBs) are also acceptable for the other two BGs (Government Funds BG and Premature Termination BG), or whether ISBs are allowed only for the EMD and the Performance Security (PBG)?

The Bidder/Service Provider shall have the option to submit the four Bank Guarantees prescribed in the RFP in the form of Insurance Surety Bonds (ISBs).

55

Chapter X, Clause 1(ii)

"Contract value is equal to the Total Service Fee quoted by L1 multiplied by the number of CPV applications processed by the Mission for the last three years."

Is the number of CPV applications for the PBG calculation the figure of 655,636 from Chapter I (8)?

Yes

55

Chapter X: Bank Guarantees (BGs)

This PBG shall be given in four pieces with 50%, 20%, 20%, and 10% of the total value.

If the PBG is provided using Insurance Surety Bonds (ISBs), must these also be issued in four separate instruments as prescribed?

The Bidder/Service Provider shall have the option to submit the four Bank Guarantees prescribed in the RFP in the form of Insurance Surety Bonds (ISBs).

55

Chapter X: Bank Guarantees (BGs)

The SP shall provide a Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) in Australian dollar fixed@ 5 % of the contract value; Contract value is equal to the Total Service Fee quoted by L1 multiplied by the number of CPV applications processed by the Mission for the last three years. (To be calculated as per L1). The PBG should be valid for the entire period of the Agreement plus six months beyond the expiry of the Agreement period, for settlement of penalties due as explained under the section on 'Penalties' in
the RFP and in accordance with the Agreement. This PBG shall be given in four pieces with 50%, 20%, 20% and 10% of the total value.

Since Indian insurers are statutorily restricted from issuing Surety Bonds in foreign currency (AUD) or for commitments purely domiciled outside the jurisdiction of Indian currency regulations, we request to:

(i) to accept Insurance Surety Bonds in Indian Rupees (INR) equivalent to the required AUD value (calculated at the prevailing exchange rate), and

(ii) allow the submission of INR-denominated Surety Bonds in MEA, New Delhi if acceptance in HCI, Canberra might be procedurally difficult.

All Bank Guarantees shall be submitted in accordance with the requirements of the RFP.
The Bank Guarantee/ISB shall be furnished in AUD only.

55

CHAPTER X: BANK GUARANTEES (BGs)
 
Para 1 (i)

The SP shall provide a Bank Guarantee in Australian Dollar for the Government funds held by SP temporarily, after collection from applicants, and for the safety of documents, fixed at 5 days of daily Government revenue for the Mission/ Posts for providing CPV services, as applicable (based on the average of the past two years).

Kindly share the methodology used to arrive at the Government revenue figure calculated on a five-day basis. This would be  helpful in determining the required Bank Guarantee on this account.

Bank Guarantee shall be submitted in accordance with the requirements of the RFP. The actual amount will be intimated to the bidder to whom the contract is awarded.

58

Chapter XI, Clause (i)

"...if two warnings given to the SP remain unheeded..."

What is the formal warning process and what action is required for a warning to be "heeded"?

A warning will be in the form of a Show-cause notice issued by the Mission/Post. In case of no action by the SP or the explanation submitted by the SP is not satisfactory, then the penalty will be imposed and the same will be communicated to the SP.

77

Chapter XII, Clause 1(c)

"The Parties may submit the dispute to Arbitration under the Delhi International Arbitration Centre (DIAC)..."

Will the Mission agree to keep the arbitration process confidential and not disclose details under RTI?

Information admissible under RTI Act can be disclosed.

77

Chapter XII

"The decision of the Arbitration Tribunal shall be final and binding on the Parties."

Are RFP terms open to judicial interpretation on principles of equity and natural justice outside arbitration?

Bidders are required to provide an undertaking to comply fully and without any reservations with the scope of work and deliverables included in this RFP along with the provisions of Draft Contract Agreement as given under Annexure-L of the RFP, if the contract is awarded.

83

Chapter XIV point No 1(iv)

The proposal must contain the information required by the RFP, in original, signed.

Can the BID docs be signed by DSC or physical signatures are reqd.

Physical signatures are required

83

Chapter XIV, Point No. 1(a) (ii)

Envelop 2: A separate closed envelope containing the Technical Bid comprising of Bid Cover Letter and Declaration (Annex-F), Mandatory Eligibility Criteria (Annex-D), Technical Bid (Annex-J) and a Declaration by the Bidder (Annex-E). All these annexures should be duly filled in. Four Copies of technical bid along with soft copy (Microsoft Word format) in a CD, to be enclosed.

Kindly advise how many original and copies of technical bid are required.

One copy of the Technical Bid should be in original and three copies in duplicate.

