INTRODUCTION

(Tender Search Code (TSC):- NTPC-2015-TN000010)

1.0NTPC Limited (NTPC) has been entrusted with the work of inviting proposals for setting up of grid connected Solar-PV Projects (of aggregate capacity of 3000 MW) through e-bidding process based on the Guidelines for Selection of Grid-connected Solar-PV Power Projects under Batch-II “State Specific Bundling Scheme” issued by the MNRE on 10th March 2015. The same is available on the web sites of MNRE at www.mnre.gov.in. This RFS document has been prepared by taking into account the provisions of these guidelines.

1.1This document is for selection of Solar Power Developers (SPDs) for setting up Grid-connected Solar-PV Power Projects of 50MW capacity (10 MW x 5 Projects) on the land to be identified & arranged by the SPDs in the State of Telangana. The solar power produced by the selected SPDs from their respective Solar-PV Power Projects, will be purchased by NTPC and would be sold to the State Utilities/ Discoms of Telangana after bundling with cheaper power from unallocated quota of Govt. of India (Ministry of Power) out of the capacity of the NTPC coal based stations.

1.2Under the “State Specific Bundling Scheme”, NSM provides for bundling of relatively expensive solar power with cheaper power from NTPC coal based stations out of the unallocated quota of the Government of India (Ministry of Power) in the ratio of 2:1 basis (2 MW of Solar Power with 1 MW of Thermal Power).

1.3The project size will be 10 MW each under DCR (mandatory requirement of Domestic Content) category.

1.4The bidders will be short-listed by the process of e-bidding (Single Stage

Two Envelope Bidding Process. Envelope-I: Technical Bid and Envelope-II: Financial Bid) to be followed by reverse auction process for selection of bidders. E-bidding is a new methodology for conducting Public Procurement in a transparent and secured manner. For conducting electronic tendering, NTPC Ltd. is using the portal https://www.tcil-india- electronictender.com of Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL), a Government of India Undertaking. This portal is based on the world’s most ‘secure’ and ‘user friendly’ software from ElectronicTender®. A portal built using Electronic Tender’s software is also referred to as Electronic Tender System® (ETS).

INTRODUCTION

(Tender Search Code (TSC):- NTPC-2015-TN000011)

1.0NTPC Limited (NTPC) has been entrusted with the work of inviting proposals for setting up of grid connected Solar-PV Projects (of aggregate capacity of 3000 MW) through e-bidding process based on the Guidelines for Selection of Grid-connected Solar-PV Power Projects under Batch-II “State Specific Bundling Scheme” issued by the MNRE on 10th March 2015. The same is available on the web sites of MNRE at www.mnre.gov.in. This RFS document has been prepared by taking into account the provisions of these guidelines.

1.1This document is for selection of Solar Power Developers (SPDs) for setting up Grid-connected Solar-PV Power Projects of 350MW capacity (10 MW x 35 Projects) on the land to be identified & arranged by the SPDs in the State of Telangana. The solar power produced by the selected SPDs from their respective Solar-PV Power Projects, will be purchased by NTPC and would be sold to the State Utilities/ Discoms of Telangana after bundling with cheaper power from unallocated quota of Govt. of India (Ministry of Power) out of the capacity of the NTPC coal based stations.

1.2Under the “State Specific Bundling Scheme”, NSM provides for bundling of relatively expensive solar power with cheaper power from NTPC coal based stations out of the unallocated quota of the Government of India (Ministry of Power) in the ratio of 2:1 basis (2 MW of Solar Power with 1 MW of Thermal Power).

1.3The project size will be 10 MW each under OPEN (No mandatory requirement of Domestic Content Requirement) category.

