Market consultation
Before launching a procurement, procuring entities may conduct market consultations with a view to preparing the procurement, notably for the development of technical specifications.
For that purpose, procuring entities may seek or accept advice from independent experts or authorities or from market participants. That advice may be used in the planning and conduct of the procurement procedure, provided that such advice does not have the effect of distorting competition and does not result in violation of the principles as established in Article 11.4.
Article ARTICLE 11.11
Time-periods
General
A procuring entity shall, consistent with its own reasonable needs, provide sufficient time for suppliers to prepare and submit requests for participation and responsive tenders, taking into account such factors as:
the nature and complexity of the procurement;
the extent of subcontracting anticipated; and
the time necessary for transmitting tenders by non-electronic means from foreign as well as domestic points if electronic means are not used.
These time-periods, including any extension of the time-periods, shall be the same for all interested or participating suppliers.
Deadlines
A procuring entity that uses selective tendering shall establish that the final date for the submission of requests for participation shall not, in principle, be less than 25 days from the date of publication of the notice of intended procurement. If a state of urgency duly substantiated by the procuring entity renders this time-period impracticable, the time-period may be reduced to not less than 10 days.
Except as provided for in paragraphs 4, 5, 7 and 8 of this Article, a procuring entity shall establish that the final date for the submission of tenders shall not be less than 40 days from the date on which:
in the case of open tendering, the notice of intended procurement is published; or
in the case of selective tendering, the entity notifies suppliers that they will be invited to submit tenders.
A procuring entity may reduce the time-period for tendering established in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article to not less than 10 days if:
the procuring entity has published a notice of planned procurement as described in Article 11.6(6) at least 40 days and not more than 12 months in advance of the publication of the notice of intended procurement, and the notice of planned procurement contains:
a description of the procurement;
the approximate final dates for the submission of tenders or requests for participation;
a statement that interested suppliers should express their interest in the procurement to the procuring entity;
the address from which documents relating to the procurement may be obtained; and
as much of the information that is required for the notice of intended procurement under Article 11.6(4), as is available;
the procuring entity, for recurring contracts, indicates in an initial notice of intended procurement that subsequent notices will provide time-periods for tendering based on this paragraph; or
a state of urgency duly substantiated by the procuring entity renders the time-period for tendering established in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article impracticable.
A procuring entity may reduce the time-period for tendering established in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article by five days for each one of the following circumstances:
the notice of intended procurement is published by electronic means;
all the tender documentation is made available by electronic means from the date of the publication of the notice of intended procurement; and
the procuring entity accepts tenders by electronic means.
The application of paragraph 5 of this Article, in conjunction with paragraph 4 of this Article, shall in no case result in the reduction of the time-period for tendering established in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article to less than 10 days from the date on which the notice of intended procurement is published.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Article, if a procuring entity purchases commercial goods or services, or any combination thereof, it may reduce the time-period for tendering established in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article to not less than 13 days, provided that it publishes by electronic means, at the same time, both the notice of intended procurement and the tender documentation. In addition, if the entity accepts tenders for commercial
goods or services by electronic means, it may reduce the time-period established in accordance with paragraph 3 to not less than 10 days.
If a procuring entity covered under Sections 2 or 3 of Annex 11 has selected all or a limited number of qualified suppliers, the time-period for tendering may be fixed by mutual agreement between the procuring entity and the selected suppliers. In the absence of agreement, the period shall not be less than 10 days.
Article ARTICLE 11.12
Negotiation
A Party may provide for its procuring entities to conduct negotiations with suppliers:
if the entity has indicated its intent to conduct negotiations in the notice of intended procurement required under Article 11.6(4); or
if it appears from the evaluation that no tender is obviously the most advantageous in terms of the specific evaluation criteria set out in the notice of intended procurement or tender documentation.
A procuring entity shall:
ensure that any elimination of suppliers participating in negotiations is carried out in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in the notice of intended procurement or tender documentation; and
if negotiations are concluded, provide a common deadline for the remaining participating suppliers to submit any new or revised tenders.
