The document provides guidance on developing a tender for an audiovisual mass-digitization project. It outlines key sections to include in the tender such as an overview of the project context and timeline, selection criteria for candidates, assessment criteria for evaluating bids, contractual provisions, and technical specifications. Templates are suggested for a price matrix to cover all cost aspects and reporting templates. Attachments of sample files, pictures and standards help candidates understand requirements. Transparency, legal advice, market research, and machine-readable documents are advised to develop a thorough and clear tender.

1. Solid partners, flexible solutions
Do’s and don’ts in tendering for audiovisual mass-digitization
Brecht Declercq – Presto4U Preservathon – Brussels, VRT, 14th November 2014

2. YOUR ORGANISATION
YOUR PRESERVATION
STRATEGY
YOUR DIGITIZATION
PROJECT
YOUR TENDER
CONTEXT DEFINING YOUR
TENDER

3. TIMING
START
END
DEPENDENCIES
PHASING, ...
BUDGET
STAFF
LOGISTICS
DIGITIZATION, ...
SCOPE
QUANTITY
QUALITY
SPECS, ...
BALANCING YOUR PROJECT

4. WHICH PROCEDURE?
Free
awarding
0 – ca. 10k €
Negociation
Procedure
(RFQ)
ca. 10k – 85k €
National
Procedure
(RFP)
ca. 85k –
200k €
European
Procedure
(RFP)
ca. 200k+ €
GENERAL CALL FOR TENDERS

5. WHICH PROCEDURE?
PRE-INFORMATION PHASE (RFI)
STAGED TENDERING PROCEDURE
ONE OR MULTIPLE PARCELS?

6. VIAA PRACTICE
overview
document
attachments
price
matrix
background
document

7. OVERVIEW DOCUMENT
1. Introduction
2. This tender
3. Legal framework
4. Selection
5. Assessment
6. Contractual provisions

8. OVERVIEW DOCUMENT
1. Introduction
 Who are you?
 Who are you accountable to?
 Who are your other stakeholders?
=> Helps candidates to understand project context

9. OVERVIEW DOCUMENT
2. This tender
 What are you tendering for (short)
 Structure of the documents
 Timeline of the tender and the project
 Instructions for the candidates
o e.g. how to submit an offer?
o e.g. which docs to include in offer?

10. OVERVIEW DOCUMENT

11. 28/02
21/0207/02
30/03
22/02
01/03
28/0431/03
12/0529/04
Check draft tender with CP’s
Final checks
deadline offers
evaluation & report
standstill
publication awarding effective awarding
TENDERING TIMING

12. OVERVIEW DOCUMENT
3. Legal framework
 Depending on procedure
 Don’t just copy-paste this!
 Discuss it with your legal dept or attorney!

13. OVERVIEW DOCUMENT
4. Selection
 First step: who can participate, yes or no?
 Criteria for exclusion
o e.g. respect for social legislation
 Eventually: references
o be careful but creative
o ask for details!
o only as a selection criterion!
 Financial and economic capacity
o e.g. don’t end up with bankrupt partner

14. OVERVIEW DOCUMENT
5. Assessment
 Second step: regularity assessment:
o minimal requirements
o level playing field: yes or no?
 Third step: award criteria
o base for scores
o pricing: formula for comparable figure, formula for score
calculations, x%
o quality: open questions, definition of stages, x%

15. OVERVIEW DOCUMENT
6. Contractual provisions
 Basis for your contract
 Don’t copy, always discuss
 Aspects like
o term
o payments
o pricing recalculations
o indemnity
o confidentiality
o ...

16. BACKGROUND DOCUMENT
1. Digitization as you see it
2. Business case
3. Project requirements
4. Technical requirements

17. BACKGROUND DOCUMENT
1. Digitization as you see it
 Vision on digitization
 Partners involved and their role in process
o e.g. VIAA: content providers, PACKED, ...
=> Helps candidates to identify their place in the game

18. BACKGROUND DOCUMENT
2. Business case
 High level but extensive description of every
step in the process
=> Candidate can fit his service into your story
Registration Packaging
Transport
to SP Digitization
Transport
back
...

