request for quotation (rfq) solicitation overview · transition initiatives for stabilization plus...

Transition Initiatives for Stabilization Plus – TIS+ Implemented by AECOM International Development, Inc.

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Request for Quotation (RFQ)

Solicitation Overview

Reference Number: OPSC-PSS-2018-004

Activity Title: Facilitation of Qandala Community Consensus Building Sessions (PSS007)

Determination of Award: Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA)

Award Type: Fixed-Price Subcontract

Submission Deadline: Final submissions will be due no later than Wednesday, 21 March 2018; 1600hrs (East African Time) submitted to [email protected]

Question & Answers:

Questions regarding OPSC-PSS-2018-004 shall be submitted to [email protected] no later than Tuesday, 13 March 2018 @ 1600hrs (East African Time). Answers to questions will be distributed via email to all interested parties within 48 hours of the deadline (by no later than Thrusday, 15 March 2018, 1600 hrs (East African Time).

AECOM International Development will not respond to questions pertaining to this RFQ over the phone. AECOM International Development will not in any way assist Offerors in preparing their bids nor reimburse any bid preparation costs incurred by the Offeror.

Delivery Location: TIS+ Office in Mogadishu

Source & Nationality Requirements:

TIS+ is bound by USAID and its own policies on procurement, including those of source and nationality requirements. This is a competitive procurement open to all interested bidders in accordance with the source and nationality requirements set forth in Attachment A. Detailed information on source & nationality is provided within this RFQ.

Notice:

Issuance of OPSC-PSS-2018-004 does not in any way obligate AECOM to award a subcontract for Car Hire Services. Award to a service provider is subject to availability of funds and requisite donor approvals. Offerors interested in submitting quotations do so at their own discretion and cost.

Accompanying Annexes:

Attachment A: Proposal Cover Letter Attachment B: Scope of Work Attachment C: Cost Proposal Format Attachment D: Past Performance Experience Attachment E: Evidence of Responsibility Form

mailto:[email protected]



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Issuance Date: Wednesday, March 7, 2018 To: Offerors Funded by: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Contract No. AID-623-C-15-00001 For: Transition for Stabilization Plus – TIS+ Implemented by: AECOM International Development Subject: OPSC-PSS-2018-004 FACILITATION OF QANDALA COMMUNITY CONSENSUS

BUILDING SESSIONS (PSS007)

INTRODUCTION: The TIS+ Program aims to promote peace and stability in Somalia by increasing the visibility of, and confidence in Government through improved service delivery and creating collaborative and strategic partnerships among government institutions, the private sector, civil society and communities.

The TIS+ Program focuses on four objectives: 1) Increase confidence in governance based on equitable participation in decision making and management

of community assets; 2) Empower community and government representatives to engage with private sector and development

actors in collaborative process for community growth; 3) Increase Somali engagement in creating a more stable future; and 4) Support inclusive, sustainable development by reducing gender gaps in stabilization and development. PURPOSE: The purpose of this RFQ is to solicit quotations from eligible Service Providers for Facilitation of Qandala Community Consensus Building Sessions, with specifications provided in Attachment B of this document. Offerors are responsible for ensuring their offers are received by TIS+ in accordance with the instructions, terms, and conditions described in this RFQ. Failure to adhere to the instructions for submission described in this RFQ may lead to an offeror’s bid being deemed non-responsive, resulting in disqualification for a determination of award. INSTRUCTIONS: Submission deadline: March 21, 2018, 1600 hrs (East Africa Time) Submissions shall be emailed to [email protected]. The subject line of the e-mail shall be clearly labeled RFQ TIS +/ OPSC-PSS-2018-004: Facilitation of Qandala Community Consensus Building Sessions. Bids sent to personal email addresses of TIS+ staff will not be considered for award under this RFQ. Offerors shall reference the RFQ Number and Activity Title in the email subject line. No late submissions will be accepted.



