SACADOS

1. Summary of the project and description of the objective: 

This project is designed to increase the capacity of trade union representatives in Europe so that they can make better use of information, consultation and participation procedures at the workplace in order to anticipate change, develop workers’ skills and enhance employability. At company level, workers’ representatives must be involved in the forward planning of both employment and skills, with the latter having to become a regular and shared feature of companies’ policies for anticipation of change. In general, training culture in companies should be established as skills development and training provision should be part of the whole company strategy.
If workers’ representatives at company level are ‘to be involved in the forward planning of both employment and skills’, they will need to make better use of existing information, consultation and participation procedures at the workplace.
The specific objective of the project is to:

• organise a campaign in the 5 EU Member States Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Latvia and Romania to enable senior shop stewards and works councillors to use information, consultation and participation procedures at the workplace to engage in dialogue with employers to anticipate change and develop workers’ skills;
• organise 5 study visits for senior shop stewards and works councillors (3 from Member States with limited experience of workplace dialogue - Bulgaria, Latvia and Romania - to Member States with a significant tradition of workplace dialogue - Germany, Italy); and 2 from Member States with significant experience of workplace dialogue – Germany, Italy - to visit each other). These study visits will provide an opportunity to exchange information and experience about ways in which trade union representatives may use information, consultation and participation procedures to anticipate change and develop workers’ skills, with a specific emphasis on the following:
  • planning continuing vocational education and training in cooperation with employers; 
  • implementing continuing vocational education and training with employers;
  • providing support for workers to develop their skills;
  • reinforcing overall dialogue with employers on continuing vocational education and training through collective agreements;
• take existing information and training materials, translating them where necessary, and adapt them to the needs of senior shop stewards and works councillors so that they are able to use information, consultation and participation procedures at the workplace to engage in dialogue with employers to anticipate change and develop workers’ skills;
• organise and perform 11 information and training seminars (3 in Germany and Italy; 2 in Bulgaria and Romania; and 1 in Latvia) for 220 senior shop stewards and works councillors (60 in Germany and Italy; 40 in Bulgaria and Romania; and 20 in Latvia) so that they can better use information, consultation and participation procedures at the workplace to engage in dialogue with employers to anticipate change and develop workers’ skills;
• develop and disseminate Recommendations for a European trade union strategy for make better use of information, consultation and participation procedures at the workplace in order to anticipate change and develop workers’ skills;
• hold a Final Conference, under the auspices of the European Trade Union Confederation, for all its affiliated organisations, with the aim of transferring the experience and expertise from the five countries participating in the project to other trade union organisations throughout Europe.

2. Work Plan: 

See attached file

3. Tasks to be performed by the subcontractor: 

• Preparation and implementation of the study visits which will include the following:
  • planning the content of the study visits, in cooperation with the contractor and representatives of project partners, i.e. trade union representatives, shop stewards and works councilors for the study visits to Germany and Italy; 
  • choosing the workplaces to be visited, in cooperation with the contractor and representatives of project partners, i.e. trade union representatives, shop stewards and works councilors;
  • accompanying the study visits, in cooperation with the contractor and representatives of project partners, i.e. trade union representatives, shop stewards and works councilors for the visits to Germany and Italy; 
  • giving an expert input on information, consultation and participation procedures in Europe in the course of each study visit;
  • carrying out a draft evaluation of the study visits and other activities together with the contractor;
• Preparation of 5 sets of information and training materials, on the basis of guidelines provided by the project Steering Committee, which will require the following:
  
  • advising project partners on already existing information and training materials;
  • producing further information and training materials on the basis of examples of best practice;
  • supporting project partners in the preparation of information and training materials to suit the needs of senior shop stewards and works councilors involved in different information, consultation and participation procedures;
• Writing a draft version of the Recommendations for a European trade union strategy for make better use of information, consultation and participation procedures at the workplace in order to anticipate change and develop workers’ skills based on the exchange of the project partners;
• Preparation for and participation in all Steering Committee meetings;
• Preparation for and participation in the Final Conference.

4. Expertise, experience and skills required: 

In order to be engaged in this action the industrial management organisation will have to demonstrate a proven ability to:

• work in English (fluency in oral and written English), the working language of the project, and German and Italian to ensure the coordination and overall quality assurance of the study visits and information and training materials;
• work, where possible, in other project partner languages; 
• advise on transnational training activities;
• advise on the production of information and training materials for a trade union target group.