19. BACKGROUND DOCUMENT
3. Project approach
 Step per step detailed process explanation
 Minimal requirements and open questions

20. BACKGROUND DOCUMENT
4. Technical requirements
 Step per step detailed process explanation
 Minimal requirements and open questions
o Be careful with the ‘checkbox approach’!
o Leave space for improvements you didn’t think about

21. PRICE MATRIX
1. Specifications summary
2. Matrix for every aspect
3. Options (free/mandatory)
4. Variables (free/mandatory)

22. PRICE MATRIX
1. Specs summary
 Very clear and concise
Project Information
Project name:
Parcel:
Genre:
Format make up:
Total size of the collection:
ME21: End date of the digitization:
Delivery schedule:
Content from broadcasters
ME14: Output format: IMX D10
ME15: Output container: MXF OP1a, AS-VRT-D10 Core
ME16: Output specifications: 50 mbps, 10 bit colour code, aspect ratio
and audio tracks as on the original carrier;
audio: LPCM in MXF
Content from cultural heritage institutions
MJPEG2000
MXF - The specific MXF-JPEG2000-profile
will be communicated prior to the testphase.
lossless compressed video, 10 bit colour
code, aspect ratio and audio tracks as on
the original carrier; audio: LPCM in MXF
Digital Betacam cassettes of different lengths
Base part: 120000 Digital Betacam cassettes, estimated total length: 80000 hours
Base part: 31 december 2019
VIAA: Digitalisatie: wave 1 - only parcel: Digital Betacam
to be scheduled
1
mixed

23. PRICE MATRIX
2. Matrix for every price aspect
 Make sure you cover everything you ask!
 Step by step vs. overall pricing
Services mandatory / non mandatory option /
free variable
Applicable VAT-
rate (%)
Startup cost mandatory
Output format. VIAA only asks for one output format per
carrier.
cost per hour to IMX
D10, in MXF, 50
mbps
cost per hour to
MJPEG2000 lossless,
in MXF
Cost per hour for the base part mandatory
Cost per hour for possible future expansion mandatory
Services
mandatory / non mandatory option /
free variable
price per carrier for
carriers from the
broadcasters
price per carrier for
carriers from the
cultural heritage
institutions
Applicable VAT-
rate (%)
VO01: Storage and elimination of the VRT-cassettes option with mandatory quoting
VO02: Extra XML with information on the quality of the essence. non mandatory option
VO03: Automated segmentation of the essence files. non mandatory option
VO04: Cost per hour for an extra quantity of ca. 32000 carriers
from a broadcaster (ca. 14900u).
option with mandatory quoting
VO05: Cost per hour for an extra quantity of ca. 5000 carriers
from a broadcaster (ca. 4000u).
option with mandatory quoting
Costs overview

24. PRICE MATRIX
3. Options (free/mandatory)
Normally not allowed to score it!
FREE OPTION MANDATORY OPTION
CONTRACTOR Not obliged to take it Not obliged to take it
CANDIDATE Not obliged to offer it Mandatory to offer it

25. PRICE MATRIX
4. Variants (free/mandatory)
 Your own alternatives or the ones of the vendor
FREE VARIANT MANDATORY VARIANT
CONTRACTOR Should choose one Should choose one
CANDIDATE Not obliged to offer it Mandatory to offer it

26. ATTACHMENTS
1. Sample essence files
2. Reporting templates
3. Pictures
4. Standards to comply to

27. ATTACHMENTS
1. Sample essence files

28. ATTACHMENTS
2. Reporting templates

29. ATTACHMENTS
3. Pictures
 Next best thing if on site visit is not possible

30. ATTACHMENTS
4. Standards to comply to

31. MY 5 CENTS OF ADVICE
GET SOUND LEGAL ADVICE OF AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR
OWN LEGAL DEPARTMENT
TRANSPARENCY IS YOUR BEST POLICY
MAKE A THOROUGH MARKET STUDY BEFORE YOU START
DEMAND MACHINE READABLE DOCUMENTS
TRANSLATIONS CAN BE HELPFUL BUT MAKE A GOOD
ONE

32. THANK YOU !
E: brecht.declercq@viaa.be
T: brecht_declercq
L: be.linkedin.com/in/brechtdeclercq