Annual Rate Contract (ARC) for Uprooting and Transplantation of Trees from Existing Site(s) to Designated Relocation Site(s)

Date and Time of Technical Bid 21/08/2026 at 17:30 Hrs

Date and Time of Financial bid 21/08/2026

opening 18:00 hrs

Annual Rate Contract (ARC) —

item-rate basis. No minimum or

maximum quantity of trees is

Nature of Contract guaranteed; Work Orders shall be

issued as and when requirement

arises, at the rates fixed under this

Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) Rs.10,000

Tender Document Fee Rs.1500 (Non-refundable)

12 (twelve) months from date of

issue of the Letter of Acceptance,

extendable for a further period of

Validity of Rate Contract

up to 12 months by mutual consent

on the same or mutually revised

Two-Bid System (Technical Bid +

Mode of Tendering Price Bid) — Online

120 days from the date of opening

Validity of Tender (Bid) of Price Bid

Deputy Conservator of Forest

Kevadia Division,

Ekta Nagar-Gujarat

Instructions to bidders

The DCF, Kevadia Division, Gujarat Annual Rate Contract (ARC) for Uprooting and

Transplantation of Trees from Existing Site(s) to Designated Relocation Site(s) are requested to

carefully read following terms & conditions before submission of their tenders

1. Introduction & Background

Kevadiya Forest Division intends to shift a number of existing trees from a site where

development / construction / road-widening works are proposed, to a designated relocation site prepared

by the Forest Department, without loss of the trees. The work involves scientific uprooting (root-balling)

of standing trees of various girth sizes, and their transplantation at the designated site(s), so as to ensure

maximum survival of the transplanted trees.

The relocation/receiving site(s) handed over by the Forest Department prior to commencement of

transplantation. The Forest Department shall also arrange and undertake the transportation of each

uprooted tree from the donor site to the designated receiving site. The Agency's scope is strictly limited

to (i) uprooting at the donor site, including loading the uprooted tree for transport, and (ii)

transplantation at the receiving site upon the tree's arrival there, as detailed in Clause 2 below. Since

transportation is outside the Agency's scope, bidders shall quote a single consolidated rate per girth class

covering uprooting and transplantation together (Clause 7).

This document constitutes the tender for engagement of an experienced, technically competent Agency

for the above work on the terms and conditions contained herein.

1.1 Nature of Contract — Annual Rate Contract (ARC)

This tender is invited to establish an Annual Rate Contract (ARC). The exact number of trees to be

uprooted and transplanted, their girth-wise distribution, and the lead distance to relocation site(s) are not

known in advance and will vary across the contract period as sites are identified for road-widening /

development works. Accordingly, this tender does NOT commit to any fixed quantity of work.

• The Department does not guarantee any minimum or maximum number of trees, or any minimum

order value, during the currency of the ARC.

• Work shall be assigned to the Agency by way of individual Work Orders / Purchase Orders issued

from time to time, site-wise or tree-wise, as actual requirement arises, strictly at the rates fixed

under this contract.

• The rates quoted and accepted under this ARC shall remain firm and fixed for the full validity

period of the contract (12 months), irrespective of the actual volume of work assigned, except

where a price-variation clause is specifically invoked as per Clause 8.3A.

• The Agency shall have no claim for compensation, idle-time charges, or minimum guaranteed

business on account of low or nil off-take of work during any part of the contract period.

• Note: Transportation of uprooted trees between the donor site and the receiving site shall be

arranged by the Kevadia Forest Division, this is NOT part of the Agency's scope.

2. Scope of Work

The work is divided into two parts. Bidders shall quote item-rates for both parts as per the Schedule of

Rates (Section 7). The Agency shall be responsible for the complete scope described below, including

deployment of all tools, tackle, machinery and vehicles; no machinery or equipment will be supplied by

the Department.

2.1 Uprooting (at Donor Site)

• Pre-transplant preparation including root-pruning / trenching in advance (where required by the

approved SOP), crown reduction / pruning to reduce transpiration load, and application of anti-

transpirant / root-hormone treatment.

• Scientific uprooting of the tree with an intact, adequately sized root ball, using excavators, tree

spades, JCB, cranes/hydra or manual methods as appropriate to girth size and site conditions,

without damaging the root system or main structure of the tree.

