RFP for the establishment of Multiple Long-Term Agreement(s) for Legal Services in Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Services

New clarification added: Q54: At what level of granularity are Bidders expected to provide line-item costs in the Financial Proposal?A54: Please follow the instructions in the financial form: one line per profile for the personnel costs, one line per typology of cost for the other costs.Q55: Is the Bidder expected to submit one Financial and Technical Proposal for each lot?A55: One financial Proposal for each lot. For the technical proposal, some criteria are specific to each lot while others are common for the whole tender. To see the details, please consult the tab "Evaluation criteria" under the tab "Tender Information".Q56: Is it acceptable to propose reservations to the Bidding documents, such as to UNOPS General Conditions of Contract?A56: If you have reservations on the legal documents (and not on the bidding forms), please indicate them in your proposal as it will not be possible to offer any reservations once the tender has closed. UNOPS will review your reservations and make the final decision. Q57: Is it acceptable to provide, for example, a hybrid pricing model within each lot?A57: We are not sure what you mean by hybrid pricing model, please clarify your question.Q58: The Evaluation Criteria requests two client reference letters for each lot attesting to work in the lot’s primary language. Is the reference contact sufficient and is it required to be submitted with the Bidding forms? If so, where on eSourcing?A58: You need to submit 2 reference letters per lot. There is no prescribed format for client reference letters. A letter or email issued by the client confirming the services provided, period of engagement, and overall performance will be acceptable. Bidders are encouraged to provide references that substantiate experience relevant to arbitration or dispute resolution. The client reference letters need to be uploaded in the checklist under the spaces labelled:- "At least 2 Client reference letters for LOT 1 (client country in the lot region)", or /and- "At least 2 Client reference letters for LOT 2 (client country in the lot region)", or/ and- "At least 2 Client reference letters for LOT 3 (client country in the lot region)"depending on the lots you wish to bid for. Q59: On eSourcing, there is no field to upload the Financial Proposal, where should the Bidder submit?A59: Please see pages 30-31 of the eSourcing guide on how to submit your financial offer.  

New amendment added #2: Amendment 2 to:Extend the tender deadline and the clarifications deadline by 2 weeksAdd a prebid meeting on October 30th at 2pm Copenhagen time (details under the Particulars section in eSourcing)Replace one of the designation "Senior Associate" under the checklist by "Junior Associate"Specify in the financial capacity qualification criteria that unaudited financial statements are allowed when audited ones are not available.Specify in the technical criteria for the team that bidders have the possibility to offer one team per lot (overlapping members allowed) and create designated spaces in the checklist to allow bidders to offer one team per lot. 

New clarification added: Q53. The chart on the first page of Form F states the following “percentages of total price” for each of the three phases:Phase 1, Case Assessment: 40%Phase 2, Preparation and Strategic Support for Negotiations: 35%Phase 3, Preparation for & participation in arbitration, mediation, conciliation proceedings: 25%Does this mean that the lump sum price in the next column of the chart for each phase must reflect that percentage of the overall price; e.g., Phase 1 must be 40% of the total price, and Phase 3 only 25% of the total price? Or are those percentages just weights that will be applied to whatever lump sum price the offeror proposes? If the former, and each phase must reflect that percentage of the overall price, is it possible to readjust the allocations?A53. The percentages must reflect the percentage of the total price. This means that Phase 1 must be 40% of the total price. It is not possible to change the percentages.

New clarification added: Q48. In the Document Checklist section it lists "Senior Associate - Form I: Format for Resume of Proposed Key Personnel" twice. We assume that one instance should be Junior Associate. Can be that be corrected on the system?A38. Yes, this will be corrected shortly.Q49. Under Financial Offer Details, there is nowhere to upload Form F - Financial Proposal Form. Will this become available?A49. It is already available. Please see pages 30-31 of the eSourcing guide on how to submit your financial offer. Q50. Under which section of the Document Checklist should we include the two requested client reference letters?A50. Under the spaces labelled- "At least 2 Client reference letters for LOT 1 (client country in the lot region)", or /and- "At least 2 Client reference letters for LOT 2 (client country in the lot region)", or/ and- "At least 2 Client reference letters for LOT 3 (client country in the lot region)"depending on the lots you wish to bid for. Q51. Will electronic signatures on the documents suffice or should they be hand signed?A51. Electronic signatures is sufficient. Q52. We wanted to clarify how the volume discount is intended to apply. For example, if the Volume Discount is the following: Call-Off Orders amount           discountBetween 0 and 50k$:               5%Between 50 and 100k$:           10%For a Call-Off order of $75,000, whether:the 10% discount would apply to the entire amount of $75,000; orThe discount is applied in tiers (i.e., 5% on the first $50,000 and 10% on the next $25,000)?A52. The discount will be applied to the entire amount of the call-off order. In your example, the 10% discount will apply to the entire amount of $75,000.

