Key Tender Details at a Glance

The RFP specifically states that proposal security is not applicable. It separately provides an EMD exemption provision for eligible MSEs, although no EMD is otherwise required under the RFP.

Scope of Work

The selected agency will be responsible for physical and virtual monitoring and verification of Testing Centres under the Skill Verification Program. The RFP envisages 100% target coverage, or coverage as assigned by NSDC, using the Physical Inspection Application operated by the agency and monitored by NSDC.

Major responsibilities include:

1. Physical Inspection of Testing Centres

The agency will conduct uninformed physical inspections of approximately 56 Testing Centres, during ongoing session timings.

Inspections will verify:

1. Compliance with SVP guidelines
2. SVP PACC portal data
3. Accreditation requirements
4. Infrastructure and operational requirements
5. Assessor availability
6. Attendance records
7. Session activity
8. Data-management irregularities
9. Centre operational status

Each centre is expected to be inspected once every month, with inspection frequency capable of being increased when operational requirements demand it.

2. Centralised Monitoring Framework

The selected agency must establish a monitoring structure consisting of:

1. Project management team
2. State-level coordinators
3. District-level deployment mechanisms
4. Central monitoring and coordination functions

The framework must be submitted to NSDC within 15 days of contract execution and reviewed jointly on a quarterly basis.

3. Real-Time Digital Evidence Collection

Inspectors must capture inspection observations in real time through the approved inspection application, including:

1. Photographs
2. GPS coordinates
3. Geo-tagged evidence
4. Timestamps
5. Structured inspection findings

4. Data Analytics and Dashboard

The agency must maintain an analytics function capable of producing:

1. MIS reports
2. Real-time compliance dashboards
3. Exception reports
4. Repeat non-compliance tracking
5. State-wise and district-wise trend analysis
6. Compliance rates
7. Deviation heat maps
8. Repeat non-compliance registers
9. Assessor and candidate authenticity trends

The dashboard is expected to remain accessible to NSDC on a rolling basis.

5. Monthly Review and Quality Assurance

The agency must conduct monthly reviews with NSDC and present findings from at least 50% of inspections conducted during the month.

A two-tier quality assurance mechanism is also required:

1. Supervisor-level review of every field report.
2. Central QA cell audit of at least 20% of submitted reports each month.

6. Escalation Reporting

Issues affecting assessment integrity, candidate safety or SVP compliance must be escalated to NSDC within 24 hours, supported by geo-tagged photographic and documentary evidence.

Key Inspection Parameters

The RFP identifies several broad inspection pillars, including:

1. Facility and physical infrastructure
2. Staffing, roles and competency
3. Assessment operations and session integrity
4. Governance, compliance and records
5. Candidate experience and transparency

Mandatory verification areas include the Testing Centre's approved address, CBT and practical laboratories, safety arrangements, equipment, candidate authenticity, assessor qualifications and registration, testing materials, ongoing sessions, SVP branding, assessment delivery and grievance-awareness mechanisms.

The detailed mandatory checks on page 33 also cover candidate presence against PACC records, assessor substitution/proxy presence, practical assessment facilities, session timing, SVP branding and assessment integrity.

Professional Qualification / Inspector Requirements

The agency must deploy qualified and trained inspectors.

Minimum inspector qualification

Inspectors must have:

1. Minimum graduation degree from a recognised university.
2. Preference for Engineering, Business Administration, Management, Social Work, Education, ITI trades, IT and related disciplines.
3. Postgraduate qualifications in audit, public administration, development studies or skill development are an added advantage.
4. Minimum 2 years of verifiable field experience in inspection, compliance monitoring, audit, survey operations, skilling ecosystem, testing and assessment systems or related programmes.

Every inspector must also clear a structured pre-deployment knowledge assessment covering SVP guidelines, inspection SOPs, fraud-risk indicators and escalation protocols.

Inspectors are additionally required to have an Android/iOS smartphone or tablet capable of operating the designated application and must be proficient in real-time data entry, geo-tagged photography and digital report submission.

Eligibility / Pre-Qualification Criteria

The RFP contains a detailed 12-point eligibility framework.

1. Legal Entity and Registration

The bidder must:

1. Be a legally registered entity in India under the Companies Act or LLP Act.
2. Have been operational for at least 5 years in physical inspection, field verification, monitoring, audit, third-party assessment, compliance verification, survey operations or similar large-scale field-based services.

Required documents include incorporation/registration certificate, GST, PAN and EPFO/ESIC registrations.

2. Financial Capability

The bidder must have:

1. Positive net worth
2. Minimum average annual turnover of ₹10 crore
3. Turnover from relevant inspection, monitoring, audit, verification, assessment or similar field-based services
4. Turnover assessed for the last three audited financial years, specified as FY 2023-24, FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26, or the latest three audited years available at submission
5. The turnover must be that of the individual bidding company, not its group company or subsidiary.
6. The bidder should not have incurred net losses in more than two financial years during the last three audited financial years.

