Development of technical design for the reconstruction of Gymnasium in Pljevlja, Montenegro(UNOPS-ESIM-2026-S-002)

New amendment added #3: This amendment changes the evaluation tender criteria. Amended is the following:1. QUALIFICATION CRITERIA, Line 2.2. Tax Compliance: Tax Compliance - criteria removed/ deleted. 2. QUALIFICATION CRITERIA, Line 2.6. Specific experience of the Bidder has been amended by adding the following text:  Note: Both General AND Specific experience of the Bidder relates to building construction (visokogradnja), irrespective of the particular type or purpose of the building. 3. TECHNICAL CRITERIA, 3.3. Architectural Engineer - Team leader has been amended to read: The proposed Key Expert shall demonstrate experience in leading the preparation of minimum one (1) Final Design (Glavni projekat) documentation for newly built OR reconstructed educational buildings, of a minimum gross floor area (GFA) of 2,000 m², implemented within the last ten (10) years(2015-2025).Documents to establish compliance with the criteria has been amended to read: At least one (1) Final Design (Glavni projekat) documentation for newly built OR reconstructed educational building, of a minimum gross floor area (GFA) of 2,000 m², completed within the last ten (10) years (2015-2025).​4. TECHNICAL CRITERIA, 3.4. Civil Engineer for Construction Works (Građevinski inženjer konstrukcije), 3.5. Civil Engineer for Plumbing and Sewage Works (Građevinski inženjer hidrotehničkih instalacija vodovoda i kanalizacije),3.6. Electrical Engineer (High & Low Voltage), 3.7. Mechanical Engineer, 3.8. Fire Safety Engineer, 3.9. Health and Safety Engineer. - Relevant Computer literacy (AutoCAD and BIM tools) has been removed/deleted.10 .Document "2 Consultant Services RFQ Sections II, III, IV, V. Rev.1" has been uploaded in the tender Document section.Text has been amended in RED. All the other terms and conditions remain unchanged. 

New amendment added #2: Extension of the deadline for offer submission by 08.05.2026

New clarification added: Question: Could you please clarify why the Terms of Reference (ToR) require the design of hydrotechnical installations, given that this is not included in Form 4.1?Answer: As defined in the Terms of Reference, the scope of services includes the development of coordinated multidisciplinary design solutions, including hydrotechnical installations (water supply and sewerage).In Schedule 4.1.A (Breakdown of the Fees and Reimbursable cost), hydrotechnical design is not presented as a separate cost item. Bidders are therefore expected to include the cost of hydrotechnical installations within the relevant Final Design components (e.g. architectural, structural), as appropriate.The financial proposal should be structured strictly in accordance with the provided Schedule 4.1.A, and no additional line items are required.

New clarification added: Question: Please advise, are we supposed to fulfill Schedule 2 on 18 and 19 page of Section II: Schedule of Details? Since, there is no file in Document checklist?Answer: SCHEDULE 5: FORMS, 5.1 Form for Advance Payment Security and  5.2 Form for Performance Security, listed on pages 18 and 19, not need to be filled in and submitted. 

New clarification added: Question: Given that in the Evaluation method and criteria section for the architect and civil engineer for Construction Works you have clearly specified the required experience, and for other engineers you have stated:“Must have a minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience after graduation in relevant engineering design of newly built or reconstructed buildings, with at least five (5) years of licensed practice in building construction design,”could you please clarify how this experience should be proven?Is it necessary to provide supporting evidence as specified in the template?Can the company that worked on those projects issue employer statements confirming that the engineer was involved in specific projects?Answer: The bidders are advised to ensure that all submissions remain aligned with the documentary requirements specified in the RFQ and the prescribed template, including provision of acceptable supporting evidence where required.Employer-issued statements may be submitted as supporting documentation, provided that they clearly confirm the proposed expert’s role, level of involvement, and period of engagement on the referenced project(s). 

New clarification added: Question: We are submitting our application for the subject tender as an individual bidder, with the engagement of subcontractors, in accordance with the applicable legislation of Montenegro, as well as the established practice of submission through the Montenegrin electronic public procurement system (CEJN). We emphasize that the bidder assumes full responsibility for the execution of all works performed by subcontractors, and that it is not our intention to participate in the form of a Joint Venture.In this regard, we kindly request clarification concerning the Instructions to Bidders: is it required to submit Evidence of Tax Compliance  for subcontractors as well?If so, we would appreciate confirmation as to whether a certificate evidencing the submission of a request to the Tax Administration will be accepted, bearing in mind that, due to the implementation of the new IRMS electronic system, additional time may be required for the issuance of the official certificate.We further note that the bid will include a Capacity Reliance Agreement, concluded between the bidder and the subcontractors, for the purposes of this Bid.Answer: It is not required to submit Evidence of Tax Compliance for subcontractors.