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Questions: Questions regarding the technical or administrative requirements of this RFQ shall be submitted no later than 13 March 2018, 1600 hrs (East African Time) by email to [email protected]. Questions and requests for clarification—and the responses thereto—will be circulated as an Amendment to the RFQ to all RFQ recipients who have indicated an interest in bidding by no later than Thursday, 15 March 2018, 1600 hrs (East African Time). Only the written answers issued by TIS+ will be considered official and carry weight in the RFQ process and subsequent evaluation. Any verbal information received from employees of AECOM/TIS+ or any other entity should not be considered as an official response to any questions regarding this RFQ. Specifications: Attachment B describes the services to be provided. Duties: The TIS+ Program is VAT exempt (TIS+ will request duty exemption and request reimbursement upon presentation of a duly approved DA1 Form). Quotations shall exclude Customs and VAT. Quoted Price: Quotations in response to this RFQ should be based on a fixed-price basis, inclusive of all associated costs, in accordance with the service cost breakdown as provided in Attachment C. All fees or additional costs shall be disclosed in the Offerors quotation. Any fees, costs, taxes or other demand of funds not disclosed in the offeror’s quotation will not be considered for payment. Offerors are requested to provide quotations on official letterhead or quotation format. In addition, offerors responding to this RFQ must submit the following:

• Valid government registration certificate with the Government of Somalia/Puntland State. • CVs of proposed key personnel must be attached. • Must include a minimum of one (1) female member, but more are encouraged, as part of the

proposed team. • The organization/consultancy firm must have at least four (4) years’ relevant experience. • Completed Proposal Cover Letter, signed by an authorized representative of the offeror with

company/contact details and company stamp (see Attachment A template). • Official quotation (see Attachment C, Cost Proposal, for example). • Record of Past Performance Experience (Attachment D). • Filled out Evidence of Responsibility (Attachment E).

Currency should be specified in United States Dollars (USD). Certification of Quotation: Offerors must certify that quotations are valid for up to 60 days, as required in Attachment A. Payment Schedule: Payments will be made upon receipt of official monthly invoice, in accordance with the instructions for payment and terms shown in the subcontract, and only after verification and approval by the technical manager and TIS+ designated authorities. Source/Nationality/Manufacture: All goods and services offered in response to this RFQ or supplied under any resulting award must meet USAID Geographic Code 937 in accordance with the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 22 CFR §228. Code 937 is defined as the United States, the cooperating country, and any developing countries other than advanced developing countries, and excluding prohibited sources. The cooperating countries for this RFQ are Kenya and Somalia.


http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title22-vol1/pdf/CFR-2012-title22-vol1-part228.pdf


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Offerors may not offer or supply any commodities or services that are manufactured or assembled in, shipped from, transported through, or otherwise involving any of the following prohibited countries: Burma (Myanmar), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, (North) Sudan, or Syria. DUNS Number: If the subcontract resulting from this RFQ exceeds $30,000 and if the successful Offeror had more than $300,000 gross income during its last tax year, the successful Offeror MUST have and provide a DUNS number and proof of SAM registration prior to the subcontract being executed. A DUNS nine-digit number is issued by Dun & Bradstreet. Once obtained the Offeror registers on the System for Award Management (SAM). All contractors and subcontractors doing business with the U.S. Government must be registered. If the successful Offeror does not have a DUNS number and cannot prove registration on SAM, the successful Offeror shall apply and receive one prior to the subcontract being executed. TIS+ may be able to provide some guidance to the successful Offeror that may assist them in securing a DUNS number in order to register on SAM. The following information will be required for obtaining a DUNS and SAM Number: a) Legal Name; b) Headquarters name and address for your business; c) Doing Business As (DBA) or other name by which your business is commonly recognized; d) Physical address, city, state (country), and Zip/Country Code; e) Mailing Address (if separate from headquarters and/or physical address); f) Contact name and title; g) Number of employees at your physical location; and h) whether you are a Home-Based Business. For DUNS registration, please visit http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/index.jsp; and for SAM registration, please visit www.sam.gov. Eligibility: By submitting an offer in response to this RFQ, the offeror certifies that it and its principal officers are not debarred, suspended, or otherwise considered ineligible for an award by the U.S. Government. AECOM will not award a contract to any firm that is debarred or suspended. Determination for Award: The award will be made to a responsible offeror whose offer follows the RFQ instructions, meets the eligibility requirements, and meets or exceeds the minimum required technical specifications, and is judged to be the best value based on a lowest-price, technically-acceptable basis. Please note if there are significant deficiencies regarding responsiveness to the requirements of this RFQ, an offer may be deemed “non-responsive” and thereby disqualified from consideration. TIS+ reserves the right to waive immaterial deficiencies at its discretion. Best-offer quotations are requested to include any discounts for monthly rates. It is anticipated that award will be made solely on the basis of these original quotations; however, AECOM reserves the right to conduct any of the following:

