2. The list of participants is as under –
3. The following queries / suggestions were received from the vendors. The Bank’s response thereto is given as under -
| Sr. | RFP clause No. | Queries | RBI’s response |
| 1 | 4.34.4 | How does RBI define the term: “trades”?
Are the necessary trades/ tasks of SMEP (structural, mechanical, electrical and public health) included in the Architectural Services?
Remark: We expect that trades are defined by RBI in Form B, C and F in categories: (1) Architectural Services including SMEP, (2) Warehouse Management System, (3) Automated Storage and Retrieval System, (4) Material Handling System, (5) Robotic System.
In this regard, we outline that especially architectural services and SMEP is a must for the Project and should be outlined and evaluated explicitly. Alternatively, we recommend defining SMEP as an extra trade/ sixth trade for the Project. | Yes, the necessary trades/ tasks of SMEP (structural, mechanical, electrical and public health) is included in the Comprehensive Architectural Services
As above
As above
|
| 2 | 4.44.7 | Please confirm whether Cl 4.44.7 (ii) refers to only 5% payment in respect to Milestone XI due to the consultant at completion of stabilization period. | Yes |
| 3 | 5.8.1 & 5.8.2 | To cover the additional resources employed by the consultant, fair and reasonable additional payments shall be made to the consultant in case of changes to the consultant’s commission leading to additional work either in case of change in law or for reasons other than any default of the consultant. | Management of changes has been addressed at para 5.19 (Management of changes/ variations) of the RFP. |
| 4 | 5.11 | We request to please remove the provision of Security Deposit as the consultant would be providing a Performance Bank Guarantee. | The provision of security deposit stands/ cannot be removed. |
| 5 | 5.21.1 | We’d like to discuss and agree the Intellectual Property Rights provisions in the contract. Our preferred clause is as below:
The Consultant grants to the Client an irrevocable royalty free non-exclusive licence to use the Intellectual Property in the Deliverables for the purposes of completing the Project.
The Consultant shall have a non-exclusive irrevocable royalty free licence to use any data or information supplied to it in connection with the Services (excluding personal data as defined under applicable data privacy legislation) for the purpose of improving its internal processes and project delivery. | Cannot be considered. |
| 6 | | Limitation of liability
As advised by our insurers, we’d like to discuss and agree an overarching cap on our liability in our contract. Our preferred clause is as below:
Notwithstanding any other term of this Agreement the total liability of the Consultant to all parties under or in connection with this Agreement whether in contract (including by way of indemnity), tort (including negligence), for breach of statutory duty or otherwise shall be limited to the Consultant’s fee value. |
Cannot be considered. |
| 7 | | Standard of Care-
We’d like to discuss and agree a standard of care for our commission. Our preferred clause is as below:
Notwithstanding any other term of this agreement the Consultant’s obligation in relation to the performance of the Services shall be to exercise reasonable skill and care and the Consultant shall only be liable if and to the extent that he has failed to exercise such skill and care and for the avoidance of doubt the Consultant shall not be under any obligation of fitness for purpose. |
Cannot be considered. |
| 8 | | Stop work-
We’d like to discuss and agree a provision to stop work in case of non-payment of dues by the client. Our preferred clause is as below:
If the Client fails to make payment in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Consultant may, upon seven days’ written notice to the Client, suspend performance of services under this Agreement until such outstanding amounts are paid in full. The Consultant shall have no liability for delay or damage caused by such suspension. |
Cannot be considered. |
| 9 | Annex I - 1 | Did RBI select a land plot for the ABPC in Jaipur?
