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The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) has been allocated funds from Danida Sustainable Infrastructure Finance (DSIF) and the Government of Bangladesh (“GoB”) to meet the cost of the Component 2 - Saidabad New Water Treatment Plant and Sludge Treatment Plant under the wider Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Project Phase III.

The Project Director, Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Project Phase III (Employer’s Agent) on behalf of the Managing Director (Employer’s representative), Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (the Employer), invites eligible firms to prequalify for submitting a tender for the design, construction, commissioning and three years’ operation and maintenance Contract named Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Project Phase III Component 2 - Water Treatment Plant and Sludge Treatment Plant. The brief scope of work under the Contracts is provided below:

• Part A: A 450Ml/d surface water treatment plant (Phase III WTP) including Inlet Chamber, Clarification, Rapid Gravity Filtration, Disinfection, a Treated Water Storage Tank and Treated Water Pumping Station, to deliver potable water into the transfer and distribution network.
• Part B: A Sludge Treatment Facility, with capacity to treat sludge generated from Saidabad WTPs Phases I, II, and III. The existing Phase I and II WTPs each have a capacity of 225Ml/d
• Part C: Ancillary works including 1.6km access road, 0.5km drainage channel, workshop and laboratory facilities.
• Part D: Operation and maintenance of the Phase III WTP and other operational support to DWASA relating to the Phase I and II WTPs, starting on completion of Part B and continuing for a period of three years (extendable by up to a further four years) following completion of the remainder of the Works.

Parts A, B and C will be the subject of a FIDIC Yellow Book contract[1]. Part D will be the subject of a separate, modified FIDIC Yellow Book contract[1]. Both contracts will follow from a single tendering process which will be evaluated as one submission on the basis of overall whole life cost. The reason for awarding two separate contracts is partly due to the fundamental differences in scope and partly a result of funding arrangements. The two contracts will be awarded by DWASA to a single tenderer who will execute both contracts.

It is expected that Invitations for Proposals (IFP) will be issued in July, 2024.

1. This Invitation for Prequalification (IFPQ) is open to eligible Applicants from all countries, except for those countries which do not have diplomatic and commercial relations with the Government of Bangladesh, or which are subject to relevant sanctions by the EU, UK or USA.

To be eligible, Applicants, including all members of a Joint Venture, Consortium or Association (JVCA) will need to meet the following criteria:

• is a citizen, or is constituted, registered and operates in conformity with the provisions of the laws of its country
• is a physical or juridical individual or body of individuals, or company, association, or any combination of them in the form of a JVCA
• has the legal capacity to enter into the Contract
• does not have a conflict of interest
• is not under a declaration of ineligibility for corrupt, fraudulent, collusive or coercive practices
• does not have a history of poor performance, consistent history of litigation or arbitration awards against it
• is not insolvent, in receivership, bankrupt, in the process of bankruptcy, or temporarily barred from undertaking business nor be the subject of legal proceedings for any of the foregoing
• has fulfilled its obligations to pay taxes and social security contributions under the provisions of laws and regulations of the country of its origin.

Only eligible Applicants with the following key qualifications should participate in this pre-qualification process:

Contract history

• Non-performance of a contract shall not have occurred in any of the calendar years; 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 or 2022.
• The Applicant shall demonstrate continuous experience in public construction works as prime contractor or subcontractor or management contractor from the 1 January 2013 to the date of issue this IFPQ

Contracts of similar size and nature

• Participation in at least two reference contracts, comprising civil works in the water sector that have been satisfactorily and substantially completed by the Applicant between 1 January 2013 and the date of issue of this IFPQ wherein the Applicant’s participation exceeds Euro 100 million under each contract.
• A satisfactory completion of similar works of Reference Contracts as prime contractor, joint venture member, management contractor or subcontractor within the period stated above demonstrating experience in the following key activities:

Criterion c‑1: Two reference contracts, each including design, construction, MEICA installation and commissioning of water supply or wastewater infrastructure including significant pumping and treatment. Each contract must have a value of not less than Euro 100 million.

Criterion c‑2: Two reference contracts, each having capacity of at least 100Ml/d, and including the design, construction, MEICA installation and commissioning of a water treatment facility, treating surface water and using standard proven technologies for coagulation, clarification, filtration and disinfection.

Criterion c‑3: Two reference contracts, each having a water or wastewater treatment capacity of at least 100Ml/d, and including the design, construction, MEICA installation and commissioning of an associated sludge treatment facility using standard proven technologies for sludge pumping, storage and mixing, thickening, polyelectrolyte use for sludge conditioning, dewatering and off‑site disposal of the dewatered sludge cake.

Criterion c‑4: Two reference contracts, each including the design construction, MEICA installation and commissioning of a drinking water pumping station and surge suppression system with a minimum output of 100Ml/d.

Criterion c‑5: Two reference contracts, each including the operation and maintenance of a stand‑alone water treatment facility (including sludge dewatering and export facilities) for a minimum period of three years with a minimum output of 100Ml/d.

Criterion c‑6: Two reference contracts, each including the training of the Employer's Personnel to operate and maintain a stand‑alone water treatment facility with a minimum output of 100Ml/d.

