The National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) has invited eligible bidders to submit bids for the acquisition of a vessel for coastal fisheries and oceanographic research.
The first opening of bids took place on October 30 and featured a single tender in a timely manner, presented by Servicios Portuarios Integrados SA. After the relevant assessment the only bid submitted was rejected.
Namely, INIDEP set the budget at USD 4.5 million, but the designated evaluation committee indicated that the amount offered far exceeded the estimate in the tender, “noting an overcharge on the offer.” Therefore, the offer was declared unsuccessful.
“This is a ship of not more than 25 metres in length because we have the need to work in shallow waters. Argentina has a long coastline and there are many areas of shallow depths, especially close to the coast, where many of the biological processes that occur are transcendental for resources. So we need a ship to operate in these waters,” said INIDEP director Dr. Otto Wöhler .
“With the help of the consultants hired by the Inter-American Development Bank (which provides part of the funding for the construction through a mixed funding) we develop a ship having this size. A call for tenders was carried out with national preference but unfortunately, it did not have the expected result and it is for that reason that a new bidding process was immediately opened.”
According to INDEP, the envelopes of the new bids will be opened in the first week of February 2016.
The call is made in the framework of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and aims to build a modern and innovative oceanographic and coastal fisheries research vessel, with high capacities for hydrographic research, a large working platform in the hull for fishing and research tasks, extensive wet working setting and mainly, low noise radiated into the water.
The ship will be able to conduct multipurpose research and will feature basic facilities for the following marine coastal fields: Benthos, Physical Oceanography, Chemical Oceanography, Marine Biology and Fisheries Research.