UPU Global Reporting System (GRS)

Call for tenders UPU Global Reporting System (GRS) 24 October 2025  2 Table of contents Page 1 Introduction 4 1.1 Profile of the UPU 4 2 Terms and conditions 4 2.1 Confidentiality 4 2.2 Legal status of the Vendor 5 2.3 Scope of the call for tenders 5 2.4 Background 5 2.5 Objectives 6 2.6 Use of subcontractors 7 2.7 Use of the emblem, name and initials of the UPU 7 2.8 Collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct 7 2.9 Intellectual property 8 2.10 Privileges and immunities 8 2.11 Tax exemption 8 2.12 Language 9 2.13 Signature 9 2.14 Participation notification 9 2.15 Contact persons 9 2.16 Further inquiries and questions 9 2.17 Delivery of tender documents and deadline 9 2.18 Evaluation procedure 9 2.19 Modification, suspension or cancellation of the call for tenders 10 2.20 Tentative schedule 10 3 Tender structure – Response format 10 3.1 Cover letter 11 3.2 Executive summary 11 3.3 Bidder information 11 3.4 Subcontractor information 11 3.5 Functional/technical proposal 11 3.6 Pricing structure 11 3.7 Delivery and payment schedule 12 3.8 UPU General Terms and Conditions 12 4 Service requirements 13 4.1 Description of the services 13 4.2 Bidder requirements 13 4.3 Consultancy requirements 13 4.4 Assessment criteria 13 4.5 Duration of services 15 4.6 Location of the services 15 4.7 Reporting 15 4.8 Other requirements 15  3 4.9 Additional information 15 5 List of reference documents 15  4 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 (DOs) 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 call for tenders, the term “Bidder” shall refer to any person, company or legal entity submitting a proposal in response to this call for tenders. The term “Vendor” shall refer to any selected bidder. 2.1 Confidentiality Bidders shall treat in strict confidence all information contained in this call for tenders 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 call for tenders. The call for tenders 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. 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.  5 Bidders wishing to submit a proposal in response to this call for tenders 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 call for tenders. 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 call for tenders This call for tenders concerns the provision of information technology (IT) services aimed at enabling the development and implementation of the UPU Global Reporting System (GRS) as further detailed herein. Such services shall include, without limitation, software development for quality of service analytics and reporting; IT architecture design and other IT solutions within the context of the GRS. All deliverables associated thereto shall be completed and provided to the UPU within a period of twelve (12) months from the date of entry into force of the relevant contractual framework (tentatively set for 1 February 2026). The GRS-related software shall be a web application accessible globally (comprising different timezones) by more than 1500 users logging in to the software at different times (while allowing for simultaneously-running sessions). Bidders are requested to propose the most cost-effective development and innovative software and related IT / services capable of meeting the requirements defined in Annexes 3-3, 3-4a and 3-4b, as further supported by the additional information presented in Annexes 3-1, 3-2, 3-4 and 3-5. 2.4 Background In today’s competitive marketplace, organizations are recognizing that quality is not just an operational metric but a crucial component of customer satisfaction and long-term success. As the postal industry strives to offer and deliver competitive products and services, the ability to transparently measure and communicate quality performance has become paramount. The phrase “one cannot manage what one cannot measure” holds true for quality of service in the postal environment. A robust quality of service measurement system is fundamental to providing accurate information to customers to ensure visibility. The UPU’s Integrated Quality of Service Plan (IQP), as adopted through UPU Congress resolution C 7/2025, establishes a framework for the development and implementation of activities focused on all dimensions of quality of service, including without limitation measurement, quality improvement and compliance actions, which are ultimately driven by electronic commerce (e-commerce) and a robust and reliable network focusing on demand and supply chain management. Within the framework of the IQP, the UPU envisages the development of an integrated measurement methodology for all items containing goods that is not only customer-oriented from an end-to-end perspective, but also capable of providing sufficient diagnostic information for operational improvement. In addition to providing quality performance for operational improvements in all three legs of the postal channel, the IQP measurement methodology shall also support other applications, including remuneration, certification as well as providing data to be used for external needs. It is within the aforementioned measurement background that the GRS is required, in order to generate the necessary key performance indicator (KPI) reports, and also provide interface capability for data sharing with  6 external systems. Currently, the UPU provides two main quality reporting systems that use barcoded items, namely 1) the EMS SMART (Simple Monitoring And Reporting Tool), which produces quality performance KPI reports related to the Express Mail Service (EMS), and 2) the QCS (Quality Control System), which produces quality performance KPI reports related to letter-post and parcel-post services. In effect, with traditional letter volumes declining and small packet volumes increasing due to the rapid growth of the e-commerce, and bearing in mind the need to provide end-to-end visibility to postal customers, the development of the GRS is paramount so as to provide state-of-the art reporting and analytics responding to current and emerging postal quality performance needs. 