Production and broadcast of radio programmes on EU affairs, on air and on digital platforms, by a network of EU radio broadcasters

Transcription

1 ANNEX I TENDER SPECIFICATIONS Production and broadcast of radio programmes on EU affairs, on air and on digital platforms, by a network of EU radio broadcasters OPEN PROCEDURE PO/ /A6 1

2 Table of contents 1. Title of the tender Objective and context Subject of the contract Size of the contract Contractual framework Submission of bids Technical tender Financial offer Exclusion criteria Selection criteria Award criteria

3 1. TITLE OF THE TENDER Production and broadcast of radio programmes on EU affairs, on air and on digital platforms, by a network of EU radio broadcasters. 2. OBJECTIVE AND CONTEXT Recent studies show that radio is the leading media in terms of public trust and holds a large share in the EU citizens' habits of media consumption, with at least 1 in 2 EU citizens who listen to radio every day. EU affairs are generally under-represented in the overall programming schedules and the editorial lines of most EU radio broadcasters. As a result, reporting on EU affairs is often scarce, irregular, and lacks a broader European perspective. Yet, the Commission has recognised that "independent media reporting about EU affairs is an important cornerstone of well-informed EU citizens and European public discourse" 1. This is in line with the European Parliament's resolution which states that "EU news coverage must be provided by all types of media, in particular the mass media, and must be impartial, factual and independent, which is a central prerequisite for generating pan-european debate and creating a European public sphere" 2. Facilitating information on EU affairs, "characterised by independent, professional and high-quality reporting" has accordingly been included among the 25 actions to improve the daily life of EU citizens proposed by the Commission in The purpose of the present call for tenders is to increase and diversify the present EU-affairs coverage on radio by producing and broadcasting regular, specifically dedicated radio programmes in different official EU languages by a network of EU radios working with full editorial independence. 4 The overall objective is to strengthen EU citizens' awareness and understanding of EU affairs by better informing them and by stimulating exchange of opinions and debate. 3. SUBJECT OF THE CONTRACT 3.1. Services required Programmes The purpose of the present call for tenders is to develop the production and broadcast of regular, specifically dedicated radio programmes in different official EU languages, at peak listening times by each member of a network of professional EU radio broadcasters. 1 "EU citizenship report Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens' rights", COM(2010)603 final of European Parliament resolution of 7 September 2010 on journalism and new media creating a public sphere in Europe (2010/2015(INI)) 3 See note 1 4 A project of a similar nature, the European radio network Euranet, was launched by the Commission in 2007 further to a call for tenders. The present call for tenders builds on the experience gained from this project. More information can be found on the Euranet's website (euranet.eu). 3

4 Programmes will report on EU affairs from a multi-angle, European perspective free from any exclusively national point of view. They will respond to a common editorial line jointly, yet independently defined by the members of the network in compliance with the terms and definitions of the contract, and will be appropriately branded so as to allow identification of productions as a result of co-operation within the network. Programmes must: accurately report on EU policies and actions in a way that helps understand how they affect the EU citizens' daily life; focus in particular on issues at the top of the EU and Commission agenda (political priorities); allow for comparison of different member-state realities with regard to a same issue connected to the EU's policies and activities; allow for citizens' active participation and debate. Programmes may have different formats, based on the type of radio, the characteristics of its audience, and its programming schedule. Whatever the format, each network member will have to produce and broadcast at least one press review item analysing coverage of EU affairs by the different national media in the EU. The network members are expected to propose original concepts that can attract significant audience segments, based on the following main genres and formats: features included in the daily news, such as the news on the hour and other news-like formats; breakfast shows and afternoon magazines/shows; talk shows and phone-ins; reports and documentaries. Audience participation will be promoted, in particular, through online and offline platforms using social media and crowdcasting techniques, as a way of building communities of followers, getting new insights, and promoting discussion on air and digital platforms. Whatever the format proposed, programmes will clearly focus on EU affairs from a European perspective, according to the definitions provided under point below. Interactivity and originality will be particularly valued in the context of the award criteria. A common programme branding will be used consisting of common audio features (jingles, baseline, etc) so as to allow identification of the network's productions. The European Commission's service contract will be at least mentioned on the network's website and any communication and promotional material. 4

