Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2025-03-25
Buyer: AquaDuctus Offshore EPC-M Services
Region: DEA22
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated with prior call for competition
CPV classification: 71321000: Heating and ventilation design services
Submission deadline: 2025-04-30

Technical requirements: The tender documents must be checked by the interested companies for completeness and legibility after receipt/download. If the announcement, the tender documents, or the documents or other information communicated, provided, and made accessible to the applicants/tenderers contain ambiguities or violate applicable law, the applicants/tenderers have the obligation to notify the awarding authority immediately. Otherwise, they cannot invoke the ambiguities or legal violations. Unresolved ambiguities must be included by the tenderers as risks they bear in their offers. Any procedural objections must be clearly identified as such. The obligation of the applicants/tenderers to raise objections according to § 160 (3) GWB is explicitly noted. Furthermore, the awarding authority expressly points out the time limit for legal remedies under § 160 (3) sentence 1 No. 4 GWB. According to this provision, a request for review is inadmissible if more than 15 calendar days have passed after the receipt of the contracting authority's notification that it will not remedy an objection.
To address Europe's future energy demand, significant investments into hydrogen infrastructure are essential. One of the core components of this initiative is the development of a pan-European hydrogen pipeline network in the North Sea, designed to connect major hydrogen producers with key consumers across the continent. 
AquaDuctus is a gigawatt-scale hydrogen pipeline with a transport capacity of 20 GWH2 will be built.
EFC1: Self-Declaration of the consolidated total revenue of the company for the last 3 (three) financial years.  

If a company has not been operating in the market for that long, it shall provide a business plan for the missing years, indicating the expected annual revenues. 

Minimum Requirement (Failure to meet will result in exclusion): 
The average annual revenue within the business sector (energy infrastructure) to which the invitation to tender is related must be at least EUR 80.000.000 (net) for each of the last 3 (three) completed financial years. 

The business sector "energy infrastructure" refers to the facilities and associated equipment   used for the generation, transmission, distribution, and storage of energy. This includes:  

Electricity: Infrastructure for generation, transmission, distribution, and storage, such as power plants, transmission lines, and substations.  

Gas: Transmission and distribution pipelines, underground storage facilities, and regasification, decompression or converting facilities.  

Oil: Pipelines, pumping stations, and storage facilities.  

CO2: Networks of pipelines for the transport of CO2 to storage sites 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proof (Qualitative Selection), Form 6. 

EFC2: Proof of Existing Professional or Business Liability Insurance or a comparable Market Standard Insurance 

Proof of a currently existing professional or business liability insurance or a comparable market-standard insurance for personal, property and financial damages. 

The proof may be submitted in photocopy/scan (PDF) but must be clearly legible. The proof must not be older than 6 months at the time of the expiry of the deadline for submitting the participation applications. 

Minimum Requirements (Failure to meet this will result in Exclusion): 

The liability coverage amounts for professional, or business liability insurance must be per insured event: 
 
Personal damages at least EUR 10.000.000 

Property damages at least EUR 10.000.000 

Financial damages at least EUR 10.000.000 

If the professional or business liability insurance is not currently in place, it is sufficient to provide: 

A self-declaration from the candidate stating that they are willing to take issue the corresponding insurance at the first request of the contracting authority in the event of a contract award 

and 

The declaration of an insurance (in non-verified copy) stating that they are willing to conclude the corresponding insurance. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 3.
TPC3: A proof of ISO 27001 certification as well as the Statement of Applicability (SoA) or an equivalent proof must be attached to provide evidence of Information Security Management Measures. 

The proof may be submitted in (non-certified) photocopy/scan (PDF) but must be clearly legible and formulated in German or English (if necessary, translated). The proof must be the most recent available as of the publication date of this announcement.  

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 5.

Self-declaration Knowledge of German Directives 

The contractor will be in time of execution familiar with directives in the German market to ensure acceptance by German authorized body. Those directives are: 

Approval Planning (Genehmigungsplanung) 

Coordination with German authorities 

Knowledge of German procurement law (in particular Sektorenverordnung) 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 6. 

Self-declaration Language (German) 

Candidate/Tenderer must ensure that Candidate/Tenderer and its personnel will have in time of execution the skills and capacity to perform the services fluently in German regarding. 

Approval Planning (Genehmigungsplanung) 

Coordination with German authorities 

German procurement law (in particular Sektorenverordnung) 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 7. 

Self-Declaration Language (English) 

Candidate/Tenderer shall ensure that Candidate/Tenderer and its personnel has the skills and capacity to perform the services fluently in English. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 8. 

