Invitation to Tender for Consultancy Services at Universal Service Provision Fund

“To carry out detailed survey to identify and establish clusters of Telephony and Transport Network gaps at specific locations which are not covered by any of the licensed telecoms operators”

Background:
The Universal Service Provision Fund (“the USPF”) was established to facilitate rapid achievement of national policy goals for universal service and universal access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

The mandate of the USPF is to facilitate the widespread availability and usage of network services and application services throughout Nigeria by providing funding through subsidies and grants for the provision of network facilities, network services and application services to rural, un-served and underserved areas or to underserved groups within an institution or community.

The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) hereby invites interested Firms/Consultants to submit Proposals for this assignment as detailed below:

1. Objectives of the Consultancy:
The Consultancy exercise will assist the USP Secretariat in identifying blind spots where there is no telephony signal and transport/transmission network across the country. The outcome of this assignment will enable the Secretariat accelerate the rapid expansion of mobile telephony and data services to unserved / underserved areas in Nigeria under the USPF’s Universal Access and Universal Service programmes.

Owing to the diverse nature of the country; the need to conclude on this assignment on time; and the dependency of quite a number of USPF projects on the outcome of this assignment, it is imperative to Lot the project as follows:

S/N        Lot No    Classification

1. Lot 1 -    North East
2. Lot 2 -    North West
3. Lot 3 -    South East
4. Lot4 -    South West
5. Lot 5 -    South South
6. Lot 6 -    North Central

2. Eligibility
a) General Conditions

1. Evidence of incorporation with Corporate Affairs Commission. Companies must enclose certificate of incorporation and form C07.
2. Submit Articles and Memorandum of Association of their Company, which must show that the Company has ICT related activities as part of its objectives
3. Must have three year Tax Clearance certificates (2009, 2010 and 2011).
4. Evidence of Value Added Tax (VAT) registration certificate and past remittances.
5. Audited accounts for the last three years
6. Provide verifiable evidence of financial capacity to execute the project.
7. Have a proper understanding of telecommunications solutions for rural areas.
8. Show evidence of similar works
9. Company profile and organizational structure, including names and resume of key personnel and technical staff with addresses and phone numbers
10. Detail evidence of compliance with Pension Act, 2004 including evidence of remittances and Industrial Training Fund (1TF) contribution

b) Specific Conditions:
In addition to the general eligibility the prospective Consultants shall also be required to demonstrate the following minimum competencies:

1. An understanding of the ICT industry in Nigeria or worldwide
2. Experience in operational approaches to mobile network roll-out
3. Experience in ICT / Telecom Infrastructure deployment
4. Experience in RF Design, Planning and implementation
5. Competent use of Telecoms Planning Tools such as Pathioss. GPS, etc
6. Evidence of relevant technical experience with reference to similar projects deployed on a national scale
7. Relevant academic qualifications
8. Basic Corporate Information including expertise to deliver on the project
9. Measurable indicators and mechanism for verifying the indicators
10. Demonstrate or show evidence of similar assignments carried out in the past

3. Tender Delivery Instructions
Qualified Companies/Consultants wishing to respond to this Invitation must purchase a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) from the Procurement Department, USPF Secretariat by payment of a nonrefundab1e tendering fee of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000:00) only per lot, which must be payable in bank draft in favour of “Universal Service Provision Fund, Abuja”. The draft should be submitted to the Funding and Subsidy Department, USPF and copy of the receipt attached to the bid document.

The proposals must include a detailed Technical and Financial Proposals, submitted in separate sealed envelopes.

4. Bidders meeting
All interested bidders are invited to a meeting where the detailed format of the project implementation, scope, objectives and other clarifications resulting from the tender shall be discussed and finalized as schedule below:

Date: Wednesday October 10, 2012
Time: 11.00 am
Venue: Conference Room, Ground Floor Nigerian Communications
Commission Head Office 423, Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama District Abuja

5. Closing Date for Submission of Proposals
Three (3) bound copies of each of Technical Proposal and Financial Bid in separate envelopes must he hand delivered not later than 2.00 p.m. Wednesday November 21, 2012 to the following address:

Office of the Secretary
Universal Service Provision Fund
USP Secretariat 9th Floor
Nigerian Communications Commission
Plot 423 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama - Abuja

All further enquiries regarding this advertisement should be directed by email to: uspfbids@ncc.gov.ng

Signed:
Secretary
Universal Service Provision Fund