Design and Build of five (5) Wastewater Treatment Plants and one Chemical Storage at Thermal Power Plant of Kosovo B, in Kosovo

New amendment added #3: Please be advised of the following updates to the tender schedule and eSourcing requirements:Second Mandatory Site Visit Added: An additional site inspection is scheduled for Friday, September 25, 2026, at 13:00 hrs (Registration deadline: Wednesday, September 23, 2026). Further details can be found under the Particulars tab of the tender. Attendance at a site visit remains a mandatory prerequisite for submitting a bid. However, offerors who attended the initial inspection on August 31, 2026, have already satisfied this requirement and do not need to attend again.Clarification Deadline Extended: The deadline for clarifications has been extended to Friday, October 2, 2026. Please note that the Tender Submission Deadline remains unchanged at Monday, October 26, 2026.Additional Tender Documentation : Please be advised that "Section I – Instructions to Offerors" (file: Section I - INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS.pdf, uploaded on 17 September 2026) has been published in the Documents tab and forms an integral part of RFP/2026/63431. Offerors shall read Section I together with the Particulars and all other tender documents, and shall confirm receipt of this amendment in Schedule 0.11 [Acknowledgement of the Addenda].Updated  Section IV – Price Schedule Form (Update 2) is attached to the tender. Insurance validity periods in items 1.1.1–1.1.3 of Schedule 2.1B-1 are being corrected.UNOPS advises all offerors to review the published amendment carefully and remain up to date with the tender documentation.

New clarification added: Question : Could you please provide the complete “Section I: Instructions to Offerors” applicable to RFP/2026/63431, including Article 4 – Offeror Eligibility and Article 11 – Content of Proposal Submissions?Answer : Section I: Instructions to Offerors, including Article 4 [Offeror Eligibility] and Article 11 [Content of Proposal Submissions], has been published in the Documents tab of the eSourcing system (file: Section I - INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS.pdf, uploaded on 17 September 2026). It forms an integral part of RFP/2026/63431, as confirmed in Amendment No. 3. Offerors shall acknowledge the amendment in Schedule 0.11 [Acknowledgement of the Addenda].Question : If Section I was not intended to be issued as a separate document, could UNOPS please identify the document(s), section(s), or e-Sourcing requirements that constitute the authoritative equivalent of Articles 4 and 11?Answer : Please refer to the response to Clarification No. 31. Section I was intended to form part of the tender package and has now been published. No other document is to be considered an equivalent of Articles 4 and 11. Section I shall be read together with the Particulars, Section II: Evaluation Method and Criteria, and Section IV: Returnable Schedules.Question : Could UNOPS please confirm the complete eligibility criteria applicable to the present RFP, including whether the eligibility requirements are limited to those expressly stated in Section II – Evaluation Method and Criteria and the other documents currently available to bidders?Answer : UNOPS confirms that eligibility and qualification are assessed only against the requirements in the RFP documents published in eSourcing, as amended by the addenda issued to date. No undisclosed criteria will be applied. The relevant documents are the Particulars, Section I – Instructions to Offerors Section II – Evaluation Method and Criteria, , Section IV – Returnable Schedules, and the Terms of Reference.Question : Could UNOPS please confirm the complete list of documents and technical documentation that constitute the “Content of Proposal Submissions” referred to under Article 11, including any requirements contained only in the e-Sourcing portal or submission placeholder fields?Answer : In accordance with Article 11, the Proposal must consist of the completed, signed, and dated returnable schedules located in Section IV: Returnable Schedules (Update 1), along with all annexed supporting documents. For the complete, consolidated list of required documents—including any specific eSourcing platform requirements—please refer to both Schedule 0.13 [Proposal Checklist] and the eSourcing system checklist (When submitting the bid).Question : For the avoidance of doubt, could UNOPS please confirm that no bidder will be considered non-compliant for failure to submit a document or satisfy a requirement contained exclusively in the missing Section I, Article 4 or Article 11, unless that requirement has been made available to all bidders through an official tender document, addendum, clarification, or clearly identified e-Sourcing requirement?Answer : Section I: Instructions to Offerors has been published in the eSourcing Documents tab and incorporated into the tender by Amendment No. 3. It is an integral part of RFP/2026/63431 and is available to all offerors on equal terms. Its requirements, including Articles 4 and 11, apply to all proposals, and offerors shall take its content into account when preparing their proposals. Proposals will be assessed in accordance with Section I and Section II: Evaluation Method and Criteria, as amended.

