Over 20 companies pre-picked in limited tender for TraceTogether Token: GovTech

Singapore

AT least 20 companies are eligible for a tender to supply the government with a Bluetooth-enabled dongle for contact-tracing purposes, amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The Government Technology Agency (GovTech) called a limited tender on Tuesday for the design and production of the so-called TraceTogether Token being touted as an alternative to the TraceTogether app.

More than 20 companies were pre-qualified to participate in the tender, which closes on June 30, GovTech told the press, without giving an exact number. The award of the tender is expected to be made in July.

Details of the tender were also not publicly available on GeBiz, the government's electronic business portal.

GovTech did not disclose the requirements of the tender, when asked by The Business Times.

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But the agency has said that it will assess tender offers based on criteria such as the bidder's manufacturing ability, as well as the quality, security and price of the proposed tokens.

The companies taking part in this tender were picked with input from the Infocomm Media Development Authority, the Economic Development Board, and business development agency Enterprise Singapore.

They are "a mix of largely local and some international firms", a spokesman for GovTech told BT. "We are unable to reveal the companies to avoid prejudicing the ongoing limited tender."

GovTech also did not state the criteria used to pre-qualify the tender participants, when asked.

GovTech had earlier awarded a S$6 million contract, for a first batch of 300,000 TraceTogether dongles, to electronics manufacturer PCI Pte Ltd.

The award, made on May 14, was also done under a limited tender as "products or services cannot be obtained in time by means of open or selective tendering procedures", according to the listing on the GeBiz portal.

But, compared with PCI's contract, the latest tender is a separate call "for the design, manufacturing and delivery of further batches of TraceTogether Token, which will be based on needs", the spokesman said. He did not say how many tokens are expected to be made in the latest tender.

While all government agencies must openly post procurements of more than S$6,000 on the GeBiz portal, two ministers told Parliament this month that the requirement for an open tender can be waived for goods and services that are needed during the pandemic.

Essential medical supplies and accommodation for people at risk of infection are some other exceptions under emergency procurement rules.