New clarification added: Q45. For the client reference letters for Lots 1, 2 and 3, is there a format you wish bidders to follow? Would an email from a client be acceptable? A45. There is no prescribed format for client reference letters. A letter or email issued by the client confirming the services provided, period of engagement, and overall performance will be acceptable. Bidders are encouraged to provide references that substantiate experience relevant to arbitration or dispute resolution.Q46. We notice in the portal that there are two boxes for “Senior Associate” CVs – can you confirm if one of these boxes should be for a Junior Associate?A46. If two upload boxes are labelled “Senior Associate” on the eSourcing platform, please consider one for the “Senior Associate” and the other for the “Junior Associate.” We will update the designations on eSourcing.Q47. The CV section of the portal has a section for “Other Personnel” CVs. Can you explain what category of personnel this relates to? Is there any scoring applied to this category? Are a specific number of CVs required for this?A47. The “Other Personnel” section allows bidders to include additional team members who may contribute to the services (for example, paralegals, case managers, or specialized counsel). CV submission under this category is optional and not scored. It is intended for information purposes only and will not affect the technical evaluation results. You are however required to propose the hourly rate of the additional personnel in your financial form, as it will be used during the life of the LTA.

New clarification added: Q44. Could you please confirm whether the percentages allocated to each phase in the third column of Table 1 in the Financial Proposal (Form F) are fixed, or whether bidders are permitted to amend them to reflect their assessment of the volume of work required for each phase?A44. Percentages are fixed, please do not modify them.

New clarification added: Q39. Bidder understands from the clarifications that it may add additional lines (rows) to Table 2 in Form F (Cost breakdown per component) for additional team member profiles. However, Table 2 also includes a column called “No. of Persons.” Please could the purpose of this column be clarified if additional team members are meant to have one line (row) per profile?A39. Number of persons is the number of personnel for that profile. Example: if you need 3 partners, you would indicate 3 in the number of persons for the Partner profile.Q40. Bidder understands from the clarifications that it can submit separate teams for each Lot to which it applies. Does this mean if the Bidder is submitting to all three Lots, it would also have to submit three separate financial proposals in Form F if the team members for each Lot have different hourly rates? Further, would the cap on rates as per Section 5.4 of Schedule IV be based on each Lot, or the highest rates of all the Lots?A40. Yes, one financial form is required per lot. The cap on rates will be based on each lot. If you become LTA holder, and we request services in Latin America, we will be expecting your offer to propose personnel which hourly rate is below or equal to the ceiling hourly rate for that profile for that region.Q41. Form G Section 1.2 requires that Bidders submit a list of relevant international commercial arbitration experience and public international law experience. To score the highest for the former, at least 10 highly relevant cases of high complexity must be identified while in the latter 5 highly relevant cases of high complexity must be identified. Is this the requirement per Lot (15 cases per Lot)? Or is this requirement total (15 cases for the firm)?A41. 15 cases per bidder total and not per lot.Q42. Form G Section 2 requires the Bidder to describe its proposed methodology, approach, and implementation plan for each phase of the fictitious scenario. Would the bidder submit a separate plan for each Lot? Or would the Bidder submit one implementation plan for each phase applicable to all of the Lots?A42. One Form G is required for the whole bid, not per lot. Q43. Can the bidder include assumptions in Form G? Particularly since the length of “Phase II” concerning negotiation with Country X has an uncertain time period?A43. If you need additional clarifications to make an offer, you should let us know, so that we can let all bidders know what the assumptions are. You cannot make your own assumptions, as that would lead to offers that are not comparable between the different bidders. So please check with us through the clarifications and we will respond for all bidders.  