85

Chapter XV, Clause B(II)(e)

"The Lowest Financial Bid (L1) will be determined based on the Service Fee quoted by the bidders..."

If L1 doesn't accept LOI, will L2 be offered the contract at L1's price or L2's price?

Such cases shall be dealt with in accordance with the procurement rules and guidelines of the Government of India.

85

Chapter XV, Clause B(II)(a)

"The Financial Bids (Annex K) of only those bidders who qualify in the technical evaluation... shall be opened..."

Is there a mechanism to verify the financial responsiveness of bids before opening, to prevent unrealistic pricing?

The RFP condition for selection of SP is minimum technical qualification as per provisions of RFP and L1 criteria.

85

Chapter XV

(Financial Bid Evaluation Process)

Is there any provision to declare a bid financially unresponsive for predatory pricing? Are there pricing guidelines?

The RFP condition for selection of SP is minimum technical qualification as per provisions of RFP and L1 criteria.. SP must comply with local labour laws and relevant tax regimes. Any violation in this regard will entail penalties as per the provisions of the RFP.

87

Chapter XV, Para B (Financial Bid Evaluation) (II)(c)

Before the opening of the Financial Bids, the marks obtained by the various bidders in the Technical Bid stage will be communicated by email.

For the sake of transparency, will the Mission also provide the scores provided to the bidder for each of the respective sections in the technical bid?

The total cumulative technical bid score of each bidder will be informed to that bidder only, by email. (As is stated in RFP)

89

Chapter XVI, Timeline

"Within 14 days of signing Agreement", "Within 21 days of signing Agreement", "Within one Month of signing Agreement"

For the post-agreement deadlines, does "days" and "month" refer to calendar days (including weekends/holidays) or working days?

Unless specifically mentioned, the number of days mentioned in RFP and the draft agreement refers to ‘calendar’ days and not ‘working’ days.

89

Chapter XVI, Timeline

"Full services at the Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) shall commence within one month of the signing of the Agreement..."

The RFP mandates a 1-month rollout, but a new bidder requires 30+ working days for leases, fit-outs, and IT setup. The incumbent, with existing, approved premises, has an insurmountable advantage. Will the Mission allow a new SP to use the incumbent's existing premises, or must new locations be secured? If new locations are not mandatory, how will the Mission ensure fair competition and achievable timeline for new bidders?

RFP provision stands as it is. As per Chapter XVI: Timelines after Award of Contract: the L1 bidder has to sign the Agreement within 30 working days of issue of Letter of Intent and Operations & Implementation within one month of signing of the Agreement.

89

Chapter XVI, Timeline

"Manpower training & handshake with the previous service provider."

Will the Mission facilitate a structured handover with the incumbent service provider?

The new SP will be responsible only for the applications handled from the date of commencement of its operations.

There would be no transfer of applications between the incumbent and the new SP. The incumbent SP will complete the services for all the applications received by it.

90

Chapter XVI: Timelines After Award of Contract

Full services at the Indian Consular Application Centre (ICAC) shall commence within one month of signing the Agreement or at the earliest
possible. Also, the submission counter at Mission/ Posts shall be made operational, as specified by the Mission/ Post.

We respectfully submit that establishing multiple world-class ICAC centres across several locations within one month may not be practically feasible. We request the Mission/Ministry to kindly reconsider the stipulated timeline, as a minimum of 60 days is typically required to ensure a smooth, compliant, and uninterrupted setup.

RFP provision stands as it is.    Full services at the Indian Consular Application Centre (ICAC) shall commence within one month of signing the Agreement or at the earliest
possible. Also, the submission counter at Mission/ Posts shall be made operational, as specified by the Mission/ Post.

118

Chapter XVIII Annexure H Note 1

Bidder should ensure that the seal and Code No of the signatory is put by the bankers before submission of BG.

Since the BG can be furnished through SWIFT (including e-Bank guarantee) hence affixing of bank seal is not possible. Pls clarify on the same.

e-BG and SWIFT transactions will be accepted as per banking norms.

129

Chapter XVIII Annexure J
Part III: Technical Bid Evaluation Proforma Point 1 (b)

Parking facilities with capacity and type of parking.

Please be kind to clarify, what is the minimum number of parking slots to be considered in comparison with the daily centre-wise application count as adequate slots in ICAC.

Exclusive parking means parking space exclusively reserved for applicants coming to centre for CPV services. Bidders are to arrive at the number of parking slots as per the number of applicants anticipated to visit ICAC and based on existing local norms. Marks under Technical bid evaluation will be awarded based on the information/presentation provided by the bidder.