New clarification added: QUESTION :  We would like to participate in the published tender; however, due to various circumstances, it was unable to attend the site visit as required. Therefore, respectfully requests that the requirement set out in Section I, paragraph 4(vi), be amended so that the site visit is recommended rather than an automatic ground for rejection. If UNOPS considers physical attendance indispensable, we request at least one additional site visit, open to all prospective bidders on equal terms.Grounds for the requestThe RFP was published on 17 August 2026. The Tender Particulars in eSourcing displayed 16 July 2026 as the site visit date, while the detailed instructions stated 31 August 2026. Based on the times displayed in the official record, this inconsistency was corrected on 27 August at 16:24, approximately 24 hours and 36 minutes before registration closed on 28 August at 17:00 CEST.The rule that attendance by one Joint Venture (JV) member was sufficient had been communicated earlier. However, the express clarification that attendance by a subcontractor would not be accepted, and that the participating legal entity had to be the bidder JV member, is recorded as edited on 28 August at 16:29. According to the displayed times, only 31 minutes remained before registration closed. As the public ‘Edited on’ field does not identify the applicable time zone, we request that UNOPS confirm the operative publication time and time zone. The site visit was held only once, on 31 August, while the proposal submission deadline is 26 October 2026.Proportionality and effective competitionWe recognise the importance of the site visit for understanding technical conditions and safety requirements. However, automatic rejection because an bidderdid not attend a single, non-repeated event does not assess that offeror’s technical, financial or professional capacity. In the circumstances, the requirement has a disproportionate exclusionary effect and restricts competition beyond what appears necessary.Section II, criterion 2.1, already awards four points for an offeror’s ‘Understanding of scope, site and constraints’, assessed through Schedule 2.3 and Schedule 2.2 (Programme). Section 3.3 of the Terms of Reference indicates that controlled physical inspection and surveying can be coordinated through the UNOPS Project Manager. These provisions support a substantive assessment of site knowledge and the feasibility of another controlled visit, subject to the same safety requirements.Section 6.7 of the UNOPS Procurement Manual requires sufficient time for suppliers to plan attendance and provides that site inspections are not mandatory unless valid reasons exist. Where attendance is mandatory, it must be required in a non-discriminatory manner. Sections 1.4.2, 1.4.3 and 1.5.2 protect equal opportunities, effective competition and the avoidance of unnecessarily restrictive conditions, while section 6.6.4 permits UNOPS to amend the solicitation documents before the submission deadline.Answer: UNOPS thanks the offeror for its request.Attendance at a site inspection remains a mandatory eligibility requirement.To ensure equal opportunity for all prospective offerors, a second mandatory site inspection has been scheduled by Amendment No. 3. It is open to all prospective offerors on equal terms:IMPORTAN NOTE  : Attendance at a site visit remains a mandatory prerequisite for submitting a bid. However, offerors who attended the initial inspection on August 31, 2026, have already satisfied this requirement and do not need to attend again.A group Site inspection will be held as follows:Date: Friday, September 25, 2026Time: 13:00 hrs (CEST, UTC+2)Facility: Kosovo B Power Plant (Termocentrali Kosova B)Location: Obiliq, Kosovo (approx. 10 km west of Pristina)GPS coordinates: 42.6931, 21.0560Assembly point: Main security gate, no later than 15 minutes before the stated timeInterested parties shall register no later than two (2) days before the Site inspection, i.e. by Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 17:00 hrs (CEST, UTC+2), using the following link:https://forms.gle/nLYdXZjPu9A842qZ7Registration shall state the offeror's name and the full name, position, passport/ID number and nationality of each attending representative. Registrations received after the deadline cannot be accommodated, as site access is subject to security clearance by the plant operator.Arrival and site accessCheck-in: All visitors shall register at the main security gate prior to site entry.Identification: Photo ID or passport is required at security control, matching the details submitted at registration.Mandatory PPE: Safety helmet, high-visibility vest and steel-toe safety boots are required for all visitors entering operational areas. Attendees shall provide their own PPE; access to operational areas will be refused without it.All attendees shall comply with the site safety rules of the plant operator and with the requirements referred to in Appendix 3-E [Health and Safety for Site Works].All costs associated with attending the Site inspection are borne by the offeror. Statements made during the Site inspection do not amend the RFP. Any clarification arising will be issued in writing to all offerors in accordance with Article 8

New clarification added: Clarification request no. 8We would kindly like to ask Employer to publish list of all minimum required construction machinery for civil works.Clarification response no. 8For a Design & Build contract, the Contractor is responsible for determining the equipment necessary to execute the Works based on its proposed methodology, programme, sequencing and site conditions. Accordingly, UNOPS will not prescribe a minimum list of construction machinery for the civil works.As provided in Section IV – Returnable Schedules, Schedule 2.7 [Contractor’s Equipment and Machinery], each Offeror shall identify the equipment and machinery it proposes to use, including the description, number of units and relevant remarks, including whether the equipment is owned or rented.The proposed equipment and machinery shall be adequate for the nature, scale and timely execution of the Works and shall comply with the applicable Contract requirements.

New clarification added: Clarification request no. 7Please confirm our understanding that for position Quality Control Engineer we can also nominate person with education from other technical sciences (mechanical, electrical,…). Now only construction is allowed and this is highly limiting. Clarification response no. 7The requirement may also be met by candidates holding a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or another relevant technical engineering discipline, provided that the proposed person has at least seven (7) years of relevant experience in civil engineering, quality assurance, construction management, or construction-related quality control and can demonstrate experience appropriate to the responsibilities of the Quality Control Engineer.A Mechanical or Electrical Engineer may therefore be proposed for this position where their professional experience demonstrates sufficient competence in construction quality assurance and quality control.This information has also been provided in the amended TOR.