New clarification added: In reference to the solicitation document RFP/2025/58154 for establishing Long-Term Agreements (LTAs) concerning legal services in dispute resolution and arbitration, we seek clarification on specific aspects of the requirements and framework outlined. Below are the questions posed for further clarification: Q37. Could you please confirm whether the price quoted for each lot is intended to cover all cases anticipated over the three-year period, or if it is based on pricing for a single case per lot?A37. As indicated in the bidding forms, the scenario is fictional. The price quoted is therefore not intended to cover all cases anticipated over the three-year period, nor is it based on pricing for a single case per lot. Though the scenario is fictional (for evaluation purposes), it reflects the typical cases we would ask firms to execute. As such, we ask that you bid presenting a real offer as if it was bidding. The offer will be used as a comparator for future offers under the LTA if you become the LTA holder, so it has to be representative of a real offer. The personnel fees of your offer will be the ceiling personnel fees of the LTA, this means that if you become LTA holder and we ask you to submit an offer in the future, we expect you to make an offer where you indicate the number of hours for each personnel and the hourly fee for each personnel (it will have to be below or equal to the ceiling fee of your bid). If there are additional personnel (paralegal, ...etc) that you think you will require in the future, please add them to your financial offer as their hourly rate will also be used as a ceiling for the LTA.Q38. Additionally, could you please clarify if the percentages specified in the cost breakdown table (e.g. 40% for case assessment and 25% for arbitration) must be strictly applied from the total price for each lot, or whether there is any flexibility in their allocation.A38. The percentages represent the actual weight of each phase. They are not to be modified.

New clarification added: We are currently preparing our submission in response to RFP/2025/58154 and would appreciate clarification regarding the “Percentage of Total Price (Weight for payment)” assigned to each phase in Table 1 of the Financial Proposal Form. Specifically, we would like to understand the implications of the fixed allocation of:40% for Phase 1: (Case Assessment)35% for Phase 2: (Preparation and Strategic Support for Negotiations with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure of Country X)25% for Phase 3: (Preparation for and participation in arbitration, mediation, conciliation proceedings)Given that Phase 3 typically involves the most resource-intensive activities, we would be grateful if you could confirm:Q34. Whether the Table 1 structure is intended solely for evaluation purposes in this panel tender, or whether it will also be used as the pricing mechanism for future Call-Off Orders issued under the Long-Term Agreement.A34. As indicated in the Financial Bidding Form, the scenario is fictional (for evaluation purposes) but reflects the typical cases we would ask firms to execute. As such, we ask that you bid presenting a real offer as if it was binding. The offer will be used as a comparator for future offers under the LTA if you become the LTA holder, so it has to be representative of a real offer. The personnel fees of your offer will be the ceiling personnel fees of the LTA, this means that if you become LTA holder and we ask you to submit an offer in the future, we expect you to make an offer where you indicate the number of hours for each personnel and the hourly fee for each personnel (it will have to be below or equal to the ceiling fee of your bid). If there are additional personnel (paralegal, ...etc) that you think you will require in the future, please add them to your financial offer as their hourly rate will also be used as a ceiling for the LTA. It will not be possible to add personnel at a later stage. If you become LTA holder, you will be able to use only the type of profiles that you have defined in your initial bid. Q35. Whether the percentages listed under the “Percentage of Total Price (Weight for payment)” cell in Table 1 are intended only to define the payment schedule across Phases, or whether they also serve as a strict cap on the maximum percentage amount of the total quote that can be charged or reimbursed for each Phase, regardless of actual costs incurred.A35. The percentages represent the actual weight of each phase. If this were a binding offer, the amount for each phase would indeed be the cap. If you become LTA holder and we request your services, you will be expected to give us a capped offer. Then, present us with a timesheet on a monthly basis indicating how much of the call-off order has been used, that UNOPS would then pay as per our payment terms, until the full amount of the call-off order (cap) is reached. Q36. If the actual costs associated with Phase 3 (preparation for and participation in arbitration, mediation, conciliation proceedings) escalate significantly beyond 25% of the lump sum total in Table 1, would UNOPS permit a contract amendment or issue a new Call-Off Order to accommodate the additional cost, or is the 25% cap considered a strict and non-negotiable limit regardless of actual resource requirements?A36. If this were a real life scenario, there would be discussions between UNOPS and the LTA holder to decide whether an amendment to the initial call-off order is needed or not. The additional costs (beyond the lump sum amount of the initial call-off order) would need to be justified and cover an additional scope of work not defined in the initial Terms of Reference. A call-off order is a lump sum contract that covers the whole scope of the Terms of Reference. An amendment is possible only to cover an additional scope. 

