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Telangana State Technology Services Ltd.
2nd Floor, HACA Bhavan, Opp: Assembly, Nampally, Hyderabad – 500004, Telangana, India. Phone: (40) 23224289, 23222865;
Fax: 23227458 email: mngdirector-tsts@telangana.gov.in
Website: http://www.tsts.telangana.gov.in CIN No.: U74900TG2015SGC101517
File Number: TSTS/CS/Agri-SaaguBaagu/EoI/21 Dt.20.08.2021 To,
The Prospective Bidders,
Limited Tender Notice for Submission of Expression of Interest (EoI)
Sub: TSTSL-CS- Inviting EoI for Selection of Project Implementation Partners(PIPs) for Implementation of ‘Saagu Baagu’ project for Agriculture Department on a Public Private Cooperation (PPC) Model.
Telangana State Technology Services Ltd. (TSTS) on behalf of ITE&C Department & Agriculture Department seeks Expression of Interest (EoI) from the prospective bidders to participate in the Selection of Project Implementation Partners (PIPs) for Implementation of ‘Saagu Baagu’ project for Agriculture Department on a Public Private Cooperation (PPC) Model.
Note: Proposals received early will have early mover advantage in terms of selection of crops, geographies, value chains and use cases.
Bid calling date 20.08.2021
Pre-bid conference (Date, Time
& Place)
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pre-bid meeting will be online on 07.09.2021, 11.30AM. The PIPs are requested to submit their queries through mail to the below mentioned mail ids
Last date/time for receipt of queries from PIPs by mail
10.09.2021@ 05:00 PM & issue of clarification/corrigendum on 15.09.2021
Bid Closing date and time 30.09.2021 @ 03:00PM on eProcurement portal Bid Opening date and time 30.09.2021 @ 03.30PM
Contact Email mngdirector-tsts@telangana.gov.in, osd_itc@telangana.gov.in rpushpa-tsts@telangana.gov.in
1. Bids should be submitted online on eProcurement Website only.
Note: This tender call is issued on eProcurement market place at https://tender.telangana.gov.in. All the terms and conditions are to be read jointly as mentioned in the eProcurement market website and in this document.
2. Any deviations in format may make the quotation liable for rejection. Conditional bids are not acceptable and liable for rejection.
If the technical offer contains any price information the bid will be summarily rejected.
3. Managing Director, TSTS reserves the right to accept or reject any or all the quotations without assigning any reasons thereof and to add, modify or delete any of the terms and conditions without any notice.
4. Managing Director, TSTS reserves the right to modify the technical specifications at any time during the process of finalization of tender
5. No options will be accepted. If the PIP wants to give option, the PIP may submit it as separate bid
Page 2 of 34 which will be treated as a separated bid for evaluation.
6. Definitions
a. Public Private Cooperation- Public-Private Cooperation (PPC) refers to cooperation between the Government of Telangana and its agencies, Project Implementation Partner (PIP) and other stakeholders, for the purpose of delivering the objectives of Saagu Baagu. In the envisioned PPC, PIP will be implementing the pilots for transforming agriculture value chains by leveraging solutions using emerging technologies in partnership with its consortium partners. The PPC model does not envisage any commercial arrangement with or payments by the Government of Telangana. The Government of Telangana (Department of Agriculture, Department of Information, Telecommunication and Electronics and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University and other associated departments and Government institutions) shall provide facilitation and cooperation on best effort basis towards meeting project (Saagu Bagu) objectives through following activities:
i. Convergence of field resources and central resources of the Agriculture department ii. Access to agriculture data datasets available with it
iii. Convergence of the applicable agricultural schemes of the State
The above list is not exhaustive, and the Govt. of Telangana can provide other support services not involving financial commitment.
b. Agri Value Chain - A ‘value chain’ is defined as the set of actors and activities that add value to a specific farm product (eg. Chilli, Turmeric, Cotton, Groundnut, Rice etc.) during the process of production in field to final consumption by customer. For the Saagu Bagu project, 5 Agri value chains and corresponding pilot geographies have been provisionally identified by the Government of Telangana which will be finalized in association with the PIP(s) after approval of the proposal(s). Representation of two of these value chains is provided in Annexure 3 – Reference Value Chains.
c. Project Implementation Partner (PIP)- refers to an organization having experience of implementing agriculture projects leveraging emerging technologies for transforming agriculture value chains, in association with members of its consortium organizations. The Project Implementation Partner (PIP) will be responsible for design, development and implementation of the specified use cases and providing demonstrable evidence of progress in meeting Saagu Baagu project objectives for the specified Agri value chain(s) in select pilot geographies over 3-4 crop cycles. The PIP shall act as the lead of the consortium that is proposing to undertake the project.
d. Consortium – A group of entities representing Agri-Tech domains across various sections of the agriculture value chain and jointly responding to the EoI under the leadership of a Project Implementation Partner (PIP).
e. Pro-bono basis – An implementation model whereby a project is implemented by the Project Implementation Partner without any financial commitment from the Government.
f. Non-exclusive basis - Implies that the Government may partner with multiple PIPs as per the
Page 3 of 34 need of the Saagu Baagu project on the broad terms of engagement set out in this document.
g. Ecosystem Stakeholders – Ecosystem stakeholders are defined as companies/institutions that may add specific value to the project through contribution to the various project activities at various stages, including the deployment of emerging technologies in alignment with project objectives. These stakeholders will associate with the PIP as part of the consortium and may agree on a commercial or non-commercial agreement with PIP. Suggested eco system partners include
i. Agri Tech Start-Ups that bring in unique use cases and value propositions for the transformation of agri value chain
ii. Technology Organizations - like cloud service providers, IT companies (OEM’s and IT services organizations)
iii. Agri Input Organizations - Organizations offering tech enabled solutions for optimizing supply chain logistics for agri inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, machinery, irrigation etc.
iv. Agri Output Organizations - Organizations offering tech enabled solutions for optimizing supply chain logistics, and market operations for agricultural output
v. Banking and Insurance Organizations
vi. Funding organizations, Multi-lateral Institutions, FPO’s, Farmer collectives and other Not- for- profit institutions, Think Tanks etc.
