Category: EU

Scenography and Service planning framework contract for the Europa Experiences and other facilities (Open procedure – ref.no.: COMM/AWD/2022/23)

European Parliament, Directorate-General for Communication, Directorate for visitors

Contract duration: max 5 years

The total maximum value of the framework contract is €10.200.000

Description, purpose and estimated value of the contract: Building on a pre-existing standardised Europa Experience Franchise, the successful bidder will notably be requested:

* to provide scenography and planning service from the early feasibility study to the reception of a new exhibition. The services comprise – inter alia – interior design, functional design, media planning, tendering, contractors’ coordination, works supervision and project management services (including the specification, coordination and supervision of works) for the rollout of the Europa Experience franchise in the EU Member States;

* to design innovative new exhibition elements for the Europa Experiences, or any other (visitor) facilities, including the modernisation of existing exhibitions and coordinate their implementation;

* to provide certain architectural, design, graphic and accessibility related services and advice.

Background: After the first pilot in Berlin (2016), Europa Experience exhibitions opened their doors to the public in Ljubljana (2017), Strasbourg (2017), Helsinki (2018), Copenhagen (2019) and Tallinn (2020). Parliament aims at completing the rollout of Europa Experiences in all remaining 21 Member States’ capitals by 2024, i.e. implementing new visitor facilities in Paris, Prague, Rome, Warsaw, Stockholm, Madrid, Vienna, Riga, Bucharest, Bratislava, Vilnius, Zagreb, Lisbon, Athens, Dublin, Sofia, Luxembourg, The Hague, La Valetta, Budapest and Nicosia. The order of implementation depends on the identification of suitable premises in each location and the subsequent negotiation of the relevant lease and fit out contracts. The scope of the framework contract also comprise the development of new media stations and content and the redesign of some existing exhibitions, notably the first Europa Experience pilot projects. Depending on the time of award of the present contract, the selected tenderer will be expected to work on a subset of these projects.

The successful tenderer may also be expected to contribute to the development of other (visitor) facilities, as well, including:

* The House of European History in Brussels (https://historia-europa.ep.eu), part of DG COMM and the Jean Monnet House (https://www.jean-monnet-europe.eu). The House of European History, which opened in 2017, houses a permanent exhibition and a periodically alternating temporary exhibition. It currently develops a concept for travelling exhibitions with the intention of launching the first travelling exhibition outside Belgium in the course of 2023. The Jean Monnet House in Bazoches, France contains – inter alia – a permanent exhibition.

* The successful tenderer may also be expected to contribute to the development of the European Parliament’s new visitor centre, currently under development in the Stefan Zweig building. The visitors centre is planned to open mid-2022, and will welcome visitor groups to a state-of-the-art facility with hybrid seminar rooms, interactive displays with multimedia content, Virtual Reality activities and other experiences. Additionally, the framework contract may be used for continuing development of the visitor experience in the currently in-use facility in the Paul-Henri Spaak building. Both locations are managed by the Visits and Seminars Unit (VISSEM), part of DG COMM. VISSEM welcomes groups and individual visitors to the European Parliament in Brussels, offering a number of activities including talks about Parliament and its work, visits to the Hemicycle, a multimedia guided (app) tour and activities specifically developed for school and youth groups.

* Furthermore, the Visitors Services Coordination Unit (VSCU) of DG COMM contributes to the implementation of a unified Visitors’ Strategy in the European Parliament, pooling resources, fostering communication and implementing tools for the promotion of the EP visitors offer. In this context, it has among others opened three welcome points for visitors (Station Europe, Zweig Welcome Centre and an info point) and worked on the embellishment of Parliament’s campus for visitors. Such tasks could have to be performed again, and the framework contract may thus be used for the update of existing and the design of new facilities, temporary exhibitions, ad-hoc and mobile furniture, media stations and other installations.

Requirements for suppliers:

Financial conditions: tenderers must demonstrate a minimum average turnover of € 2.000.000 over the financial years 2019, 2020, 2021 for which accounts have been closed in the area covered by the contract.

Technical/professional capacity: At least 5 years of experience in the design of interactive exhibitions of similar nature and complexity as the one described in this tendering procedure.Design of at least five (5) exhibitions of which:

* At least two (2) of min 500 m²;

* At least two (2) with a total production value of at least € 1.500.000;

* At least one (1) with the use of projection mapping (curved and panoramic cinemas, projection on objects, etc.)

* At least one (1) with the use of a media wall (LED or similar technology) of at least 20 m²in size

* At least two (2) must be completed and should have reached at least the level of final acceptance. These projects should not be finished more than 5 years ago.

At least 5 years of experience in the design of interactive exhibitions of similar nature and complexity as the one described in this tendering procedure.

Design of at least five (5) exhibitions of which:

* At least two (2) of min 500 m²;

* At least two (2) with a total production value of at least € 1.500.000;

* At least one (1) with the use of projection mapping (curved and panoramic cinemas, projection on objects, etc.)

* At least one (1) with the use of a media wall (LED or similar technology) of at least 20 m²in size

* At least two (2) must be completed and should have reached at least the level of final acceptance. These projects should not be finished more than 5 years ago.