5 Production and broadcast Each member of the network will produce and broadcast, on all its available platforms and at least through the air, a minimum volume of 75 minutes per week in its main language(s) (see below). Broadcast repeats will not be considered in the calculation of this minimum volume. It is up to each network member to decide how to allocate its minimum weekly production quota only one weekly programme, one or more daily programmes, or a combination of both. Programmes will be aired at peak listening times, based on national radio consumption habits and audience figures of each member radio. Each network member will submit a detailed programming schedule clearly stating which of its stations will broadcast and/or rebroadcast the proposed programmes. The minimum production and broadcast per member cannot be brought down as a consequence of new members joining the network (see Point 3.2). The programmes must be produced and broadcast in the main language(s) of each radio, i.e. that/those of the member state where each radio is based. To this end, each radio may: produce and broadcast its own original material in its own main language(s), and/or translate into its own main language(s) the material originally produced and broadcast by another member of the network, and adapt it in a way that fits its needs, while respecting the editorial line agreed by the network members, and/or adapt the material originally produced and broadcast by another member and already translated by it. Original productions must be broadcast by the same radio that produced them. Original productions which will not be broadcast by the radio producer (e.g. in the case of programmes originally produced by one radio but aired by another one, or only webcast) will be excluded from the calculation of the weekly production of each network member. The network should be able to start production and broadcast as soon as possible upon signature of the contract, and at the latest 6 months after it. A start-up phase of maximum 6 months will be possible in order to set up the necessary legal, financial, technical and organisational structures where these are not already in place. During this phase, the network members will not be subject to the above obligation to produce and broadcast. However, the length of the start-up phase will need to be justified with regard to the nature and complexity of the arrangements (this point will be assessed in the light of the award criteria) Content definitions For the purpose of the services required in this call for tenders, European Union (EU) affairs are defined as: 5

6 Policies and activities falling within the competencies of the European Union as defined by the EU Treaties and dealt with by the EU institutions and bodies ("policies and activities of the European Union") 5 ; Subjects related to the policies and activities of the European Union occurring within one or more EU member state. Subjects in world affairs occurring within or affecting the EU, and having EU-wide implications so as to require reaction at EU level. EU affairs should be reported on from a broader European perspective, meaning that: each story should have a genuine EU dimension which will have to be duly highlighted, in particular with an explicit link to the policies and activities of the EU, as well as to the implications at EU level; each story should strive to avoid purely national or local angles; compared views from different member states should be favoured. The language of the story alone (e.g. when a purely national story is reported in other language(s) than that/those of the member state which the story refers to) cannot be considered as constitutive of a genuine EU dimension. Similarly, stories mentioning more than one EU member state can only be considered as having a genuine EU dimension if there is an explicit link to the policies and activities of the EU, as well as to the implications at EU level Editorial charter The service required prescribes that topics covered by the network must relate to EU affairs, and hence that the network acquaints itself with the EU agenda. However, the choice of subject matter and programme content is entirely the responsibility of the network. Editorial independence will be guaranteed by the editorial charter of the European Union, which will be an integral part of the contract (see Annex II, article I.12 of the draft service contract) and applies to: the choice of network members according to transparent rules drawn up by the network itself, provided that the new members satisfy the exclusion and selection criteria (see points 9 and 10); the choice of topics to be covered, as long as they comply with the definitions provided under point 3.1.3; programme content and format