7. PIP Eligibility:
# Criteria Supporting Documents PQ Bid Forms
(Annexure 5)
1
Legal Entity:
The Project Implementation Partner (Lead of the consortium) must be a corporate in India registered under Company’s Act 1956/2013;
The PIP should be operating in India for the last 5 years as on March 31, 2021
1. Certification of Incorporation issued by Registrar of Companies
2. Copies of GST & Service Tax Registration certification &
3. Copy of PAN Card
Form 1
2
Consortium Structure:
The consortium should have a balanced composition of the consortium partners representing Agri-tech domains like Agri- inputs, Fin-tech, Agri supply chain, Agri- market and Integrated platforms, etc. with experience in Indian Agri-ecosystem.
PIP should submit Partnership agreements, MoUs, letter of consent, etc.
Form 2
3
Past Experience:
The consortium as a whole should provide commitment to implement at least 5 distinct use-cases amongst the 30 identified in Annexure 1. Of these, at least 3 use-cases should have already been piloted/ deployed in India over at least one
PIP should submit the following:
i) Self-certification
ii) Work orders or Contract Agreements
iii) Work completion and satisfactory certificate from client.
Form 3
Page 4 of 34 crop cycle.
The Project Implementation Partner (Lead of the consortium) should have experience with the said use cases in the same crop value chain as being proposed under EoI.
The consortium partners cumulatively should have impacted at least 10,000 farmers in India, with the said use cases over the last 2 Financial years i.e. 2019- 20,2020-21.
iv) Impact assessment reports, letter of recommendation, etc.
4
Dedicated Manpower :
The project implementation partner should be able include in their proposal, one dedicated program manager and other field/ domain resources as required for project with
deployment plan for minimum of 2 years (3-4 crop seasons) for the project duration.
Self-Certification to be submitted. Form 4
5
Access to capital:
The consortium should have adequate capital or funding sources to fulfil its commitments under the EoI.
Self-Certification to be submitted along with Audited Balance sheet or Certificate from the Statutory Auditor indicating the Turnover for the last three Financial Years i.e., 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Form 5
6
The PIP should submit declaration stating that they are not debarred/ blacklisted in Technical bid.
Form 6
Note: Proposals of PIPs who do not conform to above PQ criteria will not be considered for further evaluation and shall be summarily rejected without any separate notice or assigning any reason whatsoever
8. TSTSL reserves its right in not considering the bid of a PIP, if such PIP was a previous supplier and had a past bad track record or their earlier performance was unsatisfactory on any count.
9. 9.1.Context and Objective of Saagu Baagu
Agriculture is a priority sector for Telangana State. Estimated 5 million farmers with average land holding size of 2.77 acres (1.12 hectares) cultivate 40.53% of State’s geography i.e. 115 lakh acres (46.54 lakh hectares). The contribution of agriculture sector to the State’s GSDP was 14.6% in 2018-19 and it grew at an impressive rate of 20.9% in 2020-21.The State leadership envisions digital transformation in agriculture sector to ultimately improve farmer’s income. It recognizes that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Remote Sensing, Drones etc. can make a significant contribution in growth of the sector. Emerging technologies would add value to three crucial stakeholder groups – farmers, governance institutions and market players while creating macro level
Page 5 of 34 impact at the startup and agriculture ecosystem level.
With this vision, Govt. of Telangana collaborated with C4IR India, World Economic Forum, and a cross section of the AgriTech Industry and the start-up community to explore the potential of deploying emerging technologies for making a difference to the agriculture sector in the State. A comprehensive framework, termed as AI4AI (AI for Agriculture Innovation) has been formulated during the period August 2020-May 2021. The AI4AI initiative resulted in the identification of 9 frameworks and 30 use cases along 4 parts of the agriculture value chain, namely, Crop Planning, Smart Farming, Farm gate-to-Fork and Data-driven Agriculture. A bird’s eye view of AI4AI is provided in Annexure 1- Framework and Use Cases.
With a view to realize the benefits envisaged by the AI4AI initiative, the Govt. of Telangana, in association with C4IR India conceptualized a project called ‘Saagu Baagu’ (which means Agriculture- Advancement). The vision and objectives of Saagu Baagu project are stated below.
9.2. Vision:
‘To transform the state of agriculture by deploying emerging technologies in a scalable, inclusive and sustainable way.‘
9.3. Objectives: Leverage emerging technologies in agriculture to:
• Enhance farmer’s production, productivity, and profitability
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Enhance the efficiencies and transparency across the agriculture value chains.
• Scale: It is envisaged that the benefits of Saagu Baagu should touch
100,000 farmers
1,000 villages
100 Farmer Collectives
over 4 crop cycles and establish enough readiness to scale it across the State.
9.4. Objectives for inviting Expression of Interest (EoI) The broad objectives of this EoI are stated below:
a. To identify suitably qualified Project Implementation Partners and their consortia of leading Agri ecosystem players, to partner with Government of Telangana State (GoTS) to prove and establish the transformation potential of innovative technological solutions for enhancing the value, create new value or redistribute the value along the Agri value chain.
b. To facilitate the deployment of innovative solutions, on a pro bono and non-exclusive basis, by the partners to be identified through this EoI.
c. To evolve methods for scaling of the proven solutions.
9.5. Initial scope of Saagu Baagu Project
Saagu Baagu Project is proposed to be implemented based on the principle – ‘Think Big, Start Small,
Page 6 of 34 Scale Fast’. As a result, the big vision depicted in Annexure 1, is proposed to be realized for all major crops across the entire State over a period of 5 years. The initial cohort, however, would be confined to 5 crops in 10 (out of 33) districts of Telangana across 2 years (3~4 crop cycles). The details are given below.
