Your Ultimate Guide to Winning the Northern Railway Tender for Project Supervision Services
The Indian Railways is embarking on a transformative journey. Under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, infrastructure projects are being fast-tracked like never before. A significant opportunity has now emerged from the Gati Shakti Unit of the Lucknow Division, Northern Railway. They are seeking a Project Supervision Services Agency (PSSA) to oversee critical projects. This tender invites expert firms to provide comprehensive Project Supervision Services, a role vital to ensuring quality, timeliness, and efficiency in railway construction.
This tender, with an advertised value of over ₹5.31 crores, is a prestigious contract for any engineering or project management firm. However, the tender document is dense with complex criteria. This article is your detailed roadmap. We will dissect the eligibility norms, evaluation methodology, and scoring system. Our goal is to equip you with the clarity needed to craft a compelling and winning bid. Let’s dive into the specifics of this major railway tender.
Understanding the Tender: Scope and Key Details
This is not just another contract. The appointed PSSA will be the eyes and ears of the Northern Railway on the ground. They will ensure that projects under the Gati Shakti Unit in Lucknow are executed to the highest standards.
Tender at a Glance:
- Name of Work: Appointment of PSSA for providing Project Supervision Services for Gati Shakti Unit, Lucknow Division.
- Tender Number: GSU-LKO-PSSA-04
- Advertised Value: ₹53,154,539.10
- Period of Completion: 18 Months
- Bidding System: Two Packet System (Technical and Financial Bids)
- Joint Ventures (JV): Not Allowed
Critical Timelines to Remember
Adherence to deadlines is absolute. Missing a date means automatic disqualification.
- Pre-Bid Conference: June 13, 2025 (13:00)
- Bidding Start Date: June 30, 2025
- Tender Closing Date/Time: July 14, 2025 (15:00)
- Validity of Offer: 120 Days
The pre-bid conference is a crucial event. It allows bidders to seek clarification directly from the railway authorities. Prepare your questions well in advance.
The Financial Blueprint: Cost Schedules and Manpower
The tender value is broken down into two main schedules. Understanding this structure helps in financial planning and bid preparation.
Schedule A: Manpower Cost (Totaling ₹4.52 Crores)
This forms the bulk of the project cost. The railway has specified the exact manpower required, their roles, and the duration of their deployment in “Man-Months.”
Key Personnel Required Include:
- Team Leader cum Project Manager
- Resident Engineer (Civil, S&T, Electrical)
- Sector Expert (OHE, Signal, Telecom)
- Site Engineer (Works, ROB/RUB, Electrical, Signal, Telecom)
- Site Surveyor
- CAD Operator cum Draftsman
- Support Staff (Account Assistant, Office Attendant, Field Assistant)
Your bid must account for sourcing and deploying this extensive team for the 18-month duration.
Schedule B: Reimbursable Costs (Totaling ₹79.06 Lakhs)
This schedule covers the operational and logistical expenses required to run the project smoothly.
- Office Expenditure: A lumpsum amount per month covers the costs of a Project Management Office (PMO) in Lucknow and various site offices. This includes rent, furniture, equipment, utilities, and stationery.
- Vehicle Hiring: The tender specifies the hiring of multiple 4-wheeler vehicles (e.g., Tavera, Innova) for 24/7 use, with a monthly limit of 3000 kms. This is a significant logistical component.
A Visual Divider: A sleek icon of a high-speed train moving along a track that morphs into a graph showing upward growth.
Are You Eligible? Mastering the Minimum Requirements
Before you even think about pricing, you must clear the eligibility hurdles. Northern Railway has set stringent conditions to filter for capable and experienced firms. These are non-negotiable.
Technical Capacity: Proving Your Track Record
Your firm must demonstrate its experience. This is the first and most critical test.
- The 35% Rule: You must have completed or “substantially completed” at least one Eligible Assignment valued at 35% or more of this tender’s estimated cost. That’s a single project worth approximately ₹1.86 crore or more.
