Public procurement notice: Contract Award Notice
Published: 2023-03-20
Buyer: European Union, represented by the European Commission
Country: KE
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 60400000: Air transport services
Estimated value: 4990400 EUR
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Procurement award procedure applying to European Union external actions financed from the general budget of the European Union and the European Development Fund (EDF)
Provision of a scheduled air transport service for passengers and light cargo with the operational capacity and flexibility to implement ad hoc flights in the region as and when needed. The aim of the contract is to provide air transport services to and within Somalia to support the continued cooperation and engagement of the EU, EU Member States and other stakeholders. The services are open to humanitarian and development stakeholders therefore contributing to the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. The Flight services will be between Nairobi and Mogadishu, and between Mogadishu and hubs within Somalia. The contractor is expected to handle the bookings, including the collection of ticket fares as part of a cost recovery mechanism.
The EU Delegation launched an international restricted tender with a suspensive clause for INTPA/NBO/2022/EA-RP/0053: the Provision of air transport services to and within Somalia. Three requests to participate were received. A minimum number of four (4) candidates are required for this type of procedure. Therefore, the Committee recommended for cancellation of the tender procedure, due to insufficient competition. In line with Art 2.6.13. of the PRAG, the Authorizing Officer took a decision to cancel the procedure and recommended a re-launch of a new procedure.
On 10/06/2022, a new call for tender was published namely, INTPA/NBO/2022/EA-RP/0095: Provision of air transport services. In efforts to make the tender more competitive, the selection criteria was slightly adjusted by widening the technical capacity selection criteria. In addition, more efforts to publicize the call were pursued. However, only two requests to participate were received. The Committee found that only one (1) economic operator fulfilled all the selection criteria and qualified to be shortlisted.
It was noted that five (5) drafts were created in e-Ted and eventually not submitted. In order to establish if there were IT related issues in the submission of requests, the Committee wrote to the e-Ted support/back office seeking further information on the drafts.
Further, E-Ted support office confirmed that they did not receive any support request on the procedure.
The final decision as to whether or not to proceed with the procedure rested with the AOSD (Contracting Authority) who decided that the procedure should be cancelled, citing lack of competition. The cancellation is in line with Article 2.6.13 of the PRAG.
The AOSD further recommended to launch a negotiated procedure with the companies who participated in the procedure INTPA/NBO/2022/EA-RP/0095, those who attempted to participate by creating drafts in e-ted portal and other relevant identified active actors on this market.


Winner: AIRTRAFFIC LIMITED
Award value: 4990400
Number of bids: 2