Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) has expressed its intention to procure gas supply for its power plants competitively. The procurement process will involve several key activities. To begin with, there will be a prequalification process where interested parties will be assessed for eligibility. K&M, in its role as an assisting entity, will support CUC in this process. Their responsibilities include drafting the Request for Qualifications (RFQ), developing project advertisements, launching the prequalification process, and assisting CUC in evaluating the responses received.

As part of the RFQ, K&M will conduct a gas demand analysis to provide an understanding of CUC’s expected gas demand, which will provide valuable context to the bidders. Furthermore, K&M will design the bid process and establish the technical and financial evaluation criteria based on the project structure and chosen contracting modality for gas supply.

K&M will also play a crucial role in preparing the Request for Proposal (RFP) document and the term sheet for project agreements, ensuring a solution-neutral tender process. At CUC’s direction, K&M will distribute the RFP documents to the prequalified bidders and manage any clarifications or inquiries from the bidders. K&M will be responsible for drafting responses to these inquiries and coordinating the receipt and control of all proposals.

Following the opening of the proposals, K&M, in collaboration with CUC, will evaluate them on a pass-fail basis. Technical and responsiveness evaluations will be conducted, and K&M will prepare a recommendation to CUC based on the evaluation results. The recommendation will include the necessary analysis, examples of submittals, and supporting documentation regarding the responsiveness test.

Once the highest-ranked bidder has been selected, K&M will provide assistance in the negotiation and finalization of the Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) term sheet. Furthermore, they will collaborate with international legal counsel to draft the complete version of the GSA.

Throughout the entire procurement process, K&M will actively support CUC, leveraging its expertise in managing the various stages, from prequalification to proposal evaluation and negotiation, to ensure an efficient and competitive gas supply procurement for Caribbean Utilities Company.