New clarification added: Question: Please clarify whether, in the form 0.7 Performance Statement, it is required to include all contracts previously listed under Section 0.4. Additionally, please confirm whether supporting evidence/documentation needs to be provided for the referenced contracts in form 0.4.?Answer: In form 0.4 Capacity and Experience, you should list similar Contracts during the last ten years, as well as all current contracts underway and all contracts committed to start. In the Form 0.7 Performance Statement, you should list the Contracts related to your specific experience, “at least three (3) Final Design (Glavni projekat) references for newly built OR reconstructed building construction (visokogradnja), each for a building of minimum 3,000 m² gross floor area (GFA), completed within the last ten (10) years.  “Template of reference letter for Consultant_Company” should be supported with: copy of the contract on the preparation of technical documentation OR copy of invoice OR reference letter issued by the client OR positive report of the reviewer.

New clarification added: Question:May we kindly ask you to provide us with the exact areas of each building which are subject of reconstruction? Also, please provide us with the Urban Technical Conditions 08-332/23-3846/5.Answer:  According to the issued Urban Technical Conditions No. 08-332/23-3846/5, the following urban parameters are provided for the subject site:Total urban plot area: 6,158 m²Site coverage index (indeks zauzetosti): 0.37, corresponding to approximately 2,278.46 m²Floor area ratio / construction index (indeks izgrađenosti): 0.62, corresponding to approximately 3,817.96 m²These figures are provided as reference information for bidders in preparing their quotations.As further defined in the Urban Technical Conditions, the reconstruction is to be undertaken within the existing building envelopes and primarily relates to floors and intermediate floor structures.The document "Urban planning and technical conditions.pdf" has already been uploaded and could be found in the Tender Documents section.

New clarification added: Question: Please confirm whether it is required to submit a certificate from the criminal records issued by the Ministry of Justice for the bidder, sub-consultants, as well as for all individual experts engaged in the project at the time of submission of the quotation?Answer:  It is not required to submit a certificate from the criminal records issued by the Ministry of Justice for the bidder, sub-consultants and individual experts engaged in the project.

New clarification added: Question: In accordance with the electronic signature system in Montenegro, please kindly confirm whether all forms and required documents may be signed electronically, or if handwritten (wet ink) signatures are required. This clarification also applies to Key Personnel members template and all other forms.Answer: Documents can be signed electronically OR handwritten (wet ink), both options are acceptable for UNOPS.

New clarification added: Question: Due to long given time of waiting on collection of administrative documentation from government institutions, as well as due to the previous holidays, we are kindly asking for an extension of the submission deadline for at least 7 days. We and our partners had large obligations during this period and It is our intention to participate seriously and competitively in this tender, and we hope also in the work itself. Answer: At this time, we are not planning an extension. We encourage you, as well as all other potential Bidders, to gather and compile the documentation. Should an extension be granted, it will be communicated through the system.

New clarification added: Question: Could you please confirm whether, in the case of a Joint Venture consisting of multiple companies, it is acceptable for key experts to be engaged under a service contract (contract for work) and/or a business-technical cooperation agreement (ugovor o delu/ugovor o poslovno tehničkoj saradnji), instead of full-time employment contracts with a single JV member? Answer: As stated in the tender requirements, key experts must provide proof of employment of the licensed professional with the Bidder on a full-time basis, such as: employment contract, OR extract from the relevant employment register. Key experts - individual persons - can not be engaged under a business-technical cooperation agreement (ugovor o delu/ugovor o poslovno tehničkoj saradnji). Business-technical cooperation agreement (ugovor o delu/ugovor o poslovno tehničkoj saradnji) must be signed between the Joint venture parties for the engagement of the particular key expert. For clarity, any such arrangements must be in line with applicable national legislation in Montenegro, specifically Law on Construction of Structures (Zakon o izgradnji objekata).Question: In SECTION I: INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS, Article 17 "The bidder shall furnish a bid security as part of its quotation, if required in the Particulars", states that a bid security is required; however, there is no place in the Document Checklist where it can be submitted. Additionally, in Section II (Evaluation method and Criteria), there is no indication that a bid security is required, only Confirmation Letter of the bank. Kindly request your clarification on this matter.Answer: Bid security is not required in this tender, only a Letter of confirmation on the bank letterhead signed by the authorized bank representatives that in case the bidder is selected a performance guarantee will be issued in the amount of 10% of the total contract amount. 