7 Member radios, journalists and all staff involved in editorial production will also have to respect the editorial charter of the European Union, as well as the International Federation of Journalists' Declaration of Principles on the Conduct of Journalists Broadcast platforms In today's digital era, multi-platform distribution is of major importance, as internet and offline platforms are becoming vital in providing audio content. The network will develop and implement a cross-platform strategy aimed at bringing more audience and making it more loyal. Programmes will be broadcast by each network member on all its available platforms, including their own websites, and include the programmes in their online/offline services. However, online distribution, either live webcast or on-demand, will not substitute air broadcast. The network's productions will be available through live webcast and on-demand services on a dedicated website. This website will be primarily designed as an online platform for audio streaming, thus making use of state-of-the-art technology and best practices of audio webcast services. It will be constantly updated so as to ensure maximum synchronicity with air broadcast, and will evolve over time in order to keep up with latest developments in the digital market for audio services. It will provide interaction with listeners through the possibility to comment, discuss, and vote online. It will also provide archives of audio material making use of powerful search technology. The website will be registered under the.eu domain name. The network's productions will also be available on smartphones and tablets through free-ofcharge mobile apps seeking maximum compatibility with most common standards. Based on its multi-platform presence, the network will also develop social media strategies in order to promote listeners' involvement through direct participation and content generation, and promote communities of followers that can bring new audience Description of the network Composition of the network The network will aim at reaching a maximum number of EU citizens in their own language through a combination of platforms. The network will also aim to reflect the diversity of the peoples of the European Union and incorporate their different viewpoints and official EU languages

8 With this in mind, a number of minimum requirements must be met by each network member and the network as a whole. They are listed under point Organisation and working methods The network will be organised in such a way that it provides a platform for co-operation, thus bringing economies of scale based on co-production, sharing of materials, and resource pooling. All programmes must be made available to the members of the network through a technical platform acting as a common repository of audio materials with shared access by all members. In this way, programmes can be used by each member of the network to produce and broadcast its own programmes in its main language(s). The network members may also decide to pool translation resources and appoint a permanent team of translator journalists selected among those working for the network members. Such a team would be part of the coordination structure put in place by the network but would not be in charge of original productions. The network will set up a permanent structure that ensures editorial co-ordination and planning, daily monitoring of production and content quality control Extension of the network The network will be open to new entrants in order to expand its language and geographical coverage and increase its total audience numbers over the period of implementation of the contract, with the objective to achieve at least 25 million daily listeners by the end of the contract. The network articles of association and operating rules should provide for this open character and clearly set out how and under which conditions new members can join. The articles/rules should be public and transparent. New members will have to meet the exclusion and selection criteria and accept the articles and operating rules of the network, as well as its contractual obligations. Each new network member will submit a programming schedule clearly stating which of its station(s)/channel(s) will broadcast and/or re-broadcast the proposed programmes. New membership will be subject to the prior approval of the Commission. The network's organisation and working methods should allow increasing economies of scale as new members join the network. The increase in the number of members cannot be conditional upon an increase of the value of the contract. The network may conclude syndication agreements for programme rebroadcast with other radio broadcasters that may not will to become members of the network, or do not meet the 8

9 minimum requirements to do so, but are nevertheless interested in broadcasting the programmes produced by the network. Radio broadcasters having signed syndication agreements for programme rebroadcast cannot be considered as network members, but the audiences they bring will be considered in the calculation of the 25 million daily listeners' target at the end of the contract. Members can only withdraw from the network as a result of force majeure. They can only be excluded by the network if they fail to meet the network's contractual obligations or in case of conflict of interest. In case of withdrawal or exclusion, the network will inform the Commission without delay and will take all necessary measures so as to continue to offer an equivalent service and meet its contractual obligations Marketing and communication The network will develop and implement a marketing and communication strategy in order to promote it among the radio industry and the public and attract new members and audience. The strategy will seek to set up co-operation agreements and partnerships with mainstream media and will be based on the most cost-efficient measures. It will make extensive use of the marketing resources available with the members (e.g. through appropriate publicity on the members existing platforms and programmes) and will also include the network s participation at the main conferences and fairs of the radio industry in Europe. The strategy will be reviewed every year in the light of the market developments and the results obtained over the past 12 months. On this basis, a communication plan including concrete actions and operational objectives will be drawn up for the year ahead Reports At two-month intervals, starting from the date of signature of the contract, the contractor will submit to the Commission activity reports on the implementation of the contract. The reports will be submitted at the latest 30 days after the end of the period covered by the report. The report(s) covering the start-up phase (if any, see point ) will provide the following information: a detailed analysis of the progress made as compared to the set-up plan proposed in the offer, including the actions taken and the means deployed, as well as a justification of the choices made; a description of the problems encountered and the solutions provided; a list of the pending tasks and projects until the network can be fully operational, as well as a time plan for implementation. 9