3. Similar Assignment Experience

The bidder must have successfully completed at least 5 similar assignments during the preceding 5 years.

Qualifying clients include:

1. Central Government
2. State Government
3. PSUs
4. PPP projects
5. Multilateral agencies such as UN bodies, World Bank and ADB
6. Large private corporations having minimum annual turnover of ₹100 crore

Each qualifying assignment must have a minimum order value of ₹35 lakh excluding GST.

Additional requirements include at least one assignment involving deployment across 10 States or 100 districts, and at least one technology-enabled inspection/monitoring assignment involving mobile applications, geo-tagging, GPS-enabled reporting, biometric validation or digital evidence capture.

4. Manpower and Deployment Capability

The bidder must have at least 50 qualified field inspectors/resources on payroll or directly contracted, and not subcontracted.

The bidder must also provide:

1. State-wise manpower deployment matrix covering at least 15 States/UTs
2. Supervisory ratio of at least 1 supervisor per 20 field inspectors
3. Project Manager/Director
4. HR Head declaration
5. Inspector details and CVs
6. Organisation structure
7. Reporting and escalation hierarchy

5. Debarment and Litigation

The bidder should not have been blacklisted, debarred or suspended by Central/State Government departments, PSUs, government agencies or multilateral agencies during the preceding three financial years.

The bidder should also not have adverse orders, convictions or pending litigation materially impairing its ability to perform the assignment.

6. Mandatory ToR Compliance

All Terms of Reference and Scope of Work requirements are mandatory. Failure to meet the requirements can result in disqualification, while misrepresentation may lead to immediate disqualification and other action under applicable laws.

7. Power of Attorney

A Board Resolution and Power of Attorney in favour of the authorised bid signatory are required.

8. Conflict of Interest

The bidder and its affiliates, subsidiaries or key personnel should not currently be engaged in roles such as Testing Centre, Recruitment Agency, Training Provider, Assessment Agency or implementation partner under SVP or similar programmes where this would create a conflict with independent inspection and monitoring.

9. ISO Certifications

The bidder should possess:

1. ISO 9001, with scope covering inspection, monitoring, audit or verification services.
2. ISO 27001 for information security management.

10. Data Security and Confidentiality

The bidder must have suitable data-security and confidentiality mechanisms for test-taker data, geo-tagged records, biometric records and inspection evidence, aligned with ISO 27001 standards.

11. Operational Presence

The bidder must have operational presence or offices in at least 5 States/UTs across different regions. Evidence may include office addresses, lease agreements, utility bills or GST registrations.

12. Non-Subcontracting of Core Activities

Core inspection and verification activities cannot be subcontracted without prior written approval. Logistics, travel coordination and administrative support are distinguished from core activities.

Financial Criteria

The most important financial qualification threshold is:

Minimum Average Annual Turnover: ₹10 crore

The bidder must also demonstrate positive net worth. The RFP requires CA certification with UDIN, audited financial statements and a CA-certified net worth certificate.

The RFP's financial evaluation section also provides scoring criteria based on average annual turnover and requires audited financial statements and a CA-certified turnover statement with UDIN.

Important clarification

The document contains a ₹10 crore minimum average annual turnover requirement for eligibility, while the technical scoring table shows separate turnover scoring bands. Bidders should therefore follow the eligibility threshold as the minimum qualification requirement and the evaluation table for technical scoring.

Tender Fee and EMD

Tender Fee

Tender Fee: Not specified in the uploaded RFP.

The RFP does not state a specific tender document fee amount in the relevant procurement provisions reviewed. Therefore, SkillCouncils.com should not publish an assumed fee such as ₹5,000 or ₹10,000.

EMD / Proposal Security

EMD/Proposal Security: Not applicable.

Clause 16.1 expressly states that proposal security is not applicable.

The RFP also contains an MSE provision stating that eligible Micro and Small Enterprises are exempted from EMD on submission of valid documentary proof. Since the RFP itself states that proposal security is not applicable, the MSE exemption is best treated as an additional provision rather than evidence of an otherwise payable EMD.

Tender Requirements Table

Technical Evaluation Criteria

The technical proposal carries 100 marks, with a minimum qualifying score of 70 marks. Only bidders obtaining at least 70 marks qualify for financial proposal opening.

The Approach & Methodology section is particularly significant, covering inspection planning, technology platform, mobile application, geo-tagging, GPS tracking, dashboards, data analytics, MIS reporting, internal QA and escalation mechanisms. The bidder must submit a 3–4 page technical proposal and a 10–15 slide presentation.

