Postal Spatial Data Infrastructure – Feasibility study

Invitation to Bid Postal Spatial Data Infrastructure – Feasibility study 12 December 2023 2 Table of contents Page 1.1 Profile of the UPU 3 2.1 Confidentiality 3 2.2 Legal status of the Vendor 4 2.3 Scope of the invitation to bid 4 2.4 Background 4 2.5 Objectives 5 2.6 Use of subcontractors 6 2.7 Use of the emblem, name and initials of the UPU 6 2.8 Collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct 6 2.9 Intellectual property 6 2.10 Privileges and immunities 6 2.11 Tax exemption 7 2.12 Language 7 2.13 Signature 7 2.14 Participation notification 7 2.15 Contact persons 7 2.16 Further inquiries and questions 7 2.17 Delivery of tenders and deadline 7 2.18 Evaluation procedure 8 2.19 Modification, suspension or cancellation of the invitation to bid 8 2.20 Tentative schedule 8 3.1 Cover letter 9 3.2 Executive summary 9 3.3 Bidder information 9 3.4 Subcontractor information 9 3.5 Technical proposal 9 3.6 Financial proposal 9 3.7 Delivery and payment schedule 10 3.8 UPU General Terms and Conditions 10 4.1 Description of the services and activities 10 4.2 Expected deliverables 11 4.3 Bidder requirements 11 4.5 Estimated duration of the services 12 4.6 Location of the services 12 4.7 Reporting 12 4.8 Other requirements 12 4.9 Additional information 12 3 1 Introduction 1.1 Profile of the UPU The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was founded in 1874 in Berne, Switzerland, with the main goals of estab- lishing a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of letter-post items and adopting common principles for the international postal service in a non-discriminatory manner. Currently comprising 192 member coun- tries, the UPU became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1948. The main mission of the UPU is to stimulate the lasting development of efficient and accessible universal postal services of quality, in order to facilitate communication between the inhabitants of the world. It does this by guaranteeing the free circulation of items over a single postal territory composed of interconnected networks, encouraging the adoption of fair common standards and the use of technology, ensuring cooperation and interaction among stakeholders, promoting effective technical cooperation, and ensuring the satisfaction of customers’ changing needs. The UPU is thus expected to play a major role in the continued revitalization of postal services. Furthermore, the UPU facilitates the development of worldwide postal services by providing an information and communication technology framework that allows the designated operators1 of UPU member countries to concentrate on the delivery of postal services to their customers. In this context, the UPU provides a global network with value-added services, as well as computerized applications for the management of international mail and international postal money orders. 2 Terms and conditions Unless otherwise indicated in this invitation to bid, the term “Bidder” shall refer to any person, company or legal entity submitting a proposal in response to this invitation to bid. The term “Vendor” shall refer to any selected bidder. 2.1 Confidentiality Bidders shall treat in strict confidence all information contained in this invitation to bid and its attached docu- ments that is not already publicly known or generally accessible, particularly any documentation marked as confidential and distributed by the UPU to Bidders as additional confidential tender documentation. Bidders shall prevent the disclosure or distribution of all such information to third parties and other entities and persons not expressly authorized herein. In case of doubt, these confidentiality provisions shall nevertheless be observed. All Bidders are obliged to observe these confidentiality provisions before, during and after the tender process. These provisions shall not affect the legal obligations of the UPU and Bidders to disclose information. Bidders shall not use such information for any purposes other than those associated with this invitation to bid. The invitation to bid and all attached documents may be distributed or made available only to persons directly involved in the tender process on behalf of Bidders. If external agents or subcontractors are involved in the preparation of the tender documents, this must be indicated and their names provided in the participation notification (see section 2.14). Bidders shall assume full responsibility for the compliance of their agents, consultants, employees and sub- contractors, as well as any third parties involved on their behalf in this tender process, with these rules of confidentiality, and shall be liable for any damages resulting from misconduct or unauthorized disclosure. If a Bidder violates the confidentiality provisions contained herein, it shall be liable to pay a penalty to the UPU unless it can prove that no fault is attributable to it. This penalty shall not exceed 50,000 CHF per infringement. Payment of any such penalties shall not release Bidders from their obligation to observe these confidentiality requirements. Bidders wishing to submit a proposal in response to this invitation to bid must contact the person(s) specified in section 2.15 below and may, if necessary, request additional information from the UPU in relation to this invitation to bid. 1 In accordance with article 2.1.6 of the UPU Constitution, a designated operator is any governmental or non-governmental entity officially designated by the member country to operate postal services and to fulfil the related obligations arising out of the Acts of the Union on its territory. 