10 As soon as production and broadcast starts, the reports must include: an overview of the network's main developments from an administrative, technical, organisational, and editorial point of view, including, among others, the steps taken with regard to the extension of the network and the marketing activities developed to enhance the network's audience and attract new members; a description of the network's presence online (on its own website, on the members' respective websites, and on social media), including the main actions to engage with audience and the users' response; a complete list of the programmes produced and broadcast over the two-month period covered by the report by network member, including the following information for each programme: o the name of the programme; o the topic(s) covered a meaningful title or short description in order to ascertain the relevance of the topic with regard to the subject of the contract; o the length without music interludes; o the date, time and station/channel of first broadcast; o the date(s), time(s) and station(s)/channel(s) of rebroadcast; o the nature of the production (original, adaptation) o in the case of original co-productions, the names of the network members having participated in the production an updated list of the members of the network, indicating, per network member, the country, the broadcast language(s), the station(s)/channel(s) that broadcast and/or rebroadcast the member's productions and their latest audience figures expressed in daily listeners and market share; an updated list of the radio broadcasters that are not members of the network but have concluded rebroadcast agreements with it, indicating, per radio broadcaster, the country, the broadcast language(s), the station(s)/channels that rebroadcast the network's productions and their latest audience figures expressed in daily listeners and market share, as well as the programmes concerned and the dates and times of rebroadcast; wherever possible, the audience figures of each programme over the two-month period covered by the report; the traffic statistics of the network's website, including the monthly average number of unique browsers, unique visits, page views, and page views per visit for the twomonth period, the total number of live and on-demand streams for the whole twomonth period, as well as highlights such as the most popular pages and audio files, the 10

11 most popular languages, and the countries of origin of the website users; year-on-year statistics for all indicators should be provided. when a new member joins the network, the programming schedule of that member; any other changes to the annual programming schedule of the network (see below) should also be reported; The last report of each contractual year, or final report, must also include: an overview of the structures developed and methods used over the past 12 months in order to ensure effective editorial co-ordination, regular monitoring and quality control, indicating any potential problems encountered and the solutions provided/proposed; a content analysis of the productions of the past 12 months, including the main themes covered and the most popular stories and programmes based on audience figures and interest raised on digital platforms; an updated programming schedule per network member for the next 12 months; a plan for extension of the network for the next 12 months, including specific and measurable objectives and target dates; the aggregated traffic statistics of the network's website for the past 12 months. The Commission may also request access to the audio archives of the network in order to perform a selective or random check of the conformity of the deliverables (the programmes) with the specifications of this call for tenders. The contractor will grant access to the audio files within 7 days of the Commission's request. 4. SIZE OF THE CONTRACT The maximum budget for this tender is 6.1 million EUR per year and 24.4 million EUR over four years, VAT excluded. 5. CONTRACTUAL FRAMEWORK The services specified above will be the subject of a direct contract drawn up between the European Commission's Directorate-General for Communication and the tenderer to whom the contract is awarded. The draft contract is attached in Annex II to the invitation to tender. In drawing up his bid, the tenderer should bear in mind the provisions of this draft contract, and notably: I.4 Payments I.9 Use of the results II.10 Ownership of the results Intellectual and industrial property 11