New clarification added: Question no. 1: Given that a cumulative turnover of EUR 600,000 is required for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, and considering that turnover figures typically include VAT, could you please clarify whether the submitted financial statements/reports should present amounts with or without VAT?Answer 1: Financial statements/reports should be submitted as they are, with VAT amounts included.Question no. 2: With reference to Section 4.6 Sub-consultants, could you please clarify whether there is any other section where sub-consultants should be declared? We are unable to locate Clause 3.8 of the General Conditions. Additionally, please confirm whether this is the only section where sub-consultants need to be indicated, or if they should also be included in other documents, such as the Reference Letter (template) (for consultant/company).Also, should we give for them Company registration document and Evidance of Tax Compliance. Furthermore, please note that our bid will be submitted as a single entity with sub-consultants, and not as a joint venture or consortium. Kindly confirm whether any additional documentation or declarations are required in this case.Answer 2: Section 4.6 Sub-consultants, if applicable, is the only place where the sub-consultants(companies) should be declared. If you are submitting a bid as a single entity with sub-consultants, and not as a joint venture or consortium, you should list in the form Section 4.6 Sub-consultants all sub-consultant companies. Clause 3.8 of the General Conditions can be found in the document “4 Consultant Services Contract for Works_template.pdf” in the Tender Document section.Please note that the engagement of sub-consultants and Key Personnel must be in compliance with the applicable legislation of Montenegro, more specifically the Law on Construction of Structures (Zakon o izgradnji objekata), which prescribes the permitted modalities for engagement of licensed professionals responsible for the preparation of technical documentation.

New clarification added: Question: Could you please confirm whether, for the purpose of demonstrating 2.3. Financial compliance, the last three financial statements may cover the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, given that the Document Checklist currently requests financial statements for 2022, 2023, and 2024?Answer: Copy of the last three financial statements OR audited reports OR solvency reports for 2022, 2023 or 2024 should be submitted. 

New clarification added: Question: In order to confirm the Key Personnel member’s personal professional experience and their role in the preparation of design documentation for building construction (objekti visokogradnje), in accordance with the prescribed template, what is the minimum number of reference projects that should be provided for each Key Personnel member?Answer: The minimum number of reference projects to be provided for each Key Personnel member is not uniform and depends on the specific requirements defined for each position in the tender documentation.As clearly stated in Section II - Evaluation Method and Criteria, under Part 3: Key Personnel proposed, each Key Personnel role has individually defined minimum requirements. For certain Key Personnel positions, a minimum number of reference projects is explicitly required (e.g. Team Leader - minimum one (1) reference project; Civil Engineer for Construction Works - minimum two (2) reference projects), while for other positions, the requirement is defined through a minimum number of years of relevant professional experience rather than a fixed number of reference projects.Therefore, bidders are required to follow the specific criteria defined for each individual Key Personnel position, as outlined in the tender documentation. 

