USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131

39 -- BULGARIA -- SUPPLY OF CONTAINER HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOR THE BULGARIAN MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT DUE 032800 POC Evangela Kunene, USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009 The Grantee invites submission of bids and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms that are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to supply two reach stackers with spreader. As part of the South Balkan Development Initiative, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has provided a grant of $780,000 to the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport towards the procurement of container handling equipment. The reach stackers shall include all accessories, spare parts, and maintenance and instruction manuals, delivered to the project site, ready for operations. Operator training and maintenance instruction may be required, as indicated in the tender documents. The reach stackers shall handle twenty and forty foot containers with a maximum gross weight of forty-five metric tons (45MT), with a boom capable of stacking containers at least three (3) units high and two (2) units wide. The bidders are required to provide base bids for the two (2) reach stackers, and price additions for options or alternatives, and supplemental training, as indicated. The Purchaser may include all or some options or alternatives in the final contract. One reach stacker is intended for use in the Port of Varna and the Sofia Intermodal Cargo Facility, Bulgaria. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from the $780,000 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA). A complete Invitation for Bids (IFB) is available from TDA, at 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131. Requests 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 IFB 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 IFB. Firms that want to send a courier to TDA to retrieve the IFB should allow one hour after faxing the request to TDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the IFB will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of IFB requests, TDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for IFBs 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 IFB. Interested U.S. firms should submit their Proposal in English to the Grantee in care of TDA by 4:00PM, March 28, 2000 at the above address and be accompanied by a security of five percent (5%) of the base bid price. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the IFB. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals.****** Posted 03/03/00 (W-SN430995). (0063)

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