New clarification added: Clarification request no. 6Please confirm our understanding that one person can be nominated on more positions (for example two) as long as it’s qualifications meet all the required qualifications as per single position. This is usual practice in similar tenders. Thank you in advance for your confirmation.Clarification response no. 6Each Key Personnel position shall be filled by a separate individual who meets the qualification and experience requirements specified for that position, as set out in the ToR and Section II – Evaluation Method and Criteria. In addition, each Key Person must be available for the period foreseen for the respective position, as specified in the ToR. The same individual should therefore not be nominated for more than one Key Personnel position.

New clarification added: Clarification request no. 5We would kindly like to ask when can we expect to receive minutes of the site visit, from 31st August?Clarification response no. 5The minutes of the mandatory site visit held on 31 August 2026 have been published through the UNOPS eSourcing portal on 3 September 2026.

New amendment added #2: Kindly note the following documents and eSourcing sections that have been amended: 1. Update of the Returnable Form, specifically Schedule 0.2.2. Update of the Price Schedule Form.3. Update of the Terms of Reference (ToR) document, Section 5.6. Contract Payments and Section 10. Proposed Project Team and Organisational Structure Evaluation Criteria - Quality Control Engineer.4. Update of the Performance Bank Guarantee requirements section in the eSourcing.5. Mandatory Site Visit Minutes have been uploaded at the Documents Section Tab in the eSourcing.Please note that the removed requirements/specifications are marked with strikethrough, while the newly added requirements have been highlighted in red.UNOPS advises to remain up to date with the published amendment. 

New clarification added: Part 2 of clarifications no. 36. Mechanical Materials and Stainless-Steel GradesThe Mechanical Requirements frequently refer to “stainless steel” or “suitable stainless steel” without specifying the required grade.Please confirm the minimum stainless-steel grades required for equipment, piping and components used in wastewater, sludge and chemical services.Response:As this is a Design & Build Contract, the Contractor is responsible for selecting and demonstrating the suitability of materials for each process and service condition.Where the Employer’s Requirements specify “stainless steel” or “suitable stainless steel” without defining a grade, EN 1.4404 (AISI 316L) shall be considered the minimum grade for wetted process pipework, fittings, flanges and components in wastewater and sludge service.For chemical services, and wherever operating conditions are more aggressive, the Contractor shall select a more corrosion-resistant material where required, based on the actual chemical composition, concentration, chloride content, pH, temperature, sulfides and operating environment.The proposed material grades and corrosion-resistance basis shall be clearly identified and justified in the Contractor’s design submissions. Any more stringent material requirement stated elsewhere in the Employer’s Requirements shall remain applicable.Reference: Employer’s Requirements – Volume 3, Appendix 3-A: Mechanical Requirements, together with the applicable EN/international standards and the wastewater analysis data provided with the tender. The ToR confirms Appendix 3-A as part of the Employer’s Requirements.7. Liquid Assets and Credit FacilitiesPlease confirm the minimum amount of liquid assets, lines of credit or other financial resources that the Bidder is required to demonstrate for this Contract.In the case of a Joint Venture, please also confirm whether this requirement may be met by all JV members combined and whether any minimum percentage must be demonstrated by the Lead Member or by each individual member.Response:The Offeror must demonstrate sufficient liquidity and financial capacity by meeting the specified requirement of an average current ratio (current assets/current liabilities) of ≥ 1.0 over the last three (3) years.In the case of a Joint Venture, this requirement must be met separately by each JV partner. The current ratio of the JV members cannot be combined to meet the requirement.No additional lines of credit or other financial resources are required or considered under this financial capability criteria. 