Crop Districts
Kharif
Cotton Nalgonda, Adilabad
Chilli Khammam
Turmeric Jagtial
Crop Districts
Rabi
Ground Nut Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Jogulamba Bengal Gram Adilabad, Kamareddy, Nirmal
9.6. Technology Scope:
A repository of 9 frameworks and 30 use cases (Annexure 1) of possible deployment of technology in agriculture sector has been identified. Of these, specific use cases that pertain to identified value chains will be implemented on ground. Thus, tentatively 5+ critical use cases that can have maximum impact may be implemented by a Project Implementation Partner in each value chain.
9.7. Implementation model of Saagu Baagu
Saagu Baagu project is based on value chain approach. Department of Agriculture has identified 5 value chains spread across Kharif and Rabi seasons of 2021-22 that have high market potential and considerable engagement of small holders. The identified emerging tech solutions will be deployed in these value chains to address specific challenges to unlock additional value for all the stakeholders.
While the department envisions that the deployment and active adoption of emerging technologies will create a catalytical effect, it also understands the challenges that hinder scaling of such technologies including (i) Availability of agriculture data for enablement of Innovation (ii) high cost of delivery of services to farmers at the front end (iii) Enablement of Start Ups (sharing of domain knowledge, use case validation, technology validation, policy enablement and program convergence) Thus, considering the challenges to scale emerging technologies and multi-dimensional nature of agriculture sector, collaborative approach between government and the private sector as a Public Private Cooperation (PPC) is believed to be the ideal way to achieve project objectives.
In such a PPC framework, the Government proposes to establish an enabling environment in collaboration with State institutions, which would address challenges and accelerate adoption and usage of agritech use cases. It is expected that these support areas/incentives will generate confidence and required support for private sector to co-invest in government’s efforts.
The enabling environment includes two major components serving specific purposes:
Page 7 of 34 1. Access to Data- GoTS will provide access to available data (Annexure 2) for private sector
partners for developing/refining agritech solutions in the short run, on best effort basis. GoTS will facilitate access to available data for agritech services by engaging with concerned authorities, stipulating appropriate conditions for ensuring the security and privacy.
Simultaneously, with a long-term vision government plans to develop an Agri Data Exchange as a thin layer enabling exchange of government, commercial and/or altruistic data with data consumers - driven by market forces, unlocking innovation opportunities in agriculture.
2. Facilitation offered for useful innovations to reach critical mass of adoption. Such facilitation functions include the following:
Support
Areas Details Challenges Addressed
Domain Knowledge and
Business Models
Leverage knowledge of specialised institutions such as PJTSAU, to validate agritech solutions from domain and technology perspective. Also, provide regular advisory to improve the
solution to fit the needs of farmers.
Validation will help start-ups update their technology platform and business model.
This will increase their relevance for the market and reduce business risk.
Front-end enablement
Reducing operational expenses for agritech providers to acquire and serve the farmers by sharing government infrastructure such as extension services, e-governance centres, KVKs, and facilitating partnership with FPOs,
Cooperatives, Farmer Groups etc. This would also enable access to large customer base.
Gain new markets at a reduced cost of front-end delivery especially for B2C models, positively impacting revenues, and profitability.
Policy Support
Create enabling policies and explore
programmatic support based on specific tech solutions’ requirements. Such policies enable the PIP and the start-ups to identify, design, and deliver integrated services that cut-across agency boundaries, to realize the goal of connected Government.
Explore convergence between existing
government programs and start-ups’ efforts in identified value chains to provide mass market reach while creating efficiency of operations for government
Enabling policies for private sector agritech services to gain quick foot on ground
Scope for convergence between government and private sector agritech initiatives
Page 8 of 34 Private Sector including start-ups and other ecosystem stakeholders on the other hand are expected to follow a consortia-led approach with a lead Project Implementation Partner to leverage enabling environment for deployment of emerging technologies. Such an approach will help create a replicable and sustainable agritech model.
In this context, Department of Agriculture plans to partner with a multiple ‘Project Implementation Partners’ on pro bono and non-exclusive basis during the entire duration of the project over 2 years (3-4 crop cycles) to measure demonstrable impact towards project objectives. The project implementation partners will be responsible to manage project implementation in each value chain in partnership with private sector eco system stakeholders.
10. Rules of Engagement 10.1. Period of Engagement
The Project should be implemented over four crop cycles i.e. approximately 2 years from date of signing of MoU unless it is revoked by written consent of both the parties.
10.2.Roles and Responsibilities of the Partners
The roles and responsibilities of the major parties to the PPC arrangement are indicated below.
10.2.1. Project Implementation Partner
1. Act as lead for the project management for specific value chains; responsible to achieve project objectives and targets as mutually agreed with government
2. Define project implementation plan, partnership strategy, monitoring and evaluation plan etc.
for identified Agri value chains
3. Conduct due diligence and identify specific use cases for deployment of emerging technologies in the value chains
4. Identify and partner with start-ups and other ecosystem stakeholders to create a consortium to implement emerging technology solutions and create required ecosystem for its effective implementation
5. Provide support (in the form of technical assistance, networking, facilitation etc.) to private sector consortium partners to successfully deploy technology solutions
6. Coordinate with government the consortium for required facilitation and enabling support; act as a single point of interaction between government and private sector
7. Implement project and deploy resources as per the defined plan
8. Define and demonstrate measures of success: Conduct initial benchmarking, undertake regular monitoring and evaluations, and report progress to the Empowered Committee on a quarterly basis
9. The PIP should have establish a project office in Hyderabad, Telangana State before start of operations under this project.
Page 9 of 34 10. The PIP shall seek prior approval from competent authority of GoTS before deploying a
business model (if any) under this project.