12 II.17 Taxation Subcontracting during contract performance is only possible after prior written approval by the contracting authority. In any case the contractor remains solely responsible for the performance of the contract. 6. SUBMISSION OF BIDS The tenderer's bid must comprise: The declaration of honour concerning the exclusion criteria (see Point 9) duly filled out, dated and signed, using the form in Annex III. All documents relating to the selection criteria listed under point 10; for some of those documents, the tenderer will fill in the reference tables and forms in Annexes IV and V. The technical tender, as specified under point 7, in line with the specifications under point 3, duly dated and signed by the person legally authorised to make contractual agreements on behalf of the network. The financial offer corresponding to all of the tender specifications, using the attached form in Annex VII to the invitation to tender, which must be filled out, dated and signed according to the provisions specified under point TECHNICAL TENDER Tenderers should include in their bid a technical tender detailing how they will provide the services required by the contract, in compliance with all the requirements of the tender specifications. The technical offer must be presented as one single document, with followed page numbering (also on blank pages), and include a list of contents and an executive summary. The technical tender should not include any of the documents referred to under the exclusion or selection criteria, nor should it refer to issues already covered by the exclusion and selection criteria. The technical tender will be assessed in the light of the award criteria set out under point 11. It should therefore be structured in such a way that it can be easily evaluated according to those criteria. The following points should be addressed in detail, including precise justifications of legal, technical, editorial and/or financial nature of the proposed solutions. Composition: a list of the network members with a clear distinction, for each member, of the member's channels that will produce and broadcast, and those that will only rebroadcast. Rebroadcast agreements with other radio broadcasters that are not 12

13 members of the network will be clearly identified as such in a separate list providing the same details requested for network members (see point 10.3). Legal structure: a description of the proposed legal status of the network and its structure, including rules for integrating new members and any internal rules to which all network staff will be bound, as well as a detailed description accompanied by appropriate graphics of the way the network will operate from an editorial, technical and financial point of view, all based on the draft or existing articles of association or statutes, which must be attached to the offer. Operational organisation: a detailed description of the working methods for production, language adaptation and broadcast/rebroadcast on all different platforms, and in particular the procedures for editorial co-ordination, monitoring and control, as well as the way the co-ordinating teams at editorial, technical and administrative level will work together and co-operate with the rest of the staff of each radio member of the network. Technical organisation: the material and technical means, including a detailed description of the workflows of all operations, the software and hardware aspects of the technical resources put in place in order to ensure the flow of exchange, effective co-operation, daily monitoring, quality control, and simulcast on all available platforms, detailing, in particular, the characteristics of the content exchange platform and the archiving system. Development strategy: a plan for the extension of the network, including details about the way it will be achieved, and a description of the marketing and communication activities to be developed in order to promote the network. Editorial approach and programmes: the global editorial line and the way it will be jointly, yet independently, defined by the network members; the mechanisms to ensure a common understanding of the scope of EU affairs from a European perspective and the criteria used to assess compliance with the terms of reference of the service contract; the concepts and formats proposed by the network members; the editorial arrangements to ensure appropriate follow-up of the EU agenda and integration of compared views from different member states; the use of crowdcasting and the way listeners will be involved in the content of the programmes (generation of content, use of listeners' insights, listeners' direct participation in programmes, etc); the experience of the journalists performing co-ordination tasks centrally or as representatives of each radio member (CVs will have to be attached to the offer; the use of the European CV format Europass is recommended; it can be downloaded at the network's programming schedule detailing, per network member, the name of the programme(s) proposed and their format, length, language, broadcast day(s) and times, the broadcasting and/or rebroadcasting station(s)/channel(s), and a short description. Production and broadcast; the network's detailed programming schedule including, per network member and station/channel, the name of the programme(s) proposed, the format, length, language, broadcast day(s) and times, rebroadcasting station(s)/channel(s), and a short description; the total volume of production and 13

