Mr. Ramon Prada Vaca Diez, Vice Minister for VM of Trans, Comm and Civil Aviation, Edf. Palacio de las Comunicaciones, 5 Piso, Av. Mariscal Santa Cruz, Esquina Oruro, La Paz, Bolivia, Tel: 591-2-377238 / 591-2-377230, FAX: 011-591-2-371395

B -- AIQUILE -- SANTA CRUZ RAILROAD INTERCONNECTION PROJECT -- BOLIVIA POC Ms. Evangela Kunene, USTDA, Room 300, 1621 N. Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Telephone: (703) 875-4357, FAX: (703) 875-4009 The Grantee invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms which are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to develop Phase I of a two-phase feasibility study for a railway interconnection project between the Bolivian cities of Aiquile and Santa Cruz. The Aiquile-Santa Cruz Railway Interconnection Project will link the eastern and western sections of the Bolivian national railway system through the construction of 388 kilometers of new railway line between Santa Cruz and Aiquile. Phase I of the feasibility study will consist of detailed traffic and financial studies for the interconnection project. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $85,000 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA). A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and a background definitional mission report are available from TDA, at 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131. Requests for the RFP should be faxed to the IRC, TDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firm's name, contact person, address, and telephone number. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want TDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to TDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to TDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of RFP requests, TDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mail room before calling TDA. Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this TDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under TDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the TDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the TDA-financed activity. All goods and services to be provided by the selected firm shall have their nationality, source and origin in the U.S. or host country. The U.S. firm may use subcontractors from the host country for up to 20 percent of the TDA grant amount. Details of TDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP. Interested U.S. firms should submit one (1) original and two (2) copies of their Proposal in English and one (1) original and two (2) copies of their proposal in Spanish directly to the Grantee by 3:00PM local LaPaz, Bolivia time, May 25, 1999 at the above address. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the RFP. Price will not be a factor in contractor selection, and therefore, cost proposals should NOT be submitted. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals.* Posted 04/14/99 (I-SN320189). (0104)

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