Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL), a joint venture between the state and the central government, has invited bids for the supply of 200,000 monocrystalline or multicrystalline solar cells of wattage output greater than or equal to 4.62W.

The last date to submit the bids is February 21, 2022. Bids will be opened on February 22.

The cells must be 156 × 156 ± 1.0 mm in dimensions and five busbars in length. The thickness of the cell should be 200 +/- 20 µm.

The cells must be free of cracks, holes, cuts, edge chipping, missing gridlines, patches, spots, marks, mechanical damage, or color and pattern mismatches.

The total quantity must be supplied in two lots of 100,000 each within two weeks from the delivery clearance.

The solar cells should be packed in boxes of 100, and one box should contain solar cells in the power band of 0.05W.

The vendors who have not supplied these cells earlier should submit a sample of 140 solar cells free of cost to REIL for evaluation and acceptance before the tender’s due date.

New vendors will be considered for the trial order for a maximum quantity of 20%, subject to the approval of the sample and the suitability of terms and conditions. Further orders will be released based on performance in the trial order.

If the delivery of the items is not made by the stipulated date, the party will have to pay liquidated damages at 1% of the value of the items per week, subject to a maximum of 10% of the unit delivered price of each unit so delayed.

If the lowest quoting vendor is an approved vendor and the second-lowest is also an approved vendor to REIL, 100% of the tender quantity would be split amongst the approved vendors only in the ratio of 70:30 at the rate and terms applicable in the tender.

REIL has stated that 25% of the tendered quantity has been earmarked for micro and small enterprise (MSE) suppliers. Out of this, 20% has been allocated for procurement from MSEs owned by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe entrepreneurs.

An MSE vendor quoting within the price band of L1 (lowest bid) +15% will be allowed to supply the portion of the requirement subject to the acceptance of the L1 price. In the case of more than one such MSE vendor, the supply will be shared proportionately.

Last October, REIL invited bids for the supply of one million monocrystalline or multicrystalline silicon solar cells of wattage output 4.67W.

Earlier, REIL had invited bids for the supply of 200,000 monocrystalline or multicrystalline silicon solar cells of wattage output 4.57W.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, REIL has so far floated tenders for 8.24 million solar cells.