Provision of Land Release capacity in Syria

New clarification added: Dear Vendors,This is a reminder that the proposal submission deadline for RFP/2026/64203 (Provision of Land Release Capacity in Syria) is 30 September 2026 at 09:00 UTC.Please ensure your complete technical and financial proposals are fully uploaded into the UNOPS eSourcing system prior to the closing time.late submissions will be automatically rejected by the system.Thank you for your interest in doing business with UNOPS.

New clarification added: Dear Bidders,Please find below the responses to the queries received. QN 21: For the explosives line item, is USD 10,000 to be allocated for the entire project or on a per-month basis?ANS 21: The Bidder is expected to budget USD 10,000 per month for explosives and pyrotechnic torches for the project and for the duration of the contract, which shall be consumed in accordance with UNOPS/UNMAS approved tasking orders and funded on a reimbursable basisThanks You 

New amendment added #2: Dear Bidders,Please be advised of the following changes regarding RFP/2026/64203. In the documents, deletions are ‘strikethrough,’ and additions are in red text and highlighted in yellow for ease of reference. The minutes and the presentation for the Pre-bid meeting held on 14 September 2025 at 09:00 UTC (12:00 pm Damascus Time) have been attached in the documents section. Section IV_ Schedule of Requirements (SOR): The Site Supervisor position under Core Capacity and Surge 1 has been updated to allow either National or International/Regional personnel. Phase C is 14 calendar days (2 full weeks); the reference to '7 calendar days' in Section IV was a typo and has been corrected to 14 days.The division of Responsibilities table has been corrected to accurately reflect that the 'Training and employment of the contractual capacities' is solely the responsibility of the Contractor, not UNOPS/UNMAS Syria.       3. Section V: Returnable Bidding Forms: FORM G: The Site Supervisor position has been updated to allow either National or International/Regional personnel. Form F. Financial Proposal Breakdown has been corrected to reflect 10.5 operational months Please pay close attention to these changes as they form part of the official solicitation documents.Thank you