New clarification added: Clarification request no. 31. Construction Permit DocumentationPlease clarify which statutory and administrative fees associated with obtaining the Construction Conditions and Construction Permit documentation shall be borne by the Contractor.Response:Construction Permit fees are expected to be paid by the Beneficiary (KEK), where such statutory fees are identified as the Beneficiary/Employer’s responsibility.However, the Contractor remains responsible for preparing the complete design and technical documentation required for the Construction Permit and for supporting and progressing the statutory approval process.The Final/Detailed Design and all related design documentation shall be prepared in both English and Albanian. The Albanian version is required for documentation to be submitted on behalf of KEK to the competent authorities in Kosovo. The ToR specifically requires all design documentation to be provided in both English and Albanian.2. Main Electrical ConnectionPlease confirm the exact existing 6.3 kV feeder and cubicle designated for the connection of the new 1,000 kVA transformer at WWTP-B.Response:As explained during the mandatory site visit, spare 6.3 kV electrical cubicle(s) are available within the Kosovo B facility for connection of the new 1,000 kVA transformer serving WWTP-B.A specific feeder/cubicle is not designated at tender stage. The final connection point will be confirmed during the detailed design and coordinated with UNOPS/KEK based on the available cubicle and existing electrical system configuration.The Contractor shall include in its scope all necessary 6.3 kV cabling, cable trays, ducts/canals, terminations and associated connection works from the designated cubicle to the new transformer.3. SCADA Control RoomPlease confirm the exact location of the new SCADA control room/operator room for the WWTP system and clarify whether:An existing room will be allocated and adapted for this purpose; orA new control room/building shall be designed and constructed by the Contractor. Response: The Employer’s Requirements do not prescribe a fixed location for the central SCADA control/operator room or identify an existing room to be allocated for this purpose.As this is a Design & Build Contract, the Contractor shall develop the SCADA control architecture and propose the appropriate location for the central operator/control room as part of the design, ensuring effective monitoring, supervision and control of all WWTPs. The Employer’s Requirements specifically require the Contractor to provide the specialist SCADA system(s).Taking into consideration the planned phased implementation of the Works, it is recommended that the central SCADA/operator room be established within one of the WWTP facilities implemented at an early stage, so that it can support operation and supervision as subsequent WWTPs are completed.WWTP-B is considered the most suitable location, as the Employer’s Requirements already provide for a plant building and main electrical room at this facility. WWTP-C may also be considered by the Contractor as part of its design solution; however, the current Employer’s Requirements do not provide for a building at WWTP-C. The final location and arrangement shall therefore be justified by the Contractor and submitted for Employer review and approval4. Design Working LifePlease confirm the required design working life of the civil structures and buildings, as well as the minimum required service life of the mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and control equipment.Please also clarify whether shorter service lives are acceptable for replaceable equipment and components, subject to the specified operation, maintenance and replacement requirements.Response: As specified in the Employer’s Requirements – Volume 3: Technical Specification, Sections 1.1 “Aims and Objectives” and 3.5 “Maintaining Waste Water Emissions Performance over Long Term,” the WWTPs are required to have an overall design and operational life of at least 25 years.Civil structures and buildings shall be designed accordingly. Shorter service lives are acceptable for normally replaceable mechanical, electrical and I&C equipment, provided their maintenance and replacement do not compromise the required 25-year plant performance, reliability, safety and compliance.5. Concrete Classes and Durability RequirementsPlease confirm whether there are limitations related to concrete classes and exposure classes  prescribed for the buildings, underground structures, water-retaining structures and wastewater-containing structures.Response:As this is a Design & Build Contract, the Contractor is responsible for determining and justifying the appropriate concrete strength classes, exposure classes, cover, durability and protection requirements for each structure as part of the detailed design. The development of the design is expressly the Contractor’s responsibility.The Employer’s Requirements do not establish one uniform concrete or exposure class for all structures. The Contractor shall select the appropriate classes for buildings, underground structures, water-retaining and wastewater-containing structures, taking account of the actual environmental and chemical exposure, watertightness and the required long-term performance.The design shall comply with Volume 3 – Appendix 3-B: Civil Requirements, applicable national/international structural standards, and relevant liquid-retaining structure requirements. The applicable stricter requirement shall govern where standards differ.The proposed concrete and exposure classes shall therefore be defined, justified and submitted by the Contractor as part of the design for review and approval.The response for question 6 and 7 will follow in a separate clarification. 

New clarification added: Clarification request 2 for question no. 77. Governing design flows and loadsQuery: Different documents contain differing design flow information, including the WWTP-C figures in Annex I and V3 Technical Specification. Please issue or identify the governing consolidated design-basis matrix for all five WWTPs, including minimum, average, peak and design flows; pollutant loads; future FGD contribution; redundancy requirements; and required discharge limits.Response to question no. 7The governing design requirements for the Works are those stated in the Employer’s Requirements, principally Volume 3 – Technical Specification, including Section 4.2 and the relevant Volume 3 appendices. Annex I – TPP Kosovo B Wastewater Background Information provides historical and background information on the existing wastewater streams and operating conditions. The ToR specifically directs bidders to Volume 3, Section 4.2 for the detailed requirements for the WWTPs.Accordingly, where design flow or treatment requirements differ between the historical information in Annex I and the requirements stated in Volume 3, bidders shall use the requirements stated in Volume 3 as the design basis. Annex I records a combination of continuous and irregular wastewater streams and should be used as supporting background information.As this is a Design & Build Contract, the Contractor shall develop and substantiate the final hydraulic and process design basis for each WWTP, including the applicable minimum, average, peak and design flows, pollutant loads, hydraulic/process capacity and operating scenarios, based on the Employer’s Requirements and the wastewater information provided with the tender.Bidders should also take into account that TPP Kosovo B operates continuously on a 24/7 basis. Accordingly, certain process wastewater streams are continuous or relatively steady, while others are intermittent or variable depending on the specific plant process and operating conditions. In particular, WWTP-C flows are strongly influenced by stormwater events, while sanitary flows to WWTP-E may vary with workforce shift patterns. The Contractor shall account for the operating characteristics of each individual wastewater stream when establishing the minimum, average, peak and design flows.For WWTP-D, the design shall account for the FGD plant effluents together with the Water Treatment Plant effluents, as required by the Employer’s Requirements.The applicable redundancy requirements shall be those specified in the Employer’s Requirements and relevant technical specifications; no additional redundancy requirement is introduced by this clarification.The required treated-effluent quality shall comply with the applicable discharge limits specified in Volume 3, Appendices 3-1 and 3-2, covering the relevant EU and Kosovo requirements.No separate consolidated design-basis matrix is issued by this clarification. The Contractor shall identify and clearly document its proposed design basis and assumptions for each WWTP as part of the design submissions. 