- What is “Substantially Completed”? This means your firm has received at least 90% of the professional fees or agreement value for that project.
- What is an “Eligible Assignment”? The experience must come from Project Management Consultancy or Project Supervision Services for specific types of projects.
Qualifying Project Categories:
- Railway or Metro projects (including DFCCIL, RRTS, HSR).
- Airport terminals, ports, or integrated check posts.
- National or State Highways or Expressways.
- Large-scale Commercial or Residential real estate projects.
Crucially, the assignment must have been awarded directly by a Government Department/PSU or a major public listed company. Sub-consultancy work does not count.
Financial Capacity: Demonstrating Stability
Your company’s financial health is under scrutiny. You need to prove you have the financial muscle to handle a project of this scale.
- The 150% Rule: Your firm must have received a total income from professional (consultancy/supervision) fees equal to 150% of the estimated project cost. This amounts to a total income of approximately ₹7.97 crore over the last three financial years.
- Certified Proof: This financial data must be certified by your Statutory Auditor or a Chartered Accountant, complete with a UDIN number.
The A-Team: Key Personnel Eligibility
Your proposed team is a cornerstone of your bid. The railway has specific requirements for them, and failure here can be catastrophic for your bid.
- The 25% Failure Rule: If more than 25% of your proposed Key Personnel fail to meet the eligibility criteria, your entire bid will be rejected.
- Team Leader is Paramount: If your proposed Team Leader cum Project Manager fails to meet the eligibility criteria, your offer faces summary rejection. There is no room for error here.
- Age Limits: The tender specifies maximum age limits for all personnel, ranging from 45 years for support staff to 70 years for the Team Leader and Resident Engineers.
- Clean Record: All key personnel must have a clean professional history, with no major penalties or terminations for misconduct.
- Team Leader’s Role: The Team Leader must be on your company’s payroll before the bid submission date.
This focus on personnel ensures that the team leading the Project Supervision Services is experienced, credible, and stable.
The Evaluation Gauntlet: How Your Bid Will Be Scored
The Northern Railway uses a Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method. This is a sophisticated process that balances technical merit with financial cost. It’s not simply about being the lowest bidder. The evaluation happens in stages.
Stage 1: The Technical Bid Evaluation (Total 700 Marks)
This is where you showcase your firm’s strength. Your technical bid will be scored out of a maximum of 700 marks. Only firms scoring 490 or more (which is 70%) will qualify for the next stage. This score is then scaled down to 70 for the final QCBS calculation.
Here’s the breakdown of the 700 marks:
1. Relevant Experience of the Bidder (200 Marks)
You get 20 marks for each completed Eligible Assignment and 16 marks for each substantially completed one. You can claim this for projects in the last five years. The maximum score is capped at 200 marks, meaning experience from up to 10-12 strong projects can be showcased.
2. Average Annual Revenue (150 Marks)
Your average annual revenue from professional fees over the last three years is converted into points. You get 3 marks for each crore of revenue, capped at a maximum of 150 marks. This directly rewards firms with strong, consistent financial performance.
3. Relevant Experience of Key Personnel (170 Marks)
This is a detailed evaluation of your proposed team leaders.
- Team Leader (70 Marks): The scoring is based on their experience as a team leader on previous Eligible Assignments (14 marks for completed, 10 for substantially completed). Retired Railway/PSU employees are scored based on years of service.
- Resident Engineers (100 Marks): Similar to the Team Leader, your proposed Resident Engineers (Civil, Electrical, S&T) are scored based on their experience in relevant roles on past projects.
4. Technical Approach, Methodology, and Presentation (180 Marks)
This is your chance to shine. You cannot simply submit documents; you must present your plan.
- The Presentation: Your team, led by the Team Leader, must give a 15-minute technical presentation to the evaluation committee.