4 Without prejudice to the confidentiality provisions set out above, Bidders agree that the receipt of any such information may be subject to the prior signature of a non-disclosure agreement between the Bidder and the UPU, under conditions to be determined and communicated by the latter. 2.2 Legal status of the Vendor The Vendor shall be regarded as having, in law, the legal status of independent contractor. The Vendor and its agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors (as authorized by the UPU) shall in no way be regarded as employees of the UPU. Such agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors of the Vendor shall not be entitled to any employment benefits from the UPU. The Vendor alone shall be responsible for due payment of all compensation owed to such agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors, including payment of any employment taxes, benefits, compensation and insurance. The Vendor shall represent and warrant that it will comply with all laws, rules and regulations required by the relevant authorities, including the appropriate withholding, reporting and payment of all necessary taxes. The Vendor shall be liable for all work performed, including any acts or omissions, by its agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors. 2.3 Scope of the invitation to bid This invitation to bid concerns the provision of specialized services to assist the UPU on research and development activities focused on a postal spatial infrastructure (SDI) with a view to promoting, in member countries, the production, access to, use and analysis of reliable, timely, interoperable, high-quality geographic information (with special emphasis on addressing) constituting a relevant input for improving the postal service. The aim of the study is to clearly define the feasibility of creating an international postal SDI as described above . 2.4 Background The creation and development of digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) has brought the society into the information and technology age. The evolution of digital media has revolutionized the way individuals function and relate to each other. This affects the way decisions are made in different disciplines and areas of society. In recent years, this trend has accelerated through reductions in costs, improvement and multiplication of production, transmission and storage of relevant geospatial information, and the exponential expansion of capabilities to analyze that information, including the advancement of disciplines such as artificial intelligence (AI) or deep learning. This qualitative and quantitative increase in digital information is making the world more interconnected and interdependent than ever, and all this is happening at an unprecedented pace. The UPU has been following this trend for the last several years not only by promoting and developing e-commerce and digitization of postal operations, but also by working on the integration and use of geospatial information and geographic information systems (GIS) as part of its development policies. However, it still has a long way to go to integrate geospatial information as an integrative platform for all the digital data offered by the postal sector. It should be borne in mind that the postal sector is purely geospatial, as the sender, the addressee, the postal network, the transit or distribution of postal items, and postal logistics are essentially geospatial elements that can be located, tracked over time and analyzed. The need for greater coherence in the application and sharing of geospatial data for the management and measurement of UN activities is not new. In this regard, as far back as 1992 the conclusions of the Rio +20 Conference recognized the importance of space-based data, in-situ monitoring, reliable geospatial information for policy formulation, operational programming and sustainable development projects. 1 This vision was reaffirmed in the following years with the creation in 2000 of the United Nations Geospatial Information Working Group (UNGIWG), which laid the foundation for the development of the United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure (UNSDI). For the UNGIWG, the UNSDI pursues four main objectives: i) the provision of spatial data and information; ii) the development of common data services; iii) capacity building; and iv) the promotion of cooperation and partnerships. In 2007, the strategy for the development and implementation of the UNSDI was established. This document served as a basis for other organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which together with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) developed a spatial data infrastructure (SDI) to support the global assessment of envi- ronmental conditions and the monitoring of food security. Other UN organizations, such as the World Food 1 Principles 9 and 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. 