Supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning…

What is being bought

Supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of solar powered back-up systems at ICT hubs and the municipality server room in Lamu County (Bahari, Hongwe, Manda, Mkunumbi, Faza). The Bills of Quantities list 8 systems: 6 x 5kVA off-grid solar systems and 2 x 10kVA off-grid solar systems, and the BOQ site names differ from the title list. Submission is through the IFMIS supplier portal.

What could disqualify you

A tender not accompanied by a substantially responsive tender security is rejected as non-responsive. Standard rule D2 p.20
A tender valid for a shorter period than 120 days is rejected as non-responsive. Standard rule D2 p.20
Any discrepancy between the manual forms of tender and the scanned copy in IFMIS will lead to disqualification. D2 p.31
Late tenders will be rejected. IFMIS locks out automatically at closing time. D2 p.10
Tenders that fail the preliminary examination (any mandatory requirement not met) are treated as non-responsive and not evaluated further. D2 p.34
Tenders quoted in currencies other than Kenya Shillings are determined non-responsive and rejected. Standard rule D2 p.25
Mandatory site visit: a site visit attendance certificate is required; failure to attend is a mandatory failure (see conflict on site visit). D2 p.36
Forms and schedules not filled, signed and stamped with company seal or rubber stamp are a mandatory failure. D2 p.35

Key facts

Closing: Tue 3 Nov 2026, 11:00 am
Closing deadline for submission on IFMIS (after all addenda; no addenda seen). Portal record shows 11:00:00. D2 p.31
Bid / tender security: Tender security of KES 120,000.00, valid for 150 days, from licensed banks or insurance firms approved by PPRA. Original goes in the tender box at Mokowe; scanned copy goes in IFMIS. Forms accepted include bank guarantee, letter of credit, banker's cheque or another form in the TDS. D2 p.31
Tender fee: A complete set of tender documents may be bought for a non-refundable KES 1,000.00 (cash or banker's cheque). Documents downloaded electronically from the websites are free of charge. D2 p.10
Site visit: Obligatoriu
Pre-arranged pre-tender site visit at Mpeketoni ICT Hub. Tender notice and tender document say it is mandatory (MR13), but the ITT says a visit is encouraged and non-attendance is not a cause for disqualification. Conflicting D2 p.30
Pre-bid meeting: Optional
Pre-tender meeting at the project site on 22 October 2026 at 10.00am. Non-attendance is not a cause for disqualification. Questions in writing at least 4 days before closing. D2 p.30
Reserved for: Not reserved. The TDS states the invitation is open to all, with SME, women, youth and PWD reservations marked NO. D2 p.32
Contract value: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D3 p.3
Tender opening: Tenders open immediately after the closing deadline. Sources disagree on whether opening is physical or only electronic. Conflicting D1 p.2
Tender validity: Tender validity is 120 days. Sources disagree on whether the period starts from the closing date or from the opening date. Conflicting D2 p.31

Who can apply

Tendering is open to all qualified and interested tenderers (open competitive method, national). No reservation to youth, women, persons with disability or SME groups is stated. D2 p.10
A Kenyan tenderer must provide evidence of having fulfilled its tax obligations, by a valid tax clearance or tax exemption certificate from KRA. Standard rule D2 p.15
Registration with the National Construction Authority is not needed to tender, but a selected tenderer must be registered before contract award and signature. Standard rule D2 p.15

Application checklist

Tick items off as you prepare. Your ticks stay on this device only.

Required from every bidder

Experience, licences and financial capacity

Technical

Director of the firm: holder of at least a diploma with 5 years similar experience (10 marks). D2 p.36
Project Manager: holder of at least a degree with 3 years experience in a relevant electrical field (5 marks). D2 p.36
At least one artisan: holder of at least a certificate with 5 years experience in a relevant electrical field (5 marks). D2 p.36
Experience: provide three projects of similar nature, complexity or magnitude in 2023 to 2025, with LPOs, LSOs or contracts (10 marks per completed project, 5 per ongoing). D2 p.36
Equipment: proof of ownership or lease of at least 1 relevant transport and at least 2 relevant equipment items. D2 p.37
Technical score of 90 marks; bidders scoring 65 and above proceed to financial evaluation. Preliminary work description, methodology, programme and payment schedule carry 15 marks. D2 p.37
Alternative technical solutions are not permitted. D2 p.31
Subcontracting permitted up to 25% of total contract amount; subcontracting over 10% of volume must be specified in the Form of Tender. Mechanical and electrical works may use Specialised Subcontractors. D2 p.32
Scope per BOQ: 5kVA system includes 36 x 650W panels, 6 hybrid inverters, 6 LiFePO4 batteries, 6 battery racks, fire extinguishers, earthing and labour; 10kVA system includes 32 panels, 2 inverters, 2 batteries. D3 p.1

