The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) has announced a comprehensive Request for Empanelment (RFE), beckoning consulting organisations to join hands in steering the transformative Digital India programme.
The RFE sheds light on the comprehensive vision of the Digital India programme, aiming to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It encompasses various government services accessible through multiple channels, such as web, mobile, and service delivery outlets. Needless to say, the Digital India initiative covers a spectrum of programmes, including Aadhaar, DigiLocker, UMANG, API Setu, UPI, CoWIN, Direct Benefit Transfer, DIKSHA, Poshan Tracker, and PM Gati Shakti, among others.
As outlined in the RFE document dated December 21, NeGD is seeking applications from consulting organisations, referred to as “agencies”, to participate in the Digital India programme. Noteworthy points from the RFE include:
- Prospective bidders are instructed to submit a single application and adhere to specific submission guidelines, including online submission of bids through the Central Public Procurement Portal. Details of the services to be provided are elucidated in the Scope of Work within the document.
- A pre-bid meeting is scheduled at the NeGD conference room, following which short-listed agencies will be invited to present their proposals to the Evaluation Committee. The selection process for shortlisting agencies and subsequent evaluation will be made based on specified criteria.
- Key dates regarding bid submissions, including hard copy submissions and deadlines, are specified in the document. NeGD emphasises adherence to these timelines.
- Agencies are mandated to meet both pre-qualification and technical qualification criteria. Compliance with all conditions, including a thorough examination of the document, fulfilment of criteria, and signing each page of the proposal by an authorised signatory, is emphasised.
- NeGD has clarified that it reserves the right to reject any or all responses to the RFE without specifying reasons and has disclaimed responsibility for delays or non-receipt of responses. Interested bidders have been urged to contact designated NeGD officers for clarifications before the scheduled timeline.
As suggested in the document, the primary objective of this RFE is to address the increasing demand for the design, development, and implementation of Digital India initiatives aligned with the India Digital Ecosystem Architecture (InDEA) framework. Empaneled organisations are expected to identify new initiatives, offer consulting services, and manage projects while conforming to established architectures and digital service standards.
The RFE document is published on the Central Public Procurement Portal (CPP Portal), necessitating the submission of soft copies of bids electronically using valid Digital Signature Certificates. Bidders are guided through the registration process and provided with instructions for online submission.
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