Team of experts comprising:

Interior Designer (at least 3)

* with appropriate qualifications;

* of whom at least (1) with at least 8 years of relevant experience, and at least (2) with at least 3 years experience

* for each with at least 3 proven exhibition projects of a size and complexity similar to that described in this tendering procedure in the last 8 years;

* having the capacity to work in English.

Project Manager (at least 3)

* with appropriate qualifications;

* of whom at least (1) with at least 10 years of relevant experience, and at least (2) with at least 5 years experience

* for each with at least 3 proven exhibition projects of a size and complexity similar to that described in this tendering procedure in the last 8 years;

* having the capacity to work in English.

Media planner

* with appropriate qualifications;

* with at least 5 years of relevant experience;

* with at least 3 proven exhibition projects of a size and complexity similar to that described in this tendering procedure in the last 5 years;

* having the capacity to work in English.

Light designer

* with appropriate qualifications;

* with at least 5 years of relevant experience;

* with at least 3 proven exhibition projects of a size and complexity similar to that described in this tendering procedure in the last 5 years;

* having the capacity to work in English.

Graphic designer

* with appropriate qualifications;

* with at least 5 years of relevant experience;

* having the capacity to work in English.

Accessibility expert

* with at least 5 years of relevant experience;

* with at least 5 proven building projects of a size and complexity similar to that described in this tendering procedure in the last 5 years;

* having the capacity to work in English.

Evaluation system: Quality 70% x price 30%

Quality criteria: 100 points maximum

Criterion 1 – Quality of the tenderer’s work as demonstrated through a concept note on a new exhibition element 20 points maximum. This criterion will be evaluated on the following basis:

* Quality of scenography brief:

o Overall editing quality and presentation of the note

o Identification and explanation of a content gap;

o Innovation (use of innovative storytelling approaches, and technologies);

o Good use of the available space (in the 3 size variants)

* Quality of design (interactive content, fit-out, hardware, graphics):

o Visual impression, interactivity, coherence of the content offered in the 3 size variants

o Harmony with the graphical style and design language of the Europa Experience franchise;

o Quality of the fit-out and casings, choice of hardware and materials

o Quality of the graphic treatment (including an understanding of the Europa Experience style guide, multilingualism and language policy)

* Quality of accessibility and ergonomics:

o Accessibility of the built environment

o Accessibility features of the digital content

o Ergonomics and comfort of the proposed exhibition element

* Quality of budget proposal and schedule:

o Quality of the cost estimate, level of detail, relation of cost to the size of the variant

o Quality and detail of the project schedule, level of detail

Criterion 2 Quality of the tenderer’s work as demonstrated through the design of a new children’s space 30 points maximum

This criterion will be evaluated on the following basis:

* Quality of scenographic concept:

o Overall editing quality and presentation of the result

o Quality of the content approach, identification of existing and new content elements, quality of the pedagogic offer and explanations

o Quality of adaptations and suitability to the age groups, quality of the related explanations

o Innovation

* Quality of design (interactive content, fit-out, hardware, graphics):

o Harmony with the graphical style and design language of the Europa Experience franchise (and coherence of the changes made for the age group with the rest of the exhibition’s design language);

o Quality of the description of configuration and technical integration matters (considerations for HVAC, light, acoustics, etc., installation requirements, descriptions of constraints)

o Media planning (choice of appropriate hardware, considerations of safety or damage to and by children, quality of the presentation of the hardware list, consideration of cabling, electricity and heating matters)

o Fit-out and casings (choice of materials, integration of hardware, quality and detail of drawings)

o Quality of the visual concept and content

* Quality of accessibility and ergonomics

o Accessibility of the built environment

o Accessibility features of the digital content

o Ergonomics and comfort of the children’s space

* Quality of budget proposal

o Realism of the cost of first installation and reproduction

o Level of detail and quality of the explanations

o Conformity with the budget ceiling

Criterion 3 Quality of the tenderer’s work as demonstrated through a feasibility study for a new Europa Experience facility 40 points maximum

This criterion will be evaluated on the following basis:

* Quality of the study presentation:

o Overall editing quality and presentation of the study

o Quality of the two scenographic alternatives presented and the choice of the preferred alternative

o Quality of the facade proposals

o Quality of the 3D renderings of the space

o Quality of the analysis and descriptions provided

* Quality of the design proposal:

o Inclusion of all the necessary elements, choice among alternatives where available

o Arrangement of the exhibition programme

o Quality and attention to detail in terms of visitor flow and logistics matters

o Accessibility (accessibility of the built environment, quality of the accessibility plan), ergonomics

o Overall quality and detail of the plans and sections provided

* Quality of budget proposal and schedule

o Realism of the cost estimates, and the schedule

o Level of detail and quality of the estimate and schedule

o Conformity with the budget ceiling

* Quality of methodology

o Tenderer’s methodology in developing feasibility studies

o Tenderer’s description of the planning cycle, key coordination and project management aspects

Criterion 4 The tenderer’s methodology 10 points maximum

This criterion will be evaluated on the following basis:

* Tenderer’s approach to and methodology for works coordination and supervision

* Tenderer’s approach to and methodology for project management and coordination of different contractors

* Tenderer’s approach to and methodology for managing the workload associated with multiple parallel projects

* Tenderer’s approach to and methodology for assistance with tender proceedings and contract negotiation

* Tenderer’s approach to and methodology for accessible and inclusive design

* Tenderer’s approach to and methodology for environmental design aspects