Questions and Answers

Q1. Is it possible to shift the underground parking entrance? for example, shift it to the north a bit so it doesn’t block the direct connection between zone 1 and zone 2?

A1 The parking lot entrance cannot be moved. The underground car park cannot be extended. The car park is private property. Any out of the box solutions will be appreciated and discussed, but must also be realistic in order to be implemented

Q2. Is it possible to pedestrianize Pazarska street ? Is there a minimum firelane width for the area?

A2 Yes, it could become pedestrianised, it could be a shared street. Minimum street width for fire service is 4 metres.

Q3 Could you please advise what are the deliverable format requirements. Type of drawings, sheet format, animation, text etc. 

Also please advise if there has been an estimated construction budget allocated for this project. This would give us better ability to propose a realistic design scheme.

All details regarding the list of deliverables for the submission, materials (drawings, renders, visuals, text etc.) are in the competition programme. You can read it on page 9, point 2.3. This information can be seen in the competition website https://competition.bg/marketzone/en/documentation/The approximate cost for the implementation of the competition project must be indicated.There is no requirement as to how detailed the costing of the competition proposal must be, but it must be a realistic estimate that will be assessed by the jury. We can’t give advice , there are no established standards.

Q4 Do you have any drawings of the underground parking behind CUM, and if so, would you send them? Do you have drawings of the former Komsomol Cinema building, and would you provide them? Could you provide us with drawings of the newly constructed market building?

A4 The drawings you are asking us for are not the subject of the brief and the council does not have them, so they have not been provided.

All the available information has been collected on the competition website.

Задание

Q5 We are an architectural Firm from India, can we participate in the competition?

А5 There are no restrictions to participate, including at the national level. All details regarding Conditions of participation are in the competition programme. You can read it on page 7, point 2. This information can be seen in the competition website https://competition.bg/marketzone/en/documentation/

Q6 Tell me how to calculate the project budget for foreign contestants?

A6 You need to indicate the estimated construction cost for the implementation of the competition project. There is no requirement on how detailed the costing for the competition proposal should be, but it should be a realistic estimate that will be evaluated by the jury. We cannot give advice , there are no set standards.

Q7  we’re a team of architects from Moscow Architectural Institute who are interested in participating in your competition. Could you please tell us if you have a list of accurate graphic materials in order to be able to registrate our project? Or maybe you have special template for the presentation of competition projects?

A7 All details regarding the list of deliverables for the submission, materials (drawings, renders, visuals, text etc.) are in the competition programme. You can read it on page 9, point 2.3. This information can be seen in the competition website https://competition.bg/marketzone/en/documentation/

Q8 Does the ESPD form need to be filled in? I am a sole practitioner architect and I find that most of the sections are not applicable to me such as part 4B; 4C and 4D: I’m not a company and I don’t have turnover data; I don’t have company insurance; I don’t have quality assurance certificates. Can I leave blank, all fields that are not applicable to me? Also, I’m not sure who is the ‘Procurer’ and who is the ‘Economic Operator’

A8 The ESPD must be completed. Fill in only the fields that apply to you. 

‘Procurer’ is Stara Zagora Municipality. ‘Economic Operator’ is you.If you have an electronic signature and work with the CAIS system, you can also submit your documentation individually here- https://app.eop.bg/today/417229 This is the Bulgarian public procurement system.  If you are not able to register and submit the projects in this system on your own we will do it for you, but then you need to fill in and give a power of attorney because all documentation is transmitted through CAIS. 

Q9 Regarding the competition design:Can new buildings be proposed in the area, or should the design be restricted to landscaping works?

A9 No buildings are to be designed in the brief. The project is for the reconstruction and improvement of the urban environment. 

Q10 Are there any restrictions on nationality? Should we make a model of the project, and if so is it possible to send pictures of it by email?

