Tender Advertisement #1086516

REQUEST FOR TENDER

DEVELOPING A TRANSFORMATIVE TRADE PROGRAMME FOR THE PACIFIC

Background

PIFS core trade work program focuses on: Trade Policy and Implementation of the Trade Agreements including WTO frameworks supported by PIFS Geneva Office; Private Sector Development anchored on the Pacific Trade and Investment offices providing trade and investment promotion services to Members and Private Sector Dialogue with Leaders and Economic Ministers; and mobilisation and coordination of Aid for Trade for the Forum Membership.

The existing regional trade agenda has successfully brought Pacific Countries closer to the last mile of deeper regionalism envisioned in the Framework for Pacific Regionalism (FPR). For instance, through the multi-country Pacific Trade and Invest network, and collective representation at WTO through the PIFS Geneva office, Pacific Countries have overcome diseconomies of scale and capacity limitations associated with individual representation.

Purpose

Recent trends confirm that the regional and global trading landscape has evolved significantly in the last couple of years. From the global perspective, trade protectionism and disintegration (BREXIT for example) is contesting the traditional trade multilateralism and trade integration approach; and plurilateral (the example of Trans-Pacific Partnership and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) is ring-fencing yet excluding the Pacific Island Countries. It is therefore essential to reflect on the Region’s current trade agenda to: ensure better alignment to the current global trade trends, provide strategic direction by setting a standard on how the current regional and national trade priorities can expand their scope to fit into the global and regional dynamics, and the underpinning Forum Political Frameworks such as the FPR , Blue Pacific narrative, and 2050 vision and strategy. The need for an action-oriented and focused trade agenda is further confirmed by the Framework for Pacific Regionalism endorsed by Forum Leaders in 2014, and its predecessor Pacific Plan Review (2013).

Scope of Work

To take full-scale assessment of the current trade work program, and provide insights as per specifications set out under the Terms of Reference (TOR) document which can be downloaded from www.tenders.net/forumsec.

HOW TO APPLY

Submissions should be entitled:

REQUEST FOR TENDER– DEVELOPING A TRANSFORMATIVE TRADE PROGRAMME FOR THE PACIFIC

Method of Submissions:

Submissions must be forwarded in PDF format following the instructions at www.tenders.net/forumsec

Note: Tenders must be submitted with clear labelling of the technical offer and the financial offer. The Technical Offer documents must be saved and submitted clearly labelled “A. Technical Offer”. Financial Offer documents must be saved and submitted clearly labelled “B. Financial Offer”.

The electronically submitted documents should be converted to the PDF format.

Deadline for Submissions:

Submissions need to reach the Secretariat by 5pm Monday 16 September 2019.

Late or incomplete tenders will not be considered.

Questions and Answers

All queries or request for information must be submitted via the Question and Answer Forum at www.tenders.net/forumsec . Tenderers may submit questions in writing to the mentioned Question and Answer Forum before the stated “deadline for requesting clarifications” Friday 6 September 2019. The Secretariat has no obligation to provide clarification after this date.

Note: The Secretariat will not be responsible for non-receipt/non-delivery of the Bid documents due to any reason whatsoever.

Any complaints regarding the Secretariat’s tender must be directed to the following email: Tender.Complaints@forumsec.org. This email address will forward your complaint to a person that is independent and removed from the tender process. Complaints must be well founded and should not be used as a mechanism for notifying displeasure with the outcome of a tender award. Further information on making a complaint can be found on the Policies & Information page at http://tenders.forumsec.org.

In the event that further information is required by the Secretariat in relation to the tender for consultancy, the Secretariat reserves the right to seek the required information without the need for calling for resubmission of proposals.