5 Programme (WPF), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), also appear to have developed their own thematic SDI. At the international postal level, there is no common, global platform for storing and providing basic data and information relating to the evaluation, monitoring and mapping of postal items and the postal network. It is not currently possible to visualize or understand all of the component nodes, such as those related to customs, transport or postal security, or to use indicators derived from the combination of geospatial and location data, remote sensing, spatial analysis and in-situ measurements to provide an overview of the status of the postal network and its logistics chain in real time. 2.5 Objectives The feasibility study objectives of the research are to analyze and critically evaluate the following aspects: – Conducting research on the possibilities of creating a voluntary, multilateral cooperation framework for the sharing of postal spatial data between postal operators, regulators, governments and other players, such as non-profit organizations or the private sector (preliminary analysis); – Identifying and describing the key elements needed to develop reliable, detailed, up-to-date, interoperable and accessible geoinformation. The key elements should include: i policies and institutional arrangements (governance, data privacy and security, data sharing and cost recovery) needed to put such an infrastructure in place; ii people involved at different levels and in relevant areas (decision-makers, resources, training, professional development, cooperation, outreach, etc.); iii data (digital base map, thematic data, general data, sources of data, data acquisition, existing data, statistical data, place names, boundaries, etc.); iv technology (hardware, software, networks, databases, technical implementation plans, etc.); v norms and standards to ensure the interoperability of basic information; vi efficient and flexible geospatial data sharing to support postal decision-making processes at national and international levels by using reliable and interoperable geospatial postal data, accessible via a UPU platform (geoportal). – Developing a roadmap aimed at creating infrastructure for postal access to, and distribution of, geospatial data to faciliate understanding of the impacts of the changing postal environment. The roadmap should also aim to support monitoring, management, decision making and sustainable development of postal activities worldwide; – Describing the organizational and staffing requirements for developing and maintaining the infrastructure and ensuring the acquisition and maintenance of high quality data; – Developing financial projections with an estimate of assets, sources, costs and available financing. The drafting a fundraising strategy to ensure the availability of funds through external sources should also be included; – Identifying internal areas/activities where crossovers or overlaps with current systems and practices for sharing international postal and geographical data exist within the UPU, and assessing the extent to which the SDI could rely on current unified international postal databases. This would include identifying any areas of redundancy, areas where data could be consolidated or harmonized, and areas where new data sources may need to be developed or integrated. All relevant IB stakeholders should be involved in the assessment process, and there should also be an evaluation of which of these could be positively and/or negatively affected by the development of the infrastructure; – Evaluating the opportunities and risks of developing such infrastructure and proposing a mitigation strategy; – Making recommendations for future scenarios (strategic, commercial, operational, IT and regulatory) as to whether the postal SDI is feasible and would provide significant added value for the postal sector in terms of decision making, enhanced collaboration, increased postal efficiency, and the use of better quality data, particularly electronic advance data. 6 2.6 Use of subcontractors The Vendor shall not assign, sublicense, subcontract, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of its tender, or any of the rights and obligations contained therein or in an associated contract with the UPU, without the prior written consent of the UPU. The approval by the UPU of the engagement of any subcontractor shall not relieve the Vendor of any of its obligations or responsibilities concerning the work performed by such subcontractors. 2.7 Use of the emblem, name and initials of the UPU Bidders shall not advertise or otherwise make public the fact that they intend to provide, are providing or have provided services to the UPU, or use the emblem, name or initials of the UPU in connection with their business for purposes of commercial advantage or goodwill, without prior and explicit permission from the UPU. Bidders shall take all reasonable measures to ensure compliance with this provision by their agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors. 2.8 Collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct Without prejudice to the provisions in sections 3 and 4 below, Bidders (including their agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors) shall not engage in any collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices or any other similar