• TIS+ may conduct negotiations with and/or request clarifications from any offeror prior to award.

• While preference will be given to offerors who can address the service requirements in full per this

RFQ, TIS+ may issue a partial award or split the award among various suppliers, if in the best interest

of the TIS+ Project.

• TIS+ may cancel this RFQ at any time.

• TIS+ may reject any and all offers, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of TIS+.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/index.jsp

http://www.sam.gov/


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Best Value - Best Value Determination

TIS+ will review all proposals and make an award based on the technical and cost evaluation criteria stated

above and shall select the bidder whose proposal provides the best value to TIS+. TIS+ may also exclude an

offer from consideration if it determines that a Bidder is "not responsible,” i.e., that it does not possess the

requisite management and financial capabilities necessary to perform the work required. TIS+ may award to a

Bidder without discussions. Therefore, the initial offer must contain the Bidder’s best price and technical terms.

Instructions for Preparation of Proposals

General

Proposals MUST include the following contents:

1. Valid government registration certificate with the Government of Somalia/Puntland State. 2. CVs of proposed key personnel must be attached. 3. Must include a minimum of one (1) female member, but more are encouraged, as part of the proposed

team. 4. The organization/consultancy firm must have at least four (4) years’ relevant experience. 5. Completed Proposal Cover Letter, signed by an authorized representative of the Offeror with

company/contact details and company stamp (see Attachment A template). 6. Official quotation (see Attachment C, Cost Proposal, for example). 7. Record of Past Performance Experience (Attachment D). 8. Filled out Evidence of Responsibility (Attachment E).

Cost The successful bid will be selected by the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method, which means that the lowest price offer among the technically accepted proposals will receive the award. All Offerors must submit a completed Attachment C, Cost Proposal. Past Performance Provide a list of at least three (3) recent awards of similar scope and duration from the past four years. The information shall be supplied as a table (complete the table in Attachment D). Terms and Conditions: This is a Request for Quotations only. Issuance of this RFQ does not in any way obligate AECOM, TIS+ or the TIS+ Project to make an award or pay for costs incurred by potential offerors in the preparation and submission of an offer.

This solicitation is subject to TIS+’s standard terms and conditions. Any resultant award will be governed by these terms and conditions; a copy of the full terms and conditions is available upon request. Please note the following terms and conditions will apply:

(a) United States law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals

and organizations associated with terrorism. The supplier under any award resulting from this RFQ

must ensure compliance with these laws.

(b) Any award resulting from this RFQ will be in the form of a fixed-price subcontract for services.


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Procurement Ethics Neither payment nor preference shall be made by either the Bidder, or by any TIS+ staff, in an attempt to affect the results of the award. TIS+ treats all reports of possible fraud/abuse very seriously. Acts of fraud or corruption will not be tolerated, and TIS+ employees and/or subcontractors/grantees/vendors who engage in such activities will face serious consequences. Any such practice constitutes an unethical, illegal, and corrupt practice and either the Bidder or the TIS+ staff may report violations to the ethics and compliance anonymous via email to [email protected]. TIS+ ensures anonymity and an unbiased, serious review and treatment of the information provided. Such practice may result in the cancellation of the procurement and disqualification of the Bidder’s participation in this, and all future procurements. Violators will be reported to USAID, and as a result, may be reported to the U.S. Department of Justice to be included in a Restricted Parties list, preventing them from participating in future U.S. Government business. Thank you. ………………………………………….. TIS+ PROGRAM Implemented by AECOM International Development Inc. (Kenya) Email: [email protected]



