[Tender Information] Regarding General Competitive Tender for Excavation and Survey Work of Buried Cultural Properties in the 3rd Survey Area of Senbamachi Ruins

[Tender Information] Regarding General Competitive Tender for Excavation and Survey Work of Buried Cultural Properties in the 3rd Survey Area of Senbamachi Ruins Cultural Property No. 001 16 3 September 7, 2024 (2026) We hereby announce a conditional general competitive tender in accordance with Article 167-6, Paragraph 1 of the Local Autonomy Act (Cabinet Order No. 16 of 1947) and Article 3 of the Kumamoto City Contract Administration Regulations (City Regulations No. 7 of 1964). Kazufumi Onishi, Mayor of Kumamoto City 1. Matters Subject to Competitive Tender (1) Service Contract Name: Excavation and Survey Work of Buried Cultural Properties in the 3rd Survey Area of Senbamachi Ruins (2) Purpose and Overview: To expedite the work by outsourcing the excavation and survey of buried cultural properties in the 3rd survey area of Senbamachi Ruins. * Refer to the specifications for details. (3) Place of Performance: 2-12-1 Shinmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, etc. (4) Performance Period: From the day after the contract conclusion date to January 29, 2027 (2027). 2. Department in Charge 〒860-8601 1-1 Tetorihonmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City Kumamoto City Culture and Citizens Affairs Bureau, Culture Promotion Department, Cultural Properties Division TEL 096-328-2740 (Direct) FAX 096-324-4002 Email: bunkazai@city.kumamoto.lg.jp 3. Type of Tender Procedure This tender will be conducted by first confirming the qualifications required for participants in the conditional general competitive tender (hereinafter referred to as "competitive bidding qualifications") and then determining the successful bidder based on the results of bids submitted by those recognized as having competitive bidding qualifications. 4. Competitive Bidding Qualifications Applicants must meet all of the following requirements: (1) Applicants must have submitted the "Application for Qualification Examination for Competitive Bidding for Service Contracts, etc. in Kumamoto City" and be registered in the list of qualified bidders stipulated in Article 5 of the "Guidelines on Qualifications for Participants in Competitive Bidding for Service Contracts, etc. in Kumamoto City" (Public Notice No. 731 of 2008). Furthermore, they must be registered in the industry categories of "Cultural Property Survey" (Category 1) and "Excavation and Survey of Buried Cultural Properties" (Category 2). (2) Applicants must not fall under any of the provisions of Article 167-4, Paragraph 1 of the Local Autonomy Act. (3) If an application for commencement of rehabilitation proceedings under Article 17 of the Corporate Rehabilitation Act (Act No. 154 of 2002) or an application for commencement of reconstruction proceedings under Article 21 of the Civil Reconstruction Act (Act No. 225 of 1999) has been filed, a decision to approve the rehabilitation plan or reconstruction plan must have been made, respectively. (4) Applicants must not fall under the provisions of Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the "Measures for Exclusion of Violent Groups, etc. from Contracts Concluded by Kumamoto City" (Public Notice No. 105 of 2006). (5) Applicants must not be currently subject to a suspension of designation based on the "Measures for Suspension of Designation, etc. for Procurement Contracts and Service Contracts in Kumamoto City" (Public Notice No. 199 of 2009; hereinafter referred to as the "Designation Suspension Guidelines"). (6) Applicants must not be in arrears of consumption tax, local consumption tax, or city taxes of this city. (7) Applicants must be engaged in the business related to the contract subject to this competitive tender as a profession. (8) Applicants must not be deemed unsuitable as contract parties by the Mayor due to violations or dishonest conduct in contracts with this city within the past three years. (9) Applicants must be complying with the "Kumamoto City Public Contract Ordinance" (Ordinance No. 54 of 2025), such as by submitting a pledge of compliance based on Article 8 of the ordinance. (10) Applicants must have their head office or a branch office, etc., within Kumamoto City. (11) The organization must have employees who are chief surveyors, surveyors, construction managers, and measurement technicians as specified in the specifications. (12) Applicants must be specialized organizations for the excavation and survey of buried cultural properties or have specialized departments, and have experience in similar-scale excavation and survey of buried cultural properties completed since FY2023. 5. Application Procedures, etc. (1) Application Period and Method for Distribution of Application Forms, Specifications, etc. From September 7, 2026 (Monday) to September 11, 2026 (Friday). Will be posted on the Kumamoto City website, and distributed at the department in charge (2) upon request. (Distribution at the department in charge excludes City holidays as stipulated in Article 1 of the "Ordinance on Special Provisions for City Holidays and Deadlines" (Ordinance No. 32 of 1989). Distribution by mail or electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.) is not available. Distribution at the department in charge is from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Downloadable from the Kumamoto City website during its operating hours. Specifications and other design documents will be available for viewing at the department in charge (2) until the bid date. (2) Submission Method for Application Forms, etc. Applicants wishing to participate in this tender must submit an "Application for Confirmation of Competitive Bidding Qualifications," a "Qualification Examination Sheet for Competitive Bidding," and other necessary documents (hereinafter referred to as "Application Documents") and obtain confirmation from the Mayor regarding their competitive bidding qualifications. The submission method shall be as follows: a. Submission Documents and Method: Submit in person. Submission by mail or electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.) will not be accepted. (i) Application for Confirmation of Competitive Bidding Qualifications (Form No. 1) (ii) Qualification Examination Sheet for Competitive Bidding (Form No. 2) (iii) Applicant's Experience in Similar Work (Form No. 3) (Experience in similar work must be completed by the submission date of the application documents.) (iv) Copy of Contract Document Proving Experience in Similar Work (Required) If the experience in similar work cannot be determined solely from the above, supplementary materials that allow for judgment (drawings, design documents such as specifications, or certificates from the client, etc.) must be submitted. (v) Other documents (free format, 1 copy each) as listed below: - Corporate Work Experience Record - Work Experience Records of Chief Surveyor, Surveyor, Construction Manager, and Measurement Technician, and copies of proof of affiliation with the organization. - Copy of document certifying that the Construction Manager has qualifications of Grade 2 or higher in Civil Engineering Construction Management. - Copy of document certifying that any of the Construction Manager, Chief Surveyor, or Surveyor has qualifications as a Ground Excavation Work Supervisor and Earth Retaining Structure Work Supervisor. b. Submission Deadline: September 11, 2026 (Friday), 5:00 PM. c. Number of Copies: 1 copy. d. Submission Location: Same as department in charge (2). e. Precautions: (i) Forms should be filled out as of the submission date of the application documents. (ii) If documents (a)(iii), (a)(iv), and (a)(v) are not attached, the relevant experience or qualification will not be recognized. Furthermore, if the experience in similar work cannot be determined from the documents submitted under (a)(iii) and (a)(iv), the experience will not be recognized. (3) Confirmation of Competitive Bidding Qualifications Confirmation of competitive bidding qualifications will be made as of the deadline for submission of application documents. The result (including the reason if the applicant is deemed unqualified) will be notified in writing. 6. Explanation of Reasons for Disqualification (1) An applicant who has received a notification of disqualification may request an explanation of the reasons for disqualification from the Mayor in writing (free format) within five (5) days (excluding holidays) from the day after the date of notification. (2) If an explanation is requested, the Mayor shall respond in writing to the requester within two (2) days (excluding holidays) from the day after the final day for requesting the explanation. 7. Bid Explanatory Meeting No bid explanatory meeting will be held. 8. Inquiries Regarding Specifications, etc. (1) If there are any inquiries regarding the specifications, submit an inquiry form as follows: a. Submission Method: Submit in writing (free format) in person, by fax, or by email. However, if submitting by fax or email, confirm receipt by phone. b. Submission Period: From September 7, 2026 (Monday) to September 11, 2026 (Friday) (excluding holidays), from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. c. Submission Location: Department in charge (2). (2) Answers to inquiries in (1) will be made available for viewing as follows. They will also be posted on the Kumamoto City website. a. Viewing Period: Starting by September 14, 2026 (Monday) and ending by September 18, 2026 (Friday). b. Viewing Location: Department in charge (2). 9. Measures When There is Only One Bidder If there is only one bidder, a new announcement will be made to extend the submission deadline for application documents. In this case, the competitive bidding qualifications or performance period for the project may be changed as necessary. 10. Bidding, etc. (1) Those confirmed to have competitive bidding qualifications by the notification in 5(3) shall participate in the bid according to the following method: a. Bid Date and Time: September 18, 2026 (Friday), 2:00 PM. b. Bid Location: Kumamoto City Lotusji Cultural Property Research Room, 5-6-1 Rendaiji, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto City. c. Bidding Method: Bids must be submitted in person. Submission by mail or electronic transmission (fax, email, etc.) is not permitted. If a bid is submitted by a proxy, a letter of attorney must be submitted separately. (2) When determining the successful bidder, the bid price will be the amount indicated on the bid form plus 10% of that amount (if there is a fraction of less than one yen, that fraction will be discarded). Therefore, bidders shall state in their bid form an amount equivalent to 100/110 of the estimated contract amount, regardless of whether they are taxable or tax-exempt businesses for consumption tax and local consumption tax. (3) The number of bid execution rounds shall be limited to two (instructions for submitting bids from the second round onwards will be given separately). (4) Once a bid form is submitted, it cannot be exchanged or canceled, regardless of whether it is before or after the bid opening. (5) If one bidder is found to have submitted multiple bids, all bids will be invalidated after opening and confirmation. (6) In addition to the provisions of Article 7 of the "Kumamoto City Public Works Competitive Bidding Rules" (Public Notice No. 107 of 1990), bids submitted with false information in the application documents will be invalidated, and if an invalid bid is made by the successful bidder, the award decision will be canceled. Furthermore, even if a bidder is confirmed to have competitive bidding qualifications, if they no longer meet the competitive bidding qualifications stipulated in Section 4 at the time of award, they will be considered as not having competitive bidding qualifications. (7) Invalid bid forms will not be returned. 