Empanelment of Managed Service Providers to offer Cloud Services

Document issue / availability

Tender document is dated July 2026; NIT is digitally signed 17.07.2026; documents free to download till bid closing.

• No separate formal publication date is printed beyond the July 2026 cover and the NIT digital signature timestamp.
• Tender documents available from https://tntenders.gov.in and https://elcot.tn.gov.in/ till closing date and time.

Pre-bid meeting

Pre-bid meeting on 23.07.2026 at 11:00 AM at ELCOT, MHU Complex, Nandanam, Chennai.

• Venue: ELCOT, MHU Complex, 692 Anna Salai, Nandanam, Chennai - 600035.
• Queries to be mailed in Annexure-6 format to [email protected]; consolidated pre-bid response will be issued.
• Queries after pre-bid may be responded later, preferably before 48 hours of tender opening; no queries within 48 hours of opening.

Bid submission deadline

e-Bid submission closes 19.08.2026 at 03:00 PM on https://tntenders.gov.in.

• Two-part technical and price bids must be submitted electronically only.
• Portal locks exactly at the scheduled closing time; server time on the e-portal prevails.

Bid opening

Technical bids open 19.08.2026 at 03:30 PM at ELCOT Angadi, Egmore; price bid opening intimated only to technically qualified bidders.

• Opening venue: ELCOT Angadi, 9th Floor, Sigapi Aachi Building, 18/3, Rukmani Lakshmipathi Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600008.

Bid validity

Bid validity is 90 days from the date of opening of Tender.

• Validity may be extended as per the Act and Rules when sought by the Authority.

Contract / empanelment duration and post-award timelines

Model contract force is 12 months (extendable); exit clause states 1 year + optional further 1 year; SD due in 10 days of LoA; contract signing within 15 days of LoA / 7 days of SD receipt.

• Exit Management: ELCOT intends to use cloud services for 1 year, extendable by another 1 year by mutual agreement; termination on 3 months’ notice also reserved.
• SD within 10 days of LoA; contract on Rs.100 TN non-judicial stamp paper within 15 days of LoA or 7 days of SD receipt, whichever earlier.
• Resource provisioning after work order: initiate within 24 hours and provision within 72 hours.

Tender value / estimated cost

No overall estimated tender value or package cost is stated; commercial model is discount on CSP list prices plus managed-service percentage.

• Tamil Nadu StartUp Data server services scheme allocation of Rs. 10 crores is mentioned as a demand-side voucher scheme, not as the tender estimated cost.
• Work orders priced by deducting quoted discount % from CSP list prices (INR) on the day of work order, plus other services quoted in the financial bid.

Tender document fee

Tender documents are freely downloadable; no tender document fee is prescribed.

Earnest Money Deposit (EMD)

EMD is Rs. 1,00,000 only via online payment or e-BG on https://tntenders.gov.in; other modes cause summary rejection; MSME exemption with conditions.

• Documentary proof of EMD deposit to be submitted in Technical Bid.
• EMD of unsuccessful bidders returned after contract signing with successful bidder; successful bidder EMD returned after SD and BG confirmation.
• Forfeiture if successful bidder backs out, fails to accept LoA, fails to remit SD, fails to sign contract, or withdraws bid.
• MSME with valid Udyam covering the Equipment/Service called for is EMD-exempt; benefit not for traders/resellers.
• Negative discount quotes treated non-responsive and result in EMD forfeiture.

Performance Security / Security Deposit

Successful bidder must submit Performance Security of Rs.10,00,000 as Bank Guarantee till order value crosses Rs.2.5 crore; thereafter 4% SD on every additional Rs.1 crore of work order value.

• BG from Nationalised / Scheduled Public Sector Bank in annexed format.
• SD within 10 days of LoA; BG valid minimum six months beyond contract completion; no interest on SD.
• SD refunded only after successful completion of Purchase/Work Order(s).
• Section heading also refers to Retention Money, but no separate retention amount is specified in the table.

