Compliance requirements
The bidder may be excluded if, within the last five years or for any exclusion period still in force, it or a person in its management, supervisory or governing bodies, or authorised to represent, decide for or control it, has been finally convicted of participation in a criminal organisation, corruption, fraud, terrorist offences, money laundering or terrorist financing, or child labour or other forms of human trafficking. Where permitted, the bidder may provide evidence of measures taken to restore its reliability.
Exclusion grounds also include failure to pay taxes or social security contributions. The notice specifies a threshold of EUR 0 and notes that an Estonian tax-debt certificate is not issued where the total tax debt administered by the same authority, excluding interest not established by an administrative act, is below EUR 100, or where payment has been deferred. Foreign bidders are subject to the rules of their country of establishment.
A bidder is also subject to mandatory exclusion for enabling a foreign national to work in Estonia without a lawful basis or for allowing a breach of the conditions for foreign nationals working in Estonia, including payment below the statutory minimum wage. The bidder must further confirm that entering into the contract would not breach an international or Estonian government-imposed sanction.
Qualification criteria and exclusion grounds
The bidder must be able to provide or arrange, including through subcontractors, direct home delivery of the printed municipal newspaper. The bid must include an overview of how this service will be provided; if subcontractors are used, their names and contact details must be given.
The bid price must follow the structure specified in the pricing sheet. By submitting a bid, the bidder confirms acceptance of all procurement document conditions; conditional bids are not permitted. The bidder must indicate any information claimed as a trade secret and explain why it qualifies, or state that the bid contains no trade secrets. The bid price and other numerical indicators used to evaluate service bids may not be designated as trade secrets.
The bidder must confirm that the bid complies with the procurement documents and, where equivalence is relevant, explain it and provide supporting evidence. References to standards, brands, origins, processes or other specified characteristics are understood to allow equivalent solutions; other appropriate evidence may be accepted where the bidder demonstrates compliance.
The bidder must confirm that it will not involve, for more than 10% of the contract value, subcontractors or suppliers, or rely on the qualification capacity of entities that are Russian nationals, residents or established in Russia; are more than 50% directly or indirectly owned by such persons or entities; or act as their representatives or on their instructions. The notice states that this restriction applies to procurements above the international threshold. The bidder must also confirm that any goods offered are not subject to international sanctions and do not originate in sanctioned regions.