• Root-ball wrapping, netting/balling and temporary stabilization of the uprooted tree ready for

• Safe loading of the uprooted tree onto the transport vehicle arranged by the Forest Department,

including proper bracing/support for transit, in coordination with the Forest Department's transport

2.2 Transplantation (at Receiving Site)

• The Agency's team shall be present at the designated receiving site to receive each tree upon its

arrival by the transport arranged by the Kevadia Forest Division, and shall safely unload it from the

• Correct orientation and vertical alignment (plumbing) of the tree into the pit already prepared by

the Kevadia Forest Division at the relocation site, backfilling with the prescribed soil/amendment

mix, staking/guying for support, and first watering-in.

• Basic post-transplant treatment at the time of planting (root-hormone application, mulching, tree-

guard fixing if specified) as per the approved SOP.

2.3 Exclusions (Not in Agency's Scope)

• Preparation of the relocation/receiving site, including pit excavation, soil amendment/manuring and

layout to be done by the Kevadia Forest Division.

• Transportation of the uprooted tree from the donor site to the designated receiving site — including

the transport vehicle, driver, fuel, any route permits, and in-transit safety/handling — to be

arranged and undertaken entirely by the Kevadia Forest Division. The Agency's responsibility ends

at loading (Clause 2.1) and resumes at unloading/receipt at the receiving site (Clause 2.2).

3. Eligibility Criteria (Pre-Qualification)

Bidders must satisfy ALL of the following criteria and submit documentary proof. Bids not

accompanied by complete supporting documents are liable to be rejected at the technical evaluation

3.1 Legal / Registration

1. The bidder shall be a legally constituted entity proprietorship; partnership firm, LLP, or company

registered in India, and shall submit Certificate of Incorporation / Registration / Partnership Deed,

2. Valid GST Registration Certificate.

3. Valid PAN Card of the firm/company.

4. Registration with the Forest Department / Horticulture Department / Municipal Corporation (if any

such empanelment exists) shall be an added advantage.

5. Bidder should not be blacklisted / debarred by any Central/State Government department, PSU, or

local body as on the date of bid submission — supported by a self-declaration on non-judicial

stamp paper / affidavit.

3.2 Experience & Technical Capacity

6. Minimum 1 year experience in the field of tree transplantation / tree relocation work as on the date

of tender publication.

7. Should have successfully executed least one work involving transplantation of trees of girth

mm or above. Completion certificates from the client/employer to be enclosed.

8. Should have successfully transplanted a minimum of 50 trees (cumulative, across projects) in the

9. The bidder shall submit its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for tree uprooting and

transplantation along with the technical bid.

10. Submission of the Agency's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) along with the technical

bid is mandatory and approved by the Department, and shall vary as necessary to suit actual

site conditions.

3.3 Financial Capacity

11. Income Tax Returns for the last 3 financial years.

3.4 Machinery, Manpower & Tools

• Tree spade / root-ball excavation machine(s) suitable for the girth range being transplanted.

• Excavator / JCB

• Crane / Hydra of adequate lifting capacity for the largest girth class in the tender, for

uprooting/loading and unloading/placement operations.

• Support vehicles for crew/tools mobilization, slings, root-ball wrapping material, staking/guying

material, and general garden/horticulture tools.

• Technical team comprising at least one qualified Botanist / Horticulturist / Forestry professional,

and experienced, trained field supervisors and skilled labour, with CVs/qualification certificates enclosed.

3.5 Other Eligibility Requirements

12. Valid Labour Licence and registration under EPF & ESI (as applicable) for deployed workforce.

13. Valid Workmen Compensation / Group Personal Accident insurance for workers engaged on site.

14. Bidder shall submit an undertaking of no litigation / arbitration pending that would materially

affect its ability to perform the contract.

15. Joint Ventures / Consortiums: [Permitted]. If permitted, a maximum of 2 (two) partners with a

registered JV/MoU shall be allowed, with the lead partner meeting at least 60% of the eligibility

4. Tender Fee, Earnest Money Deposit & Performance Security

4.1 Tender Document Fee

Rs.1500 (non-refundable), payable by Demand Draft / online payment in favour of Member Secretory

Kevadia Valley of Flower Society, payable at [Ekta Nagar/Rajpipla].

4.2 Earnest Money Deposit (EMD)

• EMD of Rs. 10,000 (2% of estimated cost, or as fixed by the Department) shall be submitted along

with the Technical Bid, in the form of Demand Draft / Bank Guarantee / FDR from a

Nationalized/Scheduled Bank, valid for 120 days beyond bid validity.

