VR Group: Insurances and related services, framework agreement

VR-Group Plc (hereinafter also “VR” or the “contracting entity”) initiates this contract notice to establish a framework agreement for the procurement of insurance coverage and related insurance services for VR Group. VR Group consists of approximately 15 legal entities operating in Finland, Sweden and Latvia, employing more than 9,100 people. This procurement covers all legal entities under VR Group. The framework agreement may be used to procure various insurance lines, such as general and product liability insurance, property damage and business interruption insurance, cargo and transport-related insurance, statutory insurance lines and other insurance coverages relevant to the operations and risk profile of VR Group, as well as related insurance services including underwriting, policy administration and claims handling. A description of the procurement is provided in Appendix 2 – Description of the Procurement. Under the framework agreement, insurance coverages and related services will be procured through mini-competitions conducted among the suppliers admitted to the framework agreement. The scope, content and specific insurance coverages procured under the frame agreement may vary. As the insurance lines differ significantly in nature and pricing methodologies, price competition will take place in the mini‑competitions, and the framework agreement is therefore awarded solely on the basis of qualitative criteria. The framework agreement is planned to enter into force Q3/2026 and shall have an initial fixed term of three (3) years, after which the Customer may extend the Agreement with two (2) optional periods of one (1) year each (3 + 1 + 1 years). The first insurances are expected to be mini-competed in Q3/2026 and the first insurance periods to commence on 1 December 2026. This schedule is preliminary and may still change. In accordance with Section 45(2) of the Act on Procurement Contracts in the Utilities Sectors, the maximum total value of contracts awarded under this Framework Agreement during the entire contract period shall be EUR 30,000,000 (VAT 0%). Tenderers are requested to note that the value stated above does not constitute the estimated value of the procurement, but the statutory maximum value as referred to in the Act. The maximum value also includes possible option periods of the procurement. VR Group does not commit to any minimum purchase volumes. Actual resource needs may increase or decrease during the contract period based on business requirements, technological development, and the lifecycle of projects and systems. This procurement will be carried out using an open procedure. The Finnish Act on Procurements and Concession Contracts of Entities Operating in the Water and Energy Supply, Transport and Postal Services Sector (Act 1398/2016, “Act on Public Contracts in the Utilities Sector”) applies to this procurement. Tenders must meet all suitability requirements set out in this notice and its appendices.Main features of the procedureThe procurement procedure applied is an open procedure. If none of the tenders received complies with the Invitation to Tender, or if the circumstances during the tendering procedure change in such a way that VR cannot make use of the results of the tendering procedure, VR may suspend the procurement procedure in part or in its entirety. No compensation shall be paid to Tenderers for submitting a tender, presenting a tender, or otherwise participating in the procurement procedure. The contract notice and the tender documents are available in English. In the procedure the tenders are opened, the suitability of tenderers and the compliance of tenders are verified, and the tenders are evaluated. A contract award is communicated electronically to all tenderers, after which the contract enters into force upon signature of a written agreement. The tender must comply with the Invitation to Tender and its appendices and shall include all information requested for the assessment of Tenderers and tenders and for the comparison of tenders, in accordance with the instructions provided. Submission of alternative or variant tenders is not permitted. The Tenderer’s own contract terms shall not be attached to the tender and may lead to rejection of the tender.