129

Chapter XVIII Annexure J
Part III: Technical Bid Evaluation Proforma Point 1 (b)

Parking facilities with capacity and type of parking

i.5 Marks- Exclusive Parking with adequate slots in ICAC
ii.4-Marks- Adequate parking slots in or near ICAC
iii.Less than 4 Marks – for Inadequate slots/slots not closer to ICAC

Request clarification on the definition and scope of “Exclusive Parking” as mentioned in the RFP, including the minimum number of parking slots required to qualify under this category, so that bidders can accurately reflect this in their proposals.

Exclusive parking means parking space exclusively reserved for applicants visiting ICAC. Bidders are to arrive at the number of parking slots as per the number of applicants anticipated to visit ICAC and based on existing local norms. Marks under Technical Bid Evaluation will be awarded based on the information/presentation provided by the bidder

129

Chapter XVIII Annexure J
Part III: Technical Bid Evaluation Proforma
D) Scoring Criteria/Remarks
Sr. No. 1 (a)

Location of the ICAC: Marks will be given as per the Mission’s judgment on the basis of information provided by the bidding company. The offer that provides the best locations for ICACs in terms of easy and convenient access through public transport, prime location and proximity to the Mission etc. will be given the highest mark 08, and the others will be given a lower mark on a relative basis to the best offer.

We respectfully request clarification on the terms “Prime Location” and “Proximity” as used in the Technical Bid Evaluation Proforma. In particular, we seek guidance on what criteria define a Prime Location for this tender, and whether any minimum distance benchmarks (in kilometres) are prescribed for assessing High, Medium, or Low Proximity.

The RFP provision and the evaluation criteria on location of ICAC is selfexplanatory. Evaluation will be done based on relative quality of offers of various bidders.

131

Chapter XVIII Annexure J
Part III: Technical Bid Evaluation Proforma Point
4 (a)

Provision of Application Facilitating Services at ICACs
Photocopying PhotographForm Filling Courier Services
Refer to Chapter VII, para (3) of the RFP (7
marks)

Please clarify the expected explanation or solution regarding the provision of Application Facilitation Services. This will enable us to include the necessary details in our Technical Bid accordingly.

Necessary counter, hardware and manpower facilities have to be provisioned for Application Facilitating services such as Photograph, photocopy, form filling etc. Refer to Chapter VII, Para (3).  As regards Courier service, Bidder has to provide information regarding the courier despatch process, the courier company to be hired, etc., in its technical bid. Technical Bid evaluation marks will be awarded, based on the solution/explanation provided by the bidder, as per Annexure J (Part-III) of the RFP

135

Chapter XVIII Annexure J
Part III: Technical Bid Evaluation Proforma Point
9

Reputation of the bidding company in the market and quality of non-GOI client list and references
received from them.

Please be kind to clarify the Reference Letters provided to the bidding company by foreign client governments will be considered in assessing market reputation

Reputation will be assessed based on past association with corporate and non-GOI clients including foreign governments.

135

Chapter XVIII Annexure J
Part III: Technical Bid Evaluation Proforma Point
9

Reputation of the bidding company in the market and quality of non-GOI client

Please advise whether non-GOI clients have to be other foreign governments giving the service of visa outsourcing services or it can be any commercial companies in India like travel agents or logistic companies with whom we have dealings.

Reputation will be assessed based on past association with corporate and non-GOI clients including foreign governments.

136

Chapter XVIII
Annexure-K

Financial BidNote: 1 – Service Fee quoted above is the ‘ServiceFee per application’ payable to the Service Provider. Bidder shall quote the Service Fee as per deliverables of the RFP including digitization and indexation of documents, enrolment of fingerprint biometrics, facial Biometric capture, and provision of four Application Facilitating Servicesviz,photocopying, photographs,Form filling,andCourierServices.

Please clarify how the charges for courier services should be calculated, considering that the rates vary depending on distance and local conditions.
Please clarify whether an average courier rate should be applied, or if separate disclosures are required for the varying courier rates and the corresponding differences in service fees.

Bidders need to factor in courier charges, variability of distances amongst other factors to offer a singular all inclusive service fee.

136

Chapter XVIII
Annexure-K

Financial Bid
Note: 1 – Service Fee quoted above is the ‘Service Fee per application’ payable to the Service Provider. Bidder shall quote the Service Fee as per deliverables of the RFP including digitization and indexation of documents, enrolment of fingerprint biometrics, facial Biometric capture, and provision of four Application Facilitating Services viz,
photocopying, photographs,Form filling, and Courier
Services.

If the Service Fee comprises multiple components, including digitization and indexation of documents, enrolment of fingerprint biometrics, facial biometric capture, and the four Application Facilitation Services—photocopying, photography, form filling, and courier services—please clarify how the Service Fee should be quoted in situations where an applicant does not avail one or more of these Application Facilitation Services.

