PROJECT DESCRIPTION

 I. Description of the contract

a) Project Context

The European Peace Facility, represented by the European Commission as the administrator of assistance measures, finances a 2024 assistance measure to support the Congolese National Navy (MNC) in strengthening its operational capacities.

The implementation of this assistance measure has been entrusted to DCI within the framework of an agreement between DCI and the European Union.

b) Object of the procedure

This present invitation to tender constitutes the phase of selection of candidates prior to a restricted tender. At the end of this phase, only the candidates who have met the participation conditions and demonstrated the required capacities will be invited to submit an offer for the award of a contract for the design and execution of industrial works in the context of the major technical stop of a patrol boat of the Congolese National Navy.

c) Synthetic description of the need

The purpose of the project corresponds to the conduct of the overhaul of a patrol boat (OPV) of the Congolese National Navy. This major overhaul will present both a phase during which the OPV will be afloat and a phase in drydock. It will include preventive, corrective work, modifications and additions of capacities.

The operational return to service of a patrol boat will not aim to bring the ship back to its original condition, but to increase its availability to allow it to accomplish its operational missions. Thus, the objectives will be the improvement of the safety conditions for the personnel and the material, the assurance of redundancy for the concerned installations, and the assurance of operation with coherent parameters without seeking and reaching their maximum performances.

The purpose of the contract is to ensure the overhaul of the patrol boat P202 of the Congolese National Navy stationed at the autonomous port of Pointe-Noire, Congo-Brazzaville.

The patrol boat has benefited from a ship-check at the pier in December 2025, which was carried out by a third-party company mandated by DCI. The situation of availability of the installations of the patrol boat and the recommendations for inspection have allowed DCI to establish a list of work whose realization is the subject of the present call for tenders.

The ship-check having been carried out exclusively at the quay, the list of work subject to the present contract is by nature non-exhaustive: corrective work on discovery during the technical stop is therefore probable. The candidate acknowledges that DCI will be free to request additional works during the overhaul.

d) Detailed description of the requirement

It will be expected of the candidate a global project management of the overhaul, in particular:

• The preparation and conduct of the overhaul (site management, project management, quality respect, engineering related to modifications, logistics management, consideration of health and safety at work),
• The technical support and advice to the client.

For contractual convenience, the market will be divided into fixed price posts and order-based posts:

• 21 fixed price posts corresponding to all hull-related works (propulsion, electricity, security, structures, etc.) as well as the study of the requested modifications;
• 11 order-based posts corresponding to the deployment of the requested modifications;
• 1 order-based poses corresponding to the corrective works of the hull works. This corrective works posts will include as many orders as necessary according to the unforeseen events discovered during the site.

II. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

a) Eligibility and origin rules

The following entities cannot participate in the tendering process or be awarded the contract:

• Entities in bankruptcy, liquidation, judicial settlement, cessation of activities, or any analogous situation resulting from similar procedures in national laws and regulations;
• Entities subject to bankruptcy, liquidation, judicial settlement, or any other similar procedure existing in national laws and regulations;
• Entities convicted by a final judgment (i.e., with no further possibility of appeal) for any crime affecting their professional integrity;
• Entities that have committed serious professional misconduct;
• Entities that have not fulfilled their obligations regarding social security contributions according to the legal provisions of their country of establishment;
• Entities that have not fulfilled their obligations regarding the payment of taxes and duties according to the legal provisions of their country of establishment;
• Entities found guilty of providing false declarations when submitting the required information for participation in a DCI contract;
• Shell companies created to conceal financial transactions and/or launder money from one or more other companies;
• Entities that have been found in serious breach of execution under another contract concluded with DCI due to failure to meet contractual obligations;
• Entities found guilty by final judgment of any of the following offenses:
  1. Fraud, as defined in Article 3 of Directive (EU) 2017/1371;
  2. Corruption, as defined in Article 4, Paragraph 2 of Directive (EU) 2017/1371;

• Criminal organization activities as per Article 2 of Council Framework Decision 2008/841/JHA;

1. Money laundering or terrorism financing under Article 1, Paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 of Directive (EU) 2015/849;
2. Terrorist offenses or related activities as defined in Articles 1 and 3 of Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA;
3. Child labor or human trafficking as per Article 2 of Directive 2011/36/EU.