Pricing model and evaluation commercial parameter

Price bid is primarily discount % on CSP mandatory categories (H1 = highest average discount) and lowest managed-services % of monthly bill (L1); matching H1/L1 for the CSP enables empanelment.

• Bidder may quote Part-A & Part-B or Part-B & Part-C; mandatory services in Part-A or Part-C; covering letter must state quoted PART and payment preference (month/quarter/year).
• Part A/C: highest average discount % of mandatory services is H1 for that CSP; other bidders for same CSP may match H1.
• Part B managed services: lowest % is L1 for that CSP; others may match L1.
• Only one authorized partner per CSP is empaneled (or the CSP itself).
• Prices in INR only; no advance payment; preferred payment cycle monthly/quarterly/annual as indicated by bidder, with ELCOT preference for quarterly/annual operationally.
• Invoices to concerned Government departments on actual/committed consumption; taxes deductible; LD adjusted from payments.

Legal entity form

Bidder must be an Indian company, LLP, partnership firm, wholly-owned subsidiary (parent cloud quals usable), or MeitY Government institution.

• Proofs: Certificate of Incorporation/Registration; MoA & AoA / Partnership deed; GST; PAN.

MeitY CSP empanelment / MSP partnership

Bidder must be a MeitY-empaneled CSP or an authorized MSP partner of such a CSP; only MeitY-empaneled CSP services/DCs are eligible.

• Proof: MeitY empanelment certificate in CSP name; and, if MSP, CSP authorization certificate.
• If MSP/authorized partner: must have been partner to that CSP for at least 1 year as on date of publishing of this tender (authorization mentioning years of engagement; work orders preferred).
• Each authorized-partner bidder may bid with one CSP only; ELCOT empaneled only one authorized partner per CSP (or the CSP itself).

Turnover (MSP partners)

Authorized CSP partners need minimum average annual turnover of at least Rs.10 Crore in any two of last five FYs (2020-21 to 2024-25) from DC or Cloud business; MeitY CSPs / MeitY Govt institutions exempt.

• Proof: CA/Statutory Auditor certificate clearly specifying turnover for the five financial years.

ISO certifications (MSP partners)

Authorized CSP partners must hold ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 20000-1:2018 valid on bid submission date.

• Self-certified copy of valid certification required.

Chennai office and website

Full-fledged operational Chennai office required, or undertaking to set up within 30 days of empanelment; bidder must have own website.

• Website proof: URL and home-page printout.
• Annexure-5 local-office undertaking alternatively ties setup to 30 calendar days from LoA (see contradictions).

Blacklisting / debarment / past performance disqualifiers

Blacklisted/debarred bidders are ineligible; last-3-years clean declaration required; ELCOT poor-performance show-cause and abandoned govt contracts can disqualify.

• Not under ineligibility for corrupt/fraudulent/unethical practices; not debarred/blacklisted by any State/Central Govt/PSU for any reason in last 3 years from response date.
• Any bidder blacklisted by ELCOT or any State/Central Government or its agencies is ineligible; undertaking required.
• Bids under current blacklisting/debarment/business restriction by Central/State/Agency/Statutory Authority/PSU liable to rejection.
• Abandoned/prematurely terminated/incomplete govt contracts attributable to bidder may disqualify.
• Prior unsatisfactory ELCOT performance (non-responsiveness after LoA, delays, poor support, etc.) may lead to rejection.

Land-border / GFR and consortium posture

GFR land-border restrictions apply with Annexure-4/5 undertakings; eligibility entity forms do not provide a multi-member consortium bid route.

• Bidder from a country sharing land border with India eligible only if registered with Competent Authority; certificate of registration where applicable.
• Successful bidder cannot subcontract to land-border-country contractor unless that contractor is registered.
• Authorized partner bids limited to one CSP; no separate JV/consortium qualification path is set out in Bidder Eligibility Criteria.

What is being procured

Empanelment of Managed Service Providers to offer cloud services from MeitY-empaneled CSPs to Tamil Nadu Government departments and startup voucher users.