11. Method of Determining the Successful Bidder (1) The successful bidder will be the one who submitted the lowest valid bid within the limit of the estimated price. (2) If there are two or more bidders who submitted the same lowest bid, the successful bidder will be determined by lottery. (3) No minimum reserve price will be set. 12. Contract Method This contract can be concluded electronically. If electronic contracting is performed, the email address used to request confirmation of contract conclusion will be the email address registered when applying for the list of qualified bidders in Section 4(1). Otherwise, the provisions of the "Kumamoto City Electronic Contracting Implementation Guidelines" (effective October 1, 2025) shall apply. 13. Other Precautions (1) The language and currency to be used in the procedures shall be Japanese and Japanese currency only. (2) Bid Bond: Exempt, as stipulated in Article 5 of the Kumamoto City Contract Administration Regulations. (3) Contract Deposit: As stipulated in Article 22 of the Kumamoto City Contract Administration Regulations, the successful bidder shall pay a contract deposit of 10% or more of the contract amount by the time of contract conclusion. However, the payment of the contract deposit can be substituted by providing interest-bearing national bonds or a guarantee from a financial institution. Furthermore, the contract deposit will be waived in the following cases: a. When a performance guarantee insurance contract with the city as the insured is concluded with an insurance company, and the guarantee certificate is submitted by the time of contract conclusion. b. When a construction performance guarantee contract is concluded between the city and an insurance company commissioned by the successful bidder, and the guarantee certificate is submitted by the time of contract conclusion. c. When the bidder has faithfully performed contracts of similar type and scale with the national government or local public entities twice or more in the past two years, and submits proof from the client (or a copy of the contract document along with a document certifying the proper completion of the contract by the client) as evidence. (4) Contract Draft: Will be posted on the Kumamoto City website and available for viewing at the department in charge (2). (5) Matters Regarding Application Documents: a. Failure to submit application documents by the deadline will result in the applicant not being recognized as a participant in the tender. b. Expenses incurred in preparing and submitting application documents shall be borne by the applicant. c. Submitted application documents will not be returned. d. Submitted application documents will not be used for purposes other than confirming competitive bidding qualifications without the applicant's consent. e. Additional submissions, replacements, or resubmissions of application documents after the deadline will not be accepted. f. If it is found that false information has been provided in the application documents, these documents will be invalidated, and measures such as cancellation of competitive bidding qualifications, cancellation of award decisions, suspension of contract conclusion, or termination of contract may be taken, along with suspension of designation and other measures based on the Designation Suspension Guidelines. (6) If it is found that a person who was confirmed to have competitive bidding qualifications no longer meets them during the period from the day after the confirmation of competitive bidding qualifications until the bid opening, the notification of confirmation of competitive bidding qualifications will be revoked with reasons. An applicant who receives this revocation notice may request an explanation of the reasons for being deemed unqualified from the Mayor in writing within five (5) days (excluding holidays) from the day after receiving the notice. (7) If the successful bidder no longer meets the competitive bidding qualifications stipulated in Section 4 between the time of award and the time of contract conclusion, the contract may not be concluded. (8) Submission of application documents and bidding shall be conducted in accordance with the Kumamoto City Public Works Competitive Bidding Rules. (9) Application documents must be filled out in black pen or ballpoint pen (erasable ballpoint pens are not permitted). Chapter 1 General Provisions (Application) Article 1 This specification defines the necessary matters for excavation and survey work and report creation (hereinafter referred to as "this work") to be carried out by private research organizations, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "Party B") contracted by the Kumamoto City Cultural Properties Division (hereinafter referred to as "Party A") as the research entity for excavation surveys for record preservation. 2. The contract documents, these specifications, and special specifications (hereinafter referred to as "Contract Documents") shall complement each other. Matters stipulated in any of them shall be binding for the performance of the contract. In case of doubt regarding matters not explicitly stated in these specifications, Party A and Party B shall consult and decide. 3. The work stipulated in Paragraph 1 shall consist of surveying work (survey recording work) and excavation work (excavation work). 4. The execution of this work shall be in accordance with the Contract Documents and instructions from Party A. If any impediment to the execution of the work is anticipated, Party B shall confirm with the staff appointed by Party A to supervise the excavation survey (hereinafter referred to as "Supervisor") and receive instructions.