New clarification added: QN 11: Section IV (SOR), Para 10: "ensuring a minimum of 8 demining lanes" - please confirm that this is 8 demining lanes across the 2x MTTs in the core capacity, and that each additional surge MTTs has a minimum requirement of 4 demining lanesANS 11: Confirmed: The requirement for 8 demining lanes applies to each of the two Multi-Task Teams (MTT) in the core capacity, i.e. 8 lanes per MTT as a baseline). Each additional surge MTT has a minimum of 4 demining lanes.QN 12: Section IV (SOR), Para 14, MTT Deputy Team Leader: Para 7 states MTT activity requires "single item EOD spot tasks" & Para 10 states that all key positions require leave cover.  Therefore the MTT Team Leader will alsways be covered. In light of this, can the EOD requirement for the Deputy Team Leader be reduced to EOD Level 1?ANS12: The EOD requirement for the Deputy Team Leader cannot be reduced to EOD Level 1. In accordance with Section IV (Schedule of Requirements) of the RFP, the Deputy Team Leader must hold an EOD Level 2 qualification in accordance with IMAS 09.30 (or equivalent)QN 13: Section IV (SOR), Para 15, Surge Capacity: "provide surge capacity within 45 days’ notice" vs "Within 30 days of notification of approval, the Capability will be required to commence mobilisation" with  Para 24 stating 4weeks for mobilisation. This would make surge activation plus mobilisation up to 58 days from notification of approval. Please clarify surge activation timelineANS 13: The total timeframe from initial written notification of a surge requirement to full operational deployment in the field is a maximum of 45 calendar days.The 4-week mobilization period outlined in Section IV (Contract Phases - Phase A) applies exclusively to the initial project setup for the Core Capacity upon contract signature. For activated Surge Capacity, the timeline operates as follows:Within 15 days of notification: Offeror submits candidate CVs;Within 72 hours (3 days) of CV submission: UNMAS completes personnel review/approval;Following personnel approval: The contractor mobilizes and deploys the team so that operational delivery commences on or before Day 45 from the initial notification.QN 14: Section IV (SOR), Para 24, Phase A:  "All training shall be completed, and the Contractor shall receive on-site accreditation by the end of this period" - please confirm how long is required for accreditation?ANS 14: On-site accreditation by the national authority (or designated accrediting body) will occur immediately following training and internal QA checks, typically requiring 3–5 working days for practical assessments, documentation review, and formal sign-off. Up to 1 week should be planned within Phase A for the accreditation process itself.QN 15: Section IV (SOR), Para 24, Phase C:  Phase length: "2 weeks", Details: "Contractor to utilise a maximum of 7 calendar days at the end of the contract for demobilisation" - please clarify how long Phase C isANS 15: Phase C is 14 calendar days (2 full weeks); the reference to "7 calendar days" in Section IV was a typo and has been corrected to 14 days.Please refer to RFP Amendment No. 02 published in eSourcing.QN 16: Section IV (SOR), Para 29, Division of responsibilties:  "Training and employment of the contractual capacities" is noted as an UNOPS/UNMAS Syria responsibility.  Please clarify what this entails with regards to training and mobilisation, and where the contrator's responsibilities lieANS 16: Training and employment of all contractual personnel is solely the responsibility of the Contractor. The entry placing this responsibility under UNOPS/UNMAS Syria in the Division of Responsibilities table was a typographical error and has been corrected in Section IV (SOR).Please refer to RFP Amendment No. 02 published in eSourcing QN 17: Section IV (SOR), Annex B:  "Annex B is an initial or illustrative list, and the remaining locations will be issued through task orders" - will remaining locations be within the same districts and/or subdistricts?ANS 17: Annex B provides an extract of the 30 communities prioritised by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agricultural Organization.  - Additional locations issued via task orders are anticipated to be within the same operational theatre (same governorate and broadly similar districts/sub-districts) to maintain logistical efficiency, ensure capacity coherence, and align with the original risk and needs assessment.  - Final locations will be confirmed by UNMAS Syria at the time of tasking based on evolving priorities and security conditions.For example, other locations prioritised by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agricultural Organization include:Aleppo Governorate, Jebel Saman DIstrict: communities in Tall Ed-Daman sub-district;Idleb Governorate: communities in Al Ma’ra District and Idleb District. QN 18: We have reviewed the clarifications and amended forms. For absolute clarity, can you confirm that the bidder can have either UNMAS Syria accreditation OR SNMAC accreditation - i.e. you do not require both?ANS 18: For the purposes of this tender, the Contractor must hold valid operational accreditation from one of the following:• UNMAS Syria, or• SNMAC (or the relevant national mine-action authority where operations are conducted).The requirement is not to hold both accreditations simultaneously. However, through the duration the Contractor must maintain accreditation that is valid and applicable to the specific operational tasks under this contract.Dear Bidders,Please find below the responses to the queries received.QN 19: For the supporting documents which are pre-qualification exempt, are vendors who are waiting for the prequalification to be evaluated also exempt?ANS 19: Only companies holding an active and valid PSC Pre-qualification status at the time of proposal submission are eligible for document submission waivers. Vendors whose pre-qualification applications are currently under evaluation are not exempt and must submit all required supporting documents in full as specified in the solicitation.QN 20: Please confirm whether there always needs to be 100% operational capacity? I.e. explain/confirm relief capacity for both key and non-key personnel positions?ANS 20: Confirmed: The proposal shall clearly describe how the Bidder will maintain continuity of operations.  Thank you.