Is the land plot size of 7.37 acres (approx. 30’000m2) the size of the selected land or an estimation and depends on final concept planning of ABPC? | The land has been identified by RBI. |
| 10 | Annex I - 1 | In case the land plot is not selected by RBI, who will be responsible for the identification/ qualification/ evaluation/ selection process of land alternatives? | NA |
| 11 | Annex I – 1(A) | How does RBI define the term: “training center”, what is the purpose of the center? | Facility with adequate IT support for trainings such as knowledge transfer between consultant, vendor, on-site support staff, security agencies, RBI staff etc. |
| 12 | Annex I – 1(A) &(B) | How many offices/ administrative spaces does RBI requesting for ABPC building? How many administrative personnel shall be located within the building? | Office spaces/ cabins may be provided for approximately 35 staff members in the Administrative Building. Approximately 50 staff members may be working in the Core Building handling operational/ supervisory functions. |
| 13 | Annex I – 1(A) | What kind/ space of data center is currently expected by RBI? Does an IT strategy plan of RBI exist and can be shared with appointed consultant in the Project? | IT Policy will be shared with selected vendor. The space for data centre will depend on the level of automation and solution suggested by the consultant. |
| 14 | 4.4 of Annex I | What is the daily/ weekly/ annual output of fresh notes to Currency Chests for the respective years? Such benchmark is a key figure for the center configuration. | 41.2 mn new banknotes per day of remittance is estimated to be sent with the total of 7177 mn in 2024-25. Please see the Addendum/ Corrigendum for revised projections for storage and processing of banknotes. |
| 15 | 4.4 of Annex I | How many working days per year is planned for Jaipur operation by RBI? The operation mode is not clearly defined with two shifts. | Approximately 240 days. The ABPC is expected to work in two shifts as per the volume of banknotes to be processed. |
| 16 | 4.4 of Annex I | Please confirm that all outlined cash volumes in the table are in million pieces of banknotes/ not show in lakh pieces assigned to future cash center in Jaipur. | Million |
| 17 | Annex II - Part I.-A.(f) | Part I – (A) preliminary study, point (f): When should this task (f) be executed by the consultant?
This item is misleading within Part I – A Preliminary study and should be re-assigned to a later project phase, i.e. Part III - On-site support. We expect a correction by RBI. | Please see the Addendum/ Corrigendum. |
| 18 | 1.6.4, Annex II | How does RBI define the term: “preparation of the agreements” (outlined in section I: point 1.6.4)? This point is not specified clearly within Annex II.
Additional question: Does the term: “preparation of the agreements” include also legal and financial specifications of the supplier agreement (e.g. legal terms and conditions beside the technical specifications of ABPC equipment and building, MEP equipment) and within contracting? | The term tender documents mentioned in Annex II includes preparation of agreements also. Such tender documents and agreements shall be subject to approval by RBI.
Yes |
| 19 | Annex II - Part I.-C. | Part I – (C) Acceptance of the PR: How does RBI define the term: “physical prototype of the ABPC”? Does this point mean an architectural building model, or other units as well? | Architectural building model with all units supporting the solutions provided in the project report. |
| 20 | Annex II - Part II - A (a) | Please confirm if statutory approvals and NOCs are part of consultant scope. Consultant can provide all technical documents required for approval. However client is responsible for seeking approval. | Obtaining all statutory approvals and NOCs are part of the scope of work of the consultant and is the responsibility of the consultant. |
| 21 | 3.2.9 | Remark: For most cash infrastructure projects we have to respect confidentiality agreements, especially for any customer contact based on realized projects with Central Banks - for Cash Centers, IT, automation and security infrastructure. This element of confidentiality exists to some extend further on. We believe that RBI may have the same understanding at the end of Project. We expect as well that other Prospective Consultants are in the same situation.
Proposal of accepted work-around: We will describe the project scope and specialties as outlined in Form F and we will name the appropriate contact person in the bank for your verification. As a Central Bank institution, you may contact any other Central Bank institution governed by the administrative assistance proceeding.
