Government of Antigua and Barbuda
Department of Environment

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

For the Supply of

Equipment & Machinery for Aquatic Sargassum seaweed removal in Antigua & Barbuda

Objective: Developing a sustainable approach to proactive removal of pelagic Sargassum seaweed in Antigua & Barbuda

1. BACKGROUND

The Department of Environment is a Government agency within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment in the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. The overall mission of the Department of Environment (DOE) is to provide technical advice on the environment and to design and implement projects on behalf of the Government and the people of Antigua and Barbuda. These interventions are designed to protect and enhance the country's environment, as well as seek common solutions to national, regional and global environmental challenges.

Antigua, with its sister islands of Barbuda and uninhabited Redonda, lies 250 miles southeast of Puerto Rico. Its intricate coastline is deeply indented and fringed by reefs and shoals except for areas of the central western coast and Falmouth and English Harbor in the south. Antigua's sister island, Barbuda, is a low limestone island with no marked indentation in the coastline.

During the past 5 years Antigua & Barbuda has been negatively impacted by the influx Sargassum seaweed on the beaches, threatening both tourism & economic industry products. The current national response to the influx of Sargasso is unsustainable. The money and effort spent cleaning beaches and coastlines is an opportunity cost to competing national priorities such as building climate resilience, enhancing environmental management, improving health care or supporting education. Furthermore, manual Sargassum removal is not able to keep pace with the coastal inundation, and manual removal on the coastline is accelerating beach erosion.

The government is exploring more cost-effective ways to cope with the influx of Sargassum seaweed.

2. AIM OF THE INITIATIVE

The overall goal of this initiative is to develop a sustainable approach to Sargassum seaweed management and seek viable alternatives for the use of Sargassum in Antigua and Barbuda. The specific objectives are:

1. To collect most of the Sargassum while still in the open sea for use in manufacturing and industry development,
2. To reduce the amount of Sargassum landing on the beaches, and
3. To find economic and other beneficial uses for the Sargassum.
The successful implementation of this initiative here in Antigua and Barbuda will support
replication throughout the region with greater efficiency as there would be greater focus on product development.

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Expression of Interest submissions should include at least the following specifications outlined in the financial and technical criteria.

Financial evaluation criteria:

• Capital expenditure per unit
• Shipping origin and estimated cost of shipment
• Cost of operating equipment per hour
• Warranty duration and coverage
• Inclusion of spare parts
• Unit cost of spare parts for additional purchase
• Training of operators and/or leasing model Technical evaluation criteria:
• Quantity of Sargassum removal per hour operating at maximum capacity
• Equipment dimensions and weight
• Anti-corrosion system
• Features that minimize negative impacts on coastal environments, marine habitats and species during operation
• Green certification: low-emission, electric, energy efficiency, etc.

Suppliers that can leverage additional sources of development assistance or other financing are requested to include this in their financial proposals, indicating potential amount, source and timeline for availability.

4. SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

The Department of Environment invites technology suppliers to submit their technical and financial product information for cost-effective aquatic Sargassum seaweed removal.

Bidding is open to all bidders who can demonstrate that they:

1. Have the legal capacity to enter into a contract;

2. Have not had business activities suspended by any national or regional authority;

3. Are not insolvent, in receivership, bankrupt or being wound up or subject to legal proceedings for any of these circumstances;

4. Have fulfilled any obligations to pay taxes and social security contributions within Antigua and Barbuda;

5. Do not have any conflict of interest in relation to this procurement requirement; and

6. Are not subject to suspension by the relevant authority.

A supplier will be selected in accordance with the evaluation procedures of the Department of Environment.

Expressions of interest may be delivered electronically or in person to the contact information below by 25 July 2018 (subject to extension):

Electronic submissions:

DOE@ab.gov.ag
antiguaenvironmentdivision@gmail.com

EOI document delivery:

Ambassador Mrs. Diann Black-Layne
Director Department of Environment
Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment
#1 Victoria Park, Botanical Gardens, Factory Road
P.O. Box W693
St. John’s, Antigua

Mrs. Helena Jeffery Brown - Technical Coordinator (Ag.)
Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment,
#1 Victoria Park Botanical Gardens,
Factory Rd, St. John’s, Antigua

Department of Environment, Ministry of Health and the Environment
# 1 Victoria Park Botanical Gardens, P.O. Box W693, St. John’s Antigua and Barbuda
Tel: +1-268-462-4625 | www.environment.gov.ag

BIOMASS - BUILDING MATERIALS - CANCER - CLOTHING & SHOES - CO2 SEQUESTRATION - COSMETICS

FERTILIZERS - FOODS - MEDICINES - MINERALS - PACKAGING - SUPPLEMENTS - VITAMINS

SARGASSUM COOPERATIVE EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: The "Sargassum Cooperative CIC" is a proposed consortium of affected Governments, the aim of such group being to develop a cost-effective system for the sustainable, proactive removal and long-term management of pelagic Sargassum seaweed in the Mexican Gulf and Caribbean Sea - much as the excellent example document from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 sets out. Save that it might be an advantage if the efforts of individual administrations were to be coordinated with shared cost and knowledge transfer, for greater development savings and SAT targeted attack on the scourge, using zero emission harvesting equipment.

This is what the beaches around the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean islands used to look like

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