• Bids not accompanied by the requisite EMD shall be summarily rejected, except for bidders

exempted under applicable MSME/Startup India policy (proof to be enclosed).

• EMD of unsuccessful bidders shall be refunded within 30 days of award of contract. EMD of the

successful bidder shall be released on submission of Performance Security.

• EMD shall be forfeited if the bidder withdraws the bid during the validity period, or fails to

accept/sign the contract or furnish Performance Security after award of work.

4.3 Performance Security

• The successful bidder shall submit a Performance Security 30,000, in the form of a Bank Guarantee

from a Nationalized/Scheduled Bank, valid for the full 12-month ARC period, within 14 days of

issue of the Letter of Acceptance. Where the actual value of Work Orders issued materially

exceeds the Estimated Annual Value, the Department may call for a proportionately enhanced

Performance Security.

• The Performance Security shall be released after satisfactory completion of the contract, including

the survival-guarantee period, and settlement of all dues/claims, if any.

5. Instructions to Bidders

16. The tender shall be submitted in Two-Bid System: (i) Technical Bid (Envelope A) and (ii) Online,

sealed and placed in a single outer sealed cover super-scribed with the tender name and number.

17. Envelope A (Technical Bid) shall contain: EMD, Tender Fee, all eligibility documents listed in

Clause 3, SOP document, duly filled/signed tender forms (Annexure I–IV), but shall NOT contain

any price information.

18. Bids shall be submitted on or before the date and time mentioned in the NIT table. Bids received

after the due date/time shall not be accepted under any circumstances.

19. Conditional bids, or bids with over-writing/cutting not duly countersigned, are liable to be rejected.

20. Technical Bids shall be opened first, on the date specified. Price Bids of only the technically

qualified bidders shall be opened subsequently, on a date intimated in advance to such bidders.

21. The Department reserves the right to seek clarifications, conduct a site-capability verification /

machinery inspection, and to accept or reject any or all bids, or to cancel the tender process,

without assigning any reason, without any liability to the bidders.

22. Rates quoted shall be firm and shall remain valid for the entire contract period; no escalation shall

be permitted except as specifically provided in Clause

23. The bid, once submitted, shall remain valid for 120 days from the date of opening of the Price Bid.

6. Department's Obligations (Site Provided by Department)

• Handing over the tree-donor site with clear demarcation of trees to be uprooted, and the designated

relocation site with pits/planting locations already prepared by the Forest Department.

• Arranging and undertaking the complete transportation of each uprooted tree (with root ball intact)

from the donor site to the designated receiving site — including the transport vehicle(s), driver,

fuel, any statutory route permissions/permits, escort/traffic-management arrangements, and safe in-

transit handling — entirely at the Forest Department's own cost and responsibility. The Agency

shall only be responsible for loading at the donor site and receiving/unloading at the receiving site,

• Obtaining and furnishing to the Agency the original hard copies of all statutory permissions for tree

trimming/cutting/transplantation, before commencement of work.

• Providing electricity connection and lighting arrangements where night-time work is required, and

water supply for irrigation of transplanted trees during the maintenance/aftercare period.

• Coordinating with utility departments (Electricity/GEB, Gas, Water, Drainage,

Telecom/Broadband) to depute their representatives on site during uprooting/transplantation, to

avoid damage to underground/overhead utilities.

• Providing traffic-safety infrastructure such as barricades and diversion signage for roadside works,

in coordination with the Traffic/Police authorities, as required for compliance with local

7. Schedule of Rates (Price Bid Annexure V)

Since transportation of uprooted trees between the donor site and the receiving site shall be

arranged and undertaken by the Kevadia Forest Division (Clause 6), and is NOT part of the

Agency's scope, bidders shall quote a single consolidated rate per girth class covering both

uprooting and transplantation. Rates shall be inclusive of all labour, machinery, fuel,

consumables, tools & tackle, supervision, and all incidental charges for both operations, but

EXCLUSIVE of GST, which shall be paid extra as applicable. In case of any discrepancy

between rate in figures and words, the rate in words shall prevail.

