RLS SEA is looking for a travel agency

Background of RLS

The Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS) has its roots in the 1990 in Berlin founded association "Social Anal-ysis and Political Education". In 1996, RLS was recognised by the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) as its close political education institution. Nowadays, the RLS is affiliated with the German political party “Die LINKE” (“The Left” / the Socialist Party of Germany) founded in 2007, and works closely together with “Left” and progressive actors worldwide.

RLS is providing political education and a center for progressive social research in both Germany and throughout the world. RLS is one of six party-affiliated political foundations in Germany, it supports part-ners in over 80 countries striving for social justice, strengthened public participation and social-ecological development. In April 2009, the RLS Regional Representative Office for Southeast Asia was opened in Hanoi managing activities and partnerships in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

In the Southeast Asian region, RLS embraces the mission of assisting transformation countries, such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to a socially and ecological just, sustainable, participatory and democratic society. Currently, it is cooperating with approximately 15 partner organisations like academ-ic institutions and “grass-root” organisations as well as state partners on a variety of issues within the three components of social justice, socio-ecological transformation and questions concerning the ASEAN region. Under these components we focus on topics like Climate Justice, Food Sovereignty, Feminism, supporting social and political underrepresented groups, facilitating left political exchange.

1. Terms and execution period

The purpose of this call for tender is to seek a qualified travel agency  for 3 years period starting from the 1  November, 2022 until 31st  October, 2025.

2. Scope of work

The purpose of this call for tenders is to conclude a Framework contract with a travel agency capable of booking flight tickets, travel insurance and providing all relevant information to travelling domestically and internally  for RLS SEA, Hanoi office. More particularly, provision of the following services is required:

• The travel agency shall be able to find and send various travel options/routes and connection flights to a requested destination. The agency shall find the most economical option at Economy Class with changeable and refundable condition unless otherwise instructed by RLS SEA, Hanoi office (combining the most direct and least expensive routes to achieve cost efficiency). Premium Economy Class and Business Class rates shall be quoted if requested.
• The travel agency shall ensure that all levies and taxes are included in the airfare quotation price. As a rule, the travel agency shall find the most economic travel option to minimise trans-it/connection times and stopovers, if applicable. According to our funding guidelines, if the price (with-out levies and taxes) exceeds 1000 € (or a new thredhold updated by RLS funding guidelines), the travel agency is obliged to find and send at least three different flight options to a requested destination.
• The travel agency shall always inform RLS SEA, Hanoi office the booking expired date. They will provide reminders to RLS SEA- Hanoi office, prior to ticketing deadline for purchasing of air tickets to avoid automatic cancellation by the airline system. The travel agency shall reserve and issue tickets for all airlines, and other travel if requested, upon authorisation to do so by RLS SEA, Hanoi office.
• The travel agency shall find and sell the travel insurance upon request of RLS SEA, Hanoi office
• The travel agency shall provide necessary and usefull information related to travelling domesti-cally and internationally (including travel regulations by airlines, airports, visa requirements…) to en-sure a smooth and safe trips for the client.

3. Working Hours

The travel agency must be able to provide services, including ticket delivery, during normal working hours of RLS SEA, Hanoi office (Monday to Friday 9:00-18:00). Flexibility during weekends and holidays will be favourably viewed. In particular, the service provider must have a hotline service for urgent re-quests falling outside normal working hours (the name of a contact person and telephone number must be provided).

4. Cancellation and change of the flight ticket

1. In the case of cancellation at short notice, the service provider shall endeavour to minimise any penal-ties applicable to the RLS SEA, Hanoi office. Penalties attributable to the fault of the service provider will not be accepted.
   The travel agency will make timely reimbursement of cancelled tickets to RLS SEA, Hanoi office.
2. If the traveller makes changes to the travel itinerary for personal reasons, then the travel agency must separate the private cost due to the change of the travel itinerary. Additional travel costs incurred from changes are to be paid by the traveller directly to the travel agency and not billed to RLS SEA, Hanoi office. Therefore, the travel agency shall issue two invoices for the travel: one to RLS SEA, Hanoi office for the cost of the bussiness trip purpose; and one to the traveller for additional travel costs from chang-es due to private schedule. Should the cost of the actual travel be less than the business trip purpose, RLS SEA, Hanoi office shall pay the full cost of the actual travel.

5. Visas

The travel agency shall notify the RLS SEA, Hanoi office of all instances where visas must be obtained.

6. Communication

The travel agency will inform RLS SEA, Hanoi office immediately of any changes in scheduled flights regardless of any reason which may affect travelling arrangements for the RLS SEA, Hanoi office. In order to facilitate contacts and information exchange between the parties, the travel agency shall be able to process reservation, booking and delivery requests received by phone or by email or an agreed means of communication. To this end, the contractor should have adequately skilled and sustainable personnel to ensure the fastest response.

7. Qualifications

Tenderers should have the necessary financial, economic, technical and professional capacity to perform their obligations under the contract. In particular, the tenderer must:

• be a company duly established and existing under the laws of Vietnam;
• have an business registration certificcate;
• have a hotline number able to receive emergency situation calls 24/7;
• not be engaged in or, to the best of its knowledge, threatened by any litigation, or administra-tive proceedings, the outcome of which might have a material adverse effect on performance of contractor’s obligations;
• to the best of its knowledge and belief after due enquiry, not be in violation of any legislative re-quirement relevant for the performance of contractor's obligations;
• be able to submit the requested financial vouchers to RLS SEA, Hanoi office such as  VAT in-voice, list of flight tickets and others;
• provide a description of its business together with the list of current corporate clients serviced by the travel agency.

8. Award Criteria

Equal priority is given to offers (weight of 50% for price, 50% for the company profile (including ex-pierened personnel, service quality, working experience).

9. How to apply

Interested service providers are invited to submit their proposals including financial criteria and support-ing documents as proof for your teachincal criteria to meet our requirements. Application should be sent to Mrs. Nguyen Le Hang latest by 20 October, 2022 at:

Email address: [email protected]

Mailing address: RLS SEA, Hanoi office: House No. 8c, Alley 76 To Ngoc Van street, Tay Ho district, Hanoi, Vietnam

Organization: RLS
Location:
Application deadline: 2022-10-20
Send application to: [email protected]