New clarification added: Q32. In the event that we are bidding for two different lots/regions, must the proposed teams for each lot/region be entirely different, or can they include the same or overlapping members? Our international arbitration team has the required expertise and linguistic capabilities across all three regions. Nevertheless, we would like to confirm whether it is mandatory to propose distinct teams for each bid.A32. Bidders may propose the same or overlapping team members across different lots/regions, provided that the proposed personnel have the required qualifications and availability to perform the services in each lot/region. It is not mandatory to propose entirely distinct teams for each bid.Q33. Regarding client references, can the two clients providing the reference letters for a particular lot/region be the same as those listed as client references in the resumes of the proposed key personnel (Form I)? If so, may the same client references be used for all proposed key personnel?A33. The reference letters are references for the firm / company, it can be letters of reference from previous clients of the firm to demonstrate that the firm completed the work the firm says it completed for a specific client (previous recent similar experiences). The references in the CVs are for the personnel submitted (the individuals), it can be for example previous supervisors to demonstrate that the personnel has indeed completed the work history declared on the CV. It is possible to have the same references for different personnel as they may have had parallel work experiences.

New clarification added: Q31. We are currently preparing our submission for RFP/2025/58154 and would appreciate clarification regarding the requirement to submit audited financial statements for the past three years. As a private partnership, we do not produce formal audited financial statements in the same manner as incorporated entities. However, we would be pleased to provide a letter from our external auditors confirming that our firm meets the minimum financial requirements set out in the tender and that we are in robust financial health. Could you kindly confirm whether such a letter would be considered sufficient in place of full audited financial statements? A31. If available, please submit audited financial statements. If not available, please submit unaudited financial statements accompanied by an explanation from the bidder as to the reason why audited financial statements are not available. 

New clarification added: Q29. Several of the tender forms include the following statement "Stamp form of Proposal with official stamp of the Offeror". Please confirm if it would be sufficient for the legal representative of the firm to sign the form and stamp the firm's logo at the end of the signature.A29. If an official stamp is not available, you may provide the bidding forms signed by official electronic signatures.Q30. The "documents" section in the system requires uploading two references letters. The format for Form I (resume of key personnel), also requires at the end of the format to include two client references. We wanted to confirm: (i) if the two reference letters in the document section and the references required in Form I refer to different references, (ii) if the answer is "yes", then we ask for clarification if the clients need to be different on each section, (iii) if the answer to point (i) is "yes", then we ask for the following clarification: those the Form I requires that each key member of the team individually adds the client references and if those clients need to be different clients among the team members.A30. The reference letters required for the qualification criteria are references for the firm / company, it can be letters of reference from previous clients of the firm to demonstrate that the firm completed the work the firm says it completed for a specific client (previous recent similar experiences). The references in the CVs are for the personnel submitted (the individuals), it can be for example previous supervisors to demonstrate that the personnel has indeed completed the work history declared on the CV. 

New clarification added: Q28. In the Qualification Criteria section, it is indicated that one of the requirements is to demonstrate that “the Bidder has an annual turnover of at least USD 100,000 or equivalent in the last 3 years.” To evidence this, the submission of financial statements for those years is required. In this regard, we would like to kindly inquire whether it is acceptable for the financial statements to be unaudited. In the jurisdiction where our law firm operates, it is not a legal requirement for all companies to have their financial statements externally audited. This obligation applies only to entities that (i) qualify as “public companies” (known as sociedades anónimas), (ii) exceed a certain annual income threshold, or (iii) are listed on the stock exchange. However, our firm does not fall under any of these categories. Would it therefore be acceptable for the firm to submit unaudited financial statements? Additionally, would UNOPS require a sworn statement from the firm’s representatives confirming the accuracy and legality of the financial statements?A28. If available, please submit audited financial statements. If not available, please submit unaudited financial statements accompanied by an explanation from the bidder as to the reason why audited financial statements are not available.