A singular all-inclusive Service Fee has to be quoted as per Annexure K of the RPF for delivering all services mentioned in the RFP, including digitization and indexation of documents, enrolment of fingerprint biometrics, facial biometric capture, and the Application Facilitation Services. SP shall charge the Service Fee to the applicant, regardless of applicant availing any or all of the services.

SP shall not charge any additional fee for the various services/ deliverables in the RFP, as Service fee is inclusive of all components.

136

Chapter XVIII
Annexure: K
Financial Bid
Preface/Introductory
Note in the
beginning

Note: Service Fee (in Australian Dollar) must be filled correctly both in figures and in words, without any discrepancy. Any vague details/no response may lead to rejection of the bid

Since Service fee quoted in the proforma will be same for all types of CPV services as per the deliverables in the RFP, please advise what specific details are considered vague here. And what are mandatorily required to be shared.

A singular all-inclusive Service Fee has to be quoted as per Annexure K of the RPF. Service Fee (in AUD) must be filled correctly both in figures and in words, without any discrepancy.

137

Chapter XVIII Annexure-L (Query raised during pre-bid conference)

Draft Contract Agreement

Whether Draft Contract Agreement at Annexure-L will form a part of the bid documents to be submitted by the bidders. Whether this document is also required to be signed and submitted with the bid documents.

Annexure-L is the draft of the contract Agreement to be signed with the SP to whom the contract is awarded.

137

Chapter XVIII Annexure L: Draft Contract Agreement

We noticed the words regarding submission of Insurance Surety Bonds are missing in the Draft Agreement (Annexure-L).

Could you please advise?

It is confirmed that Bidding Company can submit all four BGs in the form of Insurance Surety Bonds (ISBs) also.

137

Chapter XVIII Annexure L: Draft Contract Agreement

The RFP/Draft Agreement provides specific formats for BGs as per Annexure G of the RFP and Bid Security as per Annexure H of the RFP.

Since the legal verbiage of a Surety Bond differs slightly from a BG, it is requested to: share an approved format for the ISBs.

There is no specific format prescribed for submitting the Insurance Surety Bond (ISB) towards the EMD or the Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG).
However, the ISB must conform to the standard format issued by insurance companies recognised by the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI), in accordance with the IRDAI (Surety Insurance Contracts) Guidelines, 2022.

189

Chapter XVIII Annexure L Point 14

The SP shall ensure that there shall be 48 working hours per week and 39 working hours for submission/collection of applications at each ICAC unless working hours are changed by the Mission in consultation with the SP.

The minimum working hours for submission/collection of applications are mentioned as 39 hours, whereas on page 125 under Point 8, it is stated as 37.5 hours. Please clarify this difference.

Corrigendum being issued

17, 18, 105

Chapter V:
Point (ii) and
(iii) and Annexure –D 1,
2 and 3

The Bidding Company shall provide audited financialinformation certified by an external auditing agency to substantiate the claim of its turnover

Please be kind to clarify about the external audit agency which will be acceptable to the Mission.

A recognized audit agency in the country where the company is registered

77 & 55

Chapter XII & X

(Dispute Settlement & Bank Guarantees)

If judicial intervention makes implementation unviable, can L1 withdraw without forfeiting EMD/BGs?

Refer to para-B(II) (h) of the Chapter XV of the RFP. L1 cannot withdraw from the tender after the declaration of the results of the financial bids/award of contract.

General Query

Utilize the services of a sub-contractor for a specific category.

We kindly request confirmation if it is possible to utilize the services of a subcontractor for a specific category of ancillary service e.g. for courier and security services.

Only for courier and security services, SP can engage reputed companies registered in the country

General Query

Backlog of Services from the incumbent service provider.

Kindly confirm that the cost associated with addressing this backlog is not to be included in the bid price and constitutes a separate component and excluded from expenses of this bid.

There shall be no period of overlap between the existing service providers and the new service provider. Bidders should factor-in anticipated cost for legacy applications during the initial period of operations

General Query

Average Number of Pages per application

Kindly confirm that the average number of pages per application to be digitized by the digitization center to accurately estimate resource requirements and submit competitive bids.

Bidders are requested to make their own assessment, referring to supporting document requirements published on High Commission’s website for visa, passport, OCI etc.

General Query

In Australia, logistics are handled through approved professional agencies such as Australia Post, DHL, and Bonds, using fully trained staff or contractors under required monitoring. Considering local regulatory requirements and stringent compliance standards, can the mission confirm that documents can be dispatched exclusively via reputable, professional logistics agencies, such is the practice followed by every organisation including banks and other diplomatic Missions in Australia?

Security measures such as GPS may be included as per local requirements. The security of documents will be the responsibility of the Service provider and in case of any loss of documents, a penalty as indicated in Chapter XI shall be levied.