Public procurement notice: Contract Award Notice
Published: 2021-06-29
Buyer: Ríkiskaup
Country: IS
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated procedure
CPV classification: 71200000 | 71240000 | 71250000 | 71310000 | 71311000: Civil engineering consultancy services
Estimated value: 1000000000 ISK
Award criteria: Lowest price

Technical requirements: Borgarlínan is an exciting and transformational project which aims to implement a Bus Rapid Transit (‘BRT’) system in the Capital Area of Iceland. Borgarlínan is jointly proposed by the Association of Municipalities in the Capital Area, and Vegagerðin, the Icelandic Roads and Coastal Authority (together, the ‘Authority’). This contract notice relates to the Authority's requirement for an Integrated Design Advisor ('IDA') to act as its principal design consultant in respect of the Borgarlínan project.
Borgarlínan is an exciting and transformational project which aims to implement a Bus Rapid Transit (‘BRT’)system in the Capital Area of Iceland. In order to secure carbon neutrality by 2040, Iceland has committed to significantly reduce the emission of green-house gases. Within the same timeframe, the population of the Capital Area in Iceland is expected to grow by around 28 % by 2040 (an increase of 60 000 people to 275 000). In order to address these issues, a new system of public transportation has been proposed, which would facilitate growth in an environmentally sustainable way and enable the population to travel shorter distances and in a more diverse manner with residential areas coalescing around transport hubs. This new system has been named the Borgarlínan, or, loosely translated, ‘City Line’. Borgarlínan is envisaged to be a gold‐standard BRT system, competitive with private transport but far more sustainable. It is expected to provide rapid, safe, and comfortable trips for passengers, as well as to be recognisable by all Icelanders, with iconic stations and attractive buses, tied together under a common, familiar brand. The proposed system will include a diversity of BRT routes and infrastructure, all branded under the Borgarlínan brand, but providing direct services for passengers, avoiding the need for a cumbersome transfer. Most of the Borgarlínan infrastructure (bus lanes and stations) will be constructed on the existing road network but several points (including new bridges) will be newly constructed for use by the Borgarlínan. The current expectation is that construction of the infrastructure will commence in 2022. This contract notice relates to the Authority's requirement to appoint an IDA to act as its principal design consultant, in particular in respect of Phase 1 of the Borgarlínan project which is more fully described in the Project Information Memorandum (‘PIM’) accompanying this notice. Further detail on the specific role envisaged to be played by the IDA is set out in the PIM; however, at a high level, the IDA may be expected to provide some or all of the following services: civil engineering/transportation engineering, transport planning services and modelling, public transport network design, sustainable urban design/architecture, landscape architecture, sustainable technology services, accessibility consultancy services, civil engineering/structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental consultancy services, signal control design, street lighting design, electrical services engineering, environmental acoustics consultancy services, urban planning/planning consultancy services, BREEAM/CEEQUAL consultancy services, BIM consultancy services and other related services.
It is anticipated that the IDA will initially be appointed to support the Authority in respect of the first phase of the Borgarlínan project, which involves the delivery of approximately 13 km of BRT infrastructure. However, the'end' Borgarlínan project is expected to be greater than this (up to 42 km) and the Authority reserves an option to extend the IDA's involvement in the project to later stages.
Interested parties should note that the authority is using a dedicated procurement portal to manage this procurement process: http://www.tendsign.is. All documentation will be made available this portal. All communications by interested parties must be submitted through this portal — any communications sent by alternative means may be ignored. Please note that a ‘request to participate’ for the purposes of this contract notice (in particular, Section IV.2.2) is by completion and return of the pre-qualification questionnaire by the stated deadline. Interested parties should note that the authority reserves the right to cancel or vary this procurement process at any point and will not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by interested parties in responding to or participating in this opportunity. The authority also reserves the right not to award a contract to the lowest priced bidder or indeed to award any contract at all as a result of this procurement. The authority may also change the basis, procedures and/or timescales set out or referred to within the procurement document.
In relation to Section II.1.5), the authority is unable at this stage to provide an estimated total value given the complexity and lengthy timeframe of the project and the fact that, at this stage, the precise scope of the IDA's role is unknown. However, in light of the nature of the project, it has the potential to be a high-value appointment.
In relation to Section II.2.7), the length of the IDA's appointment will depend entirely on the project itself,as it may be critical that the Authority is able to work with a single advisor throughout the whole project (if appropriate). Therefore, it is anticipated that a contract will be entered into for an initial period, which may then be subject to extension on a pre-agreed basis until Borgarlínan is complete.
In relation to Section II.2.10), variant bids may be accepted by the Authority. However, this will only be in circumstances where the form and content of the variant has been approved by the authority in advance.


Winner: ARTELIA
Award value: 1000000000