2.5 Objectives In accordance with the scope defined in section 2.3 above, the UPU seeks to engage a qualified IT services provider to assist in the development of the GRS at a competitive price and to excellent industry-level standards. The main deliverable resulting from this call for tenders shall be the development of GRS-related software in line with the requirements described in section 4 of this document. In more specific terms, the expected results of this call for tenders shall be to develop and provide, for use by UPU member countries and their DOs, an integrated and robust GRS covering broadly the following components/needs; A. EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) load and storage mechanism: a mechanism is to be put in place to accept, load and store EDI messages or as may otherwise be stated. There are 10 postal EDI messages available based on one of the following data representation standards, namely EDIFACT or XML. B. Database: a robust database structure and capacity for handling at least five billion EDI data points annually with the possiblility that multiple attributes may be stored separately for each data point. C. Global configuration: in order to enhance scalability through global postal environments, the software needs to be configurable accommodating as far as possible each DOs’ structure. Accordingly, this module aims to set up the software in the postal environment, providing it with the capacity to define all the parameters that will drive the calculation and logic rules of the software. D. Mechanism for capturing reference data via User Interface (UI) and/or suitable data interchange capability (e.g. Application Programming Interface (API)): initially, a UI is required to capture reference data used for measurement, like, service standards and asset configurations. In future development phases, in addition to the UI, the GRS system shall be able to interface with other external systems via APIs or any suitable technologies so at to interchange data between the systems. E. Measurement, calculation and quality reporting for operational purposes: system aims to provide useful information to assess operational performance in relation to meeting quality targets and thus provide trends analysis and diagnostic capabilities. The GRS shall allow the end-to-end (E2E) reporting view including legs 1, 2 and 3, providing an elapsed time customer view but also performance calculated against standards (business view). Other reports, including various event ratios, and sub-stretches within the legs, shall also be produced. The reports shall cover both outbound and inbound flows. F. Measurement, calculation and quality reporting for remuneration purposes: similar to E above, the system shall produce reports to be used for remuneration. It is important to note that quality reports used for remuneration may be calculated using specific user-defined rules different from those used for producing the reports discussed in E above. G. Other application modules: The GRS shall be a multipurpose integrated system that supports the applications discussed in D, E and F above. The GRS shall also support the integration of a UPU certification module, a “track and trace” feature for postal items, as well as measurements for EDI compliance, customs and security. The future application modules shall make use of the available data in the database to compute the various performance indicators. Additionally, GRS shall provide capabilities of providing calculated performance metrics to be used as source data for external third- party applications like the Integrated Index for Postal Develoment (2IPD), the development of a Price Performance Index (PPI), to mention but a few. Each of these modules shall meet the specific requirements defined in section 4 of this document.  7 The system shall be installed globally using cloud-shared servers (to be hosted in countries which fully observe the UPU’s privileges and immunities referred to in section 2.10 of this document) and accessible via the UPU single-sign-on (SSO) accreditation mechanism. The system shall follow any relevant UPU user interface and visual identity requirements (e.g., colour, font, logos, etc) and be displayed originally in English with the possibility of it being localized in various languages (notably Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish). Below is a simplified view of the proposed system modules showing the above-mentioned components A to G. Bidders are required to use these modules and any other information deemed necessary, in order to propose the most appropriate system architecture. 