1.4The bidders will be short-listed by the process of e-bidding (Single Stage

Two Envelope Bidding Process. Envelope-I: Technical Bid and Envelope-II: Financial Bid) to be followed by reverse auction process for selection of bidders. E-bidding is a new methodology for conducting Public Procurement in a transparent and secured manner. For conducting electronic tendering, NTPC Ltd. is using the portal https://www.tcil-india- electronictender.com of Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL), a Government of India Undertaking. This portal is based on the world’s most ‘secure’ and ‘user friendly’ software from ElectronicTender®. A portal built using Electronic Tender’s software is also referred to as Electronic Tender System® (ETS).

‘Supplier Organization’ link under ‘Registration’ (on the Home Page), and follow further instructions as given on the site. Pay Annual Registration Fee as applicable.

Any Instructions for Online/ Offline Payment of Registration Fee :-

After successful submission of Registration details and Annual Registration Fee, please contact TCIL/ ETS Helpdesk (as given below), to get your registration accepted/activated

Important Note: To minimize teething problems during the use of ETS (including the Registration process), it is recommended that the user should peruse the instructions given under ‘ETS User-Guidance Center’ located on ETS Home Page, including instructions for timely registration on ETS. The instructions relating to ‘Essential Computer Security Settings for Use of ETS’ and ‘Important Functionality Checks’ should be especially taken into cognizance.

Please note that even after acceptance of your registration by the Service Provider, to respond to a tender you will also require time to complete activities related to your organization, such as creation of users, assigning roles to them, etc.

TCIL/ ETS Helpdesk
Telephone/ Mobile	Customer Support: +91-11-26202699(Multiple Telephone
	lines)
	Emergency	Mobile	Numbers:	+91-9868393775,
	9868393717, 9868393792
E-mail ID	ets_support@tcil-india.com
NTPC Limitefd
NTPC Limited	B.K.Sahoo /S K Das / Pranay Sharma
Contact Person	0120-2410900 / 2410722 / 4947382
	AGM(RE-CS)/MGR(RE-CS)
Telephone	Telephone/ Mobile : 0120-2410900/2410467 / 4947382
	[between 9:30 hrs to 18:00 hrs on working days]
E-mail ID	nsmsolarnspdcr@ntpc.co.in

3.Register on ElectronicTendering System® (ETS) at https://www.tcil-india- electronictender.com/etshome/EtsHomePage.aspx. While doing registration, valid e mail Id must be filled as all automatic e mails generated on posting of various amendments/ clarifications go to this registered e mail. After filling form, pay the one time registration fee + Service tax

4.Search a tender using various types of ETS search like Tender Search code (TSC) – based search, RASC-based search etc. For details visit https://www.tcil-india-electronictender.com/etshome/EtsHomePage.aspx

5.View Notice Inviting Tender (NIT)

6.For this tender Assign a tender to a Marketing Authority (MA) i.e. click the button “Assign TSC to MA”. Users and assign roles on ETS. After that assigned tender can be quoted.

7.Download Official Copy of Tender Documents from ETS. Please do not download free copy of documents at all. As otherwise you will not be able to participate in tender process. Open an view the downloaded file. If the downloading of file was successful, click on “Confirm” button.

Only after “Confirm” button is clicked, the procurement of tender documents (Official copy) would be confirmed along with official copy Serial Number.

Official copy Serial Number gets generated

8.Clarification to Tender Documents on ETS

8.1.Send Query to e mail: nsmsolarnspdcr@ntpc.co.in in soft copies so that the same queries can be used for replies. (Optional)

8.2.View response to queries posted by NTPC Limited on TCIL website on TCIL website

9.Bid-Submission on ETS

9.1Offline Submission of Response to RfS by the Bidder: Kindly refer the clause no.3.15 of RfS document on https://www.tcil- india-electronictender.com

9.2 Online Submission of Response to RfS by the Bidder: Kindly refer the clause no.3.15 (A&B) of RfS document on https://www.tcil- india-

electronictender.com

9.3Methodology for Online Bid submission:

a)Visit Tender Overview page and proceed for bid Submission

b)Digitally Sign and submit Tender Documents and Addenda, if applicable.

c)Fill in EMD details, wherever EMD is applicable.