In addition, the industrial management organisation will have to demonstrate experience in:

• coordinating transnational trade union study visits and/or training activities; 
• managing projects on industrial relations and education and training at the European level;
• working within a national and/or transnational trade union context.

In addition, the industrial management organisation will have to demonstrate knowledge of:

• information, consultation and participation procedures in different EU Member States;
• latest developments in methods of anticipating change and developing workers’ skills in different EU Member States.

5. Time schedule and reporting: 

See attached file

6. Payment: 

The total maximum budget available for the subcontractor is as follows: 49.950, - € (all taxes included)

Subcontractor will be remunerated in various instalments (advance and final payment). This amount includes travel and subsistence costs incurred for the mentioned activities and attendance of meetings.

7. Selection criteria: 

The selection criteria are: 

• Verifiable expertise, experience and skills, as required and described in part 4 of this call;
• Proven track record of ensuring the quality of training materials produced, both in terms of content and format (i.e. previous publications), in the relevant subjects specified in this call for tenders;
• Price not exceeding the amount stated above;
• Previous research/work undertaken in the  field of EU Funding and in Social Dialogue.
  

8. Form, structure and content of the tender: 

Tenders must be written in English. They must be signed by the tenderer or his duly authorised representative and be perfectly legible so that there can be no doubt as to words and figures. Tenders must be clear and concise and assembled in a coherent fashion.
Since tenderers will be judged on the content of their written bids, they must make it clear that they are able to meet the requirements of the specifications.
All tenders must include at least two sections: 

a. Technical proposal

The technical proposal must provide all the information needed for the purpose of awarding the contract, including: 

• Specific information covering the technical and professional capacity, as required, in particular: 
  
  • Description of relevant professional experience with emphasis on the specific fields covered by the invitation to tender;
  • Detailed curriculum vitae of key coordinator and/or possible other team members;
  • A selection of the main works and/or articles published by all the experts involved, in relation to the relevant subjects specified in this tender.
• Specific information concerning the proposed methodology for delivering the tasks listed in part 3

b. Financial proposal

Prices of the financial proposal must be quoted in euros, including if the sub-contractor is based in a country which is not in the euro-area. As far as the tenderers of those countries are concerned, they cannot change the amount of the bid because of the evolution of the exchange rate. The tenderers choose the exchange rate and assume all risks or opportunities relating to the rate fluctuation.

The maximum amount available for this contract is EUR 49.950,- (all taxes included).
Prices shall be fixed and not subject to revision during the performance of the contract.

9. Award criteria: 

The contract will be awarded to the tender offering the best value for money, taking into account the specific objectives, requirements and selection criteria of the tender. The principles of transparency and equal treatment will be respected with a view to avoiding any conflicts of interest. Care will be taken to avoid any conflict of interest.

10. Content and selection of the bids : 

Offers must be sent within 7 calendar days of the date of publication, by 12/03/2017. Offers must be sent to bfw, in both formats: electronic (by e-mail to: Ostrogonac.Veronika@bfw.de ) and as a paper copy (see contact details below).

Concerning the paper copy, to ensure confidentiality, bidders must submit their offer in a double envelope. Both envelopes must be sealed and the inside envelope shall not only bear the name of the department for which it is intended (see below), but also the words "Tender SACADOS – not to be opened by the Mail Department”. If self-adhesive envelopes are used, they must be sealed with adhesive tape crossed by the signature of the sender.

A committee will be formed comprising of representatives of the contractor bfw and its project partner. One or more members of this committee will initial the documents, confirming the date and time of each bid. The committee members will sign the report on the bids received, which will list the admissible bids and provide reasons for rejecting bids owing to their failure to comply with the stipulations of the tendering process.

This committee will also evaluate the tenders that have been deemed admissible. An evaluation report and classification of participation requests will be drawn up, dated and signed by all the members of the evaluation committee and kept for future reference.

This report will include: 

• The name and address of the contractor, the purpose and value of the contract or framework contract; 
• The names of any excluded candidates and the reasons for their rejection; 
• The names of candidates selected for consideration and the justification for their selection; 
• The names of candidates put forward and justification of their choice in terms of the selection or award criteria.

The contractor will then make their decision.

bfw – Unternehmen für Bildung
Stabsbereich Strategie, Projekte & HR-Services
Im Breitspiel 5
69126 Heidelberg
Germany

For bids sent by registered mail, the postmark will serve as proof of the date of dispatch.