News

Summary

Tasdeer, the Trade Facilitation and Customs Support Programme, is soliciting proposals from eligible and responsible firms and individuals for the supply of equipment to upgrade Palestine Standards Institution’s (PSI) leather and shoes testing labs – Testing Hardware and Training.

The Trade Facilitation and Customs Support Programme (Tasdeer) is funded by UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and is being carried out in West Bank and Gaza.  Cowater International is responsible for managing the implementation of this programme on behalf of  FCDO and under its supervision. The objective of the Tasdeer programme is to improve the Palestinian  private sector’s competitiveness and the Palestinian Authority’s capacity in the fields of trade, customs and exports. It aims to increase sustainable private sector-led economic growth and job creation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem and Area C, and the PA’s fiscal sustainability, while ensuring equitable access to increased trade and improved institutional capacity. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion are main objectives for Tasdeer to ensure the benefits of the programme are equally  accessed by the diverse groups of men and women in the supply chain.

Tasdeer is designed to be flexible and adaptable, and will work politically and technically to make progress across four key interrelated Workstreams:

• Work Stream 1: Support to expedite the movement of goods and reduce transaction costs. This work stream aims to develop systemic interventions that will seek to expedite the movement of goods and contribute to impactful reductions in transaction costs for Palestinian imports and exports.
• Work Stream 2: Support to improve Palestinian trade-related institutions and business enabling
  environment. This workstream aims to improve the Palestinian trade-related institutions and strengthen the trade operating environment.
• Work Stream 3: Support to improve the private sector’s skills and innovation to export and create
  jobs. This workstream aims to provide grants in support of activities that will help Palestinian firms increase their exports through the application of a market-driven approach.
• Work Stream 4: Support to improve PA’s Customs readiness to assume functions from Israel and revenues from trade-related taxes. This workstream aims to provide technical assistance to  enhance the capacity of the PA Ministry of Finance Customs Department including the possible transfer of additional custom functions from Israel to the PA and to limit fiscal losses from inefficient clearance mechanism of trade-related taxes.

Background

The Leather and Shoes Testing Laboratory was established in 2020 to perform quality and standards testing, with the aim of improving the export capacity of Palestine’s leather and shoes sector. The lab was created as the result of a joint effort between the Palestine Metrology and Standards Institute, the Ministry of National Economy, Palestine Polytechnic University, the Hebron Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Shoe and Leather Industry Cluster, and the Federation of Leather Industries.

As part of Workstream 2, Tasdeer intends to build the capacity of Palestine’s Leather and Shoes Testing Labs by providing and installing new equipment that will increase the scope of their testing services.
For this purpose, Tasdeer conducted a comprehensive assessment of the labs and has identified testing equipment that is necessary for the upgrading process.

Tasdeer is looking to add testing equipment that provides the needed services, requires low  maintenance, and is available locally. Moreover, it is essential that the equipment conforms with the international standards to support PSI and the labs’ international accreditation.

To Apply

• Questions regarding the technical or administrative requirements of this RFQ may be submitted no later than 4:00pm on Saturday, March 19th, 2022 (Ramallah local time) by email to procurement@tasdeer.ps. Questions must be submitted in writing; phone calls will not be accepted.
• Only the written answers issued by Tasdeer will be considered official and carry weight in the RFQ process and subsequent evaluation. Any verbal information received from employees of Tasdeer, or any other entity should not be considered as an official response to any questions regarding this RFQ.
• Offers must be received no later than 04:00 pm on Saturday, March 26th, 2022 (Ramallah local time). Offers received after this date or time will be considered late and will be considered only at the discretion of Tasdeer.

To download the full version of the RFQ and Terms of Reference, click here.