• Entities that have been definitively convicted of one of the offenses listed in Articles 222-34 to 222-40, 225-4-1, 225-4-7, 313-1, 313-3, 314-1, 324-1, 324-5, 324-6, 421-1 to 421-2-4, 421-5, 432-10, 432-11, 432-12 to 432-16, 433-1, 433-2, 434-9, 434-9-1, 435-3, 435-4, 435-9, 435-10, 441-1 to 441-7, 441-9, 445-1 to 445-2-1, or 450-1 of the Penal Code, or Articles 1741 to 1743, 1746, or 1747 of the General Tax Code, or for the concealment of such offenses, as well as equivalent offenses under the laws of another EU Member State. A final conviction for one of these offenses or for concealing one of these offenses by a member of the management, administrative, executive, or supervisory body, or a person holding the power of representation, decision, or control of a legal entity, results in the exclusion of that legal entity from the procurement procedure as long as the individual holds these functions.
• Entities that have not submitted the required tax or social declarations or have not paid due taxes, duties, contributions, or social security contributions in the concerned country.
• Entities sanctioned for violating obligations under Articles L. 8221-1, L. 8221-3, L. 8221-5, L. 8231-1, L. 8241-1, L. 8251-1, and L. 8251-2 of the Labor Code, or convicted under Article L. 1146-1 of the same code or Article 225-1 of the Penal Code.

Point (a) does not apply in cases of purchasing supplies at particularly advantageous conditions, either from a supplier ceasing its commercial activities or through liquidators in an insolvency procedure, under judicial settlement, or similar legal procedures in national law.

DCI excludes companies where key persons (administrators, directors, controllers, or representatives) are in any of the above-listed situations:

• When a person who is a member of the administrative, managerial, or supervisory body of the entity, or who has powers of representation, decision, or control over that entity, is in one of the situations listed in points (c) to (i).
• When a person who is indefinitely liable for the debts of the entity is in one of the situations listed in points (a) or (b).
• When a person essential for awarding or executing the legal commitment is in one of the situations listed in points (c) to (i).

Tenderers must sign a declaration of honor affirming they are not in any of the aforementioned categories.

Entities based in countries under European Union sanctions are also excluded from participation.

The products and services presented in this call for tenders fully comply with Common Position 2008/944/EC if the supplies offered in the bid include equipment listed on the EU’s Common Military List, available at the following link:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1499/oj/eng.

Equipment listed on this list must come exclusively from one of the following eligible countries, and can only be supplied by a supplier or subcontractor holding the nationality of one of the following eligible countries:

• Always Eligible Countries: The 27 EU Member States, International Organizations, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Ukraine.
• May also be eligible the following countries: Chile, Mexico, Aruba, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States,
• For all other countries not listed above: Any deviation from this list is prohibited, except for special exemptions granted by the DCI and the European authority.

III. MINIMAL REQUIRED CAPACITIES

 The minimum required capabilities are determined through the capabilities described below and must demonstrate that the bidder is capable of providing the project management and execution of industrial works as part of the major technical stop of a patrol boat abroad.

1. Technical capabilities

• An experience in carrying out overhaul of military ships over the past year, with references and certificates of good execution. Any project management abroad will also be appreciated.
• An experience of international or overseas logistics circuits over the past year, with references and certificates of good execution.
• An experience in study office, either independently or as a subcontractor, on similar modification studies to those which are the subject of the contract, during the last year, with references and certificates of good execution.
• The presentation of the candidate, his usual general organization for managing ship overhauls project, his usual organization for managing prevention.
• The certifications held (ISO 9001, ISO 45001).

2. Economic capabilities

The bidder must attach the following documents to assess their economic and financial capacity:

• The balance sheets and income statements for the last three closed financial years;
• A statement of the global revenue and revenue in the field subject to the market, covering the last three years;
• Any equivalent document allowing to verify the compliance with the ratios below .

Candidates who do not meet the following ratios favorably are eliminated :

N.B : DCI reserves itself the right to require, based on its analysis of the application, that the candidate’s commitment be secured by a guarantee issued by its parent company.

3. Administrative capacities

The bidder’s application file must obligatorily include the following elements:

IV. MANDATORY VISIT TO THE NAVAL SHIPYARD

a) Principle

In order to allow candidates to appreciate the technical situation of the patrol boat, the skills of the Pointe-Noire naval shipyard, and the local industrial fabric, a site visit is mandatory, and this with the aim of presenting a future offer.