- What They Assess:
- Proposed Methodology & Work Plan (100 marks): How well have you understood the project? Is your plan logical, efficient, and innovative?
- Interaction with Team Leader (40 marks): How well does your Team Leader articulate the plan and handle questions?
- Interaction with Resident Engineers (40 marks): The committee will also assess the competence and confidence of your other key team members.
This presentation can make or break your technical score. It’s a direct test of your team’s capability and your firm’s strategic thinking for delivering Project Supervision Services.
Stage 2: The Financial Bid Opening
This is a critical cut-off point. Only the top six highest-scoring technical bidders will have their financial bids opened. If your technical score isn’t in the top six, your financial bid is irrelevant. This is why a powerful technical proposal is absolutely essential.
The Winning Formula: Decoding QCBS
Once the top six are identified, the final selection process begins.
- Technical Score (ST): Your technical score out of 700 is scaled down to a score out of 70. For example, if you score 560/700, your ST is 56.
- Financial Bids Ranked: The six financial bids are ranked from lowest (L1) to highest (L6).
- Financial Score (SF): The lowest bidder (L1) automatically gets the maximum financial score of 30 points. The scores for the other bids are calculated relative to L1 using the formula:
SF = 30 x (L1 / Your Bid)
This means the higher your bid is compared to the lowest, the lower your financial score will be. - The Combined Score: The final score (S) is a simple addition of the technical and financial scores:
S = ST + SF - Selection: The bidder with the highest Combined Score (S) is declared the winner (H1).
What if there’s a tie?
If two bidders have the same combined score, the one with the higher technical score (ST) wins. This reinforces the “quality-first” principle of the QCBS method.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Bidders often have similar questions about complex tenders. Here are some answers based on the tender document.
What exactly is a PSSA (Project Supervision Services Agency)?
A PSSA acts as an extension of the client (in this case, Northern Railway). They are responsible for day-to-day supervision of construction works, quality control, monitoring project schedules, checking contractor bills, and ensuring compliance with all technical specifications and safety standards. They are the client’s representative on-site.
Can a new company with a strong team bid for this?
It is highly unlikely. The eligibility criteria for both technical capacity (past projects) and financial capacity (past revenue) are based on a track record of 3-5 years. A new entity would not be able to meet these historical requirements.
How critical is the technical presentation?
It is extremely critical. It accounts for 180 out of 700 technical marks, which is over 25% of your total technical score. A poor presentation can easily drop you out of the top six, even if your documentation is perfect. Your senior team must be well-prepared, confident, and articulate.
My Team Leader is excellent but just over the 70-year age limit. Is there any flexibility?
No. The document clearly states the maximum age for each role “as on Bid Due Date.” Any personnel exceeding this limit will be deemed ineligible, which could lead to the rejection of your entire bid if it’s the Team Leader.
What does “sub-consultancy will not be considered” really mean?
This means that if your firm was hired by the main contractor or another consultancy firm to do a part of a project, that experience does not count. The railway will only consider experience where your firm was directly contracted by the end-client (a government body or a large public company).
Conclusion: Your Roadmap to a Winning Bid
Securing the contract for Project Supervision Services for the Gati Shakti Unit is a significant achievement. It requires more than just a competitive price. Your success hinges on a three-pronged strategy:
- Meticulous Compliance: Ensure you meet every single eligibility criterion without exception. One small mistake can disqualify you.
- A Dominant Technical Proposal: Focus on maximizing your technical score. Showcase your best projects, your most experienced team, and deliver a flawless technical presentation.
- Strategic Financials: Since only the top six technical bidders compete on price, your financial bid must be competitive but realistic, reflecting the true cost of delivering high-quality supervision.
This tender is a test of your firm’s experience, stability, and expertise. Use this guide to navigate its complexities and position your firm for success.
Are you preparing to bid for this tender? Share your thoughts or questions in the comments below. Let’s build a knowledge-sharing community. Don’t forget to share this in-depth guide with your professional network!
