The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has received a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the partial financing of the National Highways Program. The Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) is the executing agency for the program.

The civil works component of the program consists primarily of the rehabilitation of approximately 586 km of main roads, reconstruction of 65 km of bridges and improvement of approximately 50 km of trunk roads.

The scope of works and the consulting services under this prequalification exercise will be to design review and supervise Year 3 works of the roads and bridges rehabilitation, National Highways Program. The Year 3 works consist of the rehabilitation of approximately 120 km of main roads and reconstruction of 40 bridges.

Consulting firms from the IDB=s member countries are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest with a view to being shortlisted by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Eligibility with respect to nationality will be determined in accordance with the rules applicable to the utilization of the IDB financing.

The consultants shall be responsible to the MOWT and shall undertake the work in accordance with the terms of reference and other documents to be provided subsequently to the prequalified firms.

Prequalification questionnaires, clarification and further information may be obtained from the Program Director, National Highways Program, at the first address below.

Any consulting firm or joint venture wishing to prequalify must complete the necessary questionnaire. In the case of joint ventures, each firm involved in the partnership must submit a separate questionnaire.

Consulting firms or joint ventures applying for prequalification must be competent in English. Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

A shortlist of three to six firms will be prequalified. The prequalified firms will be invited to submit technical and financial proposals for the supervision of Year 3 works. The terms of reference for this program will be made available to the shortlisted firms only. It is expected that construction works for the Year 3 program begin during the 3rd quarter of 2003. Firms will be advised of the results of the prequalification within three months of the closing date of this notice.

The Central Tenders Board reserves the right to cancel the present prequalification notice in its entirety or even partially, without defraying any cost incurred by any firm in submitting its application.

The original and three copies of the completed questionnaire, clearly marked APrequalification for Consulting Services for the Design Review and Supervision of Year 3 Works of the Roads and Bridges Rehabilitation National Highways Program for the Ministry of Works and Transport@, must be placed in a sealed envelope addressed to the Director of Contracts, Central Tenders Board (second address below) by 1300 hours (local time) on Thursday, 16 May 2002. Late applications will not be considered in any circumstances.

1. National Highways Program. Attn: Program Director. Ministry of Works and Transport. Project Execution Unit. Plaza Espermaria, 36 Henry St.. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Tel: (1-868) 627-6195/8345. Fax: (1-868) 623-5681, 627-8345.
2. Central Tenders Board. Attn: Director of Contracts. 116 Frederick St.. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago