Ing. Ignacio Combellas Lares, President, Metro de Caracas, Multicentro Empresarial del Este, Edf Miranda, Nzcleo B, Pso 6, Chacao -- Caracas, 1060, VE, Tel: 582-266-6945, Fax: 582-266-3346

B -- METRO DE CARACAS LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION PROJECT -- VENEZUELA POC Ms. Evangela Kunene, USTDA, Room 300, 1621 N. Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Telephone: (703) 875-4357, FAX: (703) 875-4009 The Grantee invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms which are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to develop a feasibility study for an extension of the existing metro line in Caracas, by constructing a southeast light rail vehicle line to connect with the existing Metro de Caracas through a transfer station. The Caracas subway system is operated by Compaqma Ansnima Metro de Caracas, an independent agency under the Ministry of Transportation. The proposed southeast light rail vehicle line would connect with the existing Metro de Caracas through a transfer station. The 15.2-kilometer Light Rail Transit (LRT) system would extend from the eastern end of the existing Green line at Mercedes and Chua to the south and east. The new line would provide mass transit service to suburbs in the southeastern region of the city where no viable mass transit alternative currently exists. Phase I of the feasibility study would be comprised of the following tasks: Phase I: Initial Project Viability Assessment ($496,000) Travel demand and price elasticity evaluation Development of public-private financing options Caracas mission to share preliminary analysis with sponsors Conceptual engineering and costs Risk analysis Interim Report After completion of Phase I, a final report would be submitted to TDA for review. If the review of the report and project status is satisfactory, TDA would then consider and decide if Phase II funding would be approved. TDA is under no obligation to fund Phase II. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $396,000 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA). The total cost of Phase I of the study has been estimated at $496,000. The U.S. Contractor selected to carry out this study will be responsible for paying for the balance -- or $100,000. A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and a background definitional mission report are available from TDA, at 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131. Requests for the RFP should be faxed to the IRC, TDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firm's name, contact person, address, and telephone number. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want TDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to TDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to TDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of RFP requests, TDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mail room before calling TDA. Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this TDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under TDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the TDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the TDA-financed activity. All goods and services to be provided by the selected firm shall have their nationality, source and origin in the U.S. or host country. The U.S. firm may use subcontractors from the host country for up to 20 percent of the TDA grant amount. Details of TDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP. Interested U.S. firms should submit one (1) original and two (2) copies of their Proposal in English and one (1) original and two (2) copies of their proposal in Spanish directly to the Grantee by 4:00p.m., June 14, 1999 at the above address. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the RFP. Price will not be a factor in contractor selection, and therefore, cost proposals should NOT be submitted. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals. Posted 05/14/99 (I-SN331780). (0134)

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