SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Liberia: Greater Monrovia Fiber Optic Ring Feasibility Study
- Notice Date
- 8/5/2008
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- United States Trade and Development Agency, USTDA, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, C/O US TDA 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, Virginia, 22209-3901
- ZIP Code
- 22209-3901
- Solicitation Number
- 0811023A
- Archive Date
- 9/20/2008
- Point of Contact
- Evangela Kunene, Phone: 703-875-4357
- E-Mail Address
-
ekunene@ustda.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Liberia: Greater Monrovia Fiber Optic Ring Feasibility Study POC Evangela Kunene, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT CONTRACTS OFFICE; PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PLACE: Mr. Ben Wolo, Managing Director, Liberia Telecommunications Corporation, Telecommunications Building, Lynch Street, PM Bag 9039, 1000 MONROVIA 10, Liberia, Phone: (231) 7777 3978, Fax: (231) 7722 6356. Liberia: Greater Monrovia Fiber Optic Ring Feasibility Study. 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 the Liberian Telecommunications Corporation (LTC). Over the last five years, Liberia has worked steadily to rebuild the infrastructure and institutions destroyed by 14 years of civil war. The democratically elected government, headed by Africa’s first female president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has implemented significant reforms to rebuild the economy, reduce poverty, and invite foreign investment. As evidence of its progress, Liberia has cleared its obligations to the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and African Development Bank over the past 16 months, allowing the country to receive much needed financial support from international institutions. In the telecommunications sector, Liberia has made great strides in creating a platform for investment. Their implementation of key structural and policy reforms, including the creation of a regulatory authority in 2006 and the passing of a telecommunication policy in 2007, has liberalized the sector and encouraged competition and private investment. The expected result is an increase in the quality and availability of ICT services for the people of Liberia. While a vibrant mobile telephone market has developed in Liberia, the fixed line network is almost nonexistent, having been destroyed during the fighting. The absence of a backbone and local access infrastructure forces Liberia to depend on high-cost satellite links for internal and external connectivity. To rectify this situation, the state-run LTC plans to develop a fiber optic ring around the city of Monrovia and through its suburban areas, using the existing right of way belonging to LTC. The ring would allow LTC to become a “carrier’s carrier,” meaning the network would be available for use by existing telecommunications operators. The ring would also allow LTC to provide fixed line services directly to government agencies and the private sector. This project is a key component of the LTC revitalization program launched by the government in 2006. It would be the first step in LTC’s future plans to build a National Fiber Backbone connecting the major cities of Liberia and would lay the groundwork for linking the country to one of the planned regional submarine fiber optic cables. Though the stated goal of Liberia’s telecommunications policy is to promote “fair and effective competition,” the newly installed government lacks expertise on organizing the sector to attract private investment. The Feasibility Study will design business models that encourage open competition and lay the groundwork for LTC’s eventual privatization. The contractor will also offer training to stakeholders, including the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and the Liberian Telecommunications Authority, on structuring an IT market to attract private sector investment, so that LTC can expand their market presence in a manner that encourages private sector entrance and expansion in the sector. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $303,000 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and a background desk study report are available from USTDA, at 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901. To request the RFP in PDF format, please go to: https://www.ustda.gov/businessopps/rfpform.asp. Requests for a mailed hardcopy version of the RFP may also be faxed to the IRC, USTDA 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 USTDA 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 USTDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to USTDA 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, USTDA 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 USTDA. Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this USTDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under USTDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the USTDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the USTDA-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 USTDA grant amount. Details of USTDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP. Interested U.S. firms should submit their Proposal in English directly to the Grantee by 4:00 p.m. on September 5, 2008 at the above address. Please note that the Grantee will not respond to inquiries regarding the Proposal or Project after 15 days of this announcement. 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.
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