Article ARTICLE 11.13
Limited tendering
Provided that it does not use this provision for the purpose of avoiding competition among suppliers or in a manner that discriminates against suppliers of the other Party or protects domestic suppliers, a procuring entity may use limited tendering and may choose not to apply Articles 11.6 to 11.8, paragraphs (6) to (10) of Article 11.9, and Articles 11.11, 11.12, 11.14 and 11.15 under any of the following circumstances:
if, in response to a notice of intended procurement:
no tenders were submitted or no suppliers requested participation;
no tenders that conform to the essential requirements of the tender documentation were submitted;
no suppliers satisfied the conditions for participation; or
the tenders submitted have been collusive,
provided that the requirements of the tender documentation are not substantially modified;
if the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist for any of the following reasons:
the requirement is for a work of art;
the protection of patents, copyrights or other exclusive rights; or
due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
for additional deliveries by the original supplier of goods or services that were not included in the initial procurement if a change of supplier for such additional goods or services:
cannot be made for economic or technical reasons such as requirements of interchangeability or interoperability with existing equipment, software, services or installations procured under the initial procurement; and
would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs for the procuring entity;
only when strictly necessary if, for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the procuring entity, the goods or services could not be obtained in time using open tendering or selective tendering;
for goods purchased on a commodity market;
if a procuring entity procures a prototype or a first good or service that is developed at its request in the course of, and for, a particular contract for research, experiment, study or original development. Original development of a first good or service may include limited production or supply in order to incorporate the results of field testing and to demonstrate that the good or service is suitable for production or supply in quantity to acceptable quality standards, but does not include quantity production or supply to establish commercial viability or to recover research and development costs;
for purchases made under exceptionally advantageous conditions that only arise in the very short term in the case of unusual disposals such as those arising from liquidation, receivership or bankruptcy, but not for routine purchases from regular suppliers; or
if a contract is awarded to a winner of a design contest provided that:
the contest has been organised in a manner that is consistent with the principles of this Chapter, in particular relating to the publication of a notice of intended procurement; and
(ii) the participants are judged by an independent jury with a view to a design contract being awarded to a winner; and
(i) consultancy services in the area of law including a legal consultant or advocacy or provision of an arbitrator that is previously not planned, to deal with any claim or legal proceedings
from certain parties, which by the nature or performance of work or defence must be prompt and cannot be postponed
A procuring entity shall prepare a report in writing on each contract awarded under paragraph 1 of this Article. The report shall include the name of the procuring entity, the value and kind of goods or services procured and a statement indicating the circumstances and conditions described in paragraph 1 of this Article that justified the use of limited tendering.
Article ARTICLE 11.14
Electronic auctions
If a procuring entity intends to conduct a covered procurement using an electronic auction, the entity shall, where applicable, provide each participant before commencing the electronic auction, with:
the automatic evaluation method, including the mathematical formula, that is based on the evaluation criteria set out in the tender documentation and that will be used in the automatic ranking or re-ranking during the auction;
the results of any initial evaluation of the elements of its tender if the contract is to be awarded on the basis of the most advantageous tender; and
any other relevant information relating to the conduct of the auction.
Article ARTICLE 11.15
Treatment of tenders and awarding of contracts
Treatment of tenders
A procuring entity shall receive, open and treat all tenders under procedures that guarantee the fairness and impartiality of the procurement process, and the confidentiality of tenders.
A procuring entity shall not penalise any supplier whose tender is received after the time specified for receiving tenders if the delay is due solely to mishandling on the part of the procuring entity.
If a procuring entity provides a supplier with an opportunity to correct unintentional errors of form, the procuring entity shall provide the same opportunity to all participating suppliers.
Awarding of contracts
To be considered for an award, a tender shall be submitted in writing and shall, at the time of opening, comply with the essential requirements set out in the notices and tender documentation and be submitted by a supplier that satisfies the conditions for participation.
Unless a procuring entity determines that it is not in the public interest to award a contract, the entity shall award the contract to the supplier that the entity has determined to be capable of fulfilling the terms of the contract and that, based solely on the evaluation criteria specified in the notices and tender documentation, has submitted:
the most advantageous tender; or
if price is the sole criterion, the lowest price.
If a procuring entity receives a tender with a price that is abnormally lower than the prices in other tenders submitted, it may verify with the supplier that it satisfies the conditions for participation and is capable of fulfilling the terms of the contract.
A procuring entity shall not use options, cancel a procurement or modify awarded contracts in a manner that circumvents the obligations under this Chapter.
The Parties shall, as a general rule, provide for a standstill period between the award and the conclusion of a contract in order to give sufficient time to unsuccessful bidders to review and challenge the award decision.
Article ARTICLE 11.16
Transparency of procurement information Information provided to suppliers
A procuring entity shall promptly inform participating suppliers of the entity's contract award decisions and, on the request of a supplier, shall do so in writing. Subject to Articles 11.17(2) and 11.17(3), a procuring entity shall, on request, provide an unsuccessful supplier with an explanation of the reasons why the entity did not select its tender and the relative advantages of the successful supplier's tender.
Publication of award information
Not later than 30 days after the award of each contract covered by this Chapter, a procuring entity shall publish a notice in the appropriate paper or electronic medium listed in Sub-Section 8 of Annex 11. If the procuring entity publishes the notice only in an electronic medium, the information shall remain readily accessible for a reasonable period of time. The notice shall include at least the following information:
a description of the goods or services procured;
the name of the procuring entity;
the name and address of the successful supplier;
the value of the successful tender or the highest and lowest offers taken into account in the award of the contract;
the date of award; and
the type of procurement method used, and in cases where limited tendering was used in accordance with Article 11.13, a description of the circumstances justifying the use of limited tendering.