10.2.2. Governmentof Telangana
The Department of Agriculture, Department of Information, Telecommunication and Electronics and Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University will provide following facilitation and support on best effort basis.
a. Program Oversight
i. Validation of the value chains proposed by the PIP for the selected crops and defining project outcomes, metrics for quality of services.
ii. Government’s Program Lead (Nodal Officer) supported by Value Chain Leads will act as point of contact for implementing partner to provide technical, domain, and data related support.
b. Facilitation
i. Government will facilitate access to available non personal data within the defined policies and laws of Government for development and delivery of envisaged AgriTech services by engaging with concerned data fiduciaries, subject to the applicable regulations, terms, and conditions.
ii. Value Chain Leads will identify scope for convergence of existing government programs and private sector efforts in specific value chains and facilitate the same.
iii. PJTSAU will enable specific experts to provide inputs from domain perspective.
iv. Based on the use cases, GoTS may also suggest and facilitate Project Implementation Partner’s partnership with start-ups and ecosystem stakeholders, apart from the ones with whom Project Implementation Partner has formed the consortium.
c. Field Implementation Support
i. Provide on-field support through district administration and relevant district and block level agriculture/horticulture officials (Field Leads)
ii. Field Leads to enable front end delivery of agritech services by sharing infrastructure with private sector
iii. Field Leads to provide inputs on specific location, field level local challenges etc. for effective implementation
10.2.3. Role of TSTS
1. Tender Management & Identification of suitable Solution Provider and Contract Finalization 2. Drafting of RFPs
3. Assist department in Evaluation of RFPs and selection of suitable Solution Provider for
Page 10 of 34 specific module (in consultation with other partners)
4. Project Monitoring 10.3. Governance Structure
The project will be governed by an Empowered Committee (EC) to be constituted by GoTS. The EC will have representation from the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Information Technology and Communication, and Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University, external experts from the industry. The EC will be responsible to provide strategic directions, approve projects and work plans, take decisions on matters of importance and ensure oversight on project delivery.
GoTS shall also form appropriate working groups comprising of representatives of the departments and external experts to provide operational support to the partners.
10.4. Impact Measurement
The measures of success and impact for the Saagu Baagu project are specified in the table shown below. These measures correspond to three objectives of enhancing farmer’s production, productivity and profitability, environmental sustainability, and transparency. It is expected that the partners will align their proposals to these indicators:
Quantitative Impact
Economic Impact:
- Yield
- Cost of cultivation
- Revenue (Farm gate price) - Gain/Loss
- Net Household Income Environmental Impact:
- Quantity of fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals used - Water usage efficiency
- Carbon emission Inclusivity Impact:
- Number of smallholder farmers benefited -
Qualitative Impact Efficiency and Transparency
- Business and market size growth at macro level - Improved returns for markets actors
- Level of community engagement
Behavior and Adoption
Page 11 of 34 - % Adoption and active use of agritech solutions
- Behavioral changes in adoption of new technologies
It is also expected that partner proposes a monitoring plan to regularly review progress on measures of success and subsequently conduct impact assessment at the end of pilot implementation phase.
The monitoring plan may include:
Create a baseline – Create a baseline of existing situation on different measures of success.
This baseline will help establish project’s contribution to future changes on different indicators.
Monitoring – Partner will collect data at regular interval on PPC model’s progress on specific measures of success. This data will be used for periodic review by government along with partner and to suggest course corrections, if any.
Impact Evaluation – Plans to conduct project’s impact evaluation. The evaluation will be carried out at the end of the project. Evaluation will be conducted on measures of success and other direct and indirect outcomes of the project.
10.5. Intellectual Property Rights and Ownership
1. All data or information supplied by the Agriculture department to Service Provider and/or its employee or agent in connection with the provision of Services by Service Provider shall remain the property of the client.
2. Service Provider shall, at its own expenses without any limitation, defend and indemnify the department against all third party claims or infringements of Intellectual Property Rights including patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or industrial design rights arising from use of the Deliverables or any part thereof in India or abroad.
3. Service provider shall expeditiously extinguish any such claims and shall have full rights to defend itself there from. If the client is required to pay compensation to a third party resulting from such infringement(s), Service Provider shall be fully responsible therefore, including all expenses and court and legal fees.
10.6. Confidentiality
Information relating to evaluation of Proposals and recommendations concerning awards shall not be disclosed to the PIP who submitted the Proposals or to other persons not officially concerned with the process, until the publication of the award of Contract. The undue use by any PIP of confidential information related to the process may result in the rejection of its Proposal.
11. Bidding Procedure:
Bids should be submitted in two parts namely, “Pre-Qualification bid” and ““Technical bid” on eProcurement website. The PIP should upload all the required formats and documents as mentioned in the tender document.
11.1. Pre-Qualification Bid:
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1. Bid Letter Form
2. General Information of PIP along with Address & Contact Person Details –Form 1 3. Consortium Structure and roles & responsibilities of each partner – Form 2
4. Past Experience / Use Cases Details with relevant supporting documents – Form 3.1 and 3.2 5. Proposed Team structure and their roles for the project – Form 4
6. Capital Structure for implementation of the project – Form 5 7. Declaration regarding not black listed - Form 6
8. PAN card and GST, certificates
9. Other documents, if any, such as proofs 11.2. General business information:
The PIP shall furnish general business information to facilitate assessment of its professional, technical and commercial capacity and reputation.
11.3. Technical Bid: Minimum Details Required in the Proposal The proposal of the Project Implementation Partner shall include following details:
i. Overall Project Scope, Understanding of the project
ii. Detailed Project Plan viz. Scale, Focus, Stakeholders and their roles, growth plans, etc.
(Essentially, What do you envision to do?) iii. Implementation Timelines
iv. Details of the solutions proposed (in line with Form 3.1), their value proposition to various stakeholders and the problem it addresses in the agricultural value chain of the proposed crop within the context of deployment under this EoI
v. Project Implementation Strategy to operationalize the proposed solutions on-ground vi. Requirements from government on front end facilitation, domain knowledge and policy
support
vii.Monitoring and evaluation plan including results chain, measure of success, plan for baselining, regular monitoring and reporting, etc.
viii. Details of proposed Capital Structure for Project Implementation (in line with Form 5) incl. existing commitments, plan for raising funds, risk management on event of disparity between expenses and income, etc.
ix. Plan to synergistically leverage existing partnerships (outside consortium structure) for augmenting project implementation
x. Approach to transition to self-sustainable practices and processes to ensure continued AgriTech Innovation from a future outlook beyond the EoI duration.
xi. Exit strategy after completion of project
12. Bid Submission: Online.
Procedure for Bid Submission Bids shall be submitted online on https://tender.telangana.gov.in platform
PIPs are requested to submit the bids after issue of amendments/clarifications duly considering the changes made if any. PIPs are totally responsible for incorporating/complying the changes/amendments issued if any, before bid submission time & date.