The visit of the patrol boat does not constitute a second ship-check, so no installation will be launched. The ship-check reports are made available to the candidates.

b) Terms and conditions

• Dates : la The visit will take place during the first half of December 2026. The exact dates will depend on the granting of an invitation letter by the Congolese Minister of Defense, which in turn conditions access to the visa. This time slot is entirely subject to the Congolese partner.
• Duration : The duration targeted is 3 to 4 days on site. The exact duration will be conditioned by the bi-weekly flights serving Pointe-Noire.
• Place : The naval yard is located in Pointe-Noire, Congo-Brazzaville. The patrol boat is stationed at the autonomous port of Pointe-Noire.
• Registration : The candidates must provide, as part of their application, the biodata and a copy of the passport of the collaborator designated to carry out the visit. Only one collaborator per candidate company is authorized to visit. Self-funding of the visit for other collaborators is not accepted.
• To note : For convenience and accessibility (to the Congo, the construction site, and the autonomous port), the candidates’ visit will be simultaneous.

c) Compensation

The costs incurred by candidates admitted to participate in the visit will be covered by DCI and reimbursed on actual expenses after the visit, with presentation of an invoice detailing the expenses incurred by the candidate (travel expenses, accommodation, visa, per diem). DCI will reimburse a maximum amount of 10,000€ per candidate.

d) Delivery of a technical report and a quotation:

It is requested that all participants in the visit submit a technical report and a quotation. The submission of these deliverables is conditional on the compensation provided above.

V. Procedure steps

Step 1 – Receiving applications:

The present notice for applications starts the period for applications. The schedule related to this phase is communicated at VI below.

Step 2 – Analysis of applications:

Following the receipt of applications, including all the elements requested in Section III above, an analysis will be conducted. This analysis aims to determine if the minimum required capacities are met. These will then be deemed as “admissible”. Conversely, applications deemed not admissible will be rejected.

All candidates will be informed after the analysis of applications whether they are admitted or not to the next stage.

Step 3 – Site visit:

Only applications deemed admissible will be admitted to visit the naval shipyard.

Step 4- Transmission of technical report and quotation :

The technical reports will be expected within 4 calendar weeks maximum after the return of the visit, and must include:

• The global schedule for fixed-term and order-based positions, detailing all the preparatory phases before the technical shutdown.
• On an open format, the candidate will advise DCI on:
  • Sequencing the work to know the earliest possible corrective work. These predictable corrective works will be described, and will be limited to increasing availability without seeking initial performance.
  • Any potential proposals for modifications to the list of floating work and orders for modifications, after analyzing the ship-check reports, and after observations made during the visit.
  • General management of the technical stop, by formulating any proposal allowing for preparation and conduct aimed at controlling deadlines, costs, and technical quality.

The quotations will be expected within 4 calendar weeks maximum  after the return of the visit, and must comply with the formalism of the response framework provided by DCI, and in particular:

• The price of fixed-rate posts, detailing: the supply of spare parts up to the final destination, labor, site management, technical stop management, modification studies;
• The price of posts on purchase orders for modification orders, detailing: the supply of spare parts up to final destination, labor, site management, technical stop management, and training as applicable.
• An estimate for the post on a purchase order to carry out corrective work on issues encountered during the construction phase.

Step 5 – Invitation to tender for the restricted call for tenders:

Only companies that have visited the shipyard and the patrol boat and submitted the technical report and quotation will be invited to tender.

VI. FORECASTED EXECUTION CONDITIONS

a) Admissibilty situations

To be admissible, applications must be complete by filling all the capacities described above. The admissibility of applications conditions the authorization to participate in the tendering process within the framework of the restricted call for tenders.

b) Subcontracting possibilities

Subcontracting is allowed provided that DCI’s acceptance of each subcontractor has been obtained under the conditions detailed in the tender regulations.

c) Validity of applications

Applications are valid for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days from the deadline for receipt of these applications.

d) Planned start date of the market

Start of estimated contract execution: May 2027 or earlier depending on the progress of the steps in paragraph V.

e) Implementation period of tasks

The market will be implemented from its notification, subject to:

• the availability of the autonomous port’s dock;
• the prior obtaining of the export license, regarding work on a military patrol boat. DCI has already obtained this export license, to which the winner will be added as an additional exporter.

The market must guarantee an end of services by no later than August 31, 2028.

VII. APPLICATION PROCEDURES

1. How to obtain the technical annex?

a) Obtaining the file and NDA

The service provider must send the confidentiality commitment to the following address:

ma-ue.achats@groupedci.com.

This confidentiality document must be signed and sent back to the email address mentioned above. Access to the tender file is conditional on the transmission of this signed confidentiality document.

b) Calendar

The call for tender file will be accessible from 24/09/2026 via the online platform once the NDA has been signed and received by DCI. Any questions regarding this tender notice must be submitted on the online platform by 09/10/2026 at 12:00 (Paris Time). DCI will answer questions by 16/10/2026 at the latest.

DCI may eventually be led to modify the schedule and will notify it in writing to candidates via the online tool.

c) Submission deadline for applications

The deadline for submission of applications is set to 23/10/2026 at 12:00 (Paris time).

Any offer received after this deadline will not be considered and cannot be studied.