Supply of Medical Equipment and Consumables to Samoa

New clarification added: Bidder query: We are preparing our bid for the above-referenced tender and would like to seek your clarification regarding the submission of Form A: Joint Venture Partner Information Form.We have noted that in the eSourcing system's Document Checklist, this form is displayed with a blue title indicating "Document is optional". However, we also understand from your previous response that the submission of local partner and/or freight forwarder details in Samoa is mandatory for all lots.Our company is bidding for Lot 2 and Lot 3, which consist of the following consumable products:LOT2 : Item 1: Mechanical Filter & Item 2: HME FilterLOT3 : Item 1: Adult Oxygen mask + reservoir & Item 2: Paediatric Oxygen mask + reservoirThese are standard medical consumables that do not require on‑site installation, assembly, commissioning, or after‑sales technical support. They are ready‑to‑use disposable items, unlike medical equipment which would necessitate a local service presence.In this context, we wish to bring to your attention the following practical difficulties:1.We do not have any existing local distributor or agent in Samoa. We have contacted a potential local freight forwarder to assist with customs clearance and inland transport, but this is our first‑time cooperation with them, and they have declined to sign the Joint Venture Partner Information Form or assume any joint and several liability with us for the contract obligations.2.Given that our products are consumables with no service requirement, there is no operational need for a local partner to provide installation or after‑sales services – which appears to be the core rationale behind the local partner requirement (particularly for Lot 1, which involves equipment).3.The Document Checklist in the eSourcing platform explicitly marks Form A as "optional", which we interpret as meaning that submission of this form is not a mandatory condition for bid eligibility for our lots.Our Request:Could you please confirm whether, under these circumstances – especially considering that:Form A is marked optional in the Document Checklist;Our bid covers only consumable items (Lot 2 & Lot 3) that do not require local technical support;We are unable to secure a local partner willing to sign the form,we may submit our bid without completing Form A, and instead include a brief explanatory note regarding our situation? Alternatively, if there is any other acceptable document or approach to satisfy this requirement without a signed JV partner form, we would greatly appreciate your guidance.UNOPS Reply: The JV partnership is optional and is primarily applicable to international bidders. As stipulated in the tender document, the bidder’s designated local agent/freight forwarder in Samoa will be responsible for customs clearance and local transportation activities in Samoa, except for Lot 1.Accordingly, all bidders, particularly international bidders, are required to declare the name and details of their designated local agent/freight forwarder in their offer and provide evidence of the contractual arrangement in the form of a signed agreement/contract between the bidder and the designated local agent/freight forwarder.For Lot 1, however, a JV partnership is mandatory, as the scope of supply includes custom clearance, inland transporation, training, installation, commissioning, and related activities at the end user’s final destination. Therefore, the bidder must have an appropriate local partner/JV arrangement to ensure that these activities, including the required training and after-sales support, can be properly delivered in Samoa.

New clarification added: Bidder query: Tax Exemption Certificate (TEC)The Schedule requires the submission of a “Tax Exemption Certificate (TEC)”. We would like to confirm whether this certificate refers to the Certificate of Origin issued by the China Customs or the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) . Could you please specify the exact document you expect, and which authority should issue it? If it is not the Certificate of Origin, could you kindly provide further guidance on the required format or issuing body?UNOPS reply: Please kindly note that the Tax Exemption Certificate (TEC) referred to in the tender requirements is not the Certificate of Origin.The TEC will be issued by the relevant authority in the recipient country (here its Samoa) to facilitate the release of the consignment from customs and to provide an exemption from the applicable duties and taxes in the recipient country.Once the consignment is ready for shipment by the selected supplier, the supplier will be required to provide the necessary shipping and commercial documents, such as the Air Waybill (AWB) / Bill of Lading (B/L), Commercial Invoice, Packing List, etc., to facilitate the issuance of the TEC by the relevant authority in Samoa.UNOPS will facilitate the TEC application process in consultation with the end user, the supplier’s designated local freight forwarder in Samoa, and the supplier, as required.Bidder query: ISO 14001 Environmental Management System CertificationThe tender documents mention ISO 14001 as a qualification criterion. We would like to know whether holding this certification is mandatory for bid evaluation. Specifically, if a bidder does not possess ISO 14001 certification at the time of submission, will they be automatically disqualified from further technical evaluation, or is there an alternative way to demonstrate equivalent environmental management standards?UNOPS reply: Please kindly note that ISO 14001 certification is not mandatory. Bidders may demonstrate compliance with the Sustainability Requirement by submitting one or more of the listed forms of evidence, including an environmental policy, relevant environmental management measures/procedures. Detail can be seen in the tender docs under the Sustainability Requirement of Section IIBidder query: Form A: Joint Venture Partner Information Form (if applicable)The submission checklist includes this form for joint ventures. Our company is a Sino-foreign joint venture with multiple foreign partners. However, our core business operations are carried out under our own company name, and we are the primary bidding entity. For confidentiality reasons, we are unable to disclose the contact details of our partners, nor can we obtain the signature/confirmation from each partner's authorized representative.In this case, may we complete and sign this form solely with our company's own information and signature (i.e., treating our company as the lead bidder), rather than listing all partners? If not, would you consider accepting a statement explaining the situation, or is there any alternative document we can provide to satisfy this requirement without compromising our partners' confidentiality?UNOPS reply: Please kindly note that the required information regarding the proposed local partner and/or freight forwarder in Samoa must be provided as part of the offer for all lots.The JV partner and/or local freight forwarder must be based in Samoa and shall be responsible for all applicable freight forwarding and transportation activities under the contract within Samoa.For Lot 1, in addition to the above requirement, the bidder must have either a local presence in Samoa or a local agent in the Pacific region, acting as a JV partner, to provide installation/assembly and after-sales services.Therefore, the submission of the required local partner and/or freight forwarder details is a mandatory requirement and cannot be waived.