Self-Declaration Code of Conduct 

Tenderer shall ensure that Tenderer and its personnel do not pay any commission or fee or grant any loan or rebate to any of Company"s personnel, nor provide such Company"s personnel with gifts or entertainment of significant cost or value, not enter into any business arrangements with such Company"s personnel either as individuals or as representatives of anyone other than Company.  

A breach of this condition can lead to disqualification of the Tenderer. 

Company conducts its business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and complies with internationally recognized fundamental environmental, labour and social standards. Company has described and set forth its understanding and implementation of these standards in it"s "Code of Conduct" (https://www.gascade.de/en/about-us/suppliers) 

Company expects likewise that Tenderers and Contractors will comply with environmental, labour, social and corporate governance standards ("ESG Standards").  

Should Company discover that Tenderer or Contractor is in breach of these ESG Standards, Company reserves the right to reject such Tenderer"s Tender or terminate the contract with such Contractor, as the case maybe, - without notice, if necessary - on account of national circumstances. Furthermore, Contractor shall be obliged to ensure that all its subcontractors of any tier shall also observe these standards likewise. 

By submission of its Tender Tenderer warrants that: 

­ The prices in the Tender have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, agreement or understanding for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices, with any other Tenderer or with any competitor. 

­ Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in the Tender have not knowingly been disclosed by the Tenderer, directly or indirectly, to any other Tenderer or competitor, nor will they be so disclosed. 

­ No attempt has been made or will be made by the Tenderer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a Tender for the purpose of restricting competition. 

The Tenderer confirms compliance with all requirements mentioned in this section by a self-declaration, which must be attached to the application to participate. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 9.
QAP1: A proof of registration in the trade or commercial register must be attached in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which the tenderer is based (in unverified copy), provided that the tenderer is registered in the trade or commercial register. 

In case of non-registration  
The submission of a business registration (for foreign tenderers: or equivalent). 

The proof may be submitted in (non-certified) photocopy/scan (PDF) but must be clearly legible and formulated in German or English (if necessary, translated). The proof must be the most recent available as of the publication date of this announcement. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 1. 

QAP2: Declaration of the absence of Exclusion Grounds according to §§ 123, 124 GWB. The proof of self-cleaning measures according to § 125 GWB is possible. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Form 3.1. (and Form 3.2, respectively). 
 
QAP3: Self-Declaration Regarding Regulation (EU) 2022/576 (Sanctions against Russia) 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Form 8. 

QAP4: A proof of ISO 9001:2015 certification or an equivalent proof must be attached toprovide evidence of a quality management system. 

The proof may be submitted in (non-certified) photocopy/scan (PDF) but must be clearly legible and formulated in German or English (if necessary, translated).  

The proof must be the most recent available as of the publication date of this announcement. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 2.

Eligibility requirements: EFC1: Self-Declaration of the consolidated total revenue of the company for the last 3 (three) financial years.  

If a company has not been operating in the market for that long, it shall provide a business plan for the missing years, indicating the expected annual revenues. 

Minimum Requirement (Failure to meet will result in exclusion): 
The average annual revenue within the business sector (energy infrastructure) to which the invitation to tender is related must be at least EUR 80.000.000 (net) for each of the last 3 (three) completed financial years. 

The business sector "energy infrastructure" refers to the facilities and associated equipment   used for the generation, transmission, distribution, and storage of energy. This includes:  

Electricity: Infrastructure for generation, transmission, distribution, and storage, such as power plants, transmission lines, and substations.  

Gas: Transmission and distribution pipelines, underground storage facilities, and regasification, decompression or converting facilities.  

Oil: Pipelines, pumping stations, and storage facilities.  

CO2: Networks of pipelines for the transport of CO2 to storage sites 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proof (Qualitative Selection), Form 6. 

EFC2: Proof of Existing Professional or Business Liability Insurance or a comparable Market Standard Insurance 

Proof of a currently existing professional or business liability insurance or a comparable market-standard insurance for personal, property and financial damages. 

The proof may be submitted in photocopy/scan (PDF) but must be clearly legible. The proof must not be older than 6 months at the time of the expiry of the deadline for submitting the participation applications. 

Minimum Requirements (Failure to meet this will result in Exclusion): 

The liability coverage amounts for professional, or business liability insurance must be per insured event: 
 
Personal damages at least EUR 10.000.000 

Property damages at least EUR 10.000.000 

Financial damages at least EUR 10.000.000 

If the professional or business liability insurance is not currently in place, it is sufficient to provide: 

A self-declaration from the candidate stating that they are willing to take issue the corresponding insurance at the first request of the contracting authority in the event of a contract award 

and 

The declaration of an insurance (in non-verified copy) stating that they are willing to conclude the corresponding insurance. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 3.
other
TPC3: A proof of ISO 27001 certification as well as the Statement of Applicability (SoA) or an equivalent proof must be attached to provide evidence of Information Security Management Measures. 

