Request for Proposal (RFP) Supply of Fuel

About Abt Associates:

Founded in 1965, Abt Associates Inc., is a mission driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development.

With a global staff of more than 3000, and in over 60 countries, Abt Associates is recognized as an engine for social impact, fueled by caring, curiosity, and cutting-edge research that moves people from vulnerability to security. Whether it's welfare or weather disasters, the environment or economics, agriculture or HIV and AIDS, Abt Associates addresses the world's most pressing issues, and is known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges.

Approximately 51% of our staff has graduate degrees; one in six has a doctorate. Examples of Abt Associates work include nationally recognized research, evaluation, and technical assistance to improve efficiency of health care systems, effectiveness of government housing programs, the production of food, and the measurements of public opinion, and international public health.

Abt Associates has been ranked among top 20 global research firms and one of the top 40 development innovators.  

About the PMI Evolve Rwanda Project:

The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Evolve Project was awarded to Abt Associates on December 19, 2022. The purpose of this contract is to support PMI, as well as U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Missions and Bureaus, with the planning, implementing, and monitoring of malaria vector control programs, including indoor residual spraying (IRS), insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), and larval source management (LSM). PMI Evolve will strengthen the capacity of local institutions, including national malaria programs (MOPDD), district health offices, and research institutions to independently conduct vector control programs. PMI Evolve is also responsible for entomological monitoring and conducting operations research on new vector control innovations. PMI Evolve will incorporate gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) and climate change initiatives as cross-cutting themes with the overall goal of ending malaria faster. Activities are carried out in full collaboration with the Rwanda Biomedical Center /Malaria and Other Parasitic Diseases Control. 

To facilitate those activities, the PMI Evolve Rwanda Project is inviting interested, registered, reputable, experienced, and capable professional local transport companies to tender for the following RFPs below:

The Purpose of this RFP is to obtain proposals and eventually enter into an agreement with one or more vendors to supply fuel for:

• Kigali
• Nyagatare
• Kirehe
• Ngoma
• Bugesera

The estimated value for the term of this agreement will be approximately 19,956,000 RWF (Nineteen million nine hundred fifty-six thousand Rwandan francs) in a period of one year.

Instructions to offerors:

• All documents submitted in response to this RFP, as well as all related correspondence, will be in English.
• Offerors are required to fully review all instructions and specifications contained in this RFP. Failure to do so will be at the offeror’s risk. Offerors are encouraged to only bid for bids which they have professional experience and capacity.

All documents with required certifications should be valid at the date of the award and all offers must include:

1. The owner’s name / business name, e-mail, physical address, and phone number.
2. Copy of registration certificate.
3. Copy of tax clearance certificate from the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA).
4. Copy of contributions clearance certificate issued by the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB).
5. Proof of having a certified electronic billing machine from the Rwanda Revenue Authority.
6. Financial offer clearly indicating the price and VAT separately for each item in the RFP.
7. At any time prior to award of the contract, should Abt Associates deem it necessary to change the RFP provisions, it will provide such amendment(s) in writing. No oral instructions by any person will in any way be considered to limit, exclude, modify, or otherwise affect any terms or conditions of this solicitation, and no offeror shall rely on any such instructions.
8. Quotes from Offeror(s) on US government debarred list will not be considered.
9. All responses to this RFP shall be submitted via email to: PMI_EvolveRwanda@abtassoc.comor drop box at the issuing address above.
10. Quotes from Offeror(s) on the U.S. Government debarred list will not be considered.
11. A bidder is not eligible if the bidder has been debarred by the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority because:
12. The bidder has been prosecuted and found guilty in court including any appeals process on corruption charges, fraud, money-laundering or any other such illegal activities.
13. The bidder is bankrupt.

The bidder has been excluded in accordance with regional or international conventions.

• The bidder has a conflict of interest.
• The bidder is a government owned enterprise which cannot establish that i) it is financially autonomous ii) operates under commercial law iii) is not a dependent agency of the purchaser.
• The bidder is regulatorily compliant (registered with the appropriate professional bodies and fully paid up in all tax and social security obligations).
• Bidder shall submit offer(s) with the following naming convention:

Subject line

RFP 02/028/2024 -Provision of Fuel -Your company name

Attachments: g. Proposal/services provided/list of exclusions/company registration certificates etc

RFP 02/028/2024 -Provision of Fuel -Your company name- Proposal

RFP 02/028/2024 -Provision of Fuel Your company name- Company Profile

RFP 02/028/2024 -Provision of Fuel -Your company name- Certificate of Registration, trading license Etc.