• Cloud services for Govt. Departments with hosting infrastructure requirement.
• Also usable by startups under Tamil Nadu StartUp Data server services scheme (Rs.10 crore allocation via vouchers for iTNT / StartUp TN registered startups).
• Empanelment categories include Compute, Storage, Managed DB, Network, Security, Support, Monitoring, DR, Migration, Cloud Managed Services (Annexure-7 / Cl.3.3–3.7).

Locations and data residency

Hosting only in MeitY-empaneled CSP data centres; Government of Tamil Nadu data must remain in India; DC and DR in different seismic zones or ≥300 km apart.

• Interoperability/data portability required for CSP change, migration back to TNSDC, short burst to another CSP, or backup/DR from another provider.

Core service streams and deliverables

Mandatory quote categories cover compute, DR, DB-as-a-service, backup, network, storage, security, monitoring, support and migration; managed services and DR/migration defined in detail.

• Provisioning SLAs: initiate within 24 hours of work order; provision resources within 72 hours.
• VM mandatory inclusions without extra cost include OS options, network/security features, weekly backup retained ≥30 days, auto-scaling, ≥99.5% VM uptime SLA, scale-up/down within 30 minutes.
• Storage: block storage 99.9% SLA; object/file/archival requirements with encryption.
• Managed DB-as-a-service includes OS/low-level management, failover, backup, patching; min 50 GB HDD or SSD inclusion.
• DR services must meet department RPO/RTO; scale-up DR if primary down.
• Managed services include patch/config, IAM/MFA, security admin, monitoring, backup (if procured), training, third-party audit support, exit management.
• Helpdesk/ticketing and 24x7x365 escalation matrix required; PCI-DSS certificate if payment-gateway hosting.

Standards and MeitY terms

All MeitY CSP empanelment terms automatically apply; CSP list prices for Annexure-7 services must be on public domain.

• Bidder must ensure offered products/services are genuine and licence-compliant.
• Customised cost calculator with discount applied (public URL or Excel) within 3 months; public URL for prevailing rates available at bid submission.

Duration and exit

Intended use/empanelment period 1 year + optional 1-year extension; exit/transition tools and data handover at no extra cost.

• Model contract states 12-month force with mutual extensions at same terms including price.
• ELCOT may terminate at any time without explanation on 3 months’ notice; losing CSP partnership/accreditation can end empanelment.
• On exit: import/export tools, exit plan, migration of VMs/data/content/licenses to TNSDC or other CSP in standard/portable formats at no extra cost.

Submission mode and portal

Two-part e-tender (Technical + Price) only via https://tntenders.gov.in; Class 3 Signing and Encryption DSC mandatory.

• Register on portal; upload PDF/XLS/RAR as indicated; scan 65–100 dpi; freeze bid to get acknowledgement receipt (final proof).
• Technical and Price Bids submitted separately using DSC; resubmission allowed any number of times till closure.
• Server time on e-portal is final.

Signing, stamping and hard-copy convenience set

All uploaded pages/statements/certificates must be duly filled, signed and stamped; hard copy of uploaded tender+annexures (excluding price bid) requested at bid opening but non-submission does not disqualify.

• Online portal copy prevails over hard copy if discrepancy.
• Authorised Signatory needs PoA from Board/MD; Letter of Authorisation mandatory else summary rejection.
• No price indications in Technical Bid.

Pre-bid query format

Pre-bid queries only by email in Annexure-6 MS Excel format to [email protected] with specified subject line.

• Subject: Prebid Query - E-ANGADI-ST-SDC-2026-0034.

No corrigendum / addendum in the tender pack

The workspace contains only the NIT, main tender PDF and BOQ; no corrigendum or addendum files are present, so original document values apply as-is.

• Bidders should still monitor https://tntenders.gov.in for any later amendments, as the tender states responses/corrigenda form part of the tender and individual communication will not be sent.

Commercial evaluation: generic L1 negotiation vs tender-specific H1 discount

General conditions speak of L1 negotiations, while tender-specific evaluation awards H1 on highest average discount % (and L1 on lowest managed-services %).

• Finally applicable commercial rule for this tender is the tender-specific Cl.5 evaluation (H1 discount / L1 managed % with matching for empanelment).
• Generic Cl.26(k) L1 negotiation language appears to be residual general text.