14 broadcast/rebroadcast by network member and language, indicating the expected audience for that language; the multi-platform strategy encompassing online and offline broadcast, and the human and technical resources put in place in order to ensure simultaneous broadcast on all available platforms, including the individual members' websites; the technical and functional structure of the dedicated website, including the live and on-demand broadcast functionalities, the interaction with social media and the language regime, accompanied with a design proposal and wireframes of the different navigation levels. 8. FINANCIAL OFFER The financial offer must be quoted using the attached form in Annex VII, which must be duly signed and dated. The price quoted must be all-inclusive and cover all costs related to performance of the contract as described above. 9. EXCLUSION CRITERIA Bids from tenderers who do not meet the exclusion criteria will not be assessed. 9.1 Declaration of honour and evidence Tenderers will provide a declaration on their honour, duly signed and dated, stating that they are not in one of the exclusion situations, using the form provided in Annex III to the invitation to tender. The tenderer to whom it is proposed to award the contract will provide, within a time-limit specified by the contracting authority and prior to the signature of the contract, the necessary evidence in support of his declaration. These supporting documents must be valid on the date of the deadline for submission of tenders and, at all events, must have been issued within the 12 months preceding that date. If such proofs were already presented for the purpose of another procurement procedure and provided that they are not more than one year old starting from the issuing date and that they are still valid, the tenderer shall declare on his honour that the documentary evidence has already been provided in a previous procurement procedure and confirm that no changes in his situation have occurred Tenders submitted by consortia Tenders involving subcontracting In the case of tenders submitted by consortia or groups of service providers, all the economic operators involved in the tender must provide evidence that none of the exclusion criteria for participation in or award of the contract applies to them, by providing a declaration of honour, duly dated and signed (Annex III). 14

15 The tenderer to whom the contract is awarded must provide, within the time-limit specified by the awarding authority and prior to the signature of the contract, the evidence listed above, confirming the declaration of honour, for each member of the consortium or group of service providers. In the case of tenders involving subcontracting, the tenderer to whom the contract is awarded must provide, within the time-limit specified by the awarding authority and prior to the signature of the contract, the declaration of honour and/or the evidence listed above regarding exclusion criteria for participation in or award of the contract, for each of the subcontractors named in the tender in respect of whom the Commission requests such evidence. However, if the offer includes sub-contractors for whom the tasks represent less than 20% of the contract in value, these sub-contractors are not required to provide proof of the documents; the Declaration of Honour is sufficient. 10. SELECTION CRITERIA The tenderer must demonstrate sufficient economic, financial, technical and professional capacity to be able to perform the tasks as specified in point 3 of these specifications. An economic operator may, where appropriate and for a particular contract, rely on the capacities of other entities, regardless of the legal nature of the links that it has with them. It must in that case prove to the contracting authority that it will have at its disposal the resources necessary for performance of the contract, for example by producing an undertaking on the part of those entities to place those resources at its disposal (see Points 10.2 and 10.3 below). Tenderers who do not provide the required documents regarding the selection criteria will not be assessed. If the proposed network fails to meet one of the selection criteria, it will be excluded. Tenderers must provide proof of their professional, economic, financial, and technical capacity by enclosing the following information and documents with their tender: 10.1 Professional capacity The tenderer will provide a 'Legal Entity File (LEF)' and a 'Bank Account File (BAF)' duly completed and signed, with the necessary annexes. The forms to be used are available at the following addresses: Financial and economic capacity Evidence of financial and economic standing has to be provided by means of the following documents: 15

