Framework procurement, Pool of Experts, Digital Investment Facility

This procurement consitutes the framework arrangement for the procurement of training, coaching and development services of the Digital Investment Facility (DIF) for the design of data centers in sub-Saharan Africa. The framework arrangement is valid for two years with one (1) possible option period of one year, and its estimated value is 420,000 Euros without VAT. The framework arrangement consists of nine areas of special expertise, each requiring three experts to be selected based on their suitability and quality criteria. The experts act as consultants for the clients implementing data center projects in sub-Saharan Africa, and provide them with technical assistance, analysis, evaluation, documentation and reporting. The experts may need to travel to the project site, in which case they must follow the Finnish government's travel regulations and report their expenses to the customer. The selection of the expert to perform the service is based on the need and special wishes of the client, and may involve an additional price inquiry or a competition if the expected value of the service is at least 60,000 Euros.

This procurement concerns "Research and development services and related consultancy services", CPV 73000000-2. Although the principles of the Finnish Procurement Act and Directive 2014/24/EU are followed in general, the procurement is not in the scope of the Finnish Procurement Act. According to the Finnish Procurement Act, section 9, the Act does not govern procurements concerning the research and development services, except where the benefits derived from them accrue solely to the contracting entity for use in its operations and the contracting entity pays in full for the service performed. As this procurement falls into the scope of the said limitation, the Finnish Procurement Act is not applicable as such in this procurement.