Technical bid should be duly filled and relevant & required documents should be submitted as per the format.
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The PIPs who are desirous of participating in eProcurement shall submit their technical bids as per the standard formats available at the eProcurement portal.
The PIPs should scan and upload the respective documents in Pre Qualification and Technical bid documentation. The PIPs shall sign on all the statements, documents certificates uploaded by them, owning responsibility for their correctness/authenticity.
Note:-
1. The participating PIPs in the tender should register themselves free of cost on eProcurement platform in the website “eprocurement.telangana.gov.in”.
2. PIPs can log-in to eProcurement platform in secure mode only by signing with the Digital certificates.
13. Bid Evaluation Process:
The Bid evaluation shall be undertaken by the Evaluation Committee. The bids received on eProcurement portal as on bid closing date & time, shall be opened for evaluation. The bids shall be verified prima-fascia with the tender conditions. The Technical bids of only the qualified PIPs at the Pre-Qualification stage shall be opened.
The bidder’s response will be evaluated as per the requirements specified in the EOI and adopting the evaluation criteria spelt out in this EOI. The respondents are required to submit all required documentation in support of the evaluation criteria specified (e.g. detailed project citations and completion certificates, client contact information for verification, profiles of project resources and all others) as required for evaluation.
EoI Proposals will be evaluated in as follows:
• TSTS/Agriculture Department/ITE&C Department will constitute an Evaluation Committee to short-list the bidders according the Qualification Criteria given in this document.
• Evaluation Committee will apply pass-fail test for Pre-Qualification Evaluation, as per the criteria mentioned in Error! Reference source not found.. Only the qualified Bidder at prequalification phase will progress to Final evaluation.
• Considering the scale of the project, the evaluation would be done on both the historical projects, use-cases, etc. and the proposed plan for Saagu Baagu. The Evaluation Committee will assign marks on Final Evaluation Criteria mentioned in 8.2 Final Evaluation Criteria for Proposals.
• Based on Qualification under the Final Evaluation Criteria, Government of Telangana would enter into an agreement with the Project Implementation Partner and shall all the agreed upon support to ensure successful implementation. The agreement would be on a pro-bono and non- exclusive basis.
8.2 Final Evaluation Criteria for Proposals
Since the project is to be implemented on a pro-bono and non-exclusive basis, the final evaluation criteria underlined below is only to serve as a minimum requirement. The final evaluation is to ensure that the Project Implementation Partner has requisite experience for and understanding of the project to ensure success, and hence each proposal with a score equal to or greater than 70 shall be considered for undertaking the project in parallel with other PIPs (pref. different geographies).
Page 14 of 34
# Final Evaluation Scoring Criteria Points Relevant Content
1 Diversification of the proposed use-cases 20 Points
Number of use-cases to be implemented as per Annexure 1 5 Form 3.1, Detail No. iv as req. per
Sec 11.3 Division of use-cases across various segments of the value chain 10
Evidently distinct use cases as proposed beyond the list of 30 in
Annexure 1. 5
2 Past Experience 30 points
Experience of the consortium in deploying technology solutions
across the agricultural value chain in any crop and geography. 5 Form 3.2 (multiple) Experience of the consortium in deploying technology solutions
in the specific crop value chain (pref. in India) as proposed
under the EoI 5
Experience of the consortium in deploying the proposed use- cases on-ground and the impact thus created pref. in the
proposed crop value chain and in India 10
Scale of the past deployments of technology solutions by the consortium in terms of outreach and geographical coverage i.e.,
the extent of impact created in farmer communities across India 10
3 Value Proposition of the Proposal 40 points
Vision and strength to execute the project at scale:
Proposed scale of the project in terms of target farmers, villages, crop value chains, partnerships, etc. and rationale/capability for the same
Adequacy of the team structure, relevant qualification and experience of key staff, and plan for team expansion to support efficient deployment
10
Detail No. i,ii,iii as req. per Sec
11.3
Adequacy of the proposed methodology and work plan relevant to the EoI:
Articulation and understanding of the value chains, the challenges and possible use cases for deploying emerging technologies
Approach to the project implementation and fulfilment of roles and responsibilities as underlined in the EoI
Articulation and extent of support required from the government
Robustness of monitoring and evaluation plan
10
Detail No.
iv,v,vi,vii as req.
per Sec 11.3
Robust financial plan to undertake the project incl. proposed
sources of funding and the estimated budget outlay 10 Form 5, Detail No. viii as req.
per Sec 11.3 Existing partnerships of the PIP and their potential to augment
the project’s implementation such as with certification agencies,
procurement organizations, market connect platforms, etc. 5 Detail No. ix as req. per Sec 11.3 Approach to build a self-sustainable ecosystem by the end of
EoI duration 5 Detail No. x,xi as
req. per Sec 11.3
4 Presentation 10 points
Presentation of the project plan 10
Page 15 of 34 14. Other conditions
1. After uploading the documents, the copies of the uploaded statements, certificates, documents, are to be submitted by the PIP to the O/o The Managing Director, Telangana State Technology Services Limited, 2nd Floor, HACA Bhavan, Opp. Assembly, Nampally, Hyderabad – 500004 as and when required.
Failure to furnish any of the uploaded documents, certificates, will entitled in rejection of the bid.
The TSTS shall not hold any risk on account of postal delay. Similarly, if any of the certificates, documents, etc., furnished by the PIP are found to be false / fabricated / bogus, the PIP will be disqualified, blacklisted, action will be initiated as deemed fit.