16 a statement of the turnover related to the services required in this contract and achieved over the past two financial years by each member of the network; minimum level of standards required: the average annual turnover achieved by the network over 2010 and 2011 must exceed 10% of the estimated annual value of this contract. balance sheets or extracts from balance sheets for the last two years for which accounts have been closed, for each member of the network, where publication of the balance sheet is required under the company law of the country in which the economic operator is established; if a network member is an association of radio broadcasters, the same documents must be provided for each member of the association. tables I and II in Annex IV duly completed, signed and dated, for each member of the network, with all relevant data extracted from the balance sheets. These tables must also be provided on CD/DVD. If, for some exceptional reason which the contracting authority considers justified, the tenderer is unable to provide the references requested by the contracting authority, he may prove his economic and financial capacity by any other means which the contracting authority considers appropriate, subject to the approval of the contracting authority Technical capacity Tenderers must demonstrate convincingly that they have the ability to provide the services requested by this tender. To this end, they must prove that they meet the minimum requirements by providing the following documents: a list of the radio broadcasters that are proposed as members of the network, with precise indication of their legal and commercial names, statute (PSB, commercial), the station(s)/channel(s) broadcasting and/or rebroadcasting the programmes proposed by the member (this distinction should be made), and their respective format/genre, language, main targeted country/region, other targeted countries (if appropriate), and broadcast platforms (see form 5 in Annex V); a list of the latest available, measured audience figures per network member and broadcasting station(s)/channel(s), expressed as the number of daily listeners by country and language (if more than one language used in broadcast), the total audience in the EU (if more than one country covered), and the share in the country's total population (see form 6 in Annex V); per network member and broadcasting station(s)/channel(s), a certificate issued by a competent measurement body corroborating the above-mentioned audience figures, which cannot be older than 2010; if, for some reason that the contracting authority considers justified, a network member is unable to provide such certificate, he may prove its audience figures by any other document which the contracting authority considers appropriate; 16

17 a list of the journalists, per network member, who will be involved in the production of the above-mentioned programmes, indicating if they have previous experience in reporting on EU affairs and their working languages, including their knowledge of the shared language of the network; the curricula vitae of the above-mentioned journalists (the use of the European CV format Europass is recommended; it can be downloaded at a letter signed by each network member stating its commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities in the framework of the network's contractual obligations (see form 3 in Annex V); a document clearly stating the composition and constitution of the grouping or similar entity (company, temporary association, etc), and the legal form their cooperation would take, should they be awarded the contract and if this change is necessary for proper performance of the contract; a document with the name of the member designated to represent the network (the leader), with the credentials of the person designated to sign the contract and/or to act as the point of contact with the Commission for the network, including a declaration signed by the legally authorised representative of the network leader stating that it has been duly mandated by all the network members (see forms 1 and 2 in Annex V); If a network member is an association of radio broadcasters, the same documents must be provided for each member of the association. The network has to meet the following minimum requirements: be made of at least 10 different radio broadcasters public-service or commercial ones from at least 10 different EU member states representing at least 50% of the total EU population 7 ; include national and regional broadcasters; broadcast through the air in at least 10 official EU languages; have at least one network member per member state in at least 10 member states with at least 300,000 daily listeners in that member state, or a daily listenership representing at least 5% of the total population of the member state, as certified by standardised, independent measurement bodies (only the member's station(s)/channel(s) broadcasting the programmes produced in the framework of the services requested by the present call for tender will be taken into account in the calculation of the audience and market share figures); 7 Based on the latest figures published by Eurostat (ec.europa.eu/eurostat) 17

