PROCEDURE
NoEEAS-586-DIVIBS7-SER/SUP-FWC
EEAS Classified Document Management System(CDMS)
and e-Registry for
EC³IS (EEAS Corporate Classified
Communication and Information System)
Questions and Answers Set 1
Question 1
Tender Specifications, page 36 (Annex A) Tables B.1 to B.5: “Details to be filled by tenderer: one line per type of hardware / software licenses.”
Tender Specifications, page 10 (Section 6) “The Main Services expected during the Framework Contract shall be to: […] Provide the devices and licences required for implementing the solution.”
Tender specifications, Annex 13 – technical tender ,page 13-14 (System design criterion): “The Tenderer shall describe in detail the proposed design and tools for the CDMS & e-Registry including the resources needed on EC³IS. The tenderer shall ensure that there is a detailed datasheet for each product/technology involved annexed (max Length 15 pages of annexes).”
Annex 1 Technical compliance and requirements list, p. 10, Section 3.2 Infrastructure Architecture, “The Annex 7 describes the overall EC³IS architecture into which CDMS & e-Registry solution shall be fully integrated as common services. The CDMS & e-Registry design shall only be based on resources provided by EEAS (storage, ESX servers, …) as described in Annex 7, one exception should be allowed for specific NTS/NTK encryption device.”
Annex 10 – Draft SLA, Section 2, p. 5: “The services to provide are: […] Software (and hardware if needed) Delivery”
Questions:
a) Our understanding is that the tenderers should provide only generic (i.e. not vendor or product specific) hardware requirements (for example CPU, memory and/or bandwidth requirements) needed on EC³IS. The tenders should not include the cost for the infrastructure except for the NTS/NTK encryption device. The term “hardware” (or “hardware licenses”) in the financial tables B.1 and B.5 refers to the hardware costs for the NTS/NTK encryption device. Please confirm or clarify.
b) If our understanding in point a) is not correct: How will offers with different scope in terms of hardware be compared? For example, an offer that includes extensive server hardware in the quote, versus an offer that underestimates the hardware needs?
c) Our understanding is that tenderers should not provide prices for operating systems licenses and MS SQL Server licenses. Please confirm our understanding or clarify.
d) Can you provide further details on the functionality of the “NTS/NTK encryption device” which is part of the solution?
e) Does EEAS have any ongoing agreements with vendors allowing it to procure at a discount?
Answer to question 1
a) We confirm.
b) NA
c) We confirm.
d) As all Classified and sensitive Information residing on EC³IS system and managed by the CDMS shall be encrypted in conformity with the “Need to Share” (NTS) and “Need to Know” (NTK) principles, an encryption device could be proposed by Tenderers but is not mandatory.
e) Depending of the proposed encryption device with the solution, if it can be purchased on a cheaper price on other existing contracts, EEAS reserves the right to purchase it from other contractors and make it available for the proposed solution.
Question 2
Request for extension
Questions:
The EEAS has provided extensive requirements for the new system and requires a detailed proposal (responses to 40 sub-criteria as well as 240 requirements). This requires extensive analysis of all the requirements of EEAS, evaluation of candidate COTS products, add-ons and configurations in terms of requirements coverage, decisions on the approach, plans and technologies of the project, approach for each individual requirement and preparation of a proposal in a presentable and understandable format providing added value to EEAS. The deadline has been set for 27/10/2017, which is only 23 working days after the publication to OJS. We kindly ask you to consider an extension of at least three weeks. This would improve the quality of offers for a project of such importance.
Answer to question 2
An extension is unfortunaly not possible.
Question 3
Tender Specifications, Annex 13 – technical tender, page 15-16, “8. Documentation : “This criterion will enable assessment of the preparation, delivery and maintenance of the documentation for the project.” […]
“The tenderer must describe the following aspects of the user documentation.” […]
“Sub-criterion 8.1.2 (5 points): the structure of the documentation.
Sub-criterion 8.1.3 (5 points): the structure and content of:
- End User Manuals.
- Technical documentations.”
Questions:
Our understanding is that Sub-criterion 8.1.2 refers to project management documentation and 8.1.3 refers to end-user manual and technical documentation. Please confirm or clarify.
Answer to question 3
All subcriteria of the question 8 Documentation are related to the user documentation.
Question 4
Tender specifications, Annex 13 – technical tender, page 14-15, criteria 6 and 7, “Max. Length : 10 pages (annexes not included)”
Questions:
Except criteria 6 and 7, in all other cases where it is stated “annexes not included” (criteria 3, 8, 9), the criteria explicitly state what the relevant annexes are and their maximum length. Are annexes indeed allowed for criteria 6 and 7 or should we read “annexes not allowed” in place of “annexes not included” for these two criteria? If annexes are allowed, what should be the content of the annexes what is their page limit?
Answer to question 4
For criteria 6 and 7, annexes are not allowed.
Question 5
Tender specifications, Annex 13 – technical tender, Maximum length.
Questions:
Our understanding is that the maximum lengths do not include the cover page and table of contents. Please confirm or clarify.
Answer to question 5
We confirm.