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ATTACHMENT A: PROPOSAL COVER LETTER

[On Firm’s Letterhead]

<Insert date>

TO: AECOM-Transition initiatives for Stabilizations TIS+

We, the undersigned, provide the attached proposal in accordance with RFQ OPSC-PSS-2018-004 issued on March 7, 2018. Our attached proposal is for the fixed price of USD ………………………<Sum in Words and Figures >

I certify that our proposal is valid for a period of 60 days. Upon award, our proposal price shall be binding upon us, subject to the modifications resulting from any discussions and final negotiations. I certify our financial responsibility. Further, I will accept TIS+ VAT exempt status and understand that the project will provide VAT exempt documentation upon award.

We understand that TIS+ is not bound to accept any proposal it receives.

Yours sincerely,

Signature

Name of Authorized Representative

Title of Authorized Representative

Company Seal/Stamp


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ATTACHMENT B: Scope of Work Summary The scope of this activity is centered on objectives a, c and d mentioned above. The TIS+ activities are selected through a participatory process dubbed “community consensus process.” The activities are selected through an interactive session with community members selected from different stakeholders representative of the communities within a selected district. The proposed scope is aimed at selecting a firm/organization to undertake consensus building sessions in Qandala district of Bar region of Puntland State of Somalia. The facilitation team with TIS+ support will engage and interact with range of stakeholders including government officials – local DC offices and Puntland Ministries, various community groups of Qandala community and civil society actors districts will be identified in collaboration with government counterparts and TIS+. Proposed Activities and Deliverables at Each Stage

The consultancy firm/organization will have the following primary responsibilities: 1. Technical support to the activity preparation, mobilization and stakeholders coordination;

1.1 The consultant upon signing the contract, will be provided with TIS+ “community consensus building guide”.

The consultant using the consensus guide shall prepare draft work plan with the consensus building session’s

agenda for the three days and the plan to train government officials (11 person) to the consensus planning

guide.

1.2 Together with TIS+ program team, conduct a mobilization meetings/sessions with various stakeholders and

range of government institutions, for joint activity planning and to introduce/present the planning sessions

draft agenda and the government capacity building plan, so as to review the agenda together and endorse it

with clear activity implementation plan.

1.3 Based on TIS+ guidance, the Facilitation team shall hold consultations with Qandala DC office to plan for

Consensus Group establishment, including the purpose of the CONSENSUS GROUPS, the general process as

envisaged by TIS+ and the TOR for the CONSENSUS GROUPS. Key criteria as identified for inclusivity (including

minority and women representation) for the CONSENSUS GROUPS will be emphasized to Local Government

stakeholders. It will also result in an agreed, written, final list of membership for the CONSENSUS GROUPS of

30 persons with 40% women.

Deliverables

a) Submit a draft work plan, and agenda with the CVs of the facilitations team (must be those included in the

proposal) for TIS+ review and approval within 3 days upon signing the contract.

b) Submit activity mobilization report outlining the steps, achievements, success, challenges and

recommendations together with high quality pictures.

c) Written, endorsed list of CONSENSUS GROUPS participation, including narrative indicating how criteria of

inclusivity (minorities/women 40%/etc.) has been met and submitted to TIS+ using the forms provided

2. Build the capacity of the various Government institutions – Local DC, Ministries and other on undertaking and

facilitating community consensus building process exercise through facilitating one day training session;


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2.1 The consultants will build the capacity of at least Eleven (11) officials – representing Qandala DC office, officials from Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of women and Ministry of Youth as well as Bari regional governors office by organizing one day training on the “Community Consensus Building/Planning Process”- defining processes, methodology, conflict mitigation process, resource mapping and mobilization, stabilization and governance priority identification, budgeting, sustainability and maintenance plans and formation of project oversight committees – both government and community members. Also, to clarify the Terms of Reference and roles/responsibilities of each stakeholder in the process. The outcome should be a detailed understanding of the CONSENSUS GROUPS concept and clear understanding of the process. Thereafter, the two officials from Puntland Ministry of Interior and Local governments will be supporting the consultants in undertaking the facilitation of the three days consensus building sessions as part of learning and practicing what they have learnt.

