Your Ultimate Guide to Participating the General Consultant Tender North Eastern Railway (2025)
The North Eastern Railway has released a significant and high-value Request for Proposal (RFP). It seeks a General Consultant (GC) for the Chief Administrative Officer’s (RSP) office. This is a crucial opportunity for infrastructure consultancy firms. This article is your comprehensive roadmap to navigate and get this complex bid. We will meticulously analyze every facet of the General Consultant tender North Eastern Railway, from its challenging evaluation criteria to its unique personnel requirements. Our goal is to provide your firm with a decisive strategic edge in securing this prestigious contract.
Valued at over ₹9.2 Crore, this 24-month project is a cornerstone of the North Eastern Railway’s development plans. The selected GC will provide essential expertise for projects across the region. This guide will decode the tender’s complexities, including its exceptionally high qualifying score and special provisions for retired railway officers, helping you craft a proposal that stands out.
Tender at a Glance: The Key Parameters
A successful bidding strategy starts with a complete understanding of the tender’s core details. This is a high-value, medium-term engagement that requires focused and immediate preparation. Here is a clear summary of the vital information.
| Detail | Information |
| Name of Work | General Consultancy Services for CAO/C’s (RSP) office, North Eastern Railway |
| Tender Authority | North Eastern Railway (NER) |
| Advertised Value | ₹ 9,20,69,231.94 (Approx. 9.2 Crore) |
| Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) | ₹ 6,10,400.00 |
| Bidding System | “Single Packet System” (Functionally a Two-Stage Process) |
| Evaluation Method | Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) – 80/20 Weightage |
| Period of Completion | 24 Months |
| Bidding Start Date | June 18, 2025 |
| Tender Closing Date | July 2, 2025, at 15:00 PM |
| Offer Validity | 120 Days |
| Pre-Bid Conference | Yes, on June 2, 2025, at 15:00 PM |
| Joint Venture (JV) | Yes, up to 3 members allowed |
| Consortium | No |
Three details are immediately striking. First, the high value of the contract. Second, the allowance of Joint Ventures, which creates strategic opportunities. Third, the name “Single Packet System,” which requires careful interpretation, as we will discuss.
The Strategic Importance of North Eastern Railway (NER)
To craft a compelling proposal, you must appreciate the context. The North Eastern Railway, with its headquarters in Gorakhpur, is a vital artery of India’s railway network. It serves a vast and populous region, including parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand.
Projects under the Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), particularly those funded by the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RSP), are of national importance. These projects often focus on:
- Safety-critical works like bridge rehabilitation and track renewals.
- Capacity enhancement projects like line doubling and electrification.
- Improving passenger amenities and station redevelopment.
As the General Consultant, your firm will be at the heart of this transformation. Your proposal should reflect a deep understanding of NER’s operational challenges and strategic goals. You are not just bidding for a contract; you are bidding to become a key partner in the region’s development.
Decoding the Eligibility Criteria: The First Major Hurdle
Before investing significant resources, you must rigorously assess your firm’s eligibility. The requirements are stringent and non-negotiable.
Technical Capacity: Demonstrating Your Experience
The railway seeks a consultant with a proven ability to handle large-scale projects.
- Core Requirement: Your firm or JV must have completed, or substantially completed, at least one “Eligible Assignment.”
- Value Threshold: This single project must have a consultancy value of at least 35% of this tender’s estimated cost. This amounts to a significant ₹3.22 Crore (35% of ₹9.2 Crore) for one project.
- Time Frame: This experience must be from the last five financial years, including the current one.
- ‘Substantially Completed’ Definition: This means your firm has received at least 90% of the professional fees for that project.
- JV Advantage: The experience of any member of the Joint Venture can be used to meet this criterion.
Financial Capacity: A Test of Stability
Your firm’s financial health is a key indicator of your reliability over the 24-month contract.
- Revenue Requirement: The bidder (or the Lead Member of a JV) must have a total income from professional consultancy fees of at least 150% of the tender’s cost. This translates to a total income of approximately ₹13.81 Crore (150% of ₹9.2 Crore).
- Time Frame: This income must be from the last three financial years.
- JV Financial Rules: This is a critical point for partners.
- The Lead Member alone must meet the full ₹13.81 Crore requirement.
- Each other JV member must demonstrate a financial capacity of at least 25% of this amount (approx. ₹3.45 Crore each).