New clarification added: Kindly note of the following re-clarification regarding question 12 of the Clarification request no. 2:12. Retention and performance securityQuery: The Tender Particulars specify a 10% Performance Security and the ToR refers to 10% retention, with staged release during the 12-month Defects Notification Period. Please confirm these percentages and release conditions in the completed Contract Schedule, including whether the Performance Security may be reduced after Taking Over.Re-clarification response:The percentages and applicable release conditions have been amended and shall be as follows:Performance Security: The Performance Bank Guarantee shall be 5% of the Contract Price. It shall remain valid and be held for the entire Contract Period and until the end of the Defects Notification Period (DNP). Accordingly, the Performance Security shall not be reduced following Taking Over and shall remain in place until the expiry of the DNP.Retention: 5% shall be withheld from each Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) / payment milestone. Fifty percent (50%) of the total accumulated Retention amount shall be released upon issuance of the Completion Certificate, and the remaining fifty percent (50%) shall be released upon the expiry of the DNP.This amendment will reflect in the esourcing as well as in the ToR document.

New clarification added: Question :  A company  registered four representatives within the stated deadline and intends to attend the mandatory Site Inspection on 31 August 2026. The final consortium and contracting structure is still being determined, the company  may ultimately participate as a declared local subcontractor rather than as the lead offeror or a formal JV member. Would attendance by the representatives registered by A company satisfy the mandatory Site Inspection requirement for a subsequent proposal submitted by a different lead offeror or JV, provided that the attendees carry a written authorisation from that lead offeror/JV and a company is identified in the proposal as a declared subcontractor?Answer : No. Attendance at the mandatory Site Inspection is an eligibility condition of the offeror. Under Section I, Article 4(vi), an offeror that did not attend, in person or through a duly authorised representative, is ineligible to submit a proposal and its proposal will be rejected as non-compliant. In the case of a joint venture, attendance by any one JV member satisfies the requirement for the whole JV. The requirement does not extend to subcontractors: attendance by an entity that is subsequently declared only as a subcontractor does not count as attendance by the lead offeror or any JV member.Question : If this would not satisfy the requirement, may the existing registration be amended before the Site Inspection to identify the prospective lead offeror/JV while retaining the same registered attendees? If so, please specify the form of authorisation and any information that must be submitted.Answer: Yes. The existing registration may be amended up to the registration deadline of 28 August 2026, 17:00 CEST, retaining the same individuals. The amendment must be sent via registration form  :https://forms.gle/oWvHnFsXp1KCxzrr5 Question : Does the offeror/JV identity need to have been finalised and registered by the registration deadline of 28 August 2026 at 17:00 CEST, or is attendance through a duly authorised representative sufficient under the Site Inspection notice?Answer : The final JV composition need not be finalised or registered by the registration deadline. What must be identified by the deadline is the entity on whose behalf each representative attends. That entity must appear in the eventual proposal as the offeror or as a JV member