18 have a total daily audience of at least 10 million listeners; have at least one network member per member state in at least 10 member states which maintains its own website offering live and/or on-demand webcast. Each member of the network has to meet the following minimum requirements: have at least one journalist with proven experience in reporting on EU affairs and a very good command of the shared language of the network; have at least two journalists with a very good command of the shared language of the network responsible for communication within the network. Technical capacity will be assessed at the level of the network. The members of the network other than the leader may not participate in more than two bids. The network leader may not participate in any other bid in any capacity whatsoever Additional requirements for tenders including subcontracting In the case of a tender which includes subcontractors, the tenderer must provide evidence of their economic, financial, technical and professional capacity. In addition, the following elements must also be provided in the offer: a document stating clearly the identity, roles, activities and responsibilities of the subcontractor(s) and specifying the volume/proportion of the tasks of (each of) the subcontractor(s), as well as a description of the quality control measures which will be applied to the tasks to be carried out by (each of) the subcontractor(s); a letter of intent by (each of) the subcontractor(s) stating their unambiguous undertaking to collaborate with the tenderer should he win the contract and the extent of the resources that he will put at the tenderer s disposal for the performance of the contract. otherwise, a document should be provided stating that the tenderer does not intend to subcontract and that he/she will inform the Commission of any change in this situation. The Commission reserves the right to judge if such a change would be acceptable. 11. AWARD CRITERIA Bids from tenderers who do not satisfy the exclusion and/or selection criteria will not be considered for the award of the contract. The contract will be awarded to the tender offering the best value for money on the basis of the following criteria: 18

19 Quality Criterion 1: Extent and diversity of reachout (30 %) The diversity of the EU population reached by the network based on the number of EU member states and languages covered, as compared with the total number of EU member states and official EU languages. The audience size of the entire network, the audience size by language compared with the total number of the EU population for whom that language is their mother tongue, the audience size by country, as compared with the total number of the population of that country, and the audience size by language and member as compared with the total number of the population in the member's country for whom that language is their mother tongue. The volume of production by member and language, as compared with the respective audience of that member and language. Criterion 2: Structure, organisation and working methods (25 %) The soundness of the legal and administrative structures put in place in order to ensure adequate performance and continuity of the services required in these tender specifications. The suitability of the editorial, organisational, and technical arrangements put in place in order to ensure close co-ordination, effective co-operation, understanding of the network's mission, and commitment to the network's objectives by all members, as well as the quality of the editorial team in charge of co-ordinating the work of the members. The length of the start-up phase in the light of the nature and complexity of the arrangements needed. The suitability of the technical setup designed to ensure efficient information sharing, exchange of materials, language support, and web interaction on a daily basis. The suitability of the quality control mechanisms put in place in order to ensure respect of the editorial line and the programming schedule, as well as content relevance according to the definitions and objectives set in the present tender specifications. The efficiency of the marketing and communication measures proposed in order to expand the network and boost its audience numbers (b-to-b and b-to-c strategies, media partnerships, rebroadcast and syndication agreements, etc). Criterion 3: Editorial approach and programmes (25 %) 19

20 Price The originality of the formats proposed by the members so as to create interest and promote citizens' participation. The understanding of the scope of EU affairs with a European perspective. The ability to combine different angles, propose compared views and overcome purely local angles in order to provide a transnational dimension. The efficiency of the editorial arrangements put in place in order to ensure appropriate follow-up of the EU agenda and reporting on key political priorities. Criterion 4: Multi-platform strategy and digital broadcast (20 %) The quality, interactivity and dynamism of the network's website and its capacity to attract listeners. The efficiency of the multi-platform strategy to attract listeners and promote active participation, as well as the use of social media as part of this strategy. The quality of the operational structure put in place in order to ensure live and on-demand broadcasting of the programmes both on the network's website and the individual members' websites. Criterion 5: Price (see point 11.2) 11.1 Technical evaluation The technical tender to be submitted as part of the bid (see point 14) will be assessed on the basis of quality criteria 1, 2, 3 and 4. The result of the technical evaluation is the sum of the number of points obtained further to the evaluation of each criterion. Only those bids which obtain at least 60% of the maximum score for each criterion and a total score of at least 70 points will be considered for the award of the contract Financial evaluation For the financial bid, the tenderer must use the standard financial table in Annex VII. Any omission or amendment to the original price schedule will cause the bid to be considered null and void. 20