Deliverables

a) Draft agenda for training

b) Training report outlining the process, success, challenges and recommendations. Also, list of participants

trained using TIS+ provided forms - which includes names of persons trained, their designation and contact

details and signatures.

3. Undertake and Facilitate three days community consensus building sessions to be held in Qandala targeting over

41 participants from Qandala consensus groups (30) and government officials (11);

3.1 The Consultant shall deploy excellent facilitation techniques to ensure the sessions are participatory as per

the TIS+ consensus guide directions. Use of Somali language is mandatory throughout the sessions –

distributing materials in Somali version so as to ensure the process is Somali owned and Somali led. In

addition, the consensus groups must be guided to reach inclusive and consensus based decisions while

carefully, ensuring the process to be influenced by one group.

3.2 The consultant should encourage women members in the consensus groups are actively contributing while

providing a separate session in case needed to be facilitated by the female facilitator.

3.3 Each sessions must be documented with specific focus on the conflict mapping, resource mapping, priorities

identification and prioritization while ensuring the identified priorities have clear rationale, sustainability and

maintenance plan and project oversight committees. Duplications and overlap should be avoided with clear

mapping of what other actors are currently doing or planned for Qandala community.

Deliverables

a) Workshop agenda, daily participant’s sig in sheets using TIS+ provided forms.

b) Submission of technical report outlining the consensus sessions process, analysis on the list of prioritized

activities with rationale/justification, clear sustainability and maintenance plan as well as roles and

responsibilities. Also, notations on how the proposed activities equitably serve the whole community.

Success, challenges, lessons learnt and recommendation.

c) Written consensus agreement signed, Roles/Responsibilities/TOR/letter of commitment for project

oversight committees drafted and signed (with support from TIS+ officials)


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Required Qualifications The following are the minimum requirements for the proposals: a. Demonstrated capacity and experience in undertaking participatory processes in governance and stabilization-

related activities in Somalia, particularly in Puntland and Qandala. Verifiable history of past performance with valid contacts must be included in submission of proposal.

b. Experience in training organizations on participatory processes especially in Puntland is highly recommended. Copies of past contracts and contacts for said contracts/grants is required.

c. Extensive understanding of stabilization programming in conflict and post conflict context in particular Somalia. Experience working in the Bari regions of Puntland State of Somalia preferred. Reference letters will suffice.

d. At least three years working in Puntland is Mandatory. CVs of proposed candidates to support the assignment must also be attached. TIS+ encourages working with Women as part of TIS+ principles of engagement therefore inclusion of women and other social groups to take up facilitation role highly encouraged.

e. Proposals should have clear plan of immediate availability to commence assignment and completion of assignment including final reporting deliverables.

Minimum Mandatory Requirements

Provide a valid government registration certificate with the Government of Somalia/Puntland State

CVs of proposed key personnel must be attached.

Must include a minimum of one (1) female member, but more are encouraged, as part of the proposed team

The organization/consultancy firm must have at least four (4) years’ relevant experience

Completed Proposal Cover Letter, signed by an authorized representative of the offeror with company/contact details and company stamp (see Attachment A template)

Official quotation (see Attachment C, Cost Proposal, for example).

Record of Past Performance Experience (Attachment D)

Filled out Evidence of Responsibility (Attachment E)

Expected Level of Effort

The expected level of effort is anticipated to be a period of ten (10) days, with submission of a draft report within three (3) working days. A detailed work and travel plan should be included in the proposal and will be negotiated and agreed, as part of the award negotiation, as needed. The work is expected to begin in March/April 2018.

