Jammu & Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has invited bids to commission 1.75 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects on identified government buildings in the state.

The projects would be developed in two capacity ranges— more than 10 kW and up to 50 kW totaling 1 MW, and more than 50 kW and up to 750 kW totaling 750 kW.

The select developer should also oversee the projects’ operation and maintenance for five years.

The last day to submit the bids is July 27, 2023. The bids will be opened on the same day.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹2 million (~$24,367). Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are exempted from paying earnest money deposits if they are manufacturers of at least one of the key components of the solar project, i.e., cells, modules, or solar inverters.

Successful bidders should submit 5% of the project cost as security deposit.

To be eligible, bidders should have experience commissioning a total capacity of 500 kW of grid-connected rooftop or off-grid solar projects during the last five years for government organizations, public sector undertakings, or sponsored programs under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

They should have an average annual financial turnover of ₹25 million (~$304,590) during the last three financial years.

If an MSME quotes a price within 15% of the price offered by the lowest bidder (L1) who is not an MSME, the MSME will be allowed to supply at least 25% of the tendered capacity at the L1 rates, provided they lower their price to match the L1 rates. If an MSME becomes L1, they will be awarded a capacity of up to 100% in that capacity range.

If multiple MSMEs fall within the L1+15% price bracket, the work will be distributed equally among them, considering that the capacity can be divided further. The allocation of work to each MSME will be at the discretion of JAKEDA.

The successful bidder must ensure a cumulative utilization factor of 15% for five years.

JAKEDA has mandated that the solar modules used for the project must be from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers published by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Last year, the Administrative Council of J&K approved the installation of 200 MW of grid-connected solar systems on 50,000 residential buildings in Jammu under the Solar City Mission program, which would cost ₹10.4 billion (~$132.12 million).

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker to stay on top of tender activity in real-time.