Board game development - NDICI CSO/2023/448-324

Development of an escape room board game (in English and in 8 partner languages) - NDICI CSO/2023/448-324

Description

REFERENCE:  NDICI CSO/2023/448-324 “Rebooting the Food System: Youth Engagement for Agroecology and Due Diligence”

Development of an escape room board game (in English and in 8 partner languages)

1.   Reference

NDICI CSO/2023/448-324

2.   Procedure

        Single tender

3.   Programme title

      Board game development

4.   Financing

Budget line 5.1.2 Intermodal container campaign

5.   Contracting authority

CEEweb for Biodiversity

Katona József street 35 1/1

Budapest

1137

Hungary

CONTRACT SPECIFICATION

6.   Nature of contract

Global price

7.   Overall objectives, expected results and Terms of Reference

7.1. Background information

CEEWEB FOR BIODIVERSITY IS A NETWORK OF 34 ORGANISATIONS FROM 15 CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE COUNTRIES

As an umbrella organisation, CEEweb have been committed since 1994 to the conservation of biodiversity in Central and Eastern Europe. CEEweb’s mission is to work for the conservation of biodiversity through the promotion of sustainable development. Our work is done through advocacy, networking with and influencing decision makers, implementing national and transnational projects, and by carrying out capacity building and raising awareness activities. Throughout this time, the work has been done in over 20 countries identifying and changing the drivers behind biodiversity loss; forming common policies and actions for the enhancement of biodiversity in Central and Eastern Europe; and promoting the enforcement of international conventions for nature and biodiversity conservation.

7.2. The overall objective of the project of which this contract will be a part is as follows:

Global challenges (such as the triple planetary crisis - climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution -, inequality, irregular migration and others) have become more pressing in the last few years, some of them further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This opens a wider door to overly simplistic solutions to complex problems, and potentially resulting in declining solidarity and increasing nationalistic tendencies. While the EU citizens’ awareness of and interest in the interdependencies of the global food system has increased lately, a large number of citizens are still not aware of the multidimensional nature of sustainable food and food systems. Health aspects are considered the most important, while social and environmental issues in food supply chains are ignored.

The EU has already taken an important step with the launch of the Farm to Fork Strategy. But with little participation and support from those who benefit most from a green and just transition – young EU citizens – changes will happen too slowly.

Therefore, a strategically chosen consortium of 14 environmental, human rights and youth organizations in 9 member states with vast inhouse experience launched the project - funded by the EU Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) programme - “Rebooting the Food System: Youth Engagement for Agroecology and Due Diligence” to raise awareness and mobilise EU youth to become agents of change themselves. Together they can become a part of sustainable and inclusive solutions for a globally just food system. Innovative campaigning, valuable capacity building and knowledge sharing will encourage and empower youth to advocate for the implementation of agroecology and due diligence in food supply chains. To achieve policy and structural changes urban and rural youth will ally with agroecological farmers and activists from EU and the Global South (GS).

The overall objective of the Reboot project is to contribute to a more inclusive society with a developed sense of co-responsibility for sustainable food supply chains on a local and global level, tackling global inequalities and ecological crises.

The project activities strategically targeting the European youth, hence we organize gamified actions - such as mobile escape rooms in the frame of an intermodal container campaign -, specifically attract young people. Escape rooms are a highly suitable activity for the generalpublic, particularly for those of the groups who are less aware, as they offer a suspenseful interactive game and engaging group experience, while at the same time casually providing relevant information and awareness. The popularity of escape rooms is universal.

The intermodal container campaign will include an European roadshow, where two mobile modules resembling freight containers will be driven to 5 partner countries. One container represents the current, problematic state of the global food system, while the second container is leading the visitors along the journey of the action: wishes and visions of youth for a fair and sustainable food system as well as with demands directed at political decision-makers. The goal is to escape from the first container to the second one representing a more sustainable food system based on agroecological and fairtrade principles, due diligence, and gender equality by allowing participants to experience food production, e.g., on an agroecological farm in the GS. The focus of the container and container game is on helping visitors to understand and experience why industrial agriculture and the food system in its current form is dysfunctional and harmful to people and nature, and how an alternative system based on sustainability and social justice could look and work.

To provide the opportunity for all European citizens to play this game, a miniature copy - as adaptation of the objective of the escape rooms – will be turned into an escape room board game in English and 8 partner languages (DK, FR, DE, NL, SI, RO, IT, HUN). This action is the subject of the current call for proposals, which is coordinated by CEEweb for Biodiversity.

8.   Contract description

The successful tenderer will provide the following subtask according to the Terms of reference attached to this document. The tenderer will elaborate the board game for the “Rebooting the Food System” project. This will include:

• Game components print data (ready for print PDF)
• Full manual in English and 8 project languages (DK, FR, DE, NL, SI, RO, IT, HUN)
• Game principles including visual design

Handover will be via USB drive or if agreed via secured transfer.

The contracting authority and successful tenderer will agree on the deadline of implementation is maximum 5 months from the date of signature of the contract by both parties, when the successful tenderer will be eligible for the full payment of the offered price by the successful tenderer against an eligible invoice. Mid payments are possible based on lots delivered. The successful tenderer agrees in all parts of the condition of participation, provisional timetable, selection and award criteria and tendering annexes of this document.