What Qualifies as an ‘Eligible Assignment’?
Not all past projects will satisfy the technical capacity requirement. An “Eligible Assignment” must fit a narrow definition:
- Client Type: The project must have been directly awarded to your firm by:
- A Government Department or Public Sector Undertaking (PSU).
- A publicly listed company with an average annual turnover of over ₹500 Crore.
- Project Nature: The consultancy services must have been for one of the following specific project types:
- Railways, Metro, High-Speed Rail, DFCCIL, or RRTS.
- Airport Terminals (including related infrastructure).
Important Note: The scope here is narrower than in some other tenders. Projects like highways, ports, or real estate do not appear to qualify. Also, sub-consultancy work is explicitly excluded.
Mastering the Evaluation: The 80% Qualifying Challenge
The evaluation process for this General Consultant tender North Eastern Railway is the most demanding aspect. It uses an 80/20 QCBS model, but with an exceptionally high barrier to entry.
The “Single Packet System” Nuance
The tender is labeled a “Single Packet System,” which can be misleading. A true single packet system means technical and financial bids are opened together, and the contract usually goes to the lowest responsive bidder.
However, the evaluation criteria (Clause 3.4.1) clearly state that after technical evaluation, the financial bids of only the top 6 technically ranked bidders will be opened. This is the standard procedure for a Two-Packet System. Bidders should prepare their proposal as if it is a two-stage process: your technical bid must first qualify on its own merit before your price is even considered. This clarification is vital for your strategy.
The 80% Technical Hurdle: A Test of Excellence
This is the most critical rule in the entire tender document.
- The Raw Score: Your technical bid is evaluated on a scale of 800 points.
- The Qualifying Score: To even be considered for the financial round, you must achieve a raw technical score of 640 out of 800 points.
- This means you must score at least 80% on the technical evaluation. This is an extremely high threshold, significantly higher than the typical 70% seen in other tenders. It signals that NER is only interested in truly elite consultants.
The Technical Evaluation Matrix (800 Points)
Here is the detailed breakdown of how your 800 points will be calculated:
| Code | Parameter | Max Marks | Scoring Highlights |
| 1 | Relevant Experience of Bidder (Firm/JV) | 200 | 20 marks per completed project; 16 for substantially completed. |
| 2 | Average Annual Revenue | 140 | 1.0 mark per crore of average annual consultancy fee income. |
| 3-7 | Key Personnel (K-1) Evaluation | 250 | A massive component covering the Team Leader (70), Contract Expert (40), Design Expert (40), and others. |
| 8 | Quality of Approach & Team Interaction | 210 | Critically important. Based on your submitted methodology (90 marks), Team Leader interaction (40 marks), and skill tests for other experts (80 marks). |
| 9 | BONUS MARKS | 20 | A game-changing 20 bonus points for having a completed General Consultancy contract. |
| Grand Total (Raw Score) | 800 | Must be ≥ 640 to qualify. |
The Financial Score (20 Points) and Final Selection
- The 80/20 Weightage: The evaluation is an 80/20 QCBS model. This means your technical prowess is four times more important than your price.
- Financial Score (SF): For the top 6 bidders whose financial bids are opened, the lowest bidder (L1) gets 20 points. Others are scored with the formula: SF = 20 x (L1 / Your Bid).
- Combined Score (S): The final score is a combination of the technical and financial scores. While the document is slightly ambiguous, the standard 80/20 QCBS formula would be S = (Raw Technical Score / 10) + Financial Score.
- The Winner: The bidder with the highest combined score (H1) wins the contract.
Your entire strategy must revolve around clearing the 640-point technical barrier.
Building Your A-Team: The Heart of Your Technical Score
Your proposed team accounts for a massive portion of your technical score. The rules for personnel are detailed and must be followed perfectly.
Key Personnel (K-1) Rules You Cannot Ignore
- Team Leader & Design Expert Flexibility: The Team Leader and the Chief Design Expert can either be on your payroll or provide a written undertaking to join your firm if you win. This is a crucial flexibility for securing top talent.
- Other K-1 Staff: All other key personnel must be directly employed by the bidder (or a JV member) before proposal submission.
- Minimum Deployment: To claim experience for a Key Person on a past project, they must have been deployed on that single project for a cumulative minimum of 180 days.
