Ref: Request For Proposal for the Tendering Process for Outsourcing of Consular, Passport and Visa Services

(Note:-Kindly note that the Answers given below broadly cover various substantive aspects of the RFP. Further clarifications pertaining RFP, if any ,will be provided in the pre-bid conference on

20/01/2016)

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q 1:- Kindly provide details of venue and time for pre bid conference.

Ans:- 1430 hrs on 20 January 2016 at High Commission of India, 31 Grange Road, Singapore.

Q 2 :- Please intimate in whose name the draft for security deposit of S$ 70,450 is to be made. Please give full details in this regard.

Ans: The draft should be made in the name of \'High Commission of India, Singapore\' and handed over in person or dispatched to \'Head of Chancery , High Commission of India, Singapore

239702\' by courier/registered post.

Q 3:- When will thedetails of evaluation of technical bid be intimated to participatingcompanies?

Ans:-The result of the evaluation of the Technical bid will be announced before the opening of the financial bids. The Bidding Companies which did not qualify in the evaluation of technical bids

stage will be informed of the reasons for their disqualification by email.

Q 4:-Whether viability of services fee will be examined prior to opening of financial bid?

Ans:-No. Viability of services fee will be examined after the opening of financial bid.

Q 5 :- Whether the number of staff and number of counters given in RFP are for both the Centres or not ?

Ans:- The numbers are for both centrescombined together.

Q.6 : What will be the date for signing the contract ?

Ans:-The selected company should sign the Contract within three weeks from the date of award of Contract

Q 7:-How would the transition take place from the existing vendor?

Ans. Trained personnel must work concurrently with the previous service provider for 15 days for the taking-over process - 2 weeks prior to commencement of services. The timeline is only

indicative in nature and can be modified by the Mission as per administrative requirements or to meet with the deadline of the expiry of the existing Contract etc.

Q 8:-Can we have the month-wise break-up of visa/passport/consular applications count for each year of the last 3 years?

Ans.Month-wise data of Visa/Passport/Consular application count for the last three years is given below: This does not include ETV/TVOA

(count) launched in November 2014.

Q 9:- The scope of consular applications, as per our understanding includes, NRI Certificates, Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Driver\'s License Confirmation Letter, Police Clearance Certificates, Affidavit by Foreign Nationals for Child\'s Passport, Affidavit by Indian Nationals for Child\'s Passport, Power of Attorney and Attestation of Documents . Kindly confirm.

Ans.All applications except Power of Attorney(POA) and Affidavit to be executed by Indian nationals shall be received in IVACs. The POA and Affidavit will be required to be submitted at the High Commission.

Q 10:- Kindly confirm if all the application types are to be submitted by the applicants themselves in person only; and NO POST or Third Party will be allowed to submit the applications.

Ans:-Applications to be accepted preferably in person.

Q 11:- Kindly provide the details on number of calls and emails received from the applicants at the current service centres.

Ans:-This data is not maintained by the Mission.

Q 12:- The VAS section does not cover the rates for the SMS service. In addition service provider has to mandatorily provide 3 SMS updates. Hence we request you to kindly provide the SMS charges under the VAS section.

Ans.As already mandated in the RFP, the Service Provider should mandatorily provide 3 SMS updates for (i) despatch of documents to the Mission (ii) receipt of documents in the IVAC from Mission and (iii) delivery of documents. All these information should also be uploaded to the website tracking system on a real-time basis.

Q 13:- What would be the likely date of implementation of biometric data capture?

Ans:- After signing of the contract, Biometric enrolmentwill be introduced at the earliest in co-ordination with the service provider.

Q 14:- We understand that new service provider will be digitising records from the day it starts its operations and will not be responsible to complete digitisation of past records.

Ans:-Yes.

Q 15:- What are the Servicing hours in IVACs ?

Ans:-The applications should be accepted at the counters for a minimum of 6½ hours per day and a total of 33 working hours per week, excluding weekends. The total working hours of the IVACs

shall be 45 hours per week excluding weekends.

Q 16:-If two companies are on L1 same price, what will be the criteria for awarding the contract?

Ans. Please refer to Para 23.ii on Financial bid of RFP

Q 17:- What are the additional points given to Bidding company evaluation of Technical bids for those servicing other Missions:

Ans.Annex E point 9 in RFP may kindly be referred to.

Q 18:- What are the Criteria for security clearance?

Ans.Please refer to Para V.8.h of RFP

Q 19:- What about Bank agency charges?

Ans.Para IX.12. b.i/iii may kindly be referred to:- Any bank charges levied on such transactions will not be borne by the Mission.

Q 20 :- Which are the applications that need to be digitized?

Ans.The Service provider is responsible for Digitisation/Indexation of OCI, Passport and Visa application forms along with enclosures, as per the parameters prescribed in Annexure A.

Q 21:-Whether pre-verification applies to enabling unit staff/external auditors/internal auditors visiting VAC for support services/audits

Ans:.Yes

Q 22:- As the RFP mentions that all travel companies fulfilling a said criteria can apply. In this connection most travel agents even renowned brands are known to provide (Fake documents, Hotel stay, Air tickets,

Fake signatures). This being a case it poses a security risk to India as a country.

Ans: -This inference seems hypothetical. Bidding companies will be pre-verified and evaluated as per criteria laid out in the RFP. There is no place for cheating or fraud in the tender process and

such cases, if come to notice, will be dealt with severely.

Q 23 :- No specific timelines mentioned. The bidder\'s make their budgets basis biometric rollouts at a future date (3months post launch). Every RFP covers the biometric rollout but no specific date of launch. What

will be the exact date of launch for biometrics?.

Ans:-Biometric procedures for passport services abroad is still under finalisation. NIC is expected to provide the software for biometric enrolment when introduced. The fee applicable for

enrolment will kick in whenever biometric enrolment commences. Mission will provide enough notice as andwhen a decision is taken in this regard, so that the service provider can prepare

accordingly.

Q 24:-Why is there a split of 50% /20%/20%/10% for the performance bank guarantee ?

Ans:-This is to allow the Mission to invoke any or all of the Bank Guarantees depending on the extent and the severity of the violation of the terms of the Agreement.

Q 25:- Para XVII 22 (i) d - When will be details of evaluation of technical bid will be intimated to participated companies. Will it be at the time of opening of financial bid or prior to opening of financial bid?

Ans:-Companies will be informed prior to the opening of Financial Bids.

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