conduct in relation to: – the preparation and submission of tenders; – the clarification of tenders; – the conduct and content of any negotiations, including final contract negotiations. For the purposes of this invitation to bid, collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct may include the disclosure to, or exchange or clarification with, any other Bidder of information (in any form), whether or not such information is confidential to the UPU or to any other Bidder, in order to alter the results of the invitation to bid in such a way that would lead to an outcome other than that which would have been obtained through a competitive process. In addition to any other remedies available to it, the UPU may, at its sole discretion, immediately reject any tender submitted by a Bidder that, in the UPU’s opinion, has engaged in any collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices or any other similar conduct with any other Bidder in relation to the preparation or submission of tenders, whether with respect to this invitation to bid or other procurement processes conducted by the UPU. 2.9 Intellectual property This invitation to bid and all its attached documents, including any content, forms, statements, concepts, pro- jects and procedures explicitly or implicitly forming part of the invitation to bid, constitute the exclusive intellec- tual property of the UPU. This invitation to bid is communicated to the various Bidders with the sole purpose of assisting them in the preparation of their respective tenders. Any hard copies of this invitation to bid shall be destroyed or returned to the UPU by unsuccessful Bidders at the request of the UPU. 2.10 Privileges and immunities Nothing in or relating to this invitation to bid, the activities described herein or any potential agreements related thereto shall be deemed as a waiver, expressed or implied, of any of the privileges, immunities and facilities that the UPU enjoys as a specialized agency of the United Nations system, pursuant to the Swiss Host State Act and the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations (on Swiss territory), the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies (outside Switzerland), and any other conventions and laws recognizing and/or granting such privileges, immunities and facilities to the UPU and its officials (such as the International Organizations Immunities Act in the case of the United States of America). Accordingly, the Vendor shall expressly acknowledge and agree that the property and assets of the UPU, including any archives, data, documents and funds belonging to the UPU or held by it (including, without limi- tation, the data/hosting environments and servers pertaining to or associated with the provision of the services, as well as any data or documents in any form belonging to or held by the UPU on behalf of UPU member countries and their designated operators), are inviolable and shall be immune from search, requisition, confis- cation, expropriation and any other form of interference, whether through executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action. The Vendor shall immediately contact the UPU in the event of any attempt to violate or any 7 violation of the UPU’s privileges and immunities, and shall take all reasonable measures to prevent such vio- lations. In the light of the UPU’s status as a specialized agency of the United Nations (and without prejudice to the observance, by the UPU, of any sanctions established by the United Nations Security Council), Bidders shall expressly certify their legal and operational willingness and ability to provide the services on a non- discriminatory basis for the benefit of all eligible entities established and/or situated in the territory of any UPU member country, irrespective of the existence of diplomatic relations between a Bidder’s country of incorpora- tion and/or operation and any UPU member country (including its designated operators). 2.11 Tax exemption Pursuant to article III, section 9, of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies, the UPU is exempt from all direct taxes and from customs restrictions, duties and charges of a similar nature in respect of articles imported or exported for its official use. Furthermore, as an intergovernmental organization and a specialized agency of the United Nations, the UPU is exempt from value-added tax (VAT) in Switzerland (OLTVA, article 22; Instructions 2001 sur la TVA, arti- cles 574, 816 and others), as well as in other countries. Therefore, all prices shall be indicated in “net” form, without VAT or similar taxes. 2.12 Language Bidders must submit all tender documents entirely in English. 2.13 Signature Tender documents shall be signed by a representative (or representatives) duly designated and authorized to act on the Bidder’s behalf and with the authority to legally bind the Bidder and accept the terms and conditions of this invitation to bid. 2.14 Participation notification Upon receipt of this invitation to bid, Bidders shall send confirmation of participation to the contact person(s) listed in section 2.15 by the deadline indicated in section 2.20. 