New clarification added: Q22. Please can you direct us to "Schedule I: RFP particulars". In the RFP document (page 1) it says: "This section is available directly on eSourcing" but we are unable to locate it, your direction in finding this would be much appreciated.A22. Schedule I (“RFP Particulars”) is available on the UNOPS eSourcing platform under the "Tender Information" / “Particulars” section. Please see page 23 -24 of the eSourcing guide for more details on how to access the Particulars section online. Q23. Please can you direct us to where to locate the "fictitious scenario" mentioned on page 34 of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Services document, or alternatively send it to us directly as a matter of urgency.A23. The “Fictional Scenario” document referenced in Forms F and G has now been uploaded to both the UNOPS eSourcing and UNGM platforms, under the "Documents" section. Bidders are requested to prepare their technical and financial proposals in accordance with that document.Q24. For the client reference letters for Lots 1, 2 and 3, is there a format you wish bidders to follow? Would an email from a client be acceptable?A24. There is no prescribed format for client reference letters. A letter or email issued by the client confirming the services provided, period of engagement, and overall performance will be acceptable. Bidders are encouraged to provide references that substantiate experience relevant to arbitration or dispute resolution.Q25. In relation to section 3, please can you confirm if the requirement is to provide one CV for each of a) senior associate; b) junior associate; c) team lead/partner (i.e. that there are three team members in total)?  A25. Bidders are requested to provide one CV for each of the following roles:a) Partner or Team Lead;b) Senior Associate; andc) Junior Associate.These three CVs will be assessed as part of the technical evaluation.Bidders may present one team per lot if they wish or one team for all 3 lots. Team members can overlap between lots.Q26. We notice in the portal that there are two boxes for “Senior Associate” CVs – can you confirm if one of these boxes should be for a Junior Associate?A26. If two upload boxes are labelled “Senior Associate” on the eSourcing platform, please consider one for the “Senior Associate” and the other for the “Junior Associate.” We will update the designations on eSourcing.Q27. The CV section of the portal has a section for “Other Personnel” CVs. Can you explain what category of personnel this relates to? Is there any scoring applied to this category? Are a specific number of CVs required for this?A27. The “Other Personnel” section allows bidders to include additional team members who may contribute to the services (for example, paralegals, case managers, or specialized counsel). CV submission under this category is optional and not scored. It is intended for information purposes only and will not affect the technical evaluation results. 

New clarification added: Q19. Fictitious CaseAs indicated in Section 2 (Proposed Methodology, Approach and Implementation Plan) of Form G – Technical Proposal Form, and further referenced in Form F – Financial Proposal Form, the RFP provides that offerors must prepare their proposal in relation to a fictitious case scenario. However, after carefully reviewing all documentation available on the UNOPS eSourcing platform, we have not been able to locate the specific case description. Could you kindly confirm whether the fictitious case has already been published or whether it will be made available at a later stage? If the latter, we would greatly appreciate any indication as to the expected date and format of its release.A19. The “Fictional Case Scenario” document has now been uploaded to the UNOPS eSourcing and UNGM platforms, under the Documents section. Bidders are requested to base their technical (Form G) and financial (Form F) proposals on the tasks described in that document. All corresponding sections of Forms F and G should therefore be completed with reference to the fictional case.Q20. Labour StandardsSection 4.1 of the Technical Proposal Form (Sustainability Criteria) requires bidders to provide documentation demonstrating adherence to local labour laws and alignment with international labour standards, including, for instance, the ILO's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998) and SA8000 certification.We kindly request, if possible, clarification on which types of documents will be primarily assessed to meet this requirement. Would UNOPS consider the requirement fulfilled through the submission of a statement prepared and signed by our own organization explaining our labour policies, with such policies attached as supporting documents? Or, alternatively, is it also necessary to provide documents issued by national labour authorities or an independent auditor’s report certifying our labour policies?A20. Bidders are required to demonstrate that their organization adheres to applicable national labour laws and is aligned with international labour standards, including the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. UNOPS will accept documentation such as a signed statement or declaration prepared by the bidder describing its labour standards and policies; and copies of relevant internal policies, codes of conduct, or procedures supporting the statement. If the bidder has third-party certifications (such as SA8000) or similar documents issued by national labour authorities, they should be submitted if available. The evaluation will focus on the clarity and credibility of the information provided in support of compliance with these standards.Q21. Diversity and Inclusion​Section 4.2 (Diversity and Inclusion) requests documentation evidencing the firm’s approach to promoting equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion, mentioning examples such as equal pay policies, parental leave policies, inclusion of persons with disabilities, and gender composition metrics.Similarly to the previous case, we kindly ask you to confirm which types of documents will be primarily assessed to verify compliance with this requirement. Would it be sufficient to submit a statement prepared by our own firm describing our diversity policies and attaching the relevant supporting documents? Or is it necessary to provide an independent audit to verify the adequacy of these diversity and inclusion policies?A21. Similarly, to demonstrate the firm’s approach to diversity and inclusion, bidders may submit: a written statement describing their diversity, equal opportunity, and inclusion policies; and relevant supporting documents, such as internal policies, statistics, or programme descriptions. Independent audits or external certifications are welcome if available. UNOPS will assess the bidder’s demonstrated commitment and practical measures to promote diversity and inclusion within its organization.

