Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2023-01-24
Buyer: Elia Asset
Country: BE
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Negotiated procedure
CPV classification: 31000000 | 31121110 | 31151000 | 31162000 | 31170000
Submission deadline: 2023-02-27
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: HVDC Substations for an electrical connection between the Princess Elisabeth Island and the Belgian coast.
The purpose of this tender is to award an EPCI contract and the associated maintenance activities for two turnkey High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Converter Stations: one HVDC Converter Station located onshore in Belgium and one HVDC Converter Station, with the ability to connect future DC interconnections, located on the Princess Elisabeth Island in the Belgian North Sea. The Works are a key part of the new offshore transmission infrastructure in the Belgian part of the North Sea and play a crucial role in providing an efficient, reliable grid connection for the new Belgian offshore wind farms and the export of electricity to the mainland. The Works therefore qualify as 'critical infrastructure' and are subject to specific security and protection measures, including which are aimed at preventing or mitigating damage to the infrastructure or any part thereof.
The detailed design, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, transport, installation, construction, testing, commissioning and maintenance of two High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Converter Stations with a DC voltage level of +-525kV. One HVDC Converter Station is located onshore in Belgium and one HVDC Converter Station, with the ability to connect future DC interconnections, is located on Princess Elisabeth Island in the Belgian North Sea.
Activities up to commissioning last up to 6 years after which the maintenance period begins, lasting 20 years.
Taking into account that Bidders are expected to incur considerable expenses by participating in this tender procedure and to maximize competition for this tender, the Contracting Entity will offer a fixed lump-sum compensation of EUR 1,200,000 (one million two hundred thousand euros) ("Bid Fee") to bidders, provided that (i) the Contracting Entity has issued an award decision in relation to the tender, (ii) the bidder has submitted a fully compliant bid to all technical evaluation criteria (iii) and without material incompliances with the formal requirements (complete, submitted within the deadline, validly signed, no abnormal prices, etc.), and (iv) the bidder is not awarded the tender. Bidders will under no circumstances be entitled to the Bid Fee if either the bidder is awarded the tender or a bidder voluntarily abandons its participation in the tender. If applicable, the Bid Fee will be paid after contract award and at the earliest in 2024.
The Applicant must request, complete and submit by the closing date (see IV.2.2.) the selection questionnaire (SQ) with the most actual available data together with the requested documents.
The applicants must request the access to the tender on the Ariba platform by sending an e-mail to the responsible buyer (see I.1.) mentioning the name of the legal entity,  address, VAT number, name + e-mail + telephone of the contact(s).
Information to access the tender on the Ariba platform will be provided by e-mail as soon as possible.
Applicants are advised to request this access as soon as possible and to click on ‘intend to participate’ in Ariba in order to receive possible clarifications from the contracting entity.
Contracting entity don’t guaranty to provide the Ariba login details before closing time for candidates requesting their access to Ariba less than 48 hours before closing time.
The applicant is solely responsible for requesting the access to the tender on the Ariba platform on time.
Any dispute related to the suspension of the procurement procedure shall be settled by the President of the  Business Court ('Voorzitter van de Ondernemingsrechtbank' / ‘Président du Tribunal de l’entreprise’), or, in case of annulment by the Business Court ('Ondernemingsrechtbank' / 'Tribunal de l’entreprise’), each time Boulevard de Waterloo 70 - 1000 Bruxelles.