The proof may be submitted in (non-certified) photocopy/scan (PDF) but must be clearly legible and formulated in German or English (if necessary, translated). The proof must be the most recent available as of the publication date of this announcement.  

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 5.

Self-declaration Knowledge of German Directives 

The contractor will be in time of execution familiar with directives in the German market to ensure acceptance by German authorized body. Those directives are: 

Approval Planning (Genehmigungsplanung) 

Coordination with German authorities 

Knowledge of German procurement law (in particular Sektorenverordnung) 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 6. 

Self-declaration Language (German) 

Candidate/Tenderer must ensure that Candidate/Tenderer and its personnel will have in time of execution the skills and capacity to perform the services fluently in German regarding. 

Approval Planning (Genehmigungsplanung) 

Coordination with German authorities 

German procurement law (in particular Sektorenverordnung) 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 7. 

Self-Declaration Language (English) 

Candidate/Tenderer shall ensure that Candidate/Tenderer and its personnel has the skills and capacity to perform the services fluently in English. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 8. 

Self-Declaration Code of Conduct 

Tenderer shall ensure that Tenderer and its personnel do not pay any commission or fee or grant any loan or rebate to any of Company"s personnel, nor provide such Company"s personnel with gifts or entertainment of significant cost or value, not enter into any business arrangements with such Company"s personnel either as individuals or as representatives of anyone other than Company.  

A breach of this condition can lead to disqualification of the Tenderer. 

Company conducts its business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and complies with internationally recognized fundamental environmental, labour and social standards. Company has described and set forth its understanding and implementation of these standards in it"s "Code of Conduct" (https://www.gascade.de/en/about-us/suppliers) 

Company expects likewise that Tenderers and Contractors will comply with environmental, labour, social and corporate governance standards ("ESG Standards").  

Should Company discover that Tenderer or Contractor is in breach of these ESG Standards, Company reserves the right to reject such Tenderer"s Tender or terminate the contract with such Contractor, as the case maybe, - without notice, if necessary - on account of national circumstances. Furthermore, Contractor shall be obliged to ensure that all its subcontractors of any tier shall also observe these standards likewise. 

By submission of its Tender Tenderer warrants that: 

­ The prices in the Tender have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, agreement or understanding for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices, with any other Tenderer or with any competitor. 

­ Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in the Tender have not knowingly been disclosed by the Tenderer, directly or indirectly, to any other Tenderer or competitor, nor will they be so disclosed. 

­ No attempt has been made or will be made by the Tenderer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a Tender for the purpose of restricting competition. 

The Tenderer confirms compliance with all requirements mentioned in this section by a self-declaration, which must be attached to the application to participate. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 9.
QAP1: A proof of registration in the trade or commercial register must be attached in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which the tenderer is based (in unverified copy), provided that the tenderer is registered in the trade or commercial register. 

In case of non-registration  
The submission of a business registration (for foreign tenderers: or equivalent). 

The proof may be submitted in (non-certified) photocopy/scan (PDF) but must be clearly legible and formulated in German or English (if necessary, translated). The proof must be the most recent available as of the publication date of this announcement. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 1. 

QAP2: Declaration of the absence of Exclusion Grounds according to §§ 123, 124 GWB. The proof of self-cleaning measures according to § 125 GWB is possible. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Form 3.1. (and Form 3.2, respectively). 
 
QAP3: Self-Declaration Regarding Regulation (EU) 2022/576 (Sanctions against Russia) 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Form 8. 

QAP4: A proof of ISO 9001:2015 certification or an equivalent proof must be attached toprovide evidence of a quality management system. 

The proof may be submitted in (non-certified) photocopy/scan (PDF) but must be clearly legible and formulated in German or English (if necessary, translated).  

The proof must be the most recent available as of the publication date of this announcement. 

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 2.
TPC1:  Information on the execution of relevant and comparable services (= tenderer references) where the main activities were conducted within a maximum of eight (8) years prior to the publication of the notice. 

At least 3 particularly relevant references must be submitted, whereby the references must cover and fulfill the three mentioned competencies (Competence 1, Competence 2, Competence 3) with at least 5 of the mentioned skills each. A reference can only fulfill one of the three possible competencies, although multiple references can come from the same contracting authority. 