d)Create, Encrypt, Preview, Digitally Sign and Submit Electronic Form of Technical Bi-Part, if applicable.

e)First Upload Bid Annexure (as required) of Technical Bid Part before uploading of the corresponding Main Bid / Base-Bid. The annexures can be uploaded in multiple files with each file not beyond 10MB size. It may be noted that Main Bid shall be of optimum possible size (of course, not more than 10MB ) as the same is downloaded at NTPC during tender opening and again uploaded. So heavy Main bid file uploading will take unnecessary time. Main Bid file can be say Bid Form only.

f)After uploading Bid Annexures of Technical Bid Part, upload Main Bid / Base-Bid. The main Bid needs to be one file of maximum 10MB size.

g)The Bid Annexure is to be uploaded before uploading Main Bid. After uploading the Main Bid, the uploading link of bid Annexure will be deactivated. After that if you want to upload the bid annexure, then bid has to be modified or to be substituted.

h)After uploading both the Bid-Annexures and Base-Bid of Technical Part, Bidders need to repeat the process for Financial-Part. After completion of these activities the color of Base Bid for both Technical-Part and Financial-Part will turn green.

i)Before uploading of the corresponding Main Bid. The annexures can be uploaded in multiple files with each file not beyond 10MB size. The main Bid needs to be one file of maximum 10MB size but preferably less than this as explained above.

Colour turns green for both

j)After the process gets complete, the “Status pertaining overall Bid- Submission” will show the status as “Complete” as shown below.

k)Click on “View Final Submission Receipt” to get the receipt and take a printout for future reference.

Special Note on Security and Transparency of Bids

Security related functionality has been rigorously implemented in ETS in a multi- dimensional manner. Starting with 'Acceptance of Registration by the Service Provider', provision for security has been made at various stages in ElectronicTender's software. Specifically for Bid Submission, some security related aspects are outlined below:

As part of the ElectronicEncrypter™ functionality, the contents of both the ‘ElectronicForms’ and the ‘Main-Bid’ are securely encrypted using a Pass-Phrase created by the Bidder himself. Unlike a ‘password’, a Pass-Phrase can be a multi-word sentence with spaces between words (eg I love this World). A Pass-Phrase is easier to remember, and more difficult to break. It is mandatory that a separate Pass-Phrase be created for each Bid-Part i.e. one for technical bid and other for financial bid. This pass phrase will be required while submittinh Main Bid / Technical Bid and also Financial bid. This method of bid-encryption does not have the security and data-integrity related vulnerabilities which are inherent in e-tendering systems which use Public-Key of the specified officer of a Buyer organization for bid-encryption. Bid-encryption in ETS is such that the Bids cannot be decrypted before the Public Online Tender Opening Event (TOE), even if there is connivance between the concerned tender-opening officers of the Buyer organization and the personnel of e-tendering service provider.

CAUTION: All bidders must fill ElectronicForms™ for each bid-part sincerely and carefully, and avoid any discrepancy between information given in the ElectronicForms™ and the corresponding Main-Bid. For transparency, the information submitted by a bidder in the ElectronicForms™ is made available to other bidders during the Online Public TOE. If it is found during the Online Public TOE that a bidder has not filled in the complete information in the ElectronicForms™, the TOE officer may make available for downloading the corresponding Main-Bid of that bidder at the risk of the bidder. If variation is noted between the information contained in the ElectronicForms™ and the ‘Main-Bid’, the contents of the ElectronicForms™ shall prevail. Alternatively, the NTPC Limited reserves the right to consider the higher of the two pieces of information (eg the higher price) for the purpose of short-listing, and the lower of the two pieces of information (eg the lower price) for the purpose of payment in case that bidder is an awardee in that tender.