A10 Аll details regarding Conditions of participation are in the competition program. You can read it on page 7, point 2.1. This information can be seen in the competition website https://competition.bg/marketzone/en/documentation/

2. Participation in the competition

2.1. Conditions of participation

All Bulgarian and foreign persons or associations are eligible to participate in the competition, with no restrictions. 

No you can not send us pictures of the model by email. Everything must be uploaded on the competition website. All details regarding the list of deliverables for the submission, materials (drawings, renders, visuals, text etc.) are in the competition programme. You can read it on page 9, point 2.3.

Q11 Do we have to pay as to participate in the project?

A11 No, you do not have to pay. The competition is with free participation.

Q12 We would like to seek clarification regarding the financial proposal for the “implementation of the conceptual design” mentioned in the explanatory note, as well as the “Value of the Proposed Project Solution” file.  Specifically, we are uncertain which of these refers to the estimated construction costs for the implementation of the submitted proposal, and which pertains to the projected future architectural fees. Could you please provide further clarification on this matter? 

A12 The approximate cost for the implementation of the competition project must be indicated.There is no requirement as to how detailed the costing of the competition proposal must be, but it must be a realistic estimate that will be assessed by the jury. We can’t give advice , there are no established standards. The total maximum value of the design services for the preparation and execution of all the necessary coordination procedures in the design phase of the future technical and detailed investment project is 120 000 leva excluding VAT, which negotiation without prior announcement. The maximum amount of the contract shall be 120 000 lev a excluding VAT.

Q13 In the documents, there are several suggestions for closing the site to vehicles. But there seems to be a need for an important number of parking spaces (for the houses, the market, the parks, etc). Are we allowed to propose parking spaces outside the project area? On the surrounding plots, or by narrowing the peripheral streets to create space for perpendicular parking,etc?

A13 In principle the competition brief has a scope and should not be gone beyond, but you can make a proposal that will be evaluated in conjunction with the overall competition proposal.

Q14 For the underground parking in Zone-1, It seems to be useful, but in a bad condition. What are the intervention limits? In case we close the area to vehicles, can we turn it into another space? Or we leave it as it is and change the entrance ramp to the west side? If so, can we have the plan drawings for the park?

A14 The parking lot entrance cannot be moved. The underground car park cannot be extended. The car park is private property. Any out of the box solutions will be appreciated and discussed, but must also be realistic in order to be implemented.  Unfortunately we do not have drawings of the underground car parking.

Q15  Which buildings or additions can we demolish on the site? 

A15 – Relocatables and structures that are not buildings can be removed. There are detailed diagrams for all the sites in the competition documents which mark which are massive buildings and which are not. For all others a change of appearance and general design code can be proposed.

Q16 We have the following question about the competition:

The task of the competition is:

The competition requires the participants to propose a spatial and urban planning concept for the DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVEMENT AND DESIGN of the urban environment and an IDEA SOLUTION for the area subject to the competition, on the basis of which a technical and detailed investment project will be awarded.

On the other hand, the wording of the competition is:

International architectural competition for a COMPREHENSIVE CONCEPT FOR DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVEMENT AND DESIGN OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT and an IMAGINATIVE SOLUTION for ul. “Pazarska” and the square space behind the department store, locked between the boulevard. “Tsar Simeon the Great” Blvd. “Russki”, ul. “Knyaz Boris” and ul. “Kolyo Ganchev”, Stara Zagora.

At the same time, the following territory is defined as the scope of the competition:

The scope of the competition is enclosed between the two city parks “Fifth of October” /Gradskaya Garden/ and “Alexander Stamboliiski” /Alana/. The boundaries of the scope are Aleksandras Stamolichnikov Blvd. The boundaries of the area are “Russki”, “Aleksandr Stambolskiy”, “Aleksandr Stambolskiy” and “Aleksandr Stambolskiy” streets. “Kolyo Ganchev” and the central pedestrian street of Stara Zagora – Blvd. “Tsar Simeon the Great”.