2. TSTS will not hold any risk and responsibility regulating non-visibility of the scanned and uploaded documents.
3. The Documents that are uploaded online on eProcurement Portal will only be considered for Bid Evaluation.
15. General Conditions of Bidding:
1. Authentication of Bid
The original and all copies of the bid shall be typed or written in indelible ink. The original/copies shall be signed by the PIP or a person or persons duly authorized to bind the PIP to the contract. A letter of authorization shall be supported by a written power of attorney accompanying the bid. All pages of the bid, except for un-amended printed literature, shall be signed and stamped by the person or persons signing the bid.
2. Validation of Interlineations in Bid
The bid shall contain no interlineations, erasures or overwriting except as necessary to correct errors made by the PIP, in which case such corrections shall be counter signed by the person or persons signing the bid.
3. Contract Finalization and Award
TSTS will issue notification of award /Purchase Order to the PIP(s) whose bid has been determined to be substantially responsive as per Overall Evaluation Process, provided further that the PIP has demonstrated that it is qualified to perform services required for the project satisfactorily.
The Government is open to engaging multiple PIPs provided such proposals are approved by the Govt. of Telangana.
4. Rights to Accept / Reject any or all Proposals
The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal, and to annul the bidding process and reject all bids at any time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected Solution Provider or PIP or any obligation to inform the affected Solution Provider or PIP of the grounds for Committee’s action.
5. Modification and withdrawal of bids
No bid can be modified subsequent to the deadline for submission of bids.
6. Force Majeure
i. The PIP shall not be liable for forfeiture of its performance security, liquidated damages, or termination for default if and to the extent that its delay in performance or other failure to perform its obligations under the Contract is the result of an event of Force Majeure.
ii. For purposes of this clause, “Force Majeure” means an event beyond the control of the PIP and not involving the Service Provider’s fault or negligence and not foreseeable. Such events may
Page 16 of 34 include, but are not restricted to, acts of the State Government in its sovereign capacity, wars or revolutions, fires, floods, epidemics, quarantine restrictions and freight embargoes.
iii. If a Force Majeure situation arises, the PIP/Bidder shall promptly notify the TSTS in writing of such condition and the cause thereof. Unless otherwise directed by the TSTS / User Dept. in writing, the PIP/bidder shall continue to perform its obligations under the Contract as far as is reasonably practical, and shall seek all reasonable alternative means for performance not prevented by the Force Majeure event.
7. Terminate the Contract
i. Any losses caused to User Dept as a result of such event of default and the PIP shall compensate User Dept for any such loss, damages or other costs, incurred by User Dept in this regard. Nothing herein shall effect the continued obligation of the PIP / other members of its Team to perform all their obligations and responsibilities under this Contract in an identical manner as were being performed before the occurrence of the default.
ii. Invoking the measures of recovering such other costs/losses and other amounts from the PIP may have resulted from such default and pursue such other rights and/or remedies that may be available to User Dept under law.
8. Governing Language
The contract shall be written in English. All correspondence and other documents pertaining to the contract which are exchanged by the parties shall be written in same languages.
9. Applicable law
The contract shall be interpreted in accordance with appropriate Indian Laws.
10. Notices
i. Any notice given by one party to the other pursuant to this contract shall be sent to the other party in writing or by Telex, e-mail, Cable or Facsimile and confirmed in writing to the other party’s address.
ii. A notice shall be effective when delivered or tendered to other party whichever is earlier.
Page 17 of 34
Annexures
Annexure 1- Framework and Use Cases
These frameworks and use cases are further explained in the tables below:
Intelligent Crop Planning
Α Framework Value Proposition
1
Macro Crop Planning Model
(National or State Level)
• Enables the Government to plan with strategic intelligence to ensure food and nutrition security
• Reduces dependence on imports of certain commodities
• Maximizes the economic output of agriculture sector and its contribution to GDP.
• Improves the predictability of agricultural economics.
• Provides guidance to input suppliers and commodity markets to optimize their operationsmainly - seed, fertilizer, credit, insurance
Β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
1
Pre-season forecast of Demand, Supply and Prices of major commodities
Identify crops to be sown based on demand forecast and pricing trends;
leverage evidence for planning at all levels
Sufficient production of each commodity; avoid distress sales by farmers; fair return for the production
2
Macro crop plan at National / State- level
Define macro level crop plan using range of data sets along with traditional approach
Robust crop planning with further accuracy; possibility of high returns for farmers
3 Dynamic sowing Identify sowing window and potential Ensure higher productivity with
Page 18 of 34
Β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
window for major
crops for recommended crops based on different data sets and monitor progress through satellite imagery, spatial data, on-field monitoring data etc.
minimal probability of crop loss.
Early warning on possible crop loss;
trigger mitigation mechanism at short notice
Provide data on production timing to manage downstream value chain requirements and avoid glut in the market
4
Plans for priority crops
- Import- substitute, high- value, nutritional crops
Promotion of priority crops by state based on their financial returns, nutritional value, or scope of import substitution; planning based on policy directive
Ensure sufficient production of priority crops
5
Pre-season guidance to input suppliers
- seeds, fertilizers, machinery, credit, insurance
Plan inputs requirements and supplies based on recommended crop to optimize supply chain efficiency
Efficient planning of inputs at macro level ensuring timely availability of different inputs to farmers.
Smart Farming
Α Framework Value Proposition
2
Smart Crop Health Management (AI, IoT, Satellite data)
• Enables a wide range of technologies to be used in managing the crop health for maximum yield and quality
• AI-based customized advisories on crop health
3 Precision Agriculture
• Data-driven and automated control of inputs, especially water, nutrients, and ambient conditions to optimize input usage.
• Sub-farm-level micro-management to maximize productivity
• Enable C-Sequestration through soil health management
• Drone-based application of pesticides & fertilizers
4 Smart Farming-as-a- Service
• A wide range of smart farming services aggregated and provided to farmer on a one-stop-shop basis
• Services spanning across the entire agriculture season/ cycle
• Availability of choice to the farmer in selecting the most relevant, cost- effective, and innovative solutions from competing providers.