2.15 Contact persons Addressing and Physical Service Expert Universal Postal Union International Bureau Weltpoststrasse 4 3015 BERNE SWITZERLAND E-mail: addressingtheworld@upu.int 2.16 Further inquiries and questions Bidders must send any questions regarding the content of this invitation to bid or any requests for clarification in writing to the contact person(s) listed in section 2.15 by 15 January 2024. 2.17 Delivery of tenders and deadline All tenders must be submitted to the UPU by e-mail only at addressingtheworld(at)upu.int with “ItB – 2024 – Postal Spatial Data Infrastructure – Feasibility study” as the subject line. The deadline for the submission of tenders is 31 January 2024 at 16.00 CEST. The UPU shall not take into consideration any tenders received after this date and time. Furthermore, it shall not accept any tenders sent to any e-mail address other than that specified above or sent by any other means. There shall be no charge to the UPU for the preparation and submission of tender documents by Bidders. 8 2.18 Evaluation procedure The objective of the UPU’s evaluation process is to ensure the selection of a qualified, reliable and experienced Vendor capable of providing the specialized services and fulfilling the objectives set out in this invitation to bid. The UPU shall conduct its evaluation procedure with a view to determining as objectively as possible the tender that best meets its specific requirements. All tenders submitted shall be subject to an in-depth assessment, at the UPU’s sole discretion, in order to enable the UPU to engage the most appropriate service provider. Due consideration will be given to Bidders’ specific backgrounds, qualifications and experience in relation to the required services. The prescribed structure of tenders, as set out in section 3, is mandatory for all Bidders. The UPU shall not take into consideration any tenders that do not fulfil the mandatory criteria. Tenders received by the UPU must address all aspects of this invitation to bid, and Bidders should identify any aspects where they envisage modifications being necessary or consider elements to be missing. Tenders shall be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria, in descending order of importance: – Quality of the tender (according to the specifications herein); – Knowledge and experience of the Bidder and its team and/or consultant(s), as applicable to the subject matter; – Price. The winning tender will be selected based on a non-exhaustive list of criteria as set out in section 4. Bidders should therefore consider how their tender corresponds with the criteria listed and clearly indicate this in their response document. The UPU is not bound to accept the lowest tender and reserves the right to accept all or part of a tender. In awarding the contract, account will be taken of both the overall costs of the work and of the nature and quality of the services to be provided. The UPU reserves the right to negotiate prices and terms and conditions of contract after receipt of tenders. Bidders will be informed of the outcome of their tender as soon as possible after the UPU has made its final selection. 2.19 Modification, suspension or cancellation of the invitation to bid The UPU reserves the right, at its sole discretion and at any time before the conclusion of the tender process (i.e. at any time prior to the signature of the relevant contract with the Vendor), to modify, suspend or cancel all or part of this invitation to bid. 2.20 Tentative schedule Publication of invitation to bid 20 December 2023 Deadline for submission of participation notification 15 January 2024 Deadline for submission of queries 15 January 2024 Deadline for provision of responses to queries 22 January 2024 Deadline for submission of tenders to the UPU 31 January 2024 at 16.00 CEST Estimated start of engagement Four to eight weeks after tender closing date 3 Tender structure – Response format All information provided by Bidders must be fully compliant with the terms and conditions set out in section 2 above, as well as the provisions of this section and the service requirements listed in section 4 below. Moreover, the requirements stipulated in this invitation to bid must be met in their entirety, according to the structure defined below and following the sequence and numbering provided in this section. The UPU shall 9 evaluate all Bidder responses in accordance with the structure defined herein and shall have the right to reject any tenders that do not fulfil the requirements of this invitation to bid. For each of the requirements listed in this invitation to bid, Bidders shall answer with one of the following statements: – Covered; – Covered with limitations (explaining relevant limitations); – Not covered. Where the answer is “covered” or “covered with limitations”, Bidders shall provide further details and/or exam- ples of existing implementations of their solution in the field (existing use cases). 3.1 Cover letter Bidders shall submit a cover letter including: – A statement that the Bidder has read, understands and accepts all provisions of this invitation to bid; – The Bidder’s name, telephone number, postal address and e-mail address, and the name(s) of its rep- resentative(s); – A statement that the Bidder’s tender documents are valid for a minimum period of 120 days. The cover letter shall be signed by a representative (or representatives) duly designated and authorized to act on the Bidder’s behalf and with the authority to legally bind the Bidder and accept the terms and conditions of this invitation to bid, and shall also include a confirmation of such authorization by the Bidder. 