7.1 Consolidated Rate for Uprooting and Transplantation (per tree, by girth class)

Quoted Rate for

Sr. Girth Class of Tree (measured at 1 m Uprooting +

Unit Rate in Words

No. above ground level) Transplantation

1 Up to 300 mm Per Tree

2 300 mm – 600 mm Per Tree

3 601 mm – 900 mm Per Tree

4 901 mm – 1200 mm Per Tree

5 1201 mm – 1500 mm Per Tree

6 1501 mm – 1800 mm Per Tree

7 1801 mm – 2100 mm Per Tree

8 2101 mm – 2400 mm Per Tree

9 2401 mm and above Per Tree

Note: Loading of the uprooted tree for transport (at the donor site) and unloading/receiving the

tree from the Forest Department's transport (at the receiving site) are included within this

consolidated rate, as part of the uprooting and transplantation operations respectively (Clause

8. General Terms & Conditions

8.1 Contract Period & Execution of Work Orders

The ARC shall be valid for 12 months from the date of the Letter of Acceptance, extendable as

per Clause NIT above. Within this period, the Department shall issue individual Work Orders

as and when a tree-shifting requirement arises at a specific site, specifying the number of trees,

girth-wise break-up, and the relocation site with lead distance. The Agency shall commence

work on each Work Order within [7] days of its issue and receipt of the original statutory

permissions for that site, and complete it within the time specified in that Work Order.

8.1 A Price Variation (Optional — Applicable only if ARC extended beyond 12 months)

In the event the ARC is extended beyond its initial 12-month validity, the contract rates may be

revised, upward or downward, by mutual written consent, linked to a mutually agreed index

(e.g., WPI / labour & fuel cost indices) or by a fresh limited negotiation, before such extension

takes effect. No price variation shall apply during the original 12-month validity of the contract.

8.2 Payment Terms

No advance payments. All payments are made only upon completion of the work.

Rates quoted shall be exclusive of GST. GST at the applicable rate (currently 18%) shall be

paid extra on the certified bill amount, on production of a valid tax invoice. All other taxes,

duties, cess and levies, present or future, shall be borne by the Agency unless otherwise

specified by law.

8.4 Mobilization, Machinery & Manpower

All tools, machinery (JCB, crane/hydra, tree spade, etc.), support vehicles, consumables and

skilled/unskilled manpower required for uprooting and transplantation shall be arranged,

operated, maintained, fuelled and insured by the Agency at its own cost. No machinery, vehicle

or equipment shall be supplied by the Kevadia Forest Division. Vehicles for transporting the

uprooted trees between the donor and receiving sites shall be arranged by the Kevadia Forest

Division (Clause 6), and are not part of the Agency's scope.

8.5 Safety, Traffic Management & Utilities

The Agency shall take all necessary safety precautions for its workmen and the public, use PPE,

and comply with all applicable safety regulations. Any damage caused to underground or

overhead utilities (electricity, gas, water, drainage, telecom) during the course of work, and any

resulting penalty or repair cost, shall be borne entirely by the Agency, except where such

damage arises from inaccurate utility-location information furnished by the Department/utility

8.6 Debris & Site Restoration

The Agency shall clear all debris, wood waste and packing material generated from

pruning/trimming/uprooting, and restore the vacated pit/site to a safe condition, on a daily basis.

Removal/transport of wood generated from trimming outside the site shall be done only against

a proper permission/authority letter, to be obtained by the Department and furnished to the

Agency in advance.

The Agency shall maintain, at its own cost, Workmen's Compensation Insurance for all its

workers, Third-Party Liability Insurance, and insurance/adequate protection for its machinery

and vehicles, for the entire contract period.

8.8 Penalty for Delay

In case of delay in completion of work (uprooting or transplantation of any tree/lot) beyond the

scheduled date attributable to the Agency, a penalty of 0.5% of the value of the delayed item

per week of delay shall be levied, subject to a maximum of 10% of the total contract value,

without prejudice to the Department's right to terminate the contract.

8.9 Termination

The Department may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, by written notice, in case of

persistent default, poor quality of work, abandonment of work, or breach of any material term

of the contract by the Agency, after giving a reasonable opportunity to remedy the default. In

the event of termination, the Performance Security shall be forfeited and the Department shall

be free to get the balance work executed at the Agency's risk and cost.

8.10 Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations due to events

beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural calamities, pandemics, war,

riots, or governmental action, provided timely notice is given and the affected party takes all

reasonable steps to mitigate the impact.