Maintenance of documentation, reports and electronic traceability
Each procuring entity shall, for a period of at least three years from the date it awards a contract, maintain:
the documentation and reports of tendering procedures and contract awards relating to covered procurement, including the reports required under Article 11.13; and
data that ensure the appropriate traceability of the conduct of covered procurement by electronic means.
Exchange of statistics
The Parties shall exchange statistics on procurement on a regular basis.
Article ARTICLE 11.17
Disclosure of information
Provision of information to parties
On request of the other Party, a Party shall provide promptly any information necessary to determine whether a procurement was conducted fairly, impartially and in accordance with this Chapter, including information on the characteristics and relative advantages of the successful tender. In cases where release of the information would prejudice competition in future tenders, the Party that receives the information shall not disclose it to any supplier, except after consulting with, and obtaining the consent of, the Party that provided the information.
Non-disclosure of information
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter, a Party, including its procuring entities, shall not provide to any particular supplier information that might prejudice fair competition between suppliers.
Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to require a Party, including its procuring entities, authorities and review bodies, to disclose confidential information if disclosure:
would impede law enforcement;
might prejudice fair competition between suppliers;
would prejudice the legitimate commercial interests of particular persons, including the protection of intellectual property; or
would otherwise be contrary to the public interest.
Article ARTICLE 11.18
Domestic review procedures
Each Party shall provide a timely, effective, transparent and non-discriminatory administrative or judicial review procedure through which a supplier may challenge:
a breach of the Chapter; or
if the supplier does not have a right to challenge directly a breach of the Chapter under the domestic law of a Party, a failure to comply with a Party's measures implementing this Chapter,
arising in the context of a covered procurement, in which the supplier has, or has had, an interest. The procedural rules for all challenges shall be in writing and made generally available.
In the event of a complaint by a supplier, arising in the context of covered procurement in which the supplier has, or has had, an interest, that there has been a breach or a failure as referred to in paragraph 1, the Party of the procuring entity conducting the procurement shall encourage the entity and the supplier to seek resolution of the complaint through consultations. The entity shall accord impartial and timely consideration to any such complaint in a manner that is not prejudicial to the supplier's participation in ongoing or future procurement or its right to seek corrective measures under the administrative or judicial review procedure.
Each supplier shall be allowed a sufficient period of time to prepare and submit a challenge, which shall be at least 10 days from the time when the basis of the challenge became known or reasonably should have become known to the supplier.
Each Party shall establish or designate at least one impartial administrative or judicial authority that is independent of its procuring entities to receive and review a challenge concerning the result of procurement process by a supplier arising in the context of a covered procurement.
If a body other than an authority referred to in paragraph 4 initially reviews a challenge, the Party shall ensure that the supplier may appeal the initial decision to an impartial administrative or judicial authority that is independent of the procuring entity whose procurement is the subject of the challenge.
Each Party shall ensure that a review body that is not a court shall have its decision subject to judicial review or have procedures that provide that:
the procuring entity shall respond in writing to the challenge and disclose all relevant documents to the review body;
the participants to the proceedings ('participants') shall have the right to be heard prior to a decision of the review body being made on the challenge;
the participants shall have the right to be represented and accompanied;
the participants shall have access to all proceedings;
the participants shall have the right to request that the proceedings take place in public and that witnesses may be presented; and
the review body shall make its decisions or recommendations in a timely fashion, in writing, and shall include an explanation of the basis for each decision or recommendation.
Each Party shall adopt or maintain procedures that provide for:
rapid interim measures to preserve the supplier's opportunity to participate in the procurement. Such interim measures may result in suspension of the procurement process. The procedures may provide that overriding adverse consequences for the interests concerned, including the public interest, may be taken into account when deciding whether such measures should be applied. Just cause for not acting shall be provided in writing; and
where a review body has determined that there has been a breach or a failure as referred to in paragraph 1, corrective action or compensation for the loss or damages suffered.
Article ARTICLE 11.19
Cooperation on government procurement
The Parties shall cooperate, on mutually agreed terms, on matters relating to government procurement with a view to:
increase the understanding of their respective government procurement systems and markets; and
improve the capacity of procurement stakeholders from both Parties.
The cooperation mentioned in paragraph 1 shall include, but not be limited to:
sharing information on government procurement best practices including on electronic procurement system, fostering participation of small medium enterprises; and
exchanging information on Parties’ laws, regulations, and procedures, and any modifications thereof
to the extent possible – provision of training, technical assistance and/or capacity building to Parties; and sharing information on these initiatives
Article ARTICLE 11.20
Modifications and rectifications to coverage
A Party may modify or rectify its Market Access Schedules provided for in Annex 11.
Modifications
When a Party modifies its Market Access Schedule provided in Annex 11, the Party shall:
notify the other Party in writing; and