3.2 Executive summary Bidders shall provide an executive summary highlighting the most important aspects of their tender. 3.3 Bidder information Bidders must provide the following information: – Company structure, locations/subsidiaries; – Financial data (turnover, profit, etc.); – Partners and equity holders of the company; – Company history; – Market position and share in relevant markets. 3.4 Subcontractor information Bidders shall provide a list of any subcontractors to be directly involved in this invitation to bid and must specify the exact degree of these subcontractors’ involvement in the provision of the services. 3.5 Technical proposal Bidders shall submit a technical proposal addressing all of the requirements set out in section 4 (Service requirements). This proposal should outline the methodology, processes and timelines, as appropriate, that Bidders intend to implement in order to fulfil the objectives of this invitation to bid. The assessment criteria applicable to the technical proposal are outlined in section 4.4. 3.6 Financial proposal Bidders shall provide a financial proposal setting out their pricing structure, as follows: – Daily and annual rate per consultant; – Full-service quotation (all inclusive); 10 – Detailed description of pricing structure and services offered. The budgetary ceiling is set at 19,900 CHF inclusive of all costs (including travel and subsistence) and any applicable taxes. The UPU shall not consider any proposals that fail to include the required activities and deliverables as set out in section 4 within this budgetary ceiling or that exceed the budgetary ceiling. In the event of the sudden departure of an individual consultant, the Vendor shall provide 10 extra consulting days by the replacement consultant at no additional charge. Bidders shall not include VAT in their pricing structure (see section 2.11 above). All pricing information shall be set out exclusively in Swiss francs (CHF). 3.7 Delivery and payment schedule The delivery and payment schedules should be proposed by Bidders in their pricing structures, and must be agreed with the UPU. The services provided by the Vendor shall be invoiced in arrears on a monthly basis. The UPU will make payment within 30 business days of receipt of invoice, subject to its acceptance of the services provided and the Vendor’s transmission to the UPU of any and all documentation clearly detailing the services to which the invoice pertains (in a format to be established by the UPU). 3.8 UPU General Terms and Conditions Bidders shall include in their tenders a statement of acceptance of the UPU General Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Services, attached hereto for reference. The final terms of any contract arising from this invitation to bid shall be defined by the UPU and accepted by the Vendor. Contract negotiations shall commence only after the final selection of a Vendor by the UPU. 4 Service requirements 4.1 Description of the services and activities The Vendor will be expected to deliver the following services and activities: – Design and develop an appropriate research methodology, means of qualitative and quantitative data collection (covering both primary and secondary sources) and data analysis instruments; – Determine the population and sample for the research, which should include postal operators from all UPU regions and, UPU International Bureau stakeholders, insofar as possible, other United Nations agencies in which such infrastructures have been developed; – Develop appropriate research questions in order to address the fundamental issues and achieve the objectives of the study; – Develop appropriate tools and instruments (research questions, interviews, observations, surveys, focus groups, etc.) in order to provide a comprehensive response to the fundamental issues and achieve the objectives of the study; – Using primary and secondary data sources, critically analyze and evaluate:  current practices;  data availability and usability;  policies, norms and standards;  contributeurs, managers, users, and customers;  possible derived products and services; – Interpret the findings and results, and draw appropriate recommendations and conclusions on:  possibilities of creating a voluntary, multilateral cooperation framework for the sharing of postal spatial data between postal operators, regulators, governments and other players, such as non- profit organizations or the industry; 11  the best ways and strategies for developing a Postal SDI, including the platform, products and services ;  the possible development scenarios and future trends for a Postal SDI, including a possible roadmap, as well as the organizational and staffing requirements – Prepare and present the final report, highlighting the key findings and results, implications, biases and limitations of the research, and suggesting potential future areas of research. 