- Age Limits: The tender has specific age limits: Team Leader (67), most other experts (65), and Expert IT (55).
- Chief Design Expert Location: This expert is allowed to operate from your head office and visit the site as required, offering more flexibility.
The Retired Railway Officer Advantage
This tender provides a significant, explicit advantage for proposing retired officers from Railways or Railway PSUs.
- Baseline Score: They automatically receive 50% of the maximum marks for their role just for meeting the minimum qualifications (e.g., 35/70 for a Team Leader).
- Bonus for Experience: They then get an additional 10 marks for every extra year of professional experience they have.
This makes highly experienced retired officers invaluable assets for your bid. Actively seeking them for your team should be a top priority.
The 20-Point Game-Changer
The tender includes a special clause: 20 bonus marks will be awarded to any bidder who can show a completion certificate for at least one prior General Consultancy (GC) contract. In a race to clear the 640-point hurdle, these 20 points could be the deciding factor between qualifying and being eliminated.
Your Bidding Strategy: A Step-by-Step Plan
Attend the Pre-Bid Conference
A pre-bid conference is scheduled for June 2, 2025. Attendance is essential. Use this opportunity to:
- Seek official clarification on the “Single Packet System” terminology.
- Ask detailed questions about the scoring for retired officers.
- Understand the authority’s key priorities for this contract.
The Submission Process on IREPS
- Form Your JV: Identify partners who complement your strengths, especially ones that can help you secure the 20 bonus points or provide strong retired railway officers. Finalize your JV agreement.
- Assemble Your Team: Focus on building a team that can maximize points. Scrutinize CVs against the 180-day deployment and age limit rules.
- Prepare Bid Documents: Compile all eligibility proofs, auditor certificates, CVs, and undertakings. Write a superior methodology and work plan.
- Pay the EMD: Pay the ₹6,10,400 EMD online via IREPS.
- Submit Online: Upload your single packet containing all technical and financial documents (in the prescribed formats) to the IREPS portal. Submit well before the July 2 deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are answers to some critical questions you may have.
Q1: What does the 80% technical qualifying score practically mean for us?
It means your bid must be nearly perfect. You cannot afford to lose points on compliance issues or by proposing a weak team. Your strategy must be to maximize every single point possible, especially by leveraging the bonus marks for a past GC contract and the advantages for retired railway officers.
Q2: How significant are the 20 bonus points for a past GC contract?
They are a potential kingmaker. Getting these 20 points makes reaching the 640-point threshold significantly easier. If your firm doesn’t have this experience, partnering in a JV with a firm that does is a powerful strategy.
Q3: Can we propose a Consortium instead of a Joint Venture (JV)?
No. The tender document is very clear. JVs with up to 3 members are allowed, but Consortiums are explicitly not allowed. You must form a legally-bound JV.
Q4: The tender is called “Single Packet,” but the evaluation is in two stages. How should we prepare?
You should prepare for a two-stage evaluation. Your technical proposal must be strong enough to stand on its own and achieve the 640-point score. Assume your price will only be seen if your technical bid is in the top 6. This is a critical point to clarify at the pre-bid conference.
Q5: Our best Team Leader candidate is 68 years old. Can we propose him?
No. The maximum age for the Team Leader is strictly set at 67 years as of the bid due date. Proposing a 68-year-old will result in that person being deemed ineligible, and if your Team Leader is ineligible, your entire bid is rejected. Adherence to age limits is mandatory.
Conclusion: An Elite Opportunity for the Best in Class
The General Consultant tender North Eastern Railway is not a contract for the faint of heart. It is an elite opportunity designed to attract the very best in the infrastructure consultancy field. The unprecedented 80% qualifying score, combined with the heavy emphasis on experienced personnel and past GC performance, creates a formidable challenge.
However, for firms that can meet this challenge, the rewards are immense. This is a chance to secure a high-value, two-year contract with a major railway zone and contribute to projects of national importance. Success will require a masterclass in strategic planning: forming the right JV, recruiting a top-tier team of experts (especially retired railway officers), and crafting a flawless technical proposal that can clear the high bar of 640 points.
The path is clear. The challenge is set. It is time to build your winning strategy.
Is your firm preparing to take on this challenge? What are your biggest concerns about the 80% qualifying score? Share your questions and strategies in the comments below!