• Short learning curve to the farmer in availing a combination of latest solutions.
Β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
6
Rapid soil analysis and e-Soil Health Card
Rapid soil testing and actionable advisory using AI; providing
information in digital form at farmer’s phone.
Optimal utilization of inputs leading to reduced wastage and adverse
environment effects.
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Β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
Reduced cost of operations and increased production.
7 Pest prediction &
control
AI and ML based solution providing early pest advisory to farmers including pest detection, economic impact, and recommendation on possible pesticides (Type, Timing and Quantity)
Reduced risk of crop loss or decreased production.
Cost savings for farmers
8
Control on application of
inputs AI/ML based inputs distribution; based on weather, pest, and disease data
Ensure optimization of inputs use and cost
Improves yield
9 Smart micro irrigation
Provide farm level advisory on
irrigation requirements using IoT device to measure different parameters such as weather conditions and soil parameter;
also include automated irrigation technology.
Efficient irrigation with reduced water wastage; impacts yield and quality.
10
Drone-based application of pesticides, Fertilizer
Using drones for specific function such
as monitoring, spraying etc. Increase efficiency of operations and saves resource costs; with precision spray reduce environmental effects
11 Smart Insurance Digital enrolment and shared ledger- based contracting; claim payment is trigger based informed by weather data and/or satellite imagery.
Adds greater transparency and simplicity in claim settlement process.;
reduced premium payout
Cost effective for insurance companies;
can offer micro insurance.
Risk mitigation for farmer from crop loss
12
FinTech Solutions (Credit)
Leveraging data and AI for customer’s credit assessment and offering
customized product
Increased access to formal finance for farmers
Reduced risk of defaults
13 eNWR Leverage technology such as IoT for quality assurance and distributed ledger for traceability to offer negotiable warehouse receipts to farmers
Farmers able to get high price realisation for their produce
14
Smart FAAS (Service Aggregation)
Different advisory and Agri services offered through single window.
Advisory may include varietal advisory, soil health management, crop health advisory, weather advisories
Agri services include inputs purchase, market connect etc.
Integrated nature of services reducing hassle for farmer to access multiple apps or interfaces
15 Uberization of farm machinery
Resource pooling of farm equipment and renting it to farmers who do not
Focus on usage rather than possession
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Β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
own it Allows smallholders to use mechanized
techniques
16 Digital Extension Enabling extension services through digital channels and AI catboats that may be self-operated or by an agent/extension worker
Reduce burden on government extension workers
Farmers get service on the go
17 Smart CCE/Yield Prediction
Providing prediction on yield based on time series data, ground data, weather data, crop, variety etc.
This is a cost-effective method of yield prediction as compared to traditional Cross Cutting Experiments.
Also provides farmers real time
advisory for efficient farm management
Farmgate to Fork
Α Framework Value Proposition
5 Smart Markets
• Modernization of market yards with AI/ IoT based operations
• Reliable market intelligence to provide real-time information on market arrivals, volumes traded and prices to enable farmers and traders to take informed decisions.
• Price prediction to enable farmers to decide on the right time to sell 6 Market Connect
• Enable farmer to realize the best prices
• Reduce number of layers, inefficiencies
• Connect farmers/ FPOs/ Aggregators to bulk purchasers and end consumers
Β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
18 AI/IoT driven
smart markets AI/IoT-based solutions to improve operational efficiencies and transparency of market yards
Enhance farmer convenience to transact with markets
Enhance transparency and efficiency of market operations
19 Market Intelligence
Leverage AI and ML to provide reliable and real-time information on market arrivals, volumes traded and prices Price prediction to enable farmers to decide on the right time to sell
Optimize returns for farmers
Efficient business operations for traders;
higher revenues
20 B2B Platform Connect aggregators/intermediaries
with downstream value chain actors Enhanced access to buyers; efficiency of operations for both the stakeholders
21 Farmer Aggregation
Aggregate smallholder farmers in a group for collective strength and connect them to intermediaries or institutional downstream actors
Smallholders gain access to markets;
improved returns
22 Hyper local connect (Farmer to
Provide platform for farmers to connect with end customers
Increased returns for farmers
Reduced wastage in the supply chain Reduced cost for customer
Page 21 of 34
Β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
Customer) 23 Farmer to Online
Retail Market Connect customers to retailers both
organised and unorganised Ease of access to service Enhanced market for retailers
24 Quality
Assessment Using IOT and AI backed solutions to assess product quality at different stages of supply chain
Ensures quality is tracked, spoilage and wastage risk averted in supply chain and stakeholders get fair returns for the product.
25 Traceability Blockchain based platforms to record product traceability and its journey from farm to fork.
Well informed consumers: stakeholders can demand premium pricing based on the source, its quality
26 Smart Logistics
Digital platform for search, discovery, and fulfillment of warehousing or cold chain requirements by providing information regarding available spaces, pricing, logistics etc.
Optimize supply chain with peak efficiency based on AI, DLT etc.; reduce cost of operations
Access to warehouse and financing mechanisms to safely store produce for price discovery resulting in improved income.
Reduced cost of operations for all the stakeholders; higher margins
Data Driven Agriculture
α Framework Value Proposition 7 Agri Data
Marketplace Enables a seamless exchange of data between data providers and data consumers in a trusted way
Facilitates the accelerated development of digital services across the Agri value chain. Protects the interests of data owners and other stakeholders
Plays a critical role in development of data economy 8 FAIR (Fast
Agriculture Interoperability Resources)
Enables creation and exchange of data conforming to syntactic and semantic interoperability standards
Can play a catalytic role in development of digital products and solutions in the digital ecosystem of Agriculture
Can support solutions emerging technologies through use of big data created using FAIR Standards
9 EFR (Electronic Farm
Record) Provides a standardized way of defining the basic attributes of a farm and the farmer who owns or manages it
Forms the foundational dataset that can support a host of farmer- centric and farm-centric solutions using digital and emerging technologies.