New clarification added: Q17. We have two requests: (1) firstly, there is a reference in the RFP to a "fictitious scenario" (see, for example, Section 2 of the Technical Proposal Form at Form G) and our question is whether this is a scenario that the UNOPS provides or whether it is a scenario that individual law firms need to create themselvesA17. The fictitious scenario referenced in Forms F and G was unintentionally left out in the initial RFP publication. It has now been uploaded and is available on the UNOPS eSourcing and UNGM platforms for bidders to use.Q18. The RFP refers (through the RFP but, in particular, in the Tecnical Proposal Evaluation section) to the "qualifications" of the "team lead"; "senior associate"; and "junior associate".  The reference to these designations is in the signular which suggests that you only want one partner/lead, one senior associate and one junior associate: is that right, or is it OK for us to submit mutliple partners, senior associates, and junior associates as part of the overall team composition?  A18. The roles of Team Lead, Senior Associate, and Junior Associate are the minimum mandatory profiles required under the tender. Bidders are allowed to include additional team members if they wish; however, the CVs of these additional personnel will not be evaluated. Each profile, including any optional ones, must be listed separately in the financial proposal. 

New amendment added #1: Amendment 1 - Upload the document "Scenario for evaluation purposes" to the document tab. 

New clarification added: Q15. We are unable to locate the ‘fictitious scenario’ referenced in RFP No. 2025/58154, Section 2 (pages 30 and 34). Could you please provide the scenario or indicate precisely where it appears in the RFP?A16. The “fictitious scenario” referenced in Forms F and G was inadvertently omitted from the initial publication of the RFP documents. The document has now been uploaded to both the UNOPS eSourcing and UNGM platforms for bidders’ reference.

New clarification added: Q9: Form G references a “fictitious scenario” and requires the bidder to propose a methodology, approach and implementation plan for the tasks described in it. Form F also requires that the bidder provide a lump-sum financial proposal based on a “fictional scenario.” The RFP does not provide the “fictional scenario,” and it is also not included in any of the available tender documents on the e-Sourcing or UNGM platform. Please provide us with the “fictional scenario” and/or all other information/documents related to preparing detailed technical and financial proposals.A9. The “fictitious scenario” referenced in Forms F and G was inadvertently omitted from the initial publication of the RFP documents. The document has now been uploaded to both the UNOPS eSourcing and UNGM platforms for bidders’ reference.Q10. If there is no “fictitious scenario” on which to base our financial and technical proposals, please clarify how to prepare Form F and Form G. In particular, please clarify how to prepare, or confirm, that we may disregard Form F, Table 1; Form F, Table 2; and Form G, Section 2, including 2.1 – 2.3.A10. Not applicable – the fictitious scenario has now been uploaded (please refer to the response to Question 1 above).Q11. Form G, Section 3.2 and page 22 of the RFP require a proposed team of key personnel made up of at a minimum one Team Lead/Partner, one Senior Associate, one Junior Associate, and one Paralegal. Is there a maximum number of key personnel that the bidder can provide? In addition to the key personnel/core team members that the bidder proposes, can the bidder include an attachment of other available team members?A11. Bidders may include additional team members as needed. Please add as many lines as necessary in Table 2: Cost Breakdown per Component, ensuring one line per profile, as indicated in the form.Q12.The “Long_Term_Agreement template” provided appears to be a contract for the supply of goods. Please provide the template applicable for the supply of services.A12. The Long-Term Agreement (LTA) template included in the RFP package is the correct template. It is applicable to the provision of services and is not a supply of goods contract.Q13. On the eSourcing platform, under “Vendor Submissions” – “Financial offer details,” the bidder is required to provide a “Total financial offer” for each of Lots 1–3. Please clarify how to prepare this page based on the same issue above – i.e., in the absence of the “fictional scenario” and/or sufficient details, it is impossible to provide a lump-sum or total financial offer.A13. Not applicable – the fictitious scenario has now been uploaded (please refer to the response to Question 1 above). 