Our question is: the conceptual solution and the subsequent technical and detailed investment projects in what scope are expected to be developed:

A) for ul. “(a) for the design of the project for the area of the Market Square and the square behind the Department Store, or

B) for the entire space between the streets of ul. “Russki”, ul. “St. Knyaz Boris Street, ul. “Kolyo Ganchev and the central pedestrian street of Stara Zagora – ul. “Tsar Simeon Veliki”, which includes ul. “Pazarska” and the square space behind the department store, but also all inner and inter-block spaces?

A17 The competition brief uses several variations of the competition title solely to avoid tautologies and to shorten the description. The scope is correctly stated in the full title of the competition, namely: the whole space including the street. ‘Pazarska’ and the square behind the department store, locked between ul.”Tsar Simeon the Great, Tsar Simeon the Great Blvd. “Russki”, ul. “Knyaz Boris” and ul. “Kolyo Ganchev”. Or the shorter answer is B) of your question.

Q18 Could you please clarify whether declaring a European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) is necessary or recommended? Is it possible to submit boards digitally?

A18 completing and attaching the ESPD is mandatory, as you will not be able to submit all documents and proceed to step 2 on the platform. In step 2 you will be able to attach the competition boards. Everything is digital only if you use our platform.

Q19 1. The “application for documents” section on the second page of the competition documentation states that the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) must be provided. This document is only available to legal entities, such as architectural or construction companies. However, my colleague and I are freelancers and cannot provide this document due to the lack of EU citizenship and necessary legal status.

Given that this international project requires the provision of a standardized European Union document, which we are unable to provide, we would like to request guidance on how we should proceed in this situation.

2. Regarding the cost of the proposed competition solution: since the scope and specifics of work at each site vary, and the concept assumes general principles of work and solutions, as well as the lack of appropriate exploratory work for individual sites, how precisely is the cost estimate required to be provided?

3. Please clarify the possibility for non-EU citizens to participate in the competition. Are we correct in understanding that the competition is open to participants regardless of citizenship?

4. In the “Power of Attorney” document, you ask to appoint an authorized representative to act on our behalf in certain financial matters. If we do not have such an agent, what measures would you recommend we take?

A19 The competition is open for participation without limit. You can participate if you are outside the European Union. That is why we have provided a power of attorney , who will be able to fulfill all the requirements of Bulgarian law on your behalf.
The enclosed power of attorney has no scope for any financial matters. The rights of the attorney are only to submit your documents – application and the ESPD – to CAIS.

if you have any financial matters relating to the receipt of awards the awarding authority will contact you personally. 

if you do not wish to use our platform for the submission of competition projects, you can submit all documentation in person on the government procurement platform /CAIS/. If you have an electronic signature and work with the CAIS system, you can also submit your documentation individually here- https://app.eop.bg/today/417229 This is the Bulgarian public procurement system. 

About CAIS you need to have an electronic signature issued in Bulgaria and by one of the electronic signature providers in the European Union. You can authorise another person to do this on your behalf.

Regarding the cost of the proposed competition solution: The approximate cost for the implementation of the competition project must be indicated. There is no requirement as to how detailed the costing of the competition proposal must be, but it must be a realistic estimate that will be assessed by the jury. We can’t give advice , there is not any established standardst. the Bulgarian legislation requires that there must be a cost estimate of the competition project.

The Single European Procurement Document (‘ESPD’) is a mandatory document for all participants in the consortium. It may be completed by legal and physical persons. in the ESPD you only fill in the fields for which you have data. What does not apply to you is not filled in.  If you are submitting via our platform, it is enough to fill it in, sign and scan it. The attorney will sign it with an electronic signature and submit it, via CAIS. 

I want to request clarification on the following questions regarding the architectural competition “The Market Zone”:

Q20 We found no specific requirement in the tender documentation to leave a blank space on the boards in which to enter a bidder number. Is there such a requirement or do we not need to provide such a free field?

A20 There is no specific requirement and no specific space needs to be left to insert an individual number.