8.11 Sub-Letting

The Agency shall not sub-let, assign or transfer the contract, or any part thereof, to any other

agency without prior written consent of the Department.

8.12 Dispute Resolution & Jurisdiction

Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this contract shall first be resolved through

mutual discussion. Failing amicable settlement, the dispute shall be referred to arbitration under

the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of

the courts at Rajpipla.

9. Financial Evaluation Methodology

As this is an Annual Rate Contract with no fixed or guaranteed quantity of trees (Clause 1.1),

bidders cannot be compared by simply totaling their 9 quoted consolidated rates (one per girth

class) an unweighted total treats a girth class that occurs rarely as equal in importance to one

that occurs frequently, and can be skewed by a bidder quoting artificially low rates on classes

that rarely occur and high rates on common ones. Evaluation is therefore done using a

Composite Evaluation Rate, computed by applying fixed, pre-published notional weightages

(NOT quantities) to each bidder's quoted girth-wise rates.

9.1 Notional Weightages

The following weightages represent the Department's indicative estimate of the likely

proportion of trees by girth class, based on past project experience / site survey of the donor

stretch. These are used solely to compute a single comparable rate per bidder and do NOT

represent, and shall not be construed as, a commitment to any actual quantity or girth-wise

distribution of work under the ARC.

Assumed Weightage (%

Girth Class of Tree of trees, for evaluation Remarks

Illustrative — Department

1 Up to 300 mm [18%] to finalise based on site

survey / past data

9 2401 mm and above [2%]

9.2 Composite Evaluation Rate — Formula

For each bidder, the Composite Evaluation Rate (per notional tree) shall be computed as:

Composite Rate = Σ [ Wg(i) × Rate(i) ] , for girth classes i = 1 to

Where: Wg(i) = published weightage (%) for girth class i (Clause 9.1); Rate(i) = bidder's

quoted consolidated rate (uprooting + transplantation) for girth class i (Clause 7.1). The result is

a single blended Rs.-per-tree figure for each bidder, directly comparable across all bidders.

9.3 Illustrative Worked Example

If the published weightage for "Up to 300 mm" is 18% and a bidder quotes a consolidated rate

of Rs. 6,500 for that class, the weighted contribution of that class to the bidder's Composite

Rate is 18% × Rs. 6,500 = Rs. 1,170. The same calculation is repeated for all 9 girth classes

using that bidder's quoted rates and the published weightages, and the 9 resulting figures are

summed to arrive at the bidder's final Composite Rate. The Department's spreadsheet-based

evaluation sheet (issued with the tender) automates this calculation for all bidders on a common

9.4 Award Criteria

24. Technical Bids shall be evaluated first on a Qualify / Not-Qualify basis against the eligibility criteria

in Clause 3, based strictly on documents submitted.

25. Price Bids of only technically qualified bidders shall be opened, and the Composite Evaluation

Rate computed for each using the formula at Clause 9.2.

26. The bidder with the lowest Composite Evaluation Rate shall be declared L1 and awarded the

Annual Rate Contract. L1's full, itemised rate card (all 9 girth classes) shall thereafter apply to

every Work Order issued during the ARC period, regardless of the actual girth-wise mix of trees

encountered — the weightages are used only for comparison at the award stage, not for

27. The Department reserves the right to verify that no individual girth-class rate is abnormally low or

high in a manner designed to game the weighted evaluation, and may seek written justification or

reject a bid on this ground before award.

28. The Department reserves the right to empanel more than one Agency (L1, L2, L3) as an approved

panel of rate-contract holders, with work orders offered first to L1 and, where L1 is unable to

accept due to capacity constraints, to L2 and thereafter L3, at the same L1 rates. [Delete this

clause if a single-agency ARC is intended.]

29. In case of a tie in the Composite Evaluation Rate, preference shall be given to the bidder with

greater documented transplantation experience / higher survival-rate track record.

30. The Department reserves the right to negotiate with L1, or to accept/reject any or all bids, or

cancel the tender process, without assigning any reason, without liability to bidders.

10. List of Annexures to be Submitted

• Annexure I — Bid Form / Letter of Submission

• Annexure II — Bidder's General Information & Eligibility Compliance Sheet

• Annexure III — Self-Declaration of Non-Blacklisting (on Non-Judicial Stamp Paper)

• Annexure IV — Draft Agreement / Contract Form