Tender Summary and Bid Comparison

EPC tender XL-26-0301: 10 MW AC ground-mounted solar plant, two-envelope (sample)

Exchange: Project Contracts Exchange
Prepared for: Sample Energy Ventures Pvt Ltd (illustrative)
Prepared by: BARREL Digital Exchange desk

1.Tender overview

Tender reference: XL-26-0301
Buyer: Sample Energy Ventures Pvt Ltd (illustrative)
Scope: Design, supply, construction, testing and commissioning of a 10 MW AC (13 MWp DC) ground-mounted solar plant with 33 kV interconnection; land, approvals and grid connectivity by the buyer
Tender type: Two-envelope; technical qualification before commercial opening
Contract form: Lump-sum turnkey EPC, 9-month completion
Site: Jodhpur district, Rajasthan (exact location in the tender documents, under NDA)
Prepared by: BARREL Project Contracts desk, from the tender record and the panel's own entries

2.Key dates

Tender published: 15 September 2026
Pre-bid meeting: 25 September 2026, online; six invited bidders attended
Last date for queries: 30 September 2026
Addendum 1 issued: 03 October 2026: revised module specification, clarified bay scope
Criteria and weightings frozen: 10 October 2026
Bid deadline: 17 October 2026, 15:00 IST
Technical envelopes opened: 19 October 2026, 11:05 IST
Commercial envelopes opened: 28 October 2026, 10:30 IST

3.Eligibility criteria and bidders

Eligibility as published and frozen before opening: (a) at least 20 MW of cumulative solar EPC completed in the last five years, including one plant of 5 MW or more; (b) average annual turnover of ₹40 crore over the last three financial years and positive net worth; (c) an EMD of ₹25 lakh as a bank guarantee; (d) a self-declaration of no current blacklisting by a government body or utility.

Seven contractors were invited. Six accepted and signed the NDA, five acknowledged Addendum 1, and three submitted both envelopes before the deadline. One invited firm withdrew after the pre-bid meeting citing capacity; two did not submit. All three bids met the eligibility criteria on the documents provided, which the panel accepted at face value. Bidders are identified as A, B and C in this report; their names are on the panel's record.

4.Technical evaluation

The three panel members scored independently and the scores were averaged; the qualifying mark was 65 of 100. Figures are rounded to whole numbers.

Criterion	Weight	Bidder A	Bidder B	Bidder C
Relevant EPC experience and references	20	17	15	13
Design basis, layout and energy-yield estimate	20	16	14	13
Module and inverter makes and warranties	15	13	12	11
Construction schedule and methodology	15	13	11	10
Safety and quality plan	10	8	8	7
Key personnel	10	8	7	7
Financial standing	10	7	7	7
Total (qualifying mark 65)	100	82	74	68

5.Commercial comparison

Loading, by the method frozen with the criteria: Bidder B carries ₹0.8 crore for two months of deferred generation at the buyer's illustrative tariff and ₹1.3 crore for the reduced LD cover; Bidder C carries the buyer's estimate of ₹0.9 crore for the excluded substation bay. Loading is used for ranking only and does not change any bidder's quoted price.

Item	Bidder A	Bidder B	Bidder C
Lump-sum price, excluding GST	₹41.8 crore	₹40.2 crore	₹43.5 crore
GST as stated by the bidder	₹5.0 crore	₹4.8 crore	₹5.2 crore
Total including stated GST	₹46.8 crore	₹45.0 crore	₹48.7 crore
Completion schedule	9 months	11 months	9 months
Plant warranty (modules 25 years per OEM)	5 years	2 years	5 years
Liquidated damages for delay	0.5% per week, cap 10%	0.5% per week, cap 5%	1.0% per week, cap 10%
Bid validity	120 days	90 days	120 days
Deviations noted	None	Longer schedule; lower LD cap	33 kV bay at the substation excluded
Evaluated price after loading deviations	₹41.8 crore	₹42.3 crore	₹44.4 crore

6.Clarifications log

C-01, Bidder A: Asked to confirm that the energy-yield estimate includes the stated degradation allowance; confirmed in writing on 21 October 2026.
C-02, Bidder B: Asked whether the 11-month schedule could be brought to 9 months at the same price; the bidder declined, so the deviation was retained and loaded.
C-03, Bidder C: Asked whether the substation bay was excluded or priced elsewhere; confirmed excluded on 22 October 2026.
C-04, all bidders: Asked to confirm that the Addendum 1 module specification was priced; all three confirmed, with no change to prices.

7.Award recommendation (illustrative)

All three bidders qualified technically. On evaluated price after loading, Bidder A is lowest at ₹41.8 crore, followed by Bidder B at ₹42.3 crore and Bidder C at ₹44.4 crore. Bidder A also scored highest technically and offered the longer plant warranty with no deviations.

The panel recommends that Sample Energy Ventures Pvt Ltd (illustrative) take up Bidder A for award, subject to its own approval process, agreement of the commissioning milestones and the 10% performance bank guarantee, and confirmation of the key personnel named in the bid. This is a recommendation recorded on the platform. The award decision, the contract and its performance rest with the buyer and the contractor.

8.Bid-integrity record

Sealed-bid vault: All envelopes stored encrypted; no buyer, panel or BARREL user could open an envelope before the deadline
Bid lock: 17 October 2026, 15:00 IST, server timestamp; three submissions locked, each with a content hash
Late or revised submissions: None after the lock; one bidder revised its commercial envelope once before the deadline, which is recorded
Technical opening: 19 October 2026, 11:05 IST, by the three-member panel (names in the audit log); commercial envelopes stayed sealed
Technical scores frozen: 27 October 2026, before commercial opening
Commercial opening: 28 October 2026, 10:30 IST, same panel, second approver present
Document access: 41 views and 9 downloads, all by panel members, all logged
Criteria changes: None after the freeze of 10 October 2026