New clarification added: Question 1: In case of a consortium of an international company not registered in Montenegro, and a local company, is it allowed that international company be the lead company of the consortium? Answer 1: Yes, it is allowed for an international company to act as the lead partner of a Joint Venture. However, the Joint Venture as a whole must comply with all tender requirements set out in the RFQ, including any requirements related to licensing and the legal ability to perform engineering/design services in Montenegro.Question 2: Is there any rule on how the evaluation of the references shall be made in case of a consortium? Can the international partners references be the references of the consortium?Answer 2: In the case of a Joint Venture, the evaluation of references will be conducted based on the combined capacity of the JV members. References of international partners may be considered, provided that the Joint Venture collectively meets all qualification requirements defined in the RFQ.Question 3: Is it allowed to provide the international experts' CV and references if they do not possess the required licences in Montenegro?Answer 3: The licensing requirements specified in the RFQ apply to the Bidder (legal entity) and Key personnel positions.International experts may be proposed with CV's and references, but the proposed team must possess all requested licenses for relevant engineering activity issued by the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property of Montenegro.Question 4: In the Technical Criteria, Part 2 states: Proposed methodology, approach and implementation plan. Does this mean that a proposed methodology, approach and implementation plan shall be submitted as a separate document, or is it necessary to include in the Section IV-Returnable schedule? In case of a separate document, is there any rule on the maximum size of this document, number of pages, etc.?Answer 4: The proposed methodology, approach and implementation plan do not have to be submitted as a separate document. Bidder should provide all schedules under Schedule 4 [Contract Schedules from the Bidder] in Section VI: Returnable Schedules, as well as Schedule 4.6 [Sub-consultants]- if applicable, and Schedule 4.2 [Programme] showing each design phase and covering no more than 165 calendar days from the contract commencement date.Question 5: What is meant by 4.2 Programme and 4.3 Method Statement - in SCHEDULE 4: CONTRACT SCHEDULES FROM THE OFFEROR - Are these referring to Proposed methodology, approach and implementation plan?Answer 5: The Bidder should submit Schedule 4.2 [Programme] in accordance with Sub-Clause 4.3 of the General Conditions stipulated in the document “4 Consultant Services Contract for Works_template.pdf”, showing each design phase and covering no more than 165 calendar days from the contract commencement date. Question 6: Is it mandatory for the Fire Safety Engineer and Health and Safety Engineer to have computer literacy in BIM Tools, if they have a valid qualification in AutoCAD?Answer 6: Yes , it is mandatory to have relevant computer literacy in both AutoCAD and BIM. Fire Safety Engineer and Heath and Safety Engineer should state in their CVs the level of computer literacy with regard to AutoCAD and BIM.  A grading scale, in describing literacy level, may be used such as:  basic, advanced, proficient use, or certified.Question 7: Since each phase requires a certain time for completion of the review, including the response of the designer to the review requirements, is the review process included in the time-schedule of each phase or is it calculated separately, and is it necessary to specify this period in the proposed implementation plan?Answer 7: The review process is expected to be integrated within the overall project timeline. As outlined in the RFQ, the implementation of UNOPS Design Review is expected to be carried out in parallel with the development of the technical documentation. Bidders are expected to reflect this approach in their proposed implementation plan. Detailed coordination mechanisms will be clarified with the selected consultant.Question 8: The results for some of the independent verification and mandatory inputs are time-bounding, such as a geological survey or if a stability check needs time to verify depletions? Information on infrastructure may depend on the utility companies' response! How is the time for these surveys and information calculated in regard to to over all project time-schedule?Answer 8: The time required for surveys, verifications, and obtaining input from relevant institutions should be considered by the bidder as part of the overall project planning. The timelines provided in the RFQ assume that such activities are carried out in parallel. Bidders are expected to account for both technical and administrative processes in their proposed implementation plan.Question 9: Since Will the National Design Revison take place after UNOPS 95% review?Answer 9: As stated in the document “2 Consultant Services RFQ Sections II, III, IV, V”, SECTION V: REQUIREMENTS, SCHEDULE 3: REQUIREMENTS OF THE EMPLOYER, 3.1 Scope of Services, 11. Information on the Review and Approval Process (UNOPS and any other as required):Design documentation will undergo a staged UNOPS Design Review (30%, 60%, 90%, 95%) coordinated by the UNOPS IPMG. After incorporation of all review comments, the finalized design will receive the UNOPS Design Review Certificate.The Main Design will then be submitted for National Design Revision by a licensed reviewer in Montenegro, whose positive review report is required to obtain the Building Permit.The Consultant must cooperate throughout the review process and address all comments issued during both review stages.

New clarification added: Question 1: Calculation of the fees for the required services: We would like to ask if the calculation of the fees for the services should be based on the standards for services of Chamber of Engineers/Architects of Montenegro: ‘Standardi Usluga Arhitekata i Inženjera za Izradu Projektne Dokumentacije, Reviziju, Tehnicke Preglede, Stalni Stručni Nadzor, Inženjering i Konsalting za sve Vrste Objekata Visokogradnje – Zgrada’?Answer 1: Calculation of the fees for the services does not have to be based on the standards for services of Chamber of Engineers/Architects of Montenegro: ‘Standardi Usluga Arhitekata i Inženjera za Izradu Projektne Dokumentacije, Reviziju, Tehnicke Preglede, Stalni Stručni Nadzor, Inženjering i Konsalting za sve Vrste Objekata Visokogradnje – Zgrada’. The bidder should submit a financial offer covering all the requested services described in the ToR and Tender requirements.Question 2: In the SCHEDULE 4: CONTRACT SCHEDULES FROM THE OFFEROR, 4.1 Fees and Reimbursable Cost, the list of services does not include Final Design (Glavni Projekat) -Plumbing and Sewage. However, in the list of key personnel,   the Civil Engineer for Plumbing and Sewage Works is required. Should we add the plumbing and sewage design as an additional service line, or should we include it in the mechanical design: Final Design (Glavni projekat) – Mechanical (HVAC)Answer 2: Kindly incorporate the costs associated with the Plumbing and Sewage Works within the Fee description under number 7 Final Design (Glavni projekat) – Mechanical (HVAC)

New amendment added #1: Site Visit / Pre-bid clarification meeting minutes and Urban planning and technical conditions for the Gymnasium in Pljevlja are attached in the Tender Document section.

New clarification added: Question:We are kindly asking for an extension of the submission deadline for at least 7 days so that we can prepare our offer in a high-quality and representative manner, all in accordance with the requested criteria. Thank you very much in advance.Answer:Dear bidder, please note that the deadline for offer submission can not be extended at this time. If there are any changes, you will be informed through the eSourcing system.

New clarification added: Question:Nowhere in the downloaded attachments did we manage to find how much funds were budgeted for the development of all phases of the project. We are interested in whether there is a minimum or maximum figure that can be offered for this project?Answer:Dear Bidder,please note that it is not allowed to share the information about estimated budget for this purposes.Best regards,Procurement Department