2.6 Use of subcontractors The Vendor shall not assign, sublicense, subcontract, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of any rights and obligations arising out of this call for tenders 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;  8 – the clarification of tenders; – the conduct and content of any negotiations, including final contract negotiations. For the purposes of this call for tenders, 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 call for tenders 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 call for tenders or other procurement processes conducted by the UPU. 2.9 Intellectual property This call for tenders and all its attached documents, including any content, forms, statements, concepts, pro- jects and procedures explicitly or implicitly forming part of the call for tenders, constitute the exclusive intellec- tual property of the UPU. This call for tenders 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 call for tenders 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 call for tenders, 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 DOs), are inviolable and shall be immune from search, requisition, confiscation, 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 violation of the UPU’s privileges and immunities, and shall take all reasonable measures to prevent such violations. 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 incorporation and/or operation and any UPU member country (including its DOs). 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.  9 2.12 Language Bidders must submit all tender documents entirely in English language. Any document presented for the purpose of supporting this call for tender, should also be in English or translated to 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 call for tenders. 2.14 Participation notification Upon receipt of this call for tenders, 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 Secretary of the Tenders and Procurements Committee Universal Postal Union International Bureau Weltpoststrasse 4 3015 BERNE SWITZERLAND E-mail: caa@upu.int 2.16 Further inquiries and questions Bidders shall send any questions regarding the content of this call for tenders or any requests for clarification in writing to the contact person(s) listed in section 2.15 by 12 November 2025. Answers to questions submitted by Bidders, as well as any additional information and updates relevant to this call for tenders, shall be published on the UPU website at www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/ Procurement. 2.17 Delivery of tender documents and deadline All bids (including any and all associated tender documents) shall be submitted to the UPU by e-mail only at RFP-2025-033@upu.int with “UPU Global Reporting System (GRS) as the subject line. The deadline for the submission of bids is 26 November 2025 at 12:00 (CET). The UPU shall not take into consideration any bids received after this date and time. Furthermore, it shall not accept any bids 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 bids by Bidders. 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 call for tenders. The UPU shall conduct its evaluation procedure with a view to determining as objectively as possible the bid that best meets its specific requirements. All bids 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 shall be given to Bidders’ specific backgrounds, qualifications and experience in relation to the required services. The prescribed structure of bids, as set out in section 3, is mandatory for all Bidders. The UPU shall not take into consideration any bids that do not fulfil the mandatory criteria.  10 Bids received by the UPU shall address all mandatory aspects of this call for tenders; nevertheless, Bidders are kindly requested to identify any aspects where they envisage modifications being necessary or consider elements to be missing. Bids shall be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria, in descending order of importance: – Quality of the bid (according to the specifications herein); – Knowledge and experience of the Bidder and its team, as applicable to the subject matter; – Price. The winning bid shall be selected on the basis of a non-exhaustive list of criteria as set out in section 4. Bidders should therefore consider how their bid corresponds with the criteria listed and clearly indicate this in their response document. The deliberations of the UPU Tenders and Procurements Committee (TPC) are strictly confidential. The TPC shall submit a report on its evaluation of the bids received to the Director General of the UPU International Bureau, together with its final recommendation, for his assessment and authorization. In that regard, the UPU is not bound to necessarily accept the lowest-priced bid, and reserves the right to accept all or part of a bid. In awarding the contract, account shall 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 further negotiate prices and terms and conditions of contract after receipt of bids. Bidders shall be informed of the outcome of their bid as soon as possible after the UPU has made its final selection. 2.19 Modification, suspension or cancellation of the call for tenders 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 call for tenders. 2.20 Tentative schedule Publication of call for tenders 24 October 2025 Deadline for submission of participation notification 12 November 2025 Deadline for submission of queries 12 November 2025 Deadline for provision of responses to queries 18 November 2025 Deadline for submission of tenders to the UPU 26 November 2025 at 12.00 CET Estimated start of engagement 1 February 2026 3 Tender structure – Response format All information provided by Bidders shall 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 call for tenders shall be met in their entirety, according to the structure defined below and following the sequence and numbering provided in this section. The UPU shall evaluate all Bidder responses in accordance with the structure defined herein and reserves the right to reject any bids that do not fulfil the requirements of this call for tenders. For each of the requirements listed in this call for tenders, Bidders shall answer with one of the following statements: – Covered; – Covered with