New clarification added: 9. Time for Completion and sectional milestonesQuery: The ToR refers approximately to six months for design and two years for construction and commissioning, while the Contract Schedule of Details is blank. Please confirm the binding overall Time for Completion and whether separate completion periods or delay damages apply to individual WWTPs, the chemical storage facility, training and joint-operation stages.Response: The durations stated in the ToR are indicative planning durations. The ToR envisages approximately six (6) months for design, with construction and commissioning implemented in two phases, together with the required training and joint-operation activities.As stated in ToR, Section 3.3 – Site Restrictions (page 13), the proposed phasing reflects the interface with the ongoing ESP/NOx Project at the operational Kosovo B power station and the resulting potential restrictions on access and concurrent construction activities. The ToR therefore anticipates an initial phase for WWTP B, C and E, followed by WWTP A, D and the Chemical Storage Building, subject to actual site conditions and coordination requirements.The detailed sequencing and whether activities are undertaken simultaneously or sequentially will depend on the bidder’s proposed methodology, resources and programme. Individual facilities may therefore be designed, constructed, commissioned and taken over at different times.Where individual facilities are established as separate contractual Sections, the applicable Time for Completion will be defined for each Section in the Contract Schedules. Taking Over, the Defects Notification Period and Delay Damages will then apply separately to the relevant Section in accordance with the Contract. The overall and sectional completion requirements will be reflected in the completed Contract Schedules.10. Gender participation requirementQuery: The pre-bid information refers to involvement of at least three female staff, while the formal evaluation criteria award points for one or two women in Key Personnel positions 4.2–4.7. Please confirm whether three female staff is a mandatory compliance requirement, a project implementation objective, or only part of the scored sustainability criterion.Response: There is no minimum number of female personnel required. The provision is a scored sustainability criterion, not a mandatory compliance requirement, and no proposal will be rejected on this basis.Under Section II, criterion 4.5 [Sustainability Criteria], two or more women proposed in Key Personnel positions 4.2–4.7 receive the maximum 3 points; one woman receives 1 point.The reference at the pre-bid meeting to the engagement of at least three persons concerns university engineering trainees during implementation and does not establish a requirement for three female Key Personnel. Section II [Evaluation Methods and Criteria] governs the evaluation of proposals.11. Surveys and technical investigationsQuery: Please confirm whether updated geotechnical, topographical, environmental and utility survey information will be issued before the clarification deadline. If not, please clarify which investigations must be undertaken by the Contractor after award and how bidders should price risks arising from incomplete or non-warranted site information.Response:  As stated in Price Schedule 2.1B – General Items, Item 1.1 (Note), the geodetic/topographical surveys and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are currently in progress under a separate Employer contract and are expected to be completed in October 2026. These activities are excluded from the Contractor’s scope and, once completed, the documents will be provided to the awarded Contractor as baseline data.However, bidders must include in their pricing all other necessary investigations and design verifications specified under Item 1.1. These include geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations, laboratory testing, wastewater sampling and treatability testing, underground utility scanning and mapping, site inspections, and baseline data verification.12. Retention and performance securityQuery: The Tender Particulars specify a 10% Performance Security and the ToR refers to 10% retention, with staged release during the 12-month Defects Notification Period. Please confirm these percentages and release conditions in the completed Contract Schedule, including whether the Performance Security may be reduced after Taking Over.Response: The required Performance Security is 10% of the Contract Price. A 10% retention is to be deducted from applicable interim/milestone payments, with 50% of the accumulated retention released upon Taking Over/commencement of the Defects Notification Period and the remaining 50% following expiry of the 12-month DNP, subject to completion of outstanding defect-remedial obligations.

New clarification added: 1. Schedule 0.2 – Ethiopia-specific requirementsQuery: Schedule 0.2 requests a business licence valid in Addis Ababa/Ethiopia and a Grade-1 General/Building Contractor registration. Please confirm that these requirements were included in error and clarify the registration evidence required from an international bidder or JV member for this Kosovo project, both at proposal submission and before contract signing.Response: CONFIRMED: The Ethiopia-specific licence and Grade-1 contractor requirements in Schedule 0.2 were included in error and do not apply to this procurement. For a JV, at least one partner performing works or design services in Kosovo must hold the required Kosovo registration by Contract signing. A revised Schedule 0.2 will be issued.2. Price Schedule formulaQuery: In worksheet “2.1B-1 Preliminaries & General A”, cell F13 for EMS Requirements refers to F89, while cell F14 for Utility Connections also refers to F89. The EMS subtotal appears to be in F84. Please issue a corrected official Excel Price Schedule and confirm that bidders should not independently modify the protected formulas.Response: CONFIRMED: The formula error is confirmed. UNOPS will issue a corrected Excel Price Schedule through eSourcing. Bidders shall use the revised file and must not modify the protected formulas.3. Incomplete Schedule of DetailsQuery: The Design-Build Contract contains “[insert]” placeholders for several material commercial provisions, including Time for Completion, Defects Notification Period, access date, working hours, delay damages rate and cap, provisional sum percentage, retention, currency of payment, liability cap and place of arbitration. Please issue a completed Schedule of Details before the clarification deadline.Response: UNOPS confirms that the Design-Build Contract issued with this RFP is the form of contract that will be executed with the successful offeror, and that Schedule 1 [Schedule of Details] will be completed at contract award. Provisions such as Time for Completion, the Defects Notification Period and delay damages, etc are set out in the Particulars of this RFP, Annex A [Terms of Reference] and Annex B [Employer's Requirements]. Offerors are invited to submit any further specific queries through the clarification procedure under Section I, Article 8.4. Advance/mobilisation paymentQuery: The eSourcing Tender Particulars state that advance payment is not allowed, while ToR Section 5.6 states that mobilisation payments may be payable against a UNOPS-approved Bank Guarantee. Please confirm which provision prevails.Response: No advance payment shall be assumed. Payments will be made against certified Contract milestones. The ToR reference to possible mobilisation payment does not create an entitlement.5. Whole-Life Cost informationQuery: Addendum No. 001 requests whole-life cost estimates and operational strategies. However, Section II requires the technical proposal to contain physical quantities only and warns that financial information in the technical proposal may lead to rejection. Please confirm whether: (a) the technical proposal should contain only physical consumption/replacement quantities; and (b) all monetary whole-life cost information should be included exclusively in the financial proposal. If monetary whole-life costs are required, please identify the relevant Price Schedule line or form.Response: (a) Confirmed. The Technical Proposal shall contain physical lifecycle quantities only — energy consumption, chemical and reagent dosing, sludge production, and replacement intervals and quantities for consumable and wear items — without prices, rates, currency symbols or cost totals. (b) No monetary whole-life cost submission is required, in either the Technical or the Financial Proposal. There is accordingly no Price Schedule line for whole-life costs. The Financial Proposal comprises Schedules 2.1.A, 2.1.B and 2.1.C only, as issued.The information requested under Addendum No. 001 is sought as a technical demonstration of operational efficiency and maintainability over the design life, and shall be submitted within Schedule 2.3 [Method Statement]. Submission of lifecycle information in physical quantities in accordance with this response will not be treated as financial information in the Technical Proposal and will not give rise to rejection under Section II.6. Existing wastewater network and open canalsQuery: Annex IV refers to approximately 6.4 km of existing wastewater networks and approximately 1.7 km of open canals that may require cleaning, rehabilitation, reconstruction or replacement, while the exact quantities and conditions remain uncertain. Please confirm whether all such works are included in the lump-sum price. If they are to be treated as provisional sums or remeasured works, please provide the applicable quantities, provisional amounts, measurement rules and Price Schedule items.Response: CONFIRMED: A new item WN.5 – Open Canal Reconstruction has been added to Price Schedule 2.1B-11 – WN Wastewater Network for the approximately 1,700 m of open discharge canals. Bidders shall price this item in the revised Price Schedule.7. Governing design flows and loadsQuery: Different documents contain differing design flow information, including the WWTP-C figures in Annex I and V3 Technical Specification. Please issue or identify the governing consolidated design-basis matrix for all five WWTPs, including minimum, average, peak and design flows; pollutant loads; future FGD contribution; redundancy requirements; and required discharge limits.Response: Your question is well received, we will provide a response to this query in the coming days.8. Site inspection dateQuery: The Tender Particulars display 16 July 2026 as the site inspection date, while the detailed instructions specify the mandatory inspection on 31 August 2026 at 13:00 CEST. Please confirm that 31 August 2026 is the correct and governing date.Response: CONFIRMED: The mandatory Site Inspection will be held on Monday, 31 August 2026 at 13:00 hrs (CEST, UTC+2) at the Kosovo B Power Plant (Termocentrali Kosova B), Obiliq. Assembly is at the main security gate no later than 12:45 hrs.The date of 16 July 2026 shown in the eSourcing Particulars field is an error and shall be disregarded. It will be corrected by Amendment on the eSourcing platform. In the event of any inconsistency, the date stated in this response and in the Site inspection details governs.