New clarification added: Dear Bidders,Please find below the responses to the queries received. QN 8: The sourcing of competent and experienced Level 3 Supervisors in Syria is challenging for organisations that do not have a full-time presence in country.  Considering this along with the extensive responsibilities of the MTTs would consideration be given to recruitment of a suitably qualified and experienced Site Supervisor from the region and not necessarily a Syrian National.  ANS 8: The site supervisor can be a national or international staff. The qualifications, experience and language criteria remain unchanged.Please refer to RFP Amendment No. 02 published in eSourcing.QN 9: Section IV (SOR), Para 7, Outputs: "30 AAIs are technically assessed to verify the presence or absence of evidence of Explosive Ordnance (EO) contamination" & Para 9.a- please define the criteria/thresholds of all reasonable effort for verifying absence of evidence of EO vs IMAS-complaint NTSANS 9: To date, all Reasonable Effort criteria for verifying the presence or absence of evidence of Explosive Ordnance (EO) contamination are governed by the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), in particular IMAS 07.11, IMAS 08.10 (Non-Technical Survey), and IMAS 08.20 (Technical Survey). National Mine Action Standards are being developed, and more specific criteria may become applicable during the operational period of the contract. Concerning NTS, in practice, the criterion for "absence of evidence of EO" requires that:All reasonable effort has been applied to seek evidence of EO contamination in the AAI;No direct or indirect evidence of EO contamination was found; andIt can be demonstrated with high confidence that, had contamination been present, the methods and coverage applied would reasonably have been expected to identify it.In practice, "all reasonable effort" for verifying absence of evidence includes at minimum:Desk review of all available information (historical use, conflict events, previous survey/clearance records, community interviews, imagery, etc.).Structured community engagement and interviews covering all relevant user groups and land uses.Systematic non-technical survey (NTS) of the entire AAI, including: (i) observation of surface indicators (craters, scrap, debris, vegetation disturbance, fencing, markings, etc.) visible from a safe location, (ii) Coverage of all accessible terrain types within the AAI. Documentation of all negative findings in IMSMA or equivalent, with georeferenced tracks/points and a clear rationale for why no further intrusive work is required.This meets IMAS-compliant NTS where:The process follows IMAS 08.10, or applicable National Mine Action Standards, for NTS methodology, evidence grading, and SHA/CHA definition. The conclusion of "no evidence" is based on cancellation criteria: all reasonable effort applied and high confidence that no EO contamination exists.Threshold distinction: Verifying absence of evidence (for cancellation): Uses non-intrusive methods only; decision is based on no evidence found plus all reasonable effort and high confidence. There is no requirement to physically probe or clear.IMAS-compliant NTS leading to SHA/CHA: Uses the same NTS process, but where evidence is found or strongly inferred, the outcome is classification as SHA or CHA for further technical survey or clearance.Note: The exact depth, lane spacing, or sampling intensity for any intrusive component apply only where technical survey or clearance is undertaken.QN 10: Section IV (SOR), Para 7, Outputs: "Identified CHA(s) is/are released through clearance, reduction, or cancellation" & "Selected Suspected and Confirmed Hazardous Areas are released through cancellation, reduction, or clearance" - please clarify(1) - These seem to be contradictory, please clarify(2) - Do all CHA identified during t he assessment need to be released in the period of this project?(3) - What are the crieteria tha will determine which SHA/CHAs are slected for release?(4) - What are the Reduction and Cancellation standards?ANS 10: (1) The following output is expected during the duration of the contract:“Selected Suspected and Confirmed Hazardous Areas are released through cancellation, reduction, or clearance"The following output is expected to be eventually completed either under or outside this contract. This will depend on whether the hazardous areas identified during the contract can or cannot be released within the operational capacities and operational duration:“Identified CHA(s) is/are released through clearance, reduction, or cancellation”(2) To date, there is not yet information about the number, size and type of CHA that will be identified. There is no pre-established expectation to release CHA outside of what the contracted capability will be reasonably capable to release.(3) The criteria will include but not be limited to:FAO confirmation of the prioritisation of the SHA/CHA for agricultural rehabilitation based on their own productivity criteria;Humanitarian and recovery impact;Socio-economic importance;Risk level (reported incidents, accessibility, land use patterns);The ratio between the effort to release the hazardous area and the projected impact of such release;Feasibility within the contract timeframe and available capacities;The impact of the SHA/CHA on the community.(4)To date, International Mine Action Standards apply to reduction and cancellation. National Mine Action Standards are being developed and may become applicable during the operational period of the contract.Thanks

New amendment added #1: Dear Bidders,Please be advised of the following changes regarding RFP/2026/64203. In the documents, deletions are ‘strikethrough,’ and additions are in red text and highlighted in yellow for ease of reference. The link to the Pre-bid meeting scheduled on 14 September 2025 at 09:00 UTC (12:00 pm Damascus Time) is - meet.google.com/zef-hmah-ewq 'e-Sourcing' Particulars TAB: The Evaluation method details section has been amended to clarify the evaluation of Joint Ventures 'e-Sourcing'   Criteria TAB: Qualification criteria 3.1 has been amended to reflect the evaluation of Joint Ventures for that criterion 'e-Sourcing'  Checklist Tab: has been updated to reflect the required documentation for Esourcing Qualification criteria 3.1  Section III: Evaluation Criteria: Qualification Criteria 1 has been amended to clarify the Registration and Clarification requirements. Section V: Returnable Bidding Forms: FORM B: Checklist Form has been updated to reflect the required documentation for Qualification Criteria 1Please pay close attention to these changes as they form part of the official solicitation documents.Thank you