Reporting

The consultancy firm / organization will work under the overall supervision of the TIS+ Field Coordinator (FC), Program Activity Specialist (PAS) and assigned TIS+ consultants, with support from the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and Chief of Party (COP) as needed.


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Evaluation of Proposals

DESCRIPTION POINTS

(MAXIMUM – 100)

Technical Approach

Proposed Methodology 20 Points

Proposed Level of Effort/Period of Performance for this assignment and Provide draft Work Plan for the assignment

10 Points

Proposed Key Personnel

Professional qualification, relevant experience and appropriateness of proposed personnel in undertaking field research, ability to elicit, capture and synthesize the views of a range of stakeholders

15 Points

Key staff with minimum 5 years’ work experience in conducting relevant work 5 Points

Submission of Resumes of Staff 5 Points

University Degree in relevant field, or commensurate experience 5 Points

Past Experience

Previous experience in Implementing similar projects in Puntland for the last three years

10 Points

Evidence of past experience showing a similar assignment conducted in Somalia such as Recommendation letters or copies of contract

10 Points

Previous experience in supporting facilitation of community consensus building sessions

20 Points

TOTAL POINTS 100 Points

Cost Estimates

The firm is expected to quote the entire cost of this assignment using the sample of the activity budget attached in this RFP. TIS+ will cover the cost of transportation, accommodation and meals. Due to the nature of working environment in terms of security threats TIS+ will not be responsible for the safety of the consultants. However, activities will be implemented upon satisfactory security condition at the field.

The consultancy is expected to quote only the cost of consultancy/facilitation fee and should not include the cost of participants’ transportation, accommodation, meals and workshop as this will be catered for directly by TIS+. Meals, incidentals and accommodation costs for the consultants will be provided by TIS+ as per the TIS+ rates. The applicants should clearly specify two facilitators and a note taker for the session, plus additional two names for contingency plan with consultancy fee per day including the travel, other relevant costs and reporting days. Kindly refer the sample of cost estimation sheet below.


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ATTACHMENT C: Cost Proposal Format

MUST BE PRINTED ON COMPANY LETTERHEAD AND SIGNED AND STAMPED BY A COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE

Description Fill Name Number Unit Cost (In USD)

Total Cost (In USD)

Lead Facilitator

Assistant Facilitator

Note Taker (Local)

Other Relevant Costs (List them Below)

TOTAL COSTS

Authorized Representative : ____________________________________ PRINT NAME _____________________________________ TITLE ____________________________________ SIGNATURE COMPANY SEAL/STAMP


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ATTACHMENT D: Past Performance/Experience

No. Client Description of

Services Location

Cost (In USD)

Dates

1

Name: Tel: Email Address

Start Date: End Date:

2



3



4




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ATTACHMENT E: Evidence of Responsibility

Each vendor is required to respond to each point in the form below and sign it

Evidence of Responsibility -- FAR Subsection 9.104

To be determined responsible, a prospective contractor must -- a. Have adequate financial resources to perform the contract, or the ability to obtain them see FAR

9.104-3(a);

b. Be able to comply with the required or proposed delivery or performance schedule, taking into consideration all existing commercial and governmental business commitments;

c. Have a satisfactory performance record (see 9.104-3 (b) and Subpart 42.15). A prospective contractor shall not be determined responsible or non-responsible solely on the basis of a lack of relevant performance history, except as provided in 9.104-2;

d. Have a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics;

e. Have the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills, or the ability to obtain them (including, as appropriate, such elements as production control procedures, property control systems, quality assurance measures, and safety programs applicable to materials to be produced or services to be performed by the prospective contractor and subcontractors). (See 9.104-3 (a);

f. Have the necessary production, construction, and technical equipment and facilities, or the ability to obtain them (see 9.104-3(a));

g. Be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations. Company Name: _________________________________________________________ Authorized Representative Name: _________________________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________________________________

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