PROVISION OF GSM AND GATEWAY SERVICES FOR THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT NAIROBI (UNON)

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) invites suitably qualified firms to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in the upcoming competitive bidding exercise for the provision of GSM and Gateway Services for the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) intends to establish a long-term contract for the provision of comprehensive, secure, reliable, scalable and cost-effective GSM and Gateway Services to support the communication requirements of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and other United Nations entities served by UNON. The services are intended to support more than 5,000 personnel through reliable national and international mobile communication services, gateway connectivity, centralized billing and reporting, technical support, and continuous service improvement. Purpose of the Requirement: The objective of this requirement is to ensure the continuous availability of secure, reliable, scalable, and cost-effective GSM and Gateway Services that: • Provide uninterrupted mobile voice, SMS, data, and gateway communication services to support UNON operations within Kenya and internationally; • Ensure extensive national GSM network coverage and reliable international roaming services to facilitate seamless communication for UN personnel on official duty; • Support secure, resilient, and high-availability communication services for mission-critical business operations and business continuity requirements; • Enhance organizational productivity through flexible, scalable, and innovative communication solutions that respond to evolving operational needs; • Strengthen the safety and security of United Nations personnel by providing dependable communication services and appropriate safeguards against unauthorized usage; and • Provide comprehensive technical support, centralized account management, billing, reporting, and continuous service improvement throughout the contract period. Indicative Scope of Services: The selected service provider will be required to provide comprehensive GSM and Gateway Services, including but not limited to: • Provision, activation, management, and support of enterprise GSM voice, SMS, and mobile data services for UNON corporate users; • Provision of extensive national GSM network coverage and international roaming services supported by established global roaming partnerships; • Provision, installation, configuration, commissioning, and maintenance of E1/SIP gateway connectivity and integration with UNON's Unified Communications infrastructure; • Provision of flexible corporate communication packages, centralized account administration, and class-of-service management to support varying user requirements; • Provision of detailed monthly billing, online account management, usage monitoring, reporting, and billing analytics for corporate GSM services; • Provision of 24/7 Network Operations Centre (NOC), technical support, incident management, service monitoring, and escalation services; • Provision of SIM card lifecycle management, including activation, suspension, replacement, and restoration of services; • Implementation of appropriate security measures to safeguard GSM services against unauthorized use, fraudulent activities, and premium-rate service abuse; • Technical implementation, commissioning, testing, user support, and knowledge transfer to UNON technical personnel; and • Preventive, corrective, and operational support services, together with continuous service improvement and technology upgrades throughout the contract duration. Purpose of the REOI: This Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) is issued solely to identify vendors with the operational capability, technical expertise, and relevant experience to provide GSM and Gateway Services of the nature described above. It is not a solicitation, does not involve the evaluation of pricing or detailed technical proposals, and does not constitute a commitment by UNON to issue a subsequent tender or award a contract. Interested vendors will be requested to complete the accompanying Self-Declaration Form to demonstrate that they possess the minimum qualifications and capability necessary to perform the anticipated services. The information provided will assist UNON in identifying vendors that may be invited to participate in the subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP). Please refer to the assessment criteria contained in the Self-Declaration Form. The contract resulting from the anticipated tendering exercise is expected to be awarded for an initial period of three (3) years, with the option to extend for up to an additional two (2) years, subject to satisfactory performance and the operational requirements of the United Nations. Specific Requirements/Information IMPORTANT: Please note that this REOI is not an invitation for submission of tenders. Its purpose is to identify companies that would be interested and eligible to participate in the solicitation when issued. UNON reserves the right to change or cancel the requirement at any time during the EOI and/or solicitation process. Thus, submitting a reply to this Request for EOI does not automatically guarantee your company will be considered for receipt of the solicitation when issued. Vendors that are deemed qualified upon completion of an objective evaluation of their EOI submission will receive the final tender solicitation documents.