New amendment added #1: To Add Pre-Biding Meeting Minutes to the tender. 

New clarification added: Dear Supplier, This is a kind Reminder to register for Mandatory Cite Visit. Please note, that the attendance is mandatory and is a prerequisite for submitting a proposal. Proposals from offerors who did not attend the Site inspection, in person or through a duly authorised representative, will be rejected as non-compliant. In the case of a joint venture, attendance by any one member satisfies this requirement on behalf of the joint venture.RegistrationInterested parties shall register no later than two (2) days before the Site inspection, i.e. by Friday, 28 August 2026 at 17:00 hrs (CEST, UTC+2), using the following link:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9NY98EZVybWjpLp3QF-S3hDA0Qu1nUSks83mEO-DNmgkQhQ/viewformRegistration shall state the offeror's name and the full name, position, passport/ID number and nationality of each attending representative. Registrations received after the deadline cannot be accommodated, as site access is subject to security clearance by the plant operator.Additional Details of the Mandatory Site Inspection: A group Site inspection will be held as follows:Date: Monday, 31 August 2026Time: 13:00 hrs (CEST, UTC+2)Facility: Kosovo B Power Plant (Termocentrali Kosova B)Location: Obiliq, Kosovo (approx. 10 km west of Pristina)GPS coordinates: 42.6931, 21.0560Assembly point: Main security gate, no later than 15 minutes before the stated timeArrival and site accessCheck-in: All visitors shall register at the main security gate prior to site entry.Identification: Photo ID or passport is required at security control, matching the details submitted at registration.Mandatory PPE: Safety helmet, high-visibility vest and steel-toe safety boots are required for all visitors entering operational areas. Attendees shall provide their own PPE; access to operational areas will be refused without it.All attendees shall comply with the site safety rules of the plant operator and with the requirements referred to in Appendix 3-E [Health and Safety for Site Works].All costs associated with attending the Site inspection are borne by the offeror. Statements made during the Site inspection do not amend the RFP