Question 6
Tender specifications, page 9, Technical and professional capacity – 5.3.3a) List of services
Questions:
a) In point 5.3.3 it is requested that the Tenderers provide a list of similar services and supplies contracts, concerning at least one of the past three financial years. How many references should we present?
b) In reference to point 5.3.3, we also understand that it is acceptable to provide on-going projects/ contracts, as long as part of the contract was executed during the last three financial years. Additionally, we understand that any related contracts that finished during the last three financial years can also be provided as references, even if their execution started before 2014. Please confirm or clarify.
c) In point 5.3.3 it is also mentioned that each contract must specify the annual contract value, the duration (start and end date) and the client. We understand that for each provided reference the contract value per year (e.g. contract value in 2014, 2015, and 2016) should be specified separately, in addition to the total contract value. Furthermore we understand that there is no requirement as regards the minimum contract value. Please confirm or clarify.
Answer to question 6
a) The number of contracts to be included in the list is left to the discretion of the economic operator. However, in order to comply with the minimum capacity level required, please note that the list must contain at least one contract.
b) The contracts should concern at least one of the past three financial years for which financial statements have been submitted, regardless of their current status (on-going, finished, started before, etc…).
c) Each contract from the list must specify the annual contract value, the duration (start and end date) and the client. There is no requirement as regards the minimum contract value.
Question 7
Tender specifications, page 9, Technical and professional capacity – Minimum capacity level required (point 5.3.3a), states that “The economic operator must provide at least one official reference letter in the fields related to the services and supplies indicated in point 6 during at least one of the last three financial years specifying whether the services and supplies have been carried out in a professional manner in compliance with the contractual terms. These proofs letters must relate to any of the services and supplies included in the list under point a)”
Questions:
a) We understand that is not necessary to provide official reference letters for all contracts included in the list of references. Please confirm or clarify.
b) We also understand that the official reference letters need to concern services provided in any of the three last financial years, for instance the letter’s date must be within 2014, 2015, 2016 or 2017. Please confirm or clarify.
c) We understand that by “fields related to the services and supplies indicated in point 6” it is meant any of the following: “Design the solution; Provide the devices and licences required for implementing the solution; Implement the solution; Maintain the solution; Provide technical support and complete documentation for the solution; Ensure training for the solution”. Please confirm or clarify.
Answer to question 7
a) We confirm.
b) The letter’s date must be within 2014, 2015, 2016 or 2017 and should concern one of the last three financial years.
c) We confirm, in the fields related to those services and in regard to the subject of the procedure (the solution to propose).
Question 8
Tender specifications, page 9, Technical and professional capacity – 5.3.3b), it is required that the Tenderers provide “A declaration on the average annual manpower employed by the economic operator in each of the last three financial years (…)”
Questions:
a) We understand that we must provide the number of our employees per financial year (2014, 2015, 2016) and per field specified (Analyst; Technical Engineer; Subject matter Expert; Document Administrator; Architect; Developer; Remaining fields related to the services and supplies as described under point 6 and under Annex 1 of this Tender Specifications). We also understand that we can include in our declaration any additional fields that is related to the scope of services requested, including those specified in Section 21.2.2 “Contractor Project Organisation and responsibilities” of Annex 1 . Please confirm or clarify.
b) Under minimum capacity level required, in the same section, it is specified that “The average annual number of staff in the fields of (…) must be at least 20, including at least 2 for the profiles of Analyst, Technical Engineer, Subject matter Expert, Document Administrator, Architect, and Developer.” We understand that our capacity in the remaining fields will also be counted towards meeting the minimum capacity requirement. Please confirm or clarify.
Answer to question 8
a) We confirm
b) We confirm
Question 9
Tender specifications, page 9, Technical and professional capacity – 5.3.3c), it is required that the Tenderer’s staff involved in the design and implementation of the solution should hold a valid Personal Security Clearance (PSC) at the level of SECRET UE/EU SECRET issued by a EU Member State National Security Authority (NSA)
Question:
Under minimum capacity level required, in the same section, it is specified that “At least 3 members of staff involved in the design and implementation of the solution (see point 6) must have a valid Personal Security Clearance (PSC) at the level of SECRET UE/EU SECRET, including the Project Manager.” What supporting evidence is required at this tendering stage?
Answer to question 9
The minimum supporting evidence is a formal declaration by the company stating at least 3 members of staff have a valid PSC or will have a PSC before the date of the signature of the contract. The estimate date is 15 January 2018.
Question 10
Annex 8, Introduction, page 2: “The following document provides a description of specifics profiles required for the IAP Lot 1 system for specific need.”
Tender Specifications, Annex 13 – technical tender, page 22, “Sub-criterion 1.3.1 (10 points): the proposed PIP including the delivery of the IAP Lot 1 System in respect of the proposed functionalities by phase.”
Annex 9 List of Acronyms – Glossary, page 7: “IAP: Intelligence Analysis Platform: EC³IS Specific Project requested by EUMS INT DIR and EU INTCEN to permit to create a platform based on NTK principle on which they can work together and use intelligence specific functions.”
Question:
In the first two references above, it seems that “IAP Lot 1” is used in place of CDMS & e-Registry. Please confirm that this is a typo, or otherwise clarify.
Answer to question 10
We confirm.
CDMS & e-Registry for EC³IS 8/8 Questions & Answers