β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
27
Agri Data
Exchange (ADEx)
Platform to share agriculture data with startups and corporates to enable them to develop or improve algorithm of agritech solutions
Transform agritech ecosystem; enable development of new use cases
28 Master Data Establishes the formats for data
structures needed to build and maintain Standard approach to develop data marketplace; create efficient data
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β Use Cases Definition Value Proposition
master datasets
Establishes open processes, tools and governance structures required to build and maintain master datasets
management protocols and standards
29 Registries
Establishes the formats for data
structures needed to build and maintain Registries
Establishes open processes, tools and governance structures required to build and maintain Registries
Harmonize various product standards and grading procedures
30 Directories
Establishes the formats for data
structures needed to build and maintain Directories
Establishes open processes, tools and governance structures required to build and maintain Directories
Page 23 of 34
Annexure 3–Reference Value Chains
Chilli Value Chain
Production Value Chain
Page 24 of 34 Post Production Value Chain
Explanatory Notes of the Value Chain
Production Value Chain: The diagram represents different stages of chill production. It is generally a 210-day crop and plucked 8-10 times during entire season. There are three key stages: Land Preparation, Plantation/Seeding and Harvesting. Fertilizers and manure is applied at different time intervals starting from planting. Similarly, weeding, irrigation and pest control is done at regular intervals. The crop requires more attention during harvest, storage, and transportation. There is a scope for deployment of emerging technologies at these phases- Rapid Soil Testing, Advisory and market connect for inputs, Control of inputs, Pest prediction and management and Fintech.
Post-production Value Chain: There are three prominent post-production supply chains from farmgate to customer:
o From Farmer > Trader >Wholesaler > Processor> Retailers> Customers o From Farmers>FPOs> Processors> Retailers> Customers
o From Farmers> Processors> Retailers> Customers
APMC has an important role in chilli value chain as a large part of the production is sold through open auctions. There is a scope for deployment of emerging technologies both at farm level and market level to create efficiency in the supply chain. These technologies may include Smart logistics, Market automation, Fintech/E-NWR, Farmer to customer/aggregator, Quality and traceability etc.
Page 25 of 34 Turmeric Value Chain
Production Value Chain:
Page 26 of 34 Post Production Value Chain
Explanatory Notes of the Value Chain
Production Value Chain: The diagram represents different stages of turmeric production. It is a 7-9 months crop and is planted during month of June. There are three key stages: Land Preparation, Plantation/Seeding and Harvesting. Manure and fertilisers are applied during land preparation and planting stage. Process of weeding is done at planting and 60,90 and 120 days after planting. The crop requires 15-23 irrigation. Pest control is done at regular intervals. Harvesting is generally done with the help of tractor attached with turmeric harvester or manually.
o Post-production Value Chain: Farmer is responsible for post-harvest processing including drying, cleaning and boiling.There are two prominent supply chains post- production from farmgate to customer:
o From Farmer >e-NAM>Trader >Wholesaler > Processor> Retailers> Customers: This value chain is based on e-NAM where auction is online and then physical trading takes place in the APMC.
o From Farmers> Trader >Wholesaler > Processor> Retailers> Customer: In case farmer is not able to get right price and warehouse to store the produce is not available, he is forced to sell the produce outside e-NAM directly to a trader at lesser than market price.
There is a scope for deployment of emerging technologies including Fintech/E-NWR, Farmer to customer/aggregator, Quality and traceability etc.
Page 27 of 34
Annexure 4 – Formats for Bidding
Bid Letter Form (To be submitted in PQ bid) From:
(Registered name and address of the Project Implementation Partner(PIP)) To:
The Managing Director,
Telangana State Technology Services Limited,
2nd Floor, HACA Bhavan, Opp. Assembly, Nampally, Hyderabad - 500004 Telangana State, India
Subject: Submission of Expression of Interest for “Implementation of ‘Saagu Baagu’ Project on a PPC Model” in the state of Telangana.
Sir,
We have examined the Ref _________________ document, and we submit our expression of interest declaring that all the information and statements made in this proposal are true and we accept that any misrepresentation will lead to disqualification
Following details are submitted for your kind perusal:
1. Legal Status of the Company (RoC, GST and PAN copies)
2. Structure of the Consortium and roles and responsibilities of each partner
3. Relevant pastproject experience (Client Certification, Work Order/Purchase Order copies) 4. Project Implementation Plan
We undertake to provide services/execute the above project assigned to us on a pro-bono and non- exclusive basis and in conformity with the said request for expression of interest.
We agree to abide by the bid conditions, including pre-bid meeting minutes if any, which remain binding upon us during the entire bid validity period and bid may be accepted any time before the expiration of that period.
We understand that you are not bound to accept the lowest or any bid you may receive, nor to give any reason for the rejection of any bid and that you will not defray any expenses incurred by us in bidding.
Place:
Date:
PIP’s signature and seal.
Page 28 of 34
Form 1 – General Information of the PIP
# Description Supporting Documents with
page nos.
1 Name of the Company (PIP) 2
Date of Incorporation (Registration Number
& Registering Authority) PAN No. and
GST in Telangana ROC, PAN & GST.
3 Legal Status of the Company in India &
Nature of Business in India Public Ltd Company/ Private 4 Address of the Registered Office in India
5 Name & e-mail id, Mobile number of the Contact Person
Name:
Mobile:
Email:
6 Web-Site
9 Certification details (if any) (valid documents to be submitted)
Date Signature of PIP & Stamp ---
Page 29 of 34
Form2 – Consortium Structure
(This form needs to be filled for each consortium partner)
S. No.
Name of Entity Type of Entity (with proof)
Address in India (if applicable)
Nature of Business or Area of Expertise
Website
Concerned Use-Case
Roles and Responsibility
Proof of Partnership (e.g. Consent form)
Notes: The table/form needs can be replicated any number of times. The entities directly responsible for development and implementation of use-cases are certainly required be considered a part of the consortium.
Place: PIP’s signature
Date : with seal