Is such procedure sufficient for Reserve Bank of India? | Not acceptable; all the documents as indicated in the RFP at para 3.2.5, 3.2.6 and 3.2.9 for Form B, C and F should be submitted. |
| 22 | 2.1 & 2.2 | Is the certificate requested from all consortium members, or only from the companies, located in a country which shares a land border with India? | All consortium members are required to provide a certificate in Form P. |
| 23 | 1.6.5 | What is the desired “go live” date for the ABPC? | The timeline / master control chart shall be given by the consultant. |
| 24 | | What is the overall budget for the ABPC project including construction work? | The budget for establishment has to be estimated by the Consultant in its project report. |
| 25 | | Has the ABPC project received the necessary approvals required within RBI and other stakeholders or will these be sought after consideration of the Project Report? | In-principle approval of RBI for establishment of ABPC is on record. Statutory Approval will be obtained by the consultant after approval of the project report by the Bank. |
| 26 | | Does RBI wish to explore external financing options for the project? | No. |
| 27 | 5.10 | It is noted under payment milestone III that 15% of the Consultants fees are payable in relation to the construction. Is the Consultant expected to oversee and be responsible for the work of the contractor in respect of the civil works / building construction? | Yes, the consultant is expected to oversee and will be responsible for overall performance of the contractors and completion of the work. |
| 28 | | If not, is the work of the contractor the responsibility of RBI? | NA |
| 29 | Annex II | Please provide a list of all items that are not in scope for the Consultant on the project? | The scope of work is given in RFP and detailed in Annex II. |
| 30 | 4.2.2 | Would it be permitted for a consortium member to bid for the civil works / building construction? | No; please refer to clause 4.2.2 of the RFP |
| 31 | Annex II – Part III | For Phase III, on site-support is defined as “to provide on-site support for operations, repairs and maintenance, etc. post stabilisation of the facility”. Can you provide more detail on the specific role, duties and tasks of the Consultant during the stipulated 10-year period? | Broad guidelines have been provided in Part III - On-site support to the facility under Annex II of RFP. |
| 32 | 4.10 | For a potential consortium bid, can a representative from each participating party of the consortium attend the pre bid meeting? | Not applicable |
| 33 | 4.10 | The RFP states that the tenderer may offer comments on tentative timelines for completion of the project and milestones for payment during the pre-bid meeting. | The timelines and milestones were discussed in the pre-bid meeting.
The discussions are summarized at para 4 below. |
| | | - Other than the 4 month stipulation for the preliminary study and Project Report, is it expected that the Consultant will provide thoughts on suggested timelines for the whole project? |
| | | - Is there scope to amend milestones for payment for the project? |
| 34 | 3.3 | The RFP Requirements Document [Section 3.3 Envelope Two – Technical Details] stipulates the following;- | The drawings, designs and layouts sufficient to substantiate the Technical Bid may be provided. Clause 4.34.3 may also be referred. |
| | The Tenderer is required to submit a detailed plan on their approach for the proposed consultancy work as per the Scope of Work, which may include the following - |
| | "detailed report on the above plans including drawings, designs, layouts, etc. in support of their Technical Bid" |
| (i) | Could RBI please provide more clarity on the level of detail pertaining this requirement particularly the ‘drawings, designs, and layout’ - this appears to be asking for a design before we’ve completed the analysis |
| (ii) | Annex II – Part I(B)(i) | Similarly, Ref Section B (i): does this mean layouts/ schematics to illustrate the overall construction and process flows, or more detailed architectural designs i.e. to the level of detail required for the RFP for the building contractor? |
| 35 | 1.4, annex II | The tender documentation talks about a ‘green field ABPC’. Is there an existing facility within the same campus that can / will be adapted or is it an entirely new facility. | ABPC will be an entirely new facility. |
| 36 | | Does RBI require a minimum amount of local [Indian] consultants / suppliers for this project? | The appointment of contractors / suppliers for establishment of ABPC will be through an open tender which may include "Make in India" clauses as may be applicable.
