BBMP plans pre-bid meeting on July 24 to discuss Way Finders’ packages

Stringent technical conditions may limit scale of bid participation

Pursuant to the tender inviting notice floated by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on July 8, 2020 (EE/TEC/TEND/03/2020-21) for inviting request for proposal (RFP) in two cover system (technical & financial bids) for providing and installation of Way Finders on ‘Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) Basis’ against commercial advertisement rights for a concession period of 20 years, the civic body has scheduled a pre-bid meeting at the BBMP Commissioner’s Office on July 24, 2020 for prospective bidders.

The project has been segmented as 4 packages, covering the following areas:

• Package A: Rajarajeshwari Nagar Zone & Dasarahalli Zone (Reserved for the SC/ST Beneficiaries/ NGOs Administered by SC/ST) (300 units / EMD: Rs 30 lakh)
• Package B: Yelahanka Zone & Mahadevapura Zone (300 units / EMD: Rs 50 lakh)
• Package C: Bommanahalli Zone & South Zone (300 units / EMD: Rs 50 lakh)
• Package D: East Zone & West Zone (300 units / EMD: Rs 50 lakh).

The tender documents are to be submitted latest 4PM, August 3, 2020.

The street furniture project is an initiative directed at beautifying the city landscape, while augmenting the road / direction signage displays. The document states: “BBMP has decided to provide Street Furniture for the benefit and convenience of the city’s citizens. BBMP recognizes that providing aesthetically designed and superior quality Street Furniture does not just alleviate the brand equity of the city but will also be seen as a symbol of good governance, and believes that these initiatives will have intangible but long lasting benefits as they go down very well with the citizens.”

The tender inviting notice mentions what are seemingly stringent technical conditions for participating in the bidding process, that some segments of Indian OOH industry perceive as rather steep barriers. While the technical conditions state that 10 marks will be given for participants that have ‘ISO Certifications for Quality and Safety’, the moot point is that firms that have already constructed and operationalised large structures like foot overbridges in the city were not mandated to have ISO certifications. Such companies, although they have successfully managed PPP projects, are seemingly disadvantaged by this particular provision. Some other firms too hold reservations on the technical conditions.

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The notice also states that “The bidder shall have of experience of Media license/ concession in Street Furniture Segment properties during the last 10 years, in Street Furniture Segment (Way finders, Bus Shelters and Public toilets etc.,) in India” and an  Additional 2 marks will be given for “Street Furniture Experience in Bangalore City”. This provision could also limit the scope of participation for various OOH firms that could otherwise have had strong technical and financial bids.

It is also stated that the bidders shall have the “Experience of Installation/ Construction of street furniture (Way finders, Bus Shelters and Public toilets, etc., ) in India during last 15 years”.

The successful bidders will have the provision to display advertisements in specified areas of the Way Finder units.

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