Requests for Clarification and Responses by the Special Bidding Committee

On September 10th 2025, VFS Global submitted requests for clarification regarding the interpretation of the Notice of Bidding and its Annexes. These requests were submitted in a timely manner.

Specifically, VFS Global sought to confirm the method for determining the lowest-price (L1) bidder under this tender. The company inquired whether the L1 ranking would be based on: (i) the total combined contractual amount, i.e., the sum of all items listed in Annex VI; (ii) a weighted average unit price reflecting the estimated annual quantities for each item; or (iii) separate evaluation of each item, namely the conventional visa service and the electronic visa service.

First, it is important to recall that, pursuant to Section 1.2 of the Notice of Bidding, the procedure is conducted as a single item. In line with this, Section 1.3 establishes that the judgment criterion adopted is the lowest price of the item. Furthermore, Section 6.1.2 requires that the financial proposal include both the unit prices and the total value of the single group, expressed in Renminbi. Lastly, it is stated in Section 9.2.8, which reads as follows:

9.2.8. If the suspension of the meeting is not necessary for the analysis of the Financial Proposal or for conducting investigations or consultations, the Committee shall continue with its analysis and shall rank the bidders according to the total values of the single group, from the lowest total value to the highest. The qualified proposal with the lowest total value of the single group shall be ranked first.

Accordingly, the L1 bidder will be determined on the basis of the total combined value of the single group indicated in Annex VI (i.e., the sum of both items, considering the estimated annual quantities). The structure of Annex VI is intended to facilitate this method of evaluation.