Typically, ‘Pass-Phrase’ of the Bid-Part to be opened during a particular Public Online Tender Opening Event (TOE) is furnished online by each bidder during the TOE itself, when demanded by the concerned Tender Opening Officer. In This case, both pass phrase has to be submitted after Bid submission date is completed to EKB, which will be retrieved by NTPC at the time of bid opening. Please note that there should not be any difference in pass phrase submitted at the time of bid uploading and at the time of pass phrase submission to EKT Box. As otherwise , bidder’s bids will not be able to be opened. NTPC Ltd reserves the right to ask both pass phrase in writing/in envelope/ emails etc from bidder in case or otherwise also , it is not submitted /wrongly submitted / otherwise any other problem to open the bids.

Additionally, the bidder shall make sure that the Pass-Phrase to decrypt the relevant Bid- Part is submitted into the ‘Time Locked Electronic Key Box (EKB)’ after the corresponding deadline of Bid Submission, and before the commencement of the Online TOE. The process of submission of this Pass-Phrase in the ‘Time Locked Electronic Key Box’ is done in a secure manner by first encrypting this Pass-Phrase with the designated keys provided by the NTPC Limited

There is an additional protection with SSL Encryption during transit from the client-end computer of a Supplier organization to the e-tendering server/ portal.

Public Online Tender Opening Event (TOE)

ETS offers a unique facility for ‘Public Online Tender Opening Event (TOE)’. Tender Opening Officers, as well as, authorized representatives of bidders can simultaneously attend the Public Online Tender Opening Event (TOE) from the comfort of their offices. Alternatively, one/ two duly authorized representative(s) of bidders (i.e. Supplier organization) are requested to carry a Laptop with Wireless Internet Connectivity, if they wish to come to NTPC Limited office for the Public Online TOE.

Every legal requirement for a transparent and secure ‘Public Online Tender Opening Event (TOE)’, including digital counter-signing of each opened bid by the authorized TOE-officer(s) in the simultaneous online presence of the participating bidders’ representatives, has been implemented on ETS.

As soon as a Bid is decrypted with the corresponding ‘Pass-Phrase’ as submitted online by the bidder himself (during the TOE itself), salient points of the Bids (as identified by the Buyer organization) are simultaneously made available for downloading by all participating bidders. The tedium of taking notes during a manual ‘Tender Opening Event’ is therefore replaced with this superior and convenient form of ‘Public Online Tender Opening Event (TOE)’.

ETS has a unique facility of ‘Online Comparison Chart’ which is dynamically updated as each online bid is opened. The format of the chart is based on inputs provided by the Buyer for each Bid-Part of a tender. The information in the Comparison Chart is based on the data submitted by the Bidders. A detailed Technical and/ or Financial Comparison Chart enhances Transparency. Detailed instructions are given on relevant screens.

ETS has a unique facility of a detailed report titled ‘Minutes of Online Tender Opening Event (TOE)’ covering all important activities of ‘Online Tender Opening Event (TOE)’. This is available to all participating bidders for ‘Viewing/ Downloading’.

There are many more facilities and features on ETS. For a particular tender, the screens viewed by a Supplier will depend upon the options selected by the concerned Buyer.

Other Instructions

For further instructions, the vendor should visit the home-page of the portal https://www.tcil-india-electrionictender.com, and go to the User-Guidance Center

The help information provided through ‘ETS User-Guidance Center’ is available in three categories – Users intending to Register / First-Time Users, Logged-in users of Buyer organizations, and Logged-in users of Supplier organizations. Various links (including links for User Manuals) are provided under each of the three categories.

Important Note : It is strongly recommended that all authorized users of Supplier organizations should thoroughly peruse the information provided under the relevant links, and take appropriate action. This will prevent hiccups, and minimize teething problems during the use of ETS.