New clarification added: Dear Bidder, The link to the Pre-bid meeting scheduled on 14 September 2025 at 09:00 UTC (12:00 pm Damascus Time) is - meet.google.com/zef-hmah-ewq Thanks,

New clarification added: Dear Bidders,Please find below the responses to the queries received. QN 1: Please confirm whether an offeror that has formally submitted applications both to the relevant Syrian governmental authority and to UNMAS for desktop accreditation will satisfy Qualification Criterion No. 1 at the proposal submission stage, even if the respective approvals have not yet been granted.ANS 1: At the proposal submission stage, an offeror must hold provisional desktop accreditation evidenced by an official letter from UNMAS or SNMAC confirming that provisional desktop accreditation has been granted.The mere submission of an application for accreditation to the relevant Syrian governmental authorities and/or to UNMAS is not sufficient to satisfy Qualification Criterion No. 1Please refer to RFP Amendment No. 01 published in eSourcing. QN 2: In the case of a Joint Venture, please confirm whether the governmental registration and UNMAS accreditation held by one JV member may satisfy Qualification Criterion No. 1 for the entire JV, or whether the lead member, each JV member, or the JV itself must hold or have applied for such approvals.ANS 2: In the case of a Joint Venture (JV), all parties to the JV (including the lead member and any other JV members) must individualy be:Registered with the relevant Syrian governmental authority (OR official proof of submitted application for registration); andHold provisional desktop accreditation (or full accreditation) from UNMAS/SNMAC. Registration or accreditation held by only one JV member does not satisfy Qualification Criterion No. 1  for any other JV member or for the JV as a wholePlease refer to RFP Amendment No. 01 published in eSourcing. QN 3: Please confirm whether an offeror may rely on the governmental registration and UNMAS accreditation of a proposed subcontractor, or whether the accredited entity must be a formal member of the Joint Venture.ANS 3: The requirements set out in response to Question 2 apply equally to subcontractors performing operational mine action activities. All entities that will carry out activities under the contract, whether as JV members or as subcontractors, must independently satisfy Qualification Criterion 1. An offeror may not rely on the accreditation of a subcontractor or JV member to cover other entities that are not themselves registered and accredited.QN 4: Please identify the competent Syrian governmental authority and the applicable process / contact point for submitting the required application for operating approval.ANS 4: For points of contact;For mine action accreditation, the competent authority is SNMAC (Syrian National Mine Action Centre). UNMAS can facilitate this process. Requests for accreditation shall then be addressed to lionelp@unops.org.For Registration processes are administered by the respective Syrian authorities. For legal registration to operate in Syrian Arab Republic:               o   International NGOs must make applications through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.               o   National NGOs must make applications through the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.               o   Commercial operators must make applications through the Ministry of Economy and Industry authorities.Of note, the organisations which are not yet registered or sufficiently advanced in the registration process are unlikely to obtain the registration in time to qualify for this tender.QN 5: Please confirm whether the five-year experience requirement and the financial liquidity requirement may be met cumulatively by the JV members, or whether they must be met by the lead member individually.ANS 5: As indicated in the RFP, Qualification criteria are evaluated for all JV members combined, with the sole exception of Qualification Criterion 1 (as set out in Amendment No. 01 and the responses to Questions 1, 2, and 3)As such:The Five-Year Experience Requirement may be met cumulatively by the members of the Joint Venture combined.The Financial Liquidity Requirement may be met cumulatively by the Joint Venture combined, calculated using the aggregated current assets and current liabilities of all JV members QN 6: Please confirm which activities must be covered by desktop accreditation at the proposal submission stage and which activities may be completed during the mobilisation phase.ANS 6: Desktop accreditation must cover all operational Mine Action activities that the operator intends to conduct during the contract period. Activities not covered by the operator's provisional desktop accreditation at the time of proposal submission cannot be implemented under this contract.QN 7: Please confirm whether our understanding of the desktop accreditation process is correct: should the submission of documents for desktop accreditation be initiated before the proposal submission deadline, at the time of proposal submission, or after proposal submission?ANS 7: Bidders must have provisional desktop accreditation in place at the time of proposal submission. Evidence of this accreditation (i.e., the UNMAS/SNMAC letter) must be included with the proposal. Initiating the accreditation process after the proposal submission deadline is not acceptable for the purposes of meeting Qualification Criterion No. 1.Please note these clarifications as they shall form part of the RFP.