NPT0048/26: Bid/No-Bid Brief and Compliance Matrix
TenderGulf sample brief. Prepared Monday 19 October 2026.
How to read the references: "p." means the page number printed at the foot of the Arabic conditions booklet. The PDF has 32 pages and the printed numbers match the PDF page numbers (the cover is page 1). "cl." means the booklet clause. "Item list" means the English item list (2 pages, dated 30/09/2026). "Mechanism, slide N" means the third document, the Arabic slide deck on submitting bids on the MEDEVAL platform (28 slides). Text marked Our reading is TenderGulf analysis, not document text.
1. Header
| Field | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tender number | NPT0048/26 | Booklet cover; item list header |
| Buyer | NUPCO, the National Unified Procurement Company for medicines, devices and medical supplies, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund. "Beneficiary entities" means NUPCO or government entities. | cl. 1 intro, p. 2; cl. 1.1.3, p. 3 |
| Title (English) | Item list header: "OPEN FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT FOR HOMECARE AND RELATED SERVICES". | Item list p. 1 |
| Title (Arabic) | الإتفاقية الإطارية المفتوحة لتأمين أجهزة الرعاية المنزلية والخدمات المصاحبة لها | Booklet cover |
| Type | Open framework agreement: new suppliers may join during its term; awarded offers stay in force. | cl. 1.1.10, p. 4 |
| Status on tender page | Available / New | Tender page, read 19 October 2026 |
| Opening (publication) date | Thursday 1 October 2026 | Tender page |
| Enquiry cut-off | Not stated in the booklet. Enquiries go to NUPCO in writing or by email "until the last day for supplier enquiries stated in the tender announcement". The announcement is not in the public document set. | cl. 1.2.2, p. 5 |
| Submission deadline | Wednesday 28 October 2026. Time of day: not stated in the booklet (it defers to the announcement). | Tender page; cl. 4.2.1, p. 12 |
| Bid opening | Thursday 29 October 2026, at NUPCO headquarters or online. Time: not stated in the booklet. | Tender page (list capture of 19 October 2026); cl. 4.7.1, p. 14 |
| Booklet fee | SAR 16,675. Local factories and SMEs get 50% of the fee back (excluding VAT) "after the opening of bids", once they submit proof. Whether VAT is added to SAR 16,675: not stated in the booklet. | Tender page; cl. 1.1.2.2, p. 3 |
| How the booklet is bought and paid | Through the SADAD service. Documents are released electronically on the NUPCO platform after purchase, to agents and distributors accredited and qualified with NUPCO and specialised in the items. The mechanism adds: pay the MEDEVAL invoice through SADAD, biller number 903 ("Eidaat"); the tender opens about 10 minutes after payment. | cl. 1.1.2.1, p. 3; cl. 1.3, p. 5; Mechanism, slide 17 |
| Where bids go | "Electronically through NUPCO's official channels (www.nupco.com)", after filling the NUPCO platform registration form. Submission must follow the attached mechanism, which is the MEDEVAL platform at https://medeval.nupco.com. | cl. 1.1.1.1 and 1.1.1.2, p. 3; cl. 4.2.3 and 4.2.4, p. 12; cl. 9.7, p. 30; Mechanism, slides 1 and 2 |
| Tender email | ME_TENDERS@NUPCO.COM. Correspondence must go to this address from the bidder's official email registered with NUPCO; other correspondence is not counted. | cl. 9.16, p. 31; cl. 3.4.1, p. 9 |
| Other NUPCO emails in the mechanism | Products: ME_PRODUCTS@NUPCO.COM. Guide and tenders: ME_TENDERS@NUPCO.COM. Requests: ME_REQUESTS@NUPCO.COM. | Mechanism, slide 28 |
| NUPCO address in booklet | Short address RGNA4032, building 4032, additional number 6696, postal code 12382. City: not stated in the booklet. | p. 32 |
| Scope size | 53 lines, each its own group code; 54,672 units in total, all UOM "EACH". | Item list, computed |
| Estimated value | Not stated in the booklet or the item list. | n/a |
2. Bottom line
- This is a service contract with devices inside it. The winner stocks, delivers to patients' homes anywhere in Saudi Arabia within 7 working days, installs, trains the patient, maintains and replaces devices for two years, all run through NUPCO's "Yusr" ordering platform (cl. 9.1, p. 28; cl. 9.1.1, p. 29; cl. 9.8, p. 30).
- Bid only as, or together with, a Saudi home-care distributor that already has storage and points of sale in every administrative region, a 3-month reserve stock, and maker-trained service engineers (cl. 9.1.1.2 and 9.1.1.11, p. 29; cl. 8.5.4, p. 26).
- Do not bid as a foreign maker alone. Documents go only to NUPCO-qualified agents and distributors (cl. 1.3, p. 5), the MEDEVAL account needs a NUPCO supplier number and a Chamber-certified form (Mechanism, slide 2), and the 10-year spare parts undertaking must come from the device's agents in the Kingdom (cl. 8.4.4, p. 25).
- Scoring is weighted, unlike NPT0031/26 and NPT0032/26: 60% technical, 40% financial. A "not comply" on any critical specification or critical add-on excludes the offer (cl. 5.3, p. 14 to 17).
- Single biggest gate: every product must be registered and approved on MEDEVAL, with the maker's authorisation, MDMA number and certificate, Saudi installed base and manufacturer documents, before you can link it to a line. "No item can be bid without registering and approving the product" (Mechanism, slide 19; cl. 9.10, p. 30). Approval runs through several NUPCO review stages (Mechanism, slide 6), and 9 days remain.
3. Scope
Method. We converted the 2-page item list to text with pdftotext and parsed all 53 rows (SN 1 to 53, none missing). Every row has UOM "EACH" and a GROUPS code equal to its own item number, so each line is a group of one. We summed QTY by product family. The booklet says the quantities "are indicative quantities set for evaluation purposes" and supply follows actual need (cl. 4.1.2.7, p. 11).
| Family | Items (SN) | Sizes in item text | Quantity (EACH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air mattress, low risk | 1 (SN 1) | n/a | 3,271 |
| Commode wheelchair, 2 large rear wheels | 6