New clarification added: Clarification request no. 1We are seeking clarification regarding the application of Qualification Criterion 3 in Section II: Evaluation Method and Criteria, which states:"The offeror has been in continuous business in the infrastructure and infrastructure design sector during the last 10 years."We note that Qualification Criteria 1, 2, and 4 each include an explicit sub-clause specifying how the requirement applies to Joint Venture (JV) proposals:Criterion 1 (current ratio): "JV application: The requirement must be met by all JV partners separately."Criterion 2 (annual turnover): "JV application: May be met cumulatively across all partners."Criterion 4 (registration in Kosovo): "JV application: At least one partner... must hold this registration."Criterion 3, however, contains no corresponding JV application clause.Could UNOPS please confirm how Criterion 3 is to be applied where a proposal is submitted by a Joint Venture in which one partner has more than 10 years of continuous business experience in the infrastructure/infrastructure design sector, while another partner has been incorporated and operating for a shorter period (e.g., 7 years)?Specifically, we would appreciate confirmation on whether:(a) it is sufficient for at least one JV partner to individually meet the 10-year requirement (consistent with the treatment of Criterion 4); or(b) each JV partner must individually satisfy the 10-year requirement (consistent with the treatment of Criterion 1); or(c) the requirement may be assessed on a combined/cumulative basis across the JV as a whole.We would be grateful for written clarification prior to the proposal submission deadline, so that we may finalize our consortium structure accordingly.Clarification response no. 1:(a) Response to Query 1 - Confirmed (Yes):It is sufficient for at least one partner in the Joint Venture (JV) to independently meet the requirement of being in continuous business within the infrastructure and infrastructure design sector for the past ten years. Typically, this partner should be the Lead Partner or the JV member responsible for the primary engineering or construction tasks.(b) Response to Query 2 - Incorrect (No):Not every JV partner needs to individually meet the 10-year requirement. According to UNOPS, when each JV partner must separately meet a qualification standard, Section II will clearly state, "JV application: The requirement must be met by all JV partners separately," as noted under Qualification Criterion 1 for Current Ratio. However, Qualification Criterion 3 does not impose this restriction, allowing JV members with a shorter operational history, such as 7 years, to qualify as long as one member individually meets the 10-year requirement.(c) Response to Query 3 - Incorrect (No):Qualification Criterion 3 cannot be evaluated on a combined or cumulative basis. The continuous business duration serves as a measure of corporate stability over time, not as an additive capability. This differs from Qualification Criterion 2 for Annual Turnover, which allows for cumulative fulfillment across all partners. Therefore, combining operating durations from different JV members, such as 7 years from Partner A and 3 years from Partner B, is not valid and will not be accepted.

New clarification added: Clarification request no. 1We are seeking clarification regarding the application of Qualification Criterion 3 in Section II: Evaluation Method and Criteria, which states:"The offeror has been in continuous business in the infrastructure and infrastructure design sector during the last 10 years."We note that Qualification Criteria 1, 2, and 4 each include an explicit sub-clause specifying how the requirement applies to Joint Venture (JV) proposals:Criterion 1 (current ratio): "JV application: The requirement must be met by all JV partners separately."Criterion 2 (annual turnover): "JV application: May be met cumulatively across all partners."Criterion 4 (registration in Kosovo): "JV application: At least one partner... must hold this registration."Criterion 3, however, contains no corresponding JV application clause.Could UNOPS please confirm how Criterion 3 is to be applied where a proposal is submitted by a Joint Venture in which one partner has more than 10 years of continuous business experience in the infrastructure/infrastructure design sector, while another partner has been incorporated and operating for a shorter period (e.g., 7 years)?Specifically, we would appreciate confirmation on whether:(a) it is sufficient for at least one JV partner to individually meet the 10-year requirement (consistent with the treatment of Criterion 4); or(b) each JV partner must individually satisfy the 10-year requirement (consistent with the treatment of Criterion 1); or(c) the requirement may be assessed on a combined/cumulative basis across the JV as a whole.We would be grateful for written clarification prior to the proposal submission deadline, so that we may finalize our consortium structure accordingly.Clarification response no. 1:(a) Response to Query 1 - Confirmed (Yes):It is sufficient for at least one partner in the Joint Venture (JV) to independently meet the requirement of being in continuous business within the infrastructure and infrastructure design sector for the past ten years. Typically, this partner should be the Lead Partner or the JV member responsible for the primary engineering or construction tasks.(b) Response to Query 2 - Incorrect (No):Not every JV partner needs to individually meet the 10-year requirement. According to UNOPS, when each JV partner must separately meet a qualification standard, Section II will clearly state, "JV application: The requirement must be met by all JV partners separately," as noted under Qualification Criterion 1 for Current Ratio. However, Qualification Criterion 3 does not impose this restriction, allowing JV members with a shorter operational history, such as 7 years, to qualify as long as one member individually meets the 10-year requirement.(c) Response to Query 3 - Incorrect (No):Qualification Criterion 3 cannot be evaluated on a combined or cumulative basis. The continuous business duration serves as a measure of corporate stability over time, not as an additive capability. This differs from Qualification Criterion 2 for Annual Turnover, which allows for cumulative fulfillment across all partners. Therefore, combining operating durations from different JV members, such as 7 years from Partner A and 3 years from Partner B, is not valid and will not be accepted.