Abt Associates Inc. reserves the right to reject bids submitted without all requested information as non-responsive.

Proposal Validity:

Submitted offers/Bids shall be valid for at least a period of 120 days from RFP closing date, and upon award, prices shall be valid for the duration of the agreement’s period of performance.

Anticipated Period of Performance:

As a result of this RFP, Abt Associates intends to award a one (1) year Master Service Agreement (MSA), with two (2) option years, automatically renewable annually, to a maximum of three (3) years from the original effective date.

Preparation of Bids:

Bidders/Offerors are expected to examine the technical specifications and all instructions contained in this RFP. Failure to do so will be at the offeror’s risk.

Offers shall provide unit and total price per line. In case of discrepancy between unit and extended/total price, the unit price shall prevail.

In case of conflict between the RFP technical specifications and the supplier offered descriptive literature, the RFP specifications shall be the standard.

Amendments:

If it becomes necessary to modify this RFP, an amendment will be issued and be binding to all bidders. Amendment(s) will be sent return receipt requested and will be numbered consecutively commencing with Amendment-01, 02, etc. Bidders are required to reference such amendments in their subsequent response and/or communication.

Clarifications:

All questions with regard to this RFP shall be addressed to PMI_EvolveRwanda@abtassoc.com. Abt will communicate the questions and its responses to all bidders and may at its sole discretion extend the quotation deadline. Oral communication concerning this RFP will not be accepted except for administrative clarification regarding submission format or location of the office, etc.

Delivery Location:

Fueling shall be supplied to support project activities in the following locations:

• Kigali
• Nyagatare
• Kirehe
• Ngoma
• Bugesera

Invoices and Payments:

Payments will be made net thirty (30) days after Abt Associates receives a complete and correct invoice from supplier based solely on Services performed by Supplier and/or Goods actually supplied by supplier pursuant to a Purchase, Deliver order or Service Agreement.

Required Documents:

• Copy of Certificate of Incorporation
• Copy of Government notice from Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) authorized to set fuel prices supporting current unit price quoted

Description and Specifications:

Scope of work:

Once awarded, the successful offerors will be expected to:

• Create an account for Abt Associates under agreed terms and conditions to be included in the subsequent bilateral agreement.
• Supply fuel (Petrol and diesel) as provided in chart above.
• Log/record and track each use (fueling) by providing a receipt for each transaction showing (at a minimum) the following information per vehicle:
• Date of service
• Reference agreement number (That is, number of the Master Service Agreement that will be signed)
• Registration certificate
• Number of liters dispensed.
• Unit price – this shall not exceed agreed amount or as otherwise reported to Abt and approved upon notice of price change by the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA).
• Total cost per vehicle
• Name of driver, and the company he or she represents.
• Signature and stamp of the supplier representative, countersigned by Abt on-site authorized representative.

Note: More details about how to best log, document, invoice and reconcile account will be discussed and included in the Master Service Agreement to be signed with the successful offeror.

Provide regular reports, as provided in the applicable agreement, regarding account activity, balance etc.

Evaluation Criteria:

Abt Associates Inc, intends to award a long-term agreement to the most advantageous offeror, the following factors will be considered:

• Strength of capacity statement provided by the offeror.
• Proximity of fuel station(s) to project activity district(s) and site(s).
• Lead time for fuel availability
• Price and price related factors
• Other proposed favorable terms

A responsive proposal is one that comes from a responsible supplier and complies with all the terms and conditions stated in the RFP without material modification. A material modification is any modification that affects price, quantity, quality, delivery or installation date of equipment or materials, or which limits in any way the responsibilities, duties or liabilities of the bidder or any rights of Abt or its clients.

Abt reserves the right to waiver any minor informalities in the quotation/proposal received if it is in Abt’s best interest to do so, or to reject the quotation of any firm if, in Abt’s judgement, the firm is not fully qualified to provide the goods or services as specified in the technical specifications.