Turnover proof: eligibility vs Annexure-8 checklist

Eligibility needs CA certificate proving ≥Rs.10 Cr average turnover in any two of five years from DC/Cloud; checklist instead asks audited reports of any three of five years and also past-experience LoAs not in the eligibility table.

• Treat Eligibility Criteria S.No.4 and documentary-proof column as the pass/fail standard; still upload checklist items if available to avoid scrutiny objections.
• Annexure-8 item 6 past-experience certificates are not mirrored as a quantified PQ criterion in Section V.2 table.

Chennai office setup trigger: empanelment vs LoA

Eligibility allows office setup within 30 days of empanelment; Annexure-5 undertaking uses 30 calendar days from LoA.

• Bidders should plan to the earlier/stricter practical trigger and match the signed undertaking language to avoid default.

Contract duration wording across clauses

Exit Management states 1 year + optional further 1 year; Annexure-1 model contract states 12 months force with mutual extensions; general Cl.41 defers to Special Conditions.

• Read together as a 12-month/1-year term, extendable by mutual agreement (exit clause expressly contemplates a further 1 year), subject to 3-month termination-for-convenience notice in Exit Management.

ELCOT GSTIN mismatch on cover vs model contract

Cover page prints GST No.33AAACE1670K4ZR while Annexure-1 model contract prints GSTN : 33AAACE1670K1ZU.

• Confirm correct GSTIN with ELCOT before invoicing/contract execution.

Residual hardware/CAMC text in a cloud empanelment tender

Several annexures/clauses retain IT-hardware supply, YOM 2025, CAMC ≤10%, E-waste EPR and sample evaluation language that is not aligned to pure cloud MSP scope.

• Examples: Annexure-1 heading 'Supply of IT Hardware'; Annexure-5 YOM 2025/refurbished ban and E-waste EPR; Cl.15(g) CAMC cost cap; sample/demonstration evaluation clauses.
• Raise at pre-bid which residual clauses are operative for this cloud MSP empanelment.

EMD refund timing nuances

Data sheet/Cl.4 say unsuccessful EMD auto-refunds on agreement with successful bidder; Cl.18(g) says unsuccessful EMD returned after signing of contract with successful bidder; Cl.18(b) ties auto-refund to agreement execution.

• Substantively aligned to refund after successful contract execution, via portal auto-refund, but wording differs slightly across clauses.

Which residual hardware/CAMC/E-waste clauses apply?

Ask ELCOT to confirm whether hardware YOM, CAMC, E-waste EPR, sample demo and 'Supply of IT Hardware' contract heading are deleted or operative for this cloud MSP bid.

• Material to bid/no-bid compliance burden and false-declaration risk under Annexure-5.

Turnover and past-experience checklist vs PQ table

Seek written confirmation that pass/fail is only Eligibility S.Nos.1–7 (incl. CA certificate for any two of five years at ≥Rs.10 Cr DC/Cloud), and whether Annexure-8 items 5–6 audited-three-years and past LoAs are mandatory.

• Affects MSME/mid-size MSP qualification pack and risk of summary rejection for missing non-PQ checklist docs.

H1 matching mechanics and multi-partner exclusivity

Clarify timeline/process to match H1 discount and L1 managed % after discovery, and whether a CSP can back more than one MSP before empanelment selection of 'only one authorized partner'.

• Critical for consortiuming/partner strategy and pricing floor after bid opening.

Security Deposit top-up and claim period

Ask how 4% SD 'for every one crore' is computed/rounded once orders exceed Rs.2.5 Cr, whether separate BGs per work order are needed, and required e-BG/EMD claim period if using e-BG.

• Rs.10 lakh initial SD till Rs.2.5 Cr orders; BG validity six months beyond completion is stated, but EMD e-BG tenure is not.

Payment counterparty and ELCOT liability

Confirm whether invoices are paid solely by end-user departments with no ELCOT payment obligation, and how disputes/delays at department side interact with SLA penalties and termination.