9. Purpose and scope of the work

9.1. Number and titles of lots

Lot 1.) Concept presentation

Lot 2.) Game ready for testing

Lot 3.) Fully delivered contract

9.2. Specific work

The tenderer will be contracted to provide the service of board game development and translation with the following specificities and tasks:

• Development of the concept of the board game
  • Objective: it has to reflect the objective of the container game (above). It doesn’t have to copy it, but to follow the concept (escape from the current, unsustainable food system to the future, which is a more sustainable way of food system).
  • Target group: EU citizens, especially youth (aged between 15-30) and Civil Society Organisation
  • Take away of the game: raising awareness of the challenges of the global food system, and present agroecology as a motivating alternative in a creative, exciting, easy to understand, playful way.
  • Timeframe of the game: minimum 30 minutes, maximum 2 hours.
  • Number of players: from 2 to 10.
  • Important that the game cannot be complicated, it should be understood by an average teen or adult.
• Development of the design
  • The design of the game is part of the winner’s task
  • The design should be suitable to the core target audience (youth), but is must attractive also to the wider audience
  • The design must follow the visibility guideline by the EU: e6c7b8f5-e3e6-4458-ae7e-9cc313a338b8_en (europa.eu)
  • Mandatory elements: EU logo, EU emblem accompanied by a funding statement mentioning (‘Co-funded by the European Union’), CEEweb logo, project partners logo, project logo
  • Design includes the booklet of the game-description
• Adaptation to 9 partner languages
  • The board game should be developed in English and adapted in 8 partner languages (DK, FR, DE, NL, SI, RO, IT, HUN).
  • The translation of the game is part of the winner’s task

9.3. Results to be achieved by the Contractor (outputs, outcomes specified)

Mindset change at the players by understanding the current situation and the possible ways out. The game also should give the players a sense of call-to-action mood after ending the game by encouraging them to represent a new way of mindset.

9.4. Reporting requirements

The working language between the contractor and subcontracted party will be carried out in English. Potential travelling- and accommodation costs of the contracted party should be included in their budget.

There are no interim reporting conditions, but continuous communication between the contractor and the contracted party provides the basis for monitoring the work. After the conclusion of the implementation, the contracted party should provide the game components in print data (ready for print PDF) format. The Contracting Authority will have 5 working days for the evaluation, acceptance and payment of the work. The project manager is the responsible person for approving the end product.

9.5. Monitoring and evaluation

The following indicators will be used to assess the technical content of the tender and its implementation.

Qualitative:

• Knowledge and practical experience in board game development
• Experience on educational (mindset-change) game development
• Creativity of the game
• Understandability of the game
• Ways of interpreting the current situation of the food system and the potential solutions
• Sustainability of the physical game production

10. Maximum budget

13 000 EUR (gross amount)

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

11. Legal basis and participation

Regulation (EU) N°236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 laying down common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for financing external action. See Annex A2 of the Practical Guide.

11.1 Participation in this tender procedure is open only to the invited tenderers.

11.2 Natural or legal persons are not entitled to participate in this tender procedure or be awarded a contract if they are in any of the situations mentioned in Sections 2.3.3.1 or 2.3.3.2 of the Practical Guide. These instructions set out the rules for submitting, selecting and implementing contracts financed under this call for tenders, in conformity with the Practical Guide, (available on the internet at this address: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/document.do). Should they do so, their tender will be considered unsuitable or irregular respectively. Please submit the Declaration on Honour for the assessment of these terms.

11.3 All subcontractors must be eligible for the contract. If the identity of the intended subcontractor is already known at the time of submitting the tender, the tenderer must furnish a statement guaranteeing the eligibility of the subcontractor. If any subcontractor identified in this way does not meet the eligibility criteria, the tender shall be rejected. If the identity of the subcontractor is not known at the time of submitting the tender, any subcontract must be awarded according to Article 4 of the General Conditions of the contract. k)     If the offer includes subcontracting, it is recommended that the contractual arrangements between the tenderer and its subcontractors include mediation, according to national and international practices, as a method of dispute resolution. Subcontractors cannot be in any of the exclusion situations listed in Section 2.3.3 of the Practical Guide. Subcontracting is the only permitted form of collaboration with firms that have not been short-listed.

12. Services to be provided

The services required by the Contracting Authority are described in the Terms of Reference.

13. Sub-contracting

Subcontracting is allowed.

PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE

14. Provisional commencement date of the contract

No longer than 5 days after deadline for submission the tender.

15. Timetable

       The start date for implementation shall be the date of signature of the contract by both parties.

       The period for implementing the tasks is maximum 5 months from the start date.

* All times are in the time zone of the country of the Contracting Authority
^' Provisional date

16. Period during which tenders are binding

Tenderers are bound by their tenders for 90 days after the deadline for submitting tenders or until they have been notified of non-award.

The selected tenderer must maintain its tender for a further 60 days. A further period of 60 days is added to the validity period irrespective of the date of notification.

