Supply, installation, commissioning and user training of protein sequencing equipment in N'Djamena, Chad

New clarification added: Dear Bidder, Thank you for your query. Kindly find our response to your questions below: ·       End user (name and full address): Laboratoire de l’Institut Tchadien de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (ITRAD), situé à FARCHA, 1er arrondissement de N'Djamena.Brief description:The Chadian Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (ITRAD) is a public scientific and technical institution (EPCST). Its remit covers the areas of crop, fisheries, and forestry production, as well as agri-food technologies, agricultural policies, and the training and mentoring of young national professionals. It is under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and is primarily funded by national subsidies from the public treasury.·       Intended end use of the instrument: To have a system enabling the identification of the N-terminal sequence of purified proteins or peptides, compatible with samples deposited on PVDF membrane or equivalent supports, for research, biotechnology and quality control applications.·       Name of the funding organization (if applicable): The funding orgalization of the project is the World Bank. Contact with a Selected Bidder will be made and administered by UNOPS West-African Multicountry Office. We hope we could clarify your query.Best regards,Procurement UnitUNOPS, WAMCO

New clarification added: Dear UNOPS Tender Team,We are writing to submit a formal clarification request regarding Item 1.1 Automated Edman degradation protein sequencer specified in Section IV Schedule of Requirements of tender  for supply to N’Djamena, Chad.Clarification Question 1: Is Edman degradation technology a mandatory hard requirement?The tender document explicitly specifies equipment based on automated Edman degradation chemistry for N-terminal protein sequencing. We would like to formally confirm whether the instrument must adopt Edman degradation as the core sequencing principle, or equivalent alternative modern protein sequencing technologies (such as mass spectrometry-based N-terminal sequencing, single-molecule protein sequencing) that can fully fulfill the laboratory’s N-terminal identification, protein/peptide analysis and QC objectives are acceptable for bid submission.Supporting industry background for your referenceGlobal market supply status of brand-new Edman degradation sequencers At present, Shimadzu is the only manufacturer worldwide continuously producing brand-new automated Edman degradation protein sequencers. All other historical mainstream brands (including former ABI/Thermo Fisher Procise series) have fully discontinued their Edman sequencing instrument production lines. Any non-Shimadzu Edman-type equipment circulating in the market are second-hand/refurbished units, which usually cannot meet the tender’s requirements for brand-new equipment, long-term stable spare parts supply, 12-month original manufacturer warranty and local after-sales service sustainability in Chad.Availability of alternative sequencing technologies Our company supplies state-of-the-art modern protein sequencing platforms based on alternative analytical principles. These systems can completely realize the core functional goals outlined in the tender: N-terminal amino acid identification, purified protein & peptide characterization, biochemistry/proteomics research and laboratory quality control. Compared with traditional Edman degradation, such alternative technologies deliver advantages including higher sequencing throughput, compatibility with N-terminally blocked modified proteins, superior detection sensitivity at femtomole levels, and broader protein sequence coverage.RequestPlease confirm whether the tender strictly restricts bidders to offer Edman degradation-based sequencers only;If alternative equivalent protein sequencing technologies that meet the lab’s core testing demands are permitted, we will submit full technical comparison documentation, performance data, compliance certificates, local after-sales service scheme and all required tender attachments for our alternative instrument model in our formal bid;If Edman degradation is non-negotiable mandatory technology, we will adjust our bid proposal to provide Shimadzu brand-new Edman sequencer series (PPSQ-51A / PPSQ-53A) fully complying with all tender technical specifications.We appreciate your prompt official written reply to this clarification inquiry before the tender clarification deadline, which will allow us to prepare fully compliant bidding documents accordingly.Should you require additional technical comparison materials or manufacturer market status statements, please do not hesitate to contact us.Best regards,UNOPS Response:Dear Bidder,Thank you for your question. The reference to Edman degradation in the technical specifications designates the conventional analytical technology for the intended application. However, as indicated in the published technical specifications, the phrases “or equivalent technology” and “or equivalent configuration” allow for the submission of alternative technologies.Therefore, we confirm that alternative technologies are acceptable, provided that the proposed solution fulfills the intended functional purpose of the equipment and that the alternative proposal meets the specified technical and performance requirements.Any bidder proposing an alternative technology must provide sufficient technical documentation demonstrating equivalent or superior analytical performance for the intended laboratory applications. The equivalence of the proposed solution will be assessed during the technical evaluation based on the submitted documentation and its compliance with the tender requirements.We hope we could clarify your query.Bewst regards,Procurement UnitUNOPS, WAMCO