SEVEN KEY INSTRUCTIONS AND CRITICAL DO’S AND DON’TS FOR BIDDERS

Specifically for Supplier organizations, the following 'SEVEN KEY INSTRUCTIONS AND CRITICAL DO’S AND DON’TS FOR BIDDERS' must be assiduously adhered to:

1.Obtain individual Digital Signing Certificate (DSC or DC) well in advance of your first tender submission deadline on ETS

2.Register your organization on ETS well in advance of the important deadlines for your first tender on ETS viz ‘Date and Time of Closure of Procurement of Tender Documents’ and ‘Last Date and Time of Receipt of Bids’. Please note that even after acceptance of your registration by the Service Provider, to respond to a tender you will also require time to complete activities related to your organization, such as creation of Marketing Authority (MA), ie a department within the Supplier/ Bidder Organization responsible for responding to tenders, users for one or more such MAs, assigning roles to them, etc. It is mandatory to create at least one MA. This unique feature of creating an MA enhances security and accountability within the Supplier/ Bidder Organization.

3Get your organization's concerned executives trained on ETS well in advance of your first tender submission deadline on ETS.

4.For responding to any particular tender, the tender (ie its Tender Search Code or TSC) has to be assigned to a MA. Further, an ‘Official Copy of Tender Documents’ should be procured/ downloaded before the expiry of Date and Time of Closure of Procurement of Tender Documents. Note: Official copy of Tender Documents is distinct from downloading ‘Free Copy of Tender Documents’. Official copy of Tender Documents is the equivalent of procuring physical copy of Tender Documents with official receipt in the paper-based manual tendering system

5.Submit your bids well in advance of tender submission deadline on ETS (There could be last minute problems due to internet timeout, breakdown, et al)

6.It is the responsibility of each bidder to remember and securely store the Pass-Phrase for each Bid-Part submitted by that bidder. In the event of a bidder forgetting the Pass-Phrase before the expiry of deadline for Bid-Submission, facility is provided to the bidder to ‘Annul Previous Submission’ from the Bid-Submission Overview page and start afresh with new Pass-Phrase(s). Please make sure that you are using DSC with serial no. ending with 67 and 57 of S K das and Pranay Sharma specifically against this tender for this purpose.

7 ETS will make your bid available for opening during the Online Public Tender Opening Event (TOE) ‘ONLY IF’ your ‘Status pertaining Overall Bid-Submission’ is ‘Complete’. For your record, you can generate and save a copy of ‘Final Submission Receipt’. This receipt can be generated from 'Bid-Submission Overview Page' only if the ‘Status pertaining overall Bid-Submission’ is ‘Complete’.

NOTE:

While the first three instructions mentioned above are especially relevant to first-time users of ETS, the fourth, fifth and sixth instructions are relevant at all times.

Additional DO’S AND DON’TS FOR BIDDERS Participating in e-ReverseAuction

1.Get your organization's concerned executives trained for e-Reverse Auction related processes on ETS well in advance of the start of e-ReverseAuction

2.For responding to any particular e-ReverseAuction, the e-ReverseAuction (ie its Reverse-Auction Search Code or RASC) has to be assigned to an MA.

3.It is important for each bidder to thoroughly read the ‘rules and related criterion’ for the e-ReverseAuction as defined by the Buyer organization

4.If applicable for an e-ReverseAuction, pay your EMD on ETS well in advance of the start of e-ReverseAuction Bidding Event.

5.If applicable for an e-ReverseAuction, pay the Bid Processing Fee well in advance of the start of e-ReverseAuction Bidding Event.

6.It is important to 'Digitally-Sign' your ‘Final bid’ after the end of e- ReverseAuction Bidding Event.

Minimum Requirements at Bidder’s End

Computer System with good configuration (Min PIV, 1 GB RAM, Windows 7 or above)

Broadband connectivity

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or above

Digital Certificate(s)

Vendors Training Program All venders can take training at TCIL office on payment basis.

One day training (10:00 to 17:00) would be provided by TCIL. Training is optional. Vendors are requested to carry a Laptop and Wireless Connectivity to Internet.

Scheduled Date	Dates to be provided by TCIL through Help Desk
Venue	Telecommunication Consultants India Limited
	office , TCIL Bhawan, Greater Kailash I , New
	Delhi ----- 110048
Vendors Training Charges	As per TCIL Cherges.
(Per Participant)	(plus Service Tax @ 14 %)