The overall selection follows QCBS, with 70% technical and 30% financial weightage.

Submission Guidelines

Bidders must submit the proposal electronically through the NSDC E-Procurement portal.

The RFP requires a signed and complete proposal containing the prescribed forms and documents. Only one copy of the proposal can be uploaded, and the authorised representative must sign the required submission documents and initial the pages as prescribed.

Key submission instructions

1. Submit through https://nsdc.eproc.in/
2. Submit Technical and Financial Proposals through the prescribed online process.
3. Financial proposal must be uploaded separately from the Technical Proposal.
4. The financial proposal is required as a separate password-protected document.
5. Include detailed financial cost break-up, assumptions and applicable taxes.
6. Prices must be quoted in INR.
7. Out-of-pocket expenses, including travel and accommodation, must be included in the quoted price.
8. Conditional proposals are liable to rejection.
9. Financial information must not be included in the Technical Proposal.
10. Only one CV should be submitted for each Key Expert position.
11. The bidder should monitor the NSDC website and E-Proc portal for corrigenda/addenda.

The financial proposal format specifically states that travel, accommodation and other out-of-pocket expenses are to be borne by the bidder and incorporated into the quoted price.

The RFP also makes the e-Procurement server clock the reference for determining the submission closing time. Bidders are advised to submit well before the deadline because portal/internet problems will not ordinarily be accepted as grounds for late submission.

Important Tender Dates

The RFP cover page confirms the commencement date, pre-bid meeting, query deadline and bid submission date.

Important: The uploaded RFP does not state a specific technical bid opening date/time on the important-dates page. Accordingly, the opening date should not be published as a guessed date.

Document Checklist for Bidders

The RFP's Form 5 – Check List for Bidders provides the core submission checklist.

Mandatory / Key Documents

1. Certificate of Registration/Incorporation
2. GST Registration Certificate
3. PAN Card
4. CA Certificates with UDIN
5. Audited Balance Sheet
6. Relevant Work Orders
7. Completion Certificates
8. Blacklisting/Debarment Declaration
9. Board Resolution
10. Power of Attorney
11. Terms of Reference (TOR) Declaration
12. Conflict of Interest Declaration
13. Bidder Past Experience Form
14. Supporting documents for past assignments
15. Technical Presentation covering approach and methodology
16. Financial Proposal uploaded separately
17. Technical Proposal Submission Form
18. Bidder Information Form
19. Checklist Declaration
20. HR Head Declaration
21. CVs of relevant/key personnel as per Form 6
22. Proof of geographical presence
23. Region-wise resource deployment plan, signed and stamped
24. Any other document required under the ITB/RFP

The RFP also requires supporting evidence for geographical coverage, digital inspection platforms/MIS, manpower deployment, organisation structure, reporting hierarchy and other eligibility requirements.

Contract Duration and Vendor Selection

The assignment is for two years from contract signing or issuance of the Purchase Order, whichever is earlier, subject to annual performance review.

NSDC intends to select up to two vendors. Initially, testing centres are intended to be allocated equally, with subsequent allocation potentially being adjusted according to performance.

All assigned Testing Centres are to be inspected monthly. NSDC may reallocate centres between selected agencies based on performance, with a stated quarterly reallocation mechanism.

Tender Analysis: Key Points for Prospective Bidders

From a tender-compliance perspective, this RFP is particularly relevant for established inspection, assessment, audit, verification, monitoring and technology-enabled field-service organisations.

The most critical pre-qualification filters are:

1. ₹10 crore minimum average annual turnover from relevant services
2. Positive net worth
3. Minimum five years' relevant operational history
4. Five qualifying assignments in the last five years
5. ₹35 lakh minimum order value for each qualifying assignment
6. Multi-state/multi-district deployment experience
7. Technology-enabled inspection experience
8. Minimum 50 deployable inspectors
9. Minimum presence in five States/UTs
10. ISO 9001 and ISO 27001
11. No disqualifying blacklisting/debarment
12. No conflict of interest with SVP-related activities
13. Ability to undertake the complete ToR without unauthorised subcontracting

The technical proposal should also be treated as a major differentiator because the RFP uses QCBS with 70% technical weightage and requires a minimum technical score of 70/100 before financial bids are considered.

Financial Proposal: Important Considerations

The financial proposal is structured as a lump-sum cost for the physical and virtual inspection assignment across India for two years. It must include the applicable taxes and all associated cost components.

The bidder should factor all relevant operational expenses into its quotation because the RFP states that accommodation, travel and other out-of-pocket expenses will be borne by the bidder and included in the quoted price.

The RFP does not publish an estimated project cost, so bidders should not treat any independently calculated figure as an official tender estimate.

For consultation and advisory regarding this tender, please call or WhatsApp: 9630030343

Email: support@skillcouncils.com