Joint procurement: Ordering travel arrangement services

The bidder must confirm that neither it nor its representatives, decision-makers or controlling persons are subject to exclusion grounds, including convictions for participation in a criminal organisation, corruption, fraud, terrorism-related offences, money laundering or terrorist financing, child labour or human trafficking. The bidder must also confirm compliance with tax and social security payment obligations and absence of breaches of environmental, social or labour law obligations. Further grounds include bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation proceedings, agreements with creditors, comparable insolvency situations, assets managed by a liquidator or court, suspended business activities, serious professional misconduct, competition-distorting agreements, conflicts of interest, involvement in preparing the procurement, serious or repeated breaches of previous contracts, false or misleading information, failure to provide required information or documents, and attempts to obtain confidential information or improperly influence the procurement. The bidder must also confirm that no applicable national exclusion ground concerns employing unlawfully present foreign nationals, international sanctions, or convictions for tax offences. Where relevant, the bidder must provide details and evidence of remedial measures taken to restore reliability. The bidder must identify persons entitled to represent, direct or control it where those persons are not recorded in the Commercial Register. The bidder must confirm that it will not use subcontractors or suppliers exceeding 10% of the contract value that are Russian nationals, residents or entities established in Russia, entities more than 50% owned by them, or persons acting on their behalf or instructions.

The bidder must have completed at least one contract for travel arrangement services during the 36 months preceding the date on which the contract notice was published. The contract must have had a value of at least EUR 300,000 excluding VAT. The bidder must provide the contract description, value, dates, contracting authority and relevant contact details or other required evidence. The bidder must provide at least two Estonian-speaking travel consultants for contract performance. Each consultant must be accredited by IATA, hold a CTC (Certified Travel Consultant) diploma or an equivalent certificate or diploma of comparable quality, and have at least three years of experience as a travel consultant. CVs and copies of the certificates or diplomas must be submitted using the required experience form. The bidder must have continuous rights to issue airline tickets throughout the contract period, for example on the basis of an IATA certificate or an equivalent arrangement, and must describe how this right is ensured. The bidder must have access to a web-based booking system in Estonian or English and describe its functionality. The bidder must also own or have the right to use a web-based reporting system covering ordered travel services and their costs by contracting authority, traveller, airline, destination and service. Reports must be available at least once per calendar year after 12 months from contract signature and for the entire framework agreement period. The bidder must provide free 24/7 Estonian-language customer support, including telephone access and operational access to the booking system for changing, cancelling or creating bookings. The support description must cover functionality, daytime and nighttime staffing, contact details, usual response times and electronic notification options, including arrangements for travel disruptions and crisis situations. The bidder must be able to provide requested travel-emission data based on the main transport mode, distance and CO2 equivalent, using information from the transport provider and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol or an equivalent methodology. The tender must comply with all procurement documents, use the required pricing structure and be unconditional. Any proposed equivalence must be explained and supported by evidence. The bidder must describe any business secrets and their justification, provide a joint-bid power of attorney where applicable, and submit a power of attorney where the tender is signed by a person without registered legal representation authority. The bidder must also describe measures ensuring that the contracting authority’s employee does not need to use a personal credit card as an additional guarantee.