Criterion c‑7: Two reference contracts, for each of which the Contractor has developed and managed a contract‑specific Environmental Management Plan in accordance with its Environmental Management Policy. Each reference contract must have a value of not less than Euro 20 million.

Criterion c‑8: Two reference contracts, for each of which the Contractor has developed and managed a contract‑specific Health and Safety Management Plan in accordance with its Health and Safety Management Policy. Each reference contract must have a value of not less than Euro 20 million.

Criterion c‑9: Two reference contracts, for each of which the Contractor has developed and managed a contract‑specific Security Plan in accordance with its Security Policy. Each reference contract must have a value of not less than Euro 20 million.

Contracts entailing specialist works (may be submitted by proposed specialist subcontractor/s)

Criterion d-1: One reference contract demonstrating experience in the design and construction of piled foundations for water or wastewater treatment process structures (min 100Ml/d capacity) and/or treated water reservoir (min 10Ml capacity)

Criterion d-2: One reference contract demonstrating experience in the temporary works design of, and construction within, a deep excavation with high water table (minimum depth of excavation to be 8m below ground level and minimum plan area 100m²).

Criterion d-3: One reference contract including design, installation and commissioning of a high voltage (minimum 2MVA and minimum 11kV) electrical system

Criterion d-4: Two reference contracts, including design, installation and commissioning of a new or replacement Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for a treatment plant of minimum 100Ml/d.

Financial position

• The required average annual construction turnover shall be greater than Euro 500 million equivalent for the calendar years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
• The minimum amount of liquid assets and/or working capital and/or credit facilities of the Applicant shall be Euro 25 million equivalent net of the Applicant’s other commitments.
• The audited balance sheets or, if not required by the laws of the Applicant’s country, other financial statements acceptable to the Employer for the calendar years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022, shall be submitted and demonstrate the current soundness of the Applicant’s financial position. The Applicant's financial position will be deemed sound if at least two of the following four criteria are met:

1. Average earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for the years 2018, 2019 and 2022 > 0
2. Total equity (net worth) for each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2022 > 0
3. Average liquidity ratio for the years 2018, 2019 and 2022 > 1
   ((Current assets) / (Current liabilities) > 1)
4. Average indebtedness ratio for the years 2018, 2019 and 2022 < 6
   ((Total financial liabilities) / (EBITDA) < 6).

A complete set of the prequalification documents in English may be purchased by interested Applicants on the submission of a written request to the physical address below, or by email to pdswtpiii@gmail.com, and upon payment of a non‑refundable amount of BDT 25,000 in favor of the ‘Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority’.

The written request must include:

• the name and IFPQ No. of the proposed Contract (113.620.00.00.185.2023/44)
• the name of the Applicant
• the name of the Applicant’s Organization with physical address of the organization within the organization’s country of registration
• the telephone number of the Applicant’s organization
• the name of the authorized representative (supported with a letter of Authorization issued by the organization) within the Applicant’s organization who will be the single point of communication for all matters relating to the application to prequalify
• the company-assigned email address of the authorized representative
• the direct telephone number of the authorized representative
• particulars of the demand draft or pay order or SWIFT transfer (bank, payee, amount, date and serial number)

Any marketing information included with the written request will be discarded.

Payment shall be made either:

• by demand draft or pay order in favour of the ‘Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority’ delivered to the physical address below or
• by SWIFT bank transfer to the following account:
  A/C No.: 3116-01-0000604
  A/C Name: Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Project Phase-3
  Bank Name: Basic Bank Limited
  Branch: Karwan Bazar Branch
  Routing No: 055262530
  Branch Code: 31
  Swift Code: BKSIBDDH

Provided that the written request, including all of the items listed above, and payment are received by the Employer prior to 16:00 on 27 March 2024 the Applicant will become registered. Following registration of the Applicant an electronic copy of the prequalification documents will be made available to the email address of the authorized representative via secure ftp server (or similar).

Note that applications to prequalify will be accepted from the registered Applicant for the document only, and this right is not transferable to another party.

Requests for clarification relating to the process of obtaining the prequalification documents should be submitted by email to pdswtpiii@gmail.com.

Requests for clarification or further information relating to the project itself or the content of the prequalification document will not be answered prior to purchase of the prequalification document and registration of the Applicant. There is a mechanism for registered Applicants to submit such requests after they have been registered.

Should there be a need for the Employer to issue any addenda during the prequalification period they will only be issued to registered Applicants via their authorized representative (using the company-assigned email address provided in their written request for the prequalification document. Note that any error in the email address shall be the responsibility of the Applicant).

Applications to prequalify must be submitted in accordance with the Instructions to Applicants in the prequalification documents by 14:00 on 24 April 2024.

[1] Conditions of Contract for Plant and Design-Build for Electrical and Mechanical Works and for Building and Engineering works Designed by the Contractor (1999 edition) published by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC).

Mr. Md. Mustafizur Rahaman, 
Project Director 
Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Project Phase III 
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority 
Address: 
Office of the Project Director 
Saidabad WaterTreatment Plant Project Phase III 
WASA Bhaban, 98, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue (8th Floor), Kawran Bazar, Dhaka-1215 -Bangladesh Email: pdswtpiii@gmail.com 
Telephone: +88 (O} 2550 12496