limitations (explaining relevant limitations);  11 – 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 call for tenders; – 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 call for tenders, 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 bid. 3.3 Bidder information Bidders shall provide the following information (to be presented as Annex 2): – 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 In the event that Bidders intend to engage a subcontractor for part or all of the services set out in this call for tenders, the following information shall also be provided with regard to the subcontractor(s) (when Subcontractor information is applicable, to be presented together with Annex 2): – Company structure, locations/subsidiaries; – Customer reference list with descriptions of similar projects, if any; – Quality management certifications and statements, if any; – Description of time schedules and availability; – Detailed presentation of background experience in the field and the related academic record and curriculum vitae of any proposed consultants; – Reference letters. 3.5 Functional/technical proposal Bidders shall submit a functional/technical proposal, as Annex 3, 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 call for tenders. Fill in the checklist provided in Annex 4a (Offer template with check list) under “Functional-Technical”, indicating whether the functional requirement is “covered”, “covered with limitations” or “not covered” 3.6 Pricing structure  12 Bidders shall provide a detailed pricing structure for the services proposed, by filling in the table provided in Annex 4a (Offer template with check list) under “Pricing structure”, indicating whether each subcomponent is “covered”, “covered with limitations” or “not covered”. Any other details, e.g. description of the pricing structure, should be presented in a separate Annex 4b. The pricing structure shall consider, but not be limited to: – Quotation per mentioned modules (see below for the description of the modules); – A full service quotation (all-inclusive for the phase 1 mandatory/core modules); – A general description on the pricing structure of the services offered; – A description of a discount model for the offered services. Description of the modules (see section 2.5) Module Details Phase Module 1 UPU data feed platform with EDI: load and storage mechanism 1 Module 2 Single Sign-On access mechanism 1 Module 3 Global configurations 1 Module 4 Interface for input of reference data and validation of service standards 1 Module 5 Calculation/ETL processes 1 Module 6 Online analytics, reporting (all KPIs), diagnostic and monitoring 1 Module 7 Database and statistics repository 1 Module 8 Hosting and maintenance 1 Module 9 Non-functional requirements 1 Module 10 Interfacing mechanism (e.g., via APIs, or any other suitable mechanism) 2 Module 11 Item Track & Trace capabilities 2 Module 12 EDI compliance checks and measurements 2 Module 13 UPU quality of service certification module 2 Note: Phase 1 shall be delivered by latest October 2026 so as to give time for system testing in readiness for implementation from 1 January 2027; Phase 2 is any delivery after phase 1, whether specific modules are already defined herein or are yet to be defined in the future. Bidders shall not include VAT in their pricing structure (see section 2.11 above). All pricing information shall be set out exclusively in United States Dollars (USD). 3.7 Delivery and payment schedule The tentative target dates for provision of the services (Phase 1) are as follows: Start date: 1 February 2026 End date: 31 December 2026 Any associated delivery and payment schedules shall be proposed by Bidders in their pricing structures, subject to final agreement of the UPU as enshrined in the relevant contractual instrument. The services provided by the Vendor shall be invoiced in arrears on a monthly basis. The UPU shall 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 bid a statement of acceptance (please sign the Annex 2-0) of the UPU General Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Services, attached hereto for reference, as Annex 1-0.  13 The final terms of any contract arising from this call for tenders 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 The Vendor shall be expected to provide the following services: Tasks - Devise and prepare the framework for development of the GRS, namely; o design of the GRS architecture; o provision of clear framework (e.g. timelines, resources, etc.) for the development of the GRS. - develop the GRS at a competitive price and to excellent industry-level standards, using the requirements described in the annexes in section 2.3 above and any other additional documents that may be provided serving as an elaboration of, or attachment to, or complementary/supplementary information to the mentioned annexes Technical requirements The provided software shall be in accordance with the functional and non-functional requirements detailed in the annexes in section 2.3 above. Therefore, the above-mentioned tasks shall be deployed following the non- functional requirements. The development resulting from those tasks shall be compliant with the functional requirements. The checklist included in Annex 4a under “Functional-Technical” must be completed 4.2 Bidder requirements Bidders shall describe any relevant procedures for ensuring continuity of activities/backup. Bidders shall describe any relevant procedures pertaining to project handling and communication. Bidders’ teams are expected to be fluent in English (written and spoken). Bidders shall also confirm that their bids shall cover all costs for provision of