SELECTION AND AWARD CRITERIA

17. Selection criteria

The following selection criteria will be applied to the tenderers. In the case of tenders submitted by a consortium, these selection criteria will be applied to the consortium as a whole. The selection criteria will not be applied to natural persons and single-member companies when they are sub-contractors.

17.1. Economic and financial capacity of the tenderer (based on item 3 of the tender form). In case of tenderer being a public body, equivalent information should be provided. The reference period which will be taken into account will be the last three financial years for which accounts have been closed.

• the tenderer will not be economically dependent on the contracting authority in the event that the contract is awarded to it, and
• has sufficient financial stability to handle the proposed contract.
• the tenderer understands that matching with one of the criterias of 2.6.10.1.1. in Practical Guide will immediately leads exclusion from participation of the current tender. See the full list of  exclusion criteria at:
  
  https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/document.do?nodeNumber=2.6.10.1.1&id=

17.2. Professional capacity of the tenderer

The reference period which will be taken into account will be the last three years preceding the submission deadline.

The objective of this criterion is to examine whether or not the tenderer (i.e. the consortium as a whole, in the case of a tender from a consortium)

• has sufficient ongoing staff resources and expertise to be able to handle the proposed contract
• has at least 3 years of relevant experience in the same field
• is able to provide reference work from previous.

17.3. Technical capacity of tenderer

The reference period which will be taken into account will be the last three years from submission deadline. The objective of this criterion is to examine whether or not the tenderer (i.e. the consortium as a whole, in the case of a tender from a consortium) has sufficient expertise and experience to be able to handle the proposed contract.

18. Award criteria

Best price-quality ratio.

TENDERING

19. Submission of tenders

Tenders must be delivered in physical or digital format to the Contracting Authority for receipt by 22 September 2024 at 17:00 CET.

For tenders in physical format, they must include the requested documents either by recorded delivery (official postal service or including courier services) to the address below.

CEEweb for Biodiversity

Katona József street 35 1/1

Budapest

1137

Hungary

For tenders in digital format, they must be sent to all of the following official emails of the project’s representatives:

• Attila Dobák, Project Coordinator: adobak@ceeweb.org
• Viktória Selmeczy, Senior Expert: vselmeczy@ceeweb.org
• Gábor Szoboszlai, Chief Financial Officer: gszoboszlai@ceeweb.org
• Office e-mail: office@ceeweb.org

Tenderers may amend or withdraw their tenders by written notification prior to the deadline for submitting tenders. Tenders may not be amended after this deadline.

20. Evaluation of tenders (Evaluation of technical and financial offers)

The quality of each technical and financial offer will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria and the weighting detailed in the evaluation grid. No other award criteria will be used. The award criteria will be examined in accordance with the requirements indicated in the Terms of Reference. The best price-quality ratio is established by weighing technical quality against price on an 80/20 basis.[1]

21. Confidentiality and ethic clauses

The entire evaluation procedure is confidential, subject to the Contracting Authority’s legislation on access to documents. The Evaluation Committee’s decisions are collective and its deliberations are held in closed session. The evaluation reports and written records are for official use only and may be communicated neither to the tenderers nor to any party other than the Contracting Authority, the European Commission, the European Anti-Fraud Office and the European Court of Auditors.

The European Commission reserves the right to suspend or cancel project financing if corrupt practices of any kind are discovered at any stage of the award process or during the execution of a contract and if the Contracting Authority fails to take all appropriate measures to remedy the situation. For the purposes of this provision, ‘corrupt practices’ are the offer of a bribe, gift, gratuity or commission to any person as an inducement or reward for performing or refraining from any act relating to the award of a contract or execution of a contract already concluded with the Contracting Authority. Tenders will be rejected or contracts terminated if it emerges that the award or execution of a contract has given rise to unusual commercial expenses.

22. Notification of award

The successful tenderer will be informed in writing that its tender has been accepted.   

The successful tenderer shall then confirm availability or unavailability of their key-experts within 5 days from the date of the notification of award.

In the event of cancellation of the tender procedure, the Contracting Authority will notify tenderers of the cancellation.

23. Data Protection

If processing your reply to the invitation to tender involves the recording and processing of personal data (such as names, addresses and CVs), it will be processed solely for the purposes of the performance management and monitoring of the tender and of the contract by the data controller without prejudice to possible transmission to the bodies charge with monitoring or inspection tasks in application of Union law. Details concerning processing of your personal data are available on the privacy statement at http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/annexes.do?group=A

24. Early Detection and Exclusion System

The tenderers and, if they are legal entities, persons who have powers of representation, decision-making or control over them, are informed that, should they be in one of the situations of early detection or exclusion, their personal details (name, given name if natural person, address, legal form and name and given name of the persons with powers of representation, decision-making or control, if legal person) may be registered in the Early Detection and Exclusion System,, and communicated to the persons and entities concerned in relation to the award or the execution of a procurement contract.

Download General Conditions for Service Contracts

Download Tender Form

Download Draft Contract

Download Evaluation grid

[1] The evaluation of the technical offers will follow the procedures set out in Section 3.3.10 of the Practical Guide (available on the internet at http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/document.do).