A provision has been incorporated for the successful tenderer to open a project office within three months from the date of intimation of approval for the project report by the Bank. (Please see Addendum / Corrigendum) |
| 37 | | Are there any pre-requisite Hardware and / or Software considerations – i.e. existing infrastructure or agreed acquisition | No. |
| 38 | Annex II- Part I (B) (ii) | For the Multi-media presentations to be included in the Project Report B (ii): Can we assume that these would be relatively generic? | The multimedia presentation should be specific to the project report. The Clause B (ii) of Part I at Annex II – Detailed Scope of work stands unaltered. |
| 39 | Annex II- Part I (B) (vi) | Regarding the Integration of hardware and software with the RBI's Core Banking Solution B (vi): this will require significant input from the RBI's IT team, but can you please clarify what the deliverables are for this section of the project Report? | Inputs from RBI's IT team shall be provided to the selected vendor for preparation of project report. |
| 40 | 1.6.3, Annex II- Part I (B) (x) | Regarding Cost benefit analysis and comparison with existing technologies in other issue offices: how much information will the RBI make available i.e. to what extent will the consultant have to obtain this information/ data itself? | Inputs about existing technologies in Issue Offices shall be provided to the selected tenderer for preparation of project report. |
| 41 | Annex II- Part I (B) (xiii) | Regarding the Detailed plan of logistics/ transport movement to and from ABPC B (xiii): is this for the whole country, and how much information will be provided by RBI in terms of volumes/ logistics etc.? | The ABPC will serve a limited geographical area and not the whole country. The Bank may provide relevant data in terms of volume of notes handled and logistics to the selected consultant. |
| 43 | Sr.2 of Notice Inviting RFP | The timeline for submission of tender by 22 February is extremely tight given the complexity of the project. Is there any possibility of an extension? | The timeline for submission of the bid was discussed in the pre-bid meeting. One of the bidders expressed that the timeline is adequate; no other bidder offered comments/ suggestions on the timeline. |
| 44 | | Please specify the anticipated reject rate for low/high denomination during the sorting of soiled banknotes at ABPC. | Percentage of reject + suspect banknotes to total banknotes processed is on an average 9.26%. |
| 45 | | Please specify the anticipated unfit rate for low/high denomination during sorting. | About 99.67% |
| 46 | | Please specify the anticipated daily average number of fit/unfit/unsorted/new banknotes received at ABPC for both low and high denominations. | 96 mn new banknotes are estimated to be received per day of remittance with the total of 8444 mn in 2024-25.
25 mn unfit banknotes are estimated to be received per day of remittance with an estimated total of 5846 mn in 2024-25. |
| 47 | | Please specify the anticipated daily average number of fit/new banknotes issued by ABPC for both low and high denominations. | 41.2 mn new banknotes are estimated per day of remittance to be sent with the total of 7177 mn in 2024-25. |
| 48 | | Please advise by when RBI plan to start operation in ABPC? | The timeline / master control chart shall be given by the consultant. |
| 49 | | For procurement of CVPS, please clarify if RBI will execute parallel contracts between L1, L2 and L3? | Not relevant to this RFP. |
| 50 | | Please elaborate RBI’s future plan for establishing ABPC at other locations? | Not relevant to this RFP. |
4. During the meeting, the following matters were discussed and responses from the bidders were sought by the Bank –
5. The bidders asked the following additional queries during the course of discussion-
6. The Bank further advised that –
i. The Bank’s response to the queries received online as also the queries received during the meeting will be hosted on the Bank’s website for the benefit of all;
ii. The Opening of RFP documents will be conducted through Webex on February 23, 2021 at 1600 hrs (IST). The bidders may send authorization letters to attend the same as contained at para 4.26 through email latest by February 22, 2021.
7. The tenderers are further advised to read the Addendum/ Corrigendum to be issued in this regard. A copy of the draft Letter of Intent (LOI) and draft contract / agreement to be entered with selected tenderer will also be hosted on the Bank’s website. The Bank reserves the right to include/modify, amend terms and conditions in the draft LOI / Contract.
Note: This document shall form part of the tender. Hence, shall be signed and submitted along with the tender by the tenderers. All other terms & conditions will be as per the tender document.