4.2 Expected deliverables The Vendor’s deliverables will include: i An initial interim report containing a detailed description of the report’s structure, suggested research methodologies and target population, as well as sample research questions, subsequent analyses and model specifications with key assumptions and limitations (duration: two weeks); ii A second interim report analyzing all the points specified in the “objectives” section above and comprising a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data gathered and the gaps to be filled (duration: four weeks); iii A final comprehensive report containing a detailed analysis of all the elements specified in the “objectives” section above and all the revisions and amendments agreed with the UPU at meetings to review the two interim reports (duration: six weeks); The above-mentioned deliverables shall include the following information and materials, as applicable: – An electronic version of the report with its annexes; – An electronic database containing all of the statistics/data collected from all sources during the research and analysis; – A complete list of research materials used (detailed bibliography); – Electronic copies of the sources; – A presentation of the final report in PowerPoint format. 4.3 Bidder requirements Bidders shall be companies of international repute in the areas of activity defined herein. Moreover, Bidders are expected to demonstrate: – Proven experience of working with the postal sector; – Experience in the successful delivery of impact-driven, large-scale postal research projects in English; – In-depth knowledge of the geospatial technology, and particularly the Spatial Data Infrastructures at international level; – Good knowledge of topical issues regarding spatial data infrastructures products and services; – Ability to conduct comparative studies and analyses of the competitive landscape using a vast amount of data and to draw value-adding inferences; – Sufficient and qualified human resource capacity and capability to deliver the services and activities described herein without close supervision by the UPU. Experience of working with United Nations entities, including the UPU and/or other intergovernmental organi- zations, is considered an advantage. Bidders should propose at least two individual consultants in accordance with the requirements specified in this invitation to bid. Bidders are required to provide the CVs and diplomas of the said consultants. The UPU shall have the right to reject a proposed consultant if the individual does not fulfil the UPU’s requirements as defined in this invitation to bid. 4.4 Assessment criteria Bidders’ tenders will be assessed based on a scoring system of up to 70 points for the technical proposal (criteria 1 to 4) and 30 points for the financial proposal (criterion 5), as follows: 12 Evaluation criteria Points obtainable 1 Capacity and capability of consultant(s) (i.e. experience, qualifications, quantity) 15 2 Company profile and experience of developing and delivering similar large-scale 15 postal research projects 3 Knowledge of the spatial data infrastructure structure, products and services 20 4 Knowledge of the topical issues regarding postal spatial data, products and 20 services 5 Financial proposal, including a pricing structure commensurate with duties 30 Bidders shall provide evidence of their ability to meet these requirements by means of a list of references. 4.5 Estimated duration of the services The services are expected to commence four to six weeks after the tender closing date, with an estimated duration of three (3) months. 4.6 Location of the services The Vendor or its assigned consultant shall in principle work from its own premises or his/her home office. The Vendor or its assigned consultant shall liaise and work closely with the UPU (as instructed by the latter) and may be required from time to time to carry out certain tasks from the headquarters of the UPU in Berne, Switzerland, and/or at other locations determined by the UPU. 4.7 Reporting The Vendor shall provide the UPU with reports every two (2) weeks, setting out the relevant services performed by the Vendor during that time frame. Such reports shall be prepared in accordance with a structure and format defined by the UPU (in the form of time sheets). The UPU may contest the Vendor’s time sheets within 10 business days of receipt thereof. If the time sheets are not contested by the UPU within the said time frame, the services detailed therein may be deemed as duly provided by the Vendor and accepted by the UPU. 4.8 Other requirements Bidders shall describe any relevant procedures for ensuring the continuity of the research project despite dis- ruptions that may arise from staff changes, relocation or other manageable risks. Bidders shall also confirm that their tender covers all costs associated with the provision of the services referred to herein. Any other costs to be incurred by the Vendor, including any travel and subsistence costs incurred in the provision of the services at locations other than its own premises and specifically designated by the UPU, shall be subject to the prior written consent of the UPU. No other fees shall be paid, with the exception of reimbursement of other unavoidable costs incurred for successful delivery of the services, which shall also be subject to the prior written consent of the UPU. 4.9 Additional information Bidders may include any additional information that they deem necessary or relevant in order for the UPU to gain a clear and detailed understanding of the services being offered.