How to use the templates and guidelines

The present guideline provides information to assist the Contracting Authority (CA) through the correct use of the procurement templates and guidelines, explaining key information, criteria and considerations to use the material.
 
How to use the templates and guidelines


1. Procurement guidelines

The procurement guidelines aim to provide the CAs with a comprehensive overview of the procurement templates documentation sets and orient them on their proper use. The guidelines provide users with instructions to navigate all the templates and support them in the tailoring of the editable parts of these documents. Guidelines cover also a wider range of topics to provide support to CAs along the procurement process.

1.1 Guidelines structure and content

The guidelines are organised in five sections, as follows:

  • Template guidance, in which the CA can find information on how to use the templates and guidelines, describing their content and features and main considerations for their use.
  • Tender document development, in which the CA can find instructions to identify and define their procurement needs, information on compliance with EU legislation; instructions on how to interpret and customise the Technical Specifications sections of the templates according to their needs, and guidance on the development of AI/ML and innovation procurement processes.
  • Market engagement, in which the CA can find guidance to promote market actors’ engagement and participation, with a focus on SMEs, and to pursue sustainability and social objectives through the procurement processes.
  • Evaluation and award, in which the CA can find criteria to conduct effective supplier evaluation and awarding, negotiation and contractualisation, together with instructions on how to ensure compliance with standards and certifications in these processes.
  • Funding and financing, in which the CA can find information on financing their LDT projects, including different EU and indirect funding sources and instructions.

2. Procurement templates

Procurement templates are documents that CAs can use and adapt to launch and support their procurement process. Each template covers one or more objects of procurement, which are smart-city-related goods and services. In cases where CAs intend to purchase multiple objects within the same procurement process, the templates provide instructions on how to structure the procurement into different lots. This might be useful for a series of reasons, such as acquiring multiple objects within the same procurement process and favouring the participation of SMEs, among others.

At the moment, procurement templates are available to download in the English version. The French and German versions will come soon.

2.1 Editable sections

To ensure a clear and correct use of the procurement material, the templates include editable and customisable sections to help CAs meet their needs when procuring services and features related to the LDT context and, at the same time, maintain flexibility in their use.

Specifically, in the templates, users can find optional sections and editable content, which CAs can tailor according to their specific needs. These contents are referenced in the template documents in different colours:

  • References in orange indicate sections that must be updated with relevant information (e.g. specifying city names, web addresses, choosing between alternative options that suit the CAs’ needs, etc.) to tailor the templates to the specific cities and communities’ context.
  • References in blue provide instructions for integrating additional information regarding the specific national legal framework; for instance, references to applicable national procurement legislation and/or other relevant regulations will need to be included.

2.2 Templates’ structure and content

Procurement templates’ structure is uniform across all templates, with some differences in the content based on whether a CA is procuring a service or a product.

Each template is made up of the following documents:

  1. Tender specifications, which are the main document, outlines:
    • The scope and objectives of the procurement, offering a clear description of what is being procured.
    • The general information related to the tendering process, such as deadlines, submission guidelines, and instructions on how to participate.
    • The evaluation and awarding of offers and the form and the content of the submissions.
  2. Technical specifications, which are included as an annex of the tender document to provide more detailed technical requirements, outline:
    • The compliance checks that CAs must meet, including warranty conditions.
    • The technical and functional requirements necessary to fulfil the contract.
    • The Minimum Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs), which are essential for ensuring that smart-city-related products or services can be integrated with existing systems and technologies. To know more about MIMs, please refer to the Guideline on Compliance with MIMs, standards, specifications and certifications.

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These services are provided as part of the Local Digital Twins toolbox procurement - Advancing initial stages for the transformation of Smart Communities - Lot 1 and Lot 2, as described in the Digital Europe programme, and funded by the European Union.

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