A comprehensible description of the reference is required (max. two (2) pages per   reference in DIN A4, font: Arial, font size 11, as pdf. -file). 

A reference is considered comparable, in particular, when it involves services that allow conclusions about the candidates suitability based on size and complexity. It should be noted that a reference project, for the purposes of this self-declaration, is comparable if the following services were performed in the reference project(s):  

Competence 1: Tenderer has experience with the EPC-M role for a large diameter (>24 in) long distance (>200km) gas pipeline system including successful completion. 

For each reference provided (minimum and additional references), the following criteria must be fulfilled: 

As a minimum 50.000 hours of work for the Contracting authority or EUR 5,000,000, excluding VAT, for the work for the Contracting Authority. 

For each reference provided (minimum and additional references), a minimum of 5 of the engineering areas/skills mentioned below must be fulfilled: 

Engineering Management, 

Technical/Process Safety, 

Contract Management, 

Procurement Management, 

Construction Supervision, 

Interface Management, 

Design Review,  

Permitting experience (indicate if in Northsea), 

Platform and subsea structure management. 

Competence 2: Tenderer has experience with the design of offshore gas (incl. hydrogen) pipeline systems (>24-in, >200km). 

For each reference provided (minimum and additional references), the following criteria must be fulfilled: 

As a minimum pre-FEED (not concept phase) for hydrogen, min. FEED for hydrocarbon gas. 

As a minimum 10.000 hours of work for the Contracting authority or EUR 1,000,000, excluding VAT, for the work for the Contracting Authority. 

For each reference provided (minimum and additional references), a minimum of 5 of the engineering areas/skills mentioned below must be fulfilled: 

Engineering, 

Routing, 

Materials Design and Qualification, 

Survey Contracting & Management, 

Mechanical design, 

Platforms and Subsea Structures, 

Shorecrossing, 

Permitting experience (indicate if in Northsea), 

Competence 3: Tenderer has experience with the design of offshore process platforms, subsea structures, including process, safety, electrical, and structural/lay-out 

For each reference provided (minimum and additional references), the following criteria must be fulfilled: 

As a minimum FEED phase 

As a minimum 20.000 hours of work for the Contracting authority or EUR 2,000,000, excluding VAT, for the work for the Contracting Authority. 

For each reference provided (minimum and additional references), a minimum of 5 of the engineering areas/skills mentioned below must be fulfilled: 

Engineering Management, 

Process Engineering, 

Technical/Process Safety, 

Equipment/Mechanical Engineering, 

Lay-out/Structural Engineering, 

Materials and design, 

Instrumentation and automation engineering, 

Electronical engineering. 

 
The following must be submitted for all three Competencies (Competence 1, Competence 2, Competence 3): 

Each reference must include at least the following information to demonstrate comparability: 

Reference Title 

Contracting Authority 

Contact Person including contact data 

Description of services provided 

Value in EUR (net) 

Period of execution 

 
For each reference, a comprehensible description of the reference is required (max. 2 pages per reference in DIN A4, font: Arial, font size 11, as pdf. -file). 

Minimum Requirement (Failure to meet will result in exclusion): 

At least 3 particularly relevant references must be submitted, whereby the references must cover and fulfill the three mentioned competencies (Competence 1, Competence 2, Competence 3) with at least 5 of the mentioned skills each. A reference can only fulfill one of the three possible competencies, although multiple references can come from the same contracting authority. 

 
Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Form 7. 

TPC2: Self-declaration average annual number of employees in the executing office location in the last three years 

Candidates staff resources in the relevant disciplines to which the invitation to tender is related shall be at least 300 in the executing office location (excluding contractors/non-staff). 

Each discipline and number for each executing office location must be recorded separately. Regarding the executing office a distinction must be made between permanent staff and contractor personnel. 

The disciplines must include at least the following disciplines: 

project management, process, materials, mechanical, piping/lay-out, civil/structural, instrumentation and controls, electrical, process safety, HSSE, Quality, offshore pipeline, procurement, construction management.  

Minimum Requirement (Failure to meet will result in exclusion): 

The average annual number of employes in the executing office location in the last three years must be at least 300 (excluding contractors/non-staff).  

Refer to Appendix A.1 Forms and Proofs (Qualitative Selection), Proof 4.
The contracting authority reserves the right to request documents pursuant to § 51 para. 2 or 3 SektVO. The requested documents must be submitted by the affected tenderer within the deadline set by the contracting authority. There is no entitlement to request documents.
Reference is made to the tender documents.

Winner: Datenservice Öffentlicher Einkauf (in Verantwortung des Beschaffungsamts des BMI)