• Cl.7 says invoices to Government departments; Cl.32 says ELCOT not liable for End User delay losses.

Order guarantee after empanelment

Seek clarity on expected volume/commitment, if any, given successful/empaneled bidders cannot claim orders as a matter of right.

• Affects investment case for SD, Chennai office and standby support capacity.

Heavy SLA penalties and work-order cancellation

Monthly penalties can reach large shares of payment (uptime misses up to 100% of monthly/quarterly payment for 8 business-hour outage); cumulative penalty cap 10% of work order then cancellation and PS forfeiture.

• Uptime <99.5% bands: 10%/20%/30% of monthly/quarterly payment; continuous 8 business-hour unavailability → 100% of monthly/quarterly payment.
• Severity-1 resolve: 99% within 30 minutes or 5–15%+ penalties; response-time and Sev-2/3 bands also penalised.
• Departments may demand more stringent SLAs at no extra cost.
• Provisioning delay penalty 0.25% of first-month invoice per day after 72-hour provision window.

No work guarantee; department-side payment risk

Empanelment does not guarantee orders; invoices go to departments; no advance; ELCOT disclaims End User delay liability.

• Preferred quarterly/annual payment options may be favoured operationally, increasing working-capital need.
• Taxes deducted from payments; LD adjusted from dues.

One-sided termination and unlimited categories of liability

ELCOT may terminate for convenience (30 days general / 3 months exit clause) and for default on 7 days’ notice; contractor faces broad indemnity and uncapped heads for bodily injury/IP/environment.

• Limitation of liability generally capped at higher of total contract value or insurance proceeds for gross negligence/willful misconduct property damage, but no limitation for bodily injury/death and real/tangible property damage under relevant laws.
• Exit/transition tools, data migration and handover required at no extra cost even on termination.
• Losing CSP partnership/accreditation can terminate empanelment; termination of empanelment ends related work orders.

Security deposit and EMD forfeiture exposure

Rs.10 lakh SD quickly, scalable with order book; multiple forfeiture triggers including bid withdrawal, LoA non-acceptance, SD/contract default, misrepresentation and SLA breach cancellation.

• Negative discount quotes forfeit EMD.
• False declarations can lead to blacklisting up to 3 years plus contract termination.

Tight operational commitments

24-hour initiate / 72-hour provision, 24x7x365 escalation, Chennai office in 30 days, public rate URL at bid time, and free exit migration create delivery and cost risk.

• Data must never leave India; DC/DR separation rules constrain architecture.
• Only one MSP per CSP empaneled—lost matching race means sunk bid cost.

Price firmness / foreign exchange

Quoted discounts/prices kept firm; FX fluctuations cannot justify delay or dishonour; work-order price uses CSP list price on order day after discount.

• CSP list-price movements and mandatory extra discount matching can compress margins after bid.

Tender Inviting Authority

General Manager (Procurement), Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited – ELCOT Angadi, Egmore, Chennai.

• Address: 9th Floor, Sigapi Aachi Building, 18/3, Rukmani Lakshmipathi Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600008
• Phone: +91 44 2855 6120
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://elcot.tn.gov.in

Tender Accepting Authority

Managing Director, ELCOT.

Pre-bid venue and bid-opening venue

Pre-bid at ELCOT MHU Complex, Nandanam; technical bid opening at ELCOT Angadi, Egmore.

• Pre-bid: ELCOT, MHU Complex, 692 Anna Salai, Nandanam, Chennai - 600035.
• Bid opening: ELCOT Angadi, 9th Floor, Sigapi Aachi Building, 18/3, Rukmani Lakshmipathi Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600008.
• Hard-copy convenience set (if provided) is handed over at bid opening to ELCOT.

Query / correspondence contacts

Tender queries to [email protected]; contract notices also copy Chief Sales Officer, E Angadi at same Egmore address.

• e-Tender portal support: NIC Helpdesk via https://tntenders.gov.in.
• Model contract notice address: The Managing Director, ELCOT Angadi, same Egmore address; Phone +91 44 2855 6120; copy to Chief Sales Officer, E Angadi.