the goods and services referred to herein. Other costs to be incurred by the selected Vendor, including without limitation travel costs between the Vendor’s offices and the headquarters of the UPU in Berne, Switzerland or any other locations specifically designated by the UPU for the performance of the services, shall be subject to prior written consent of the UPU. No other fees shall be paid, with the exception of reimbursement of other unavoidable costs incurred for successful completion of the services, equally subject to prior written consent of the UPU. Bidders shall demonstrate a record of satisfactory performance in similar activities (i.e. reference letters and/or work completion certificates). The business transactions and activities carried out by the Bidder must be com- pliant with the mandates and principles of the UPU. 4.3 Consultancy requirements Bidders not operating as independent individual consultants shall propose, as part of the team directly involved in the provision of the relevant IT services, at least three individual consultants in accordance with the requirements specified in this call for tenders for the performance of the services and activities described herein. Bidders are required to provide the curricula vitae (CVs) and diplomas of the said consultants, as well as a letter of motivation and a brief write-up (maximum 1,000 words) of the consultants’ approach and methodology with regard to the project, for further verification and evaluation by the UPU. 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 call for tenders. Bidders not operating as independent individual consultants shall describe any relevant procedures concerning the replacement of individual consultants if so requested by the UPU. 4.4 Assessment criteria  14 Bidders shall be assessed on the basis of a scoring system of up to 70 points for their functional/technical proposal and 30 points for their pricing structure. The proposal shall be assessed on the basis of the following criteria, with each criteria scored from 1 to 10 (see table below on the Score key)1: Attributes Weight (%) Score Bidder 1 Bidder 2 (etc.) Bidder n (etc.) GRS system architecture 2 1 to 10, x 0.02 x 0.02 ……….. design and development relative to the framework other bids Module 1 10 x 0.10 x 0.10 ……….. Module 2 5 x 0.05 x 0.02 ……….. Module 3 5 x 0.05 x 0.02 ……….. Module 4 5 x 0.05 x 0.05 ……….. Module 5 10 x 0.10 x 0.10 ……….. Module 6 10 x 0.10 x 0.10 ……….. Module 7 5 x 0.05 x 0.05 ……….. Module 8 5 x 0.05 x 0.05 ……….. Module 9 3 x 0.03 x 0.07 ……….. Module 10 1 x 0.01 x 0.07 ……….. Module 11 1 x 0.01 x 0.05 ……….. Module 12 4 x 0.04 x 0.07 ……….. Module 13 4 x 0.04 x 0.05 ……….. Economic/pricing criteria 30 x 0.30 x 0.30 ……….. Total score 100 Total sum Total sum Total sum Score key: • 1 (Minimum): Missing completely the requirement/ Not clear at all/ Not adequate at all to fulfill the requirement • 10 (Maximum): Covers all aspects within the requirement/ No ambiguity/ Fully adequate and relevant to the requirement • Intermediate score between 1 and 10 will be given based on the judgement of the evaluator as to what extent the proposal responds to the expectations of the specific module. The economic/pricing criteria score shall be based on the following non-exhaustive list of parameters: – Financial and organizational stability of the Bidder; – Project management (planning, organization chart, etc.); The technical/functional assessment score shall be based on the following non-exhaustive list of parameters: – Experience in software architecture design; – Responding to the requirements described in the annexes in section 2.3 above and any other additional documents that may be provided serving as an elaboration of, or attachment to, or complementary/supplementary information to the mentioned annexes. 1 The score criteria may be updated depending on the feedback and clarifications provided by the bidders during the Q&A session.  15 Bidders shall provide evidence of their ability to meet these requirements by means of a list of references. For the assessment of economic/pricing criteria, costs provided by each Bidder shall be objectively compared and given a score between 1 (the most expensive offer) and 10 (the most affordable). 4.5 Duration of services The services are tentatively scheduled to commence in February 2026, for a total contract duration of 12 months. 4.6 Location of the services The Vendor shall in principle work from its own premises or, in the case of independent individual consultants, his/her home office. The Vendor 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 UPU headquarters in Berne, Switzerland. 4.7 Reporting A specific method of periodic reporting and documentation principles for the project shall be mutually defined between the UPU and the Vendor. In the absence of an agreed specific method of periodic reporting between the parties, the Vendor shall provide the UPU with weekly reports 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 (i.e. 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 services provided and for appropriate backup and retraining, as well as any relevant procedures pertaining to project management and communication. Bidders shall also confirm that their bid 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. 5 List of reference documents This call for tender has supplementary information contained in the following annexes; Annex 1-0: UPU General Terms and Conditions (UPU GTC) for the Provision of Services. Annex 2-0: Statement of acceptance of the UPU GTC (in accordance to section 3.8 above) Annex 3-1 to 3-5: Functional/Technical requirements Annex 4a: Offer template with check list