Financial

Average annual turnover of at least KES 7M for each year (audited report, last two years; 2.5 marks per year). D2 p.37
Financial resources to finance projected monthly cash flow of KES 2.5M (cash in hand, lines of credit or overdraft). D2 p.37
Audited accounts period conflicts: MR12 requires three years (2023 to 2025) while the financial criteria require two years. Conflicting D2 p.37
Prices must be net inclusive of all taxes, quoted and delivered in Kenya Shillings, and fixed. D1 p.2
BOQ adds 3.0% supervision facilitation, 16% VAT and 0.03% PPRA levy before the total is carried to the Form of Quotation. D3 p.3

How and where to submit

Completed tenders must be submitted electronically through the IFMIS supplier portal (http://supplier.treasury.go.ke). Manual submission of the whole tender is not permitted. D1 p.1
All documents must be paginated in the format 1, 2, 3, 4. D1 p.1
Original tender security and original Form of Tender are dropped in the tender box at Lamu County HQ, Mokowe, Ground Floor; scanned copies are attached in IFMIS. D2 p.31
Authorisation to sign: written confirmation in the form of a Power of Attorney, attached to the tender. D2 p.31
Number of additional copies: N/A (only the original tender, plus the IFMIS scan). D2 p.31

Lots and categories

Tender is not divided into lots (TDS: Not Applicable). Section III describes a multiple-contracts option with two award options, but neither is selected in the material reviewed. Unverified D2 p.30

What the addenda changed

No addenda were provided in the material reviewed. Any later addendum overrides these terms. Not stated D2 p.16

Points to confirm with the procuring entity

The documents do not agree with each other on these points. Ask the procuring entity for a written clarification before you submit.

Tender validity start date: Tender notice says 120 days from the closing date; invitation says 120 days from the date of opening; ITT 20.1 says from the submission deadline. Ask the procuring entity which date applies. (D1 p.2; D2 p.10; D2 p.20; D2 p.31)
Physical opening of tenders: Tender notice says opening takes place in the presence of bidders at Mokowe boardroom; the invitation says there will be NO physical opening. (D1 p.2; D2 p.11)
Manual submission: Portal says electronic submission and documents say manual submissions are not accepted, yet the original tender security and Form of Tender must be dropped in the tender box at Mokowe. (Portal record; D1 p.1; D2 p.10; D2 p.11; D2 p.31)
Mandatory vs optional site visit: MR13 makes a site visit attendance certificate mandatory, while ITT 7.1 says visiting is encouraged and ITT 8.4 says non-attendance at the pre-tender meeting is not a cause for disqualification. (D2 p.16; D2 p.36; D2 p.30)
Audited accounts period: MR12 requires audited accounts for three years (2023, 2024, 2025); the financial evaluation requires audited reports for the last two years. (D2 p.36; D2 p.37)
Site locations and number of systems: Title lists Bahari, Hongwe, Manda, Mkunumbi and Faza; the 10kVA BOQ lists Mkomani and the municipality server room, and the 5kVA BOQ lists 6 sites. Ask the entity which sites are included. (Portal record; D3 p.1; D3 p.2)

Not covered in the documents we reviewed

Any addenda (A1, A2...) and their changes, if issued
Full tender document: only 30 of 110 pages in D2 were reviewed
Section III qualification amounts marked [insert amount] or [insert year], such as the minimum turnover and the cash-flow amount for the financial capability test
Performance security amount, form and timing (ITT 52)
Contract value and BOQ totals (all totals and sub-totals are blank in D3)
Section IV tender forms and Form of Tender (pricing schedule)
Section V drawings and Section VI technical specifications
Section VIII-X conditions of contract and contract forms
Whether a joint venture is allowed (TDS says maximum JV members Not Applicable)
Clarification deadline in exact date (TDS says not later than 4 days before closing)
Number of copies required (TDS says N/A)

Terms explained

IFMIS: Integrated Financial Management Information System, the national government e-procurement portal where bids are uploaded.
TDS: Tender Data Sheet, the section of tender-specific values that changes the standard Instructions to Tenderers.
ITT: Instructions to Tenderers, the standard rules for preparing and submitting a bid.
Tender security: A bank guarantee, insurance bond or banker's cheque that guarantees the bid; forfeited if the bidder withdraws or fails to sign.
Responsive / non-responsive: A responsive bid meets all mandatory requirements; a non-responsive bid is rejected without evaluation.
MR: Mandatory Requirement, a pass/fail item checked at preliminary examination.
PPRA: Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, which approves insurers and banks for tender security.
Power of Attorney: A signed legal document authorising a person to sign and bind the bidder.
Commissioner for Oaths: A person authorised to certify signed statements and power of attorney documents.
CR12: Company registry return listing directors and shareholders, issued by the Business Registration Service.
EPRA: Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, which registers electrical contractors and issues practising licences.
Bills of Quantities (BOQ): Priced list of items, quantities and unit rates that the bidder must complete.
Performance security: Security the successful bidder provides before signing the contract, referred to in the ITT but not specified in the pages reviewed.
Tender-Securing Declaration: A signed declaration used instead of a bank security; not required here.

Supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of solar powered back-up at ICT hubs and Lamu municipality server room