New clarification added: Q3. Could you confirm whether the bid should include pricing for the entirety of an arbitration process? This would involve specifying key assumptions such as the duration, jurisdiction, presence of counterclaims, jurisdictional challenges, the number of witnesses/experts involved, and whether advocacy by barristers is expected.A3. The Financial Proposal will be evaluated based on the total financial proposal — that is, the final totals reflected in Table 1 and Table 2 for the fictional scenario. Accordingly, all relevant fields (including pricing, volume discounts, totals, expected personnel hours as per the Terms of Reference, and personnel rates) must be duly completed in both tables. Q4. Is it permissible to incorporate assumptions within the pricing submission? If so, could you kindly specify the assumptions and parameters that bidders should adopt?A4. The proposed pricing should be prepared in line with the services, requirements, and deliverables specified in Section IV: Schedule of Requirements. Q5. Are we limited to proposing one partner, one senior associate, and one junior associate as the key personnel for this engagement, or can additional team members be included? This question arises particularly in light of the multidisciplinary requirements.A5. Bidders may include additional team members as needed. Please add as many lines as necessary in Table 2: Cost Breakdown per Component, ensuring one line per profile Q6. Regarding the team structure, is it permissible to submit separate teams for each lot (e.g., Spanish, French, and Rest of the World), or is there a defined limit on the number of team members for each lot?A6. Yes, bidders are required to submit separate teams for each lot. Q7. In relation to subcontractors, must the bid disclose every potential co-counsel or law firm that might be engaged in jurisdictions where our firm does not have a presence, or would it suffice to outline a general approach?A7. At this stage, it is not necessary to identify every potential co-counsel or law firm that may be engaged in specific jurisdictions. However, bidders are expected to describe their general approach and capacity to provide coverage across all countries included in the respective lot. Q8. With regards to suppliers, should all potential suppliers (e.g., e-discovery data providers) be itemised in the submission? Alternatively, is it acceptable to state that the firm uses a pre-approved panel?A8: It is not required to itemize all potential suppliers, such as e-discovery or data service providers. It is acceptable to describe the firm’s general approach to engaging such suppliers as part of its service delivery model. 

New clarification added: Q2: I write to request clarification regarding the required legal status of bidders. I am an independet arbitration practitioner operating as a self-employed sole trader, without the use of a corporate vehicle, just as a barrister would operate in the English market. I note that Section III Evaluation Criteria, Eligibility and Formal Criteria, item 4 states: "The Bidder is legally registered as a law firm in their country of incorporation. Joint ventures (JVs) are accepted, provided that all members of the JV are legally registered as law firms. The Bidder (or all JV members) must present a valid company registration certificate." Does this requirement mean that sole practitioners, including barristers, can only submit a bid is they incorporate and operate though a corporate vehicle? Or can sole practitioners satisfy this criteria by providing evidence of their current registration with the legal bar where they are qualified, in my case England & Wales?A2: This RFP is intended for law firms with the organizational capacity and team composition necessary to provide arbitration and dispute resolution services across multiple jurisdictions. As outlined in the RFP, bidders must be legally registered law firms in their respective countries of incorporation and capable of fielding teams that meet the technical requirements including profiles such as Partner/Team Lead, Senior Associate, and Junior Associate. Accordingly, sole practitioners or barristers operating independently, without registration as a law firm, would not meet the eligibility requirement under Section III of the Evaluation Criteria.

New clarification added: Q1: We are a national law firm establihed in 2006 and registered with KRG and the Federal Government of Iraq and providing legal services across the country, are we eligible to apply to this RFP to cover Iraq's portion of the services only? A1: The purpose of this RFP is to establish Long Term Agreements (LTAs) with law firms capable of providing arbitration and dispute resolution services across all countries covered under each respective lot. Accordingly, a firm would need to demonstrate the capacity to deliver the required services in all countries within the geographical scope of the lot, either through its own offices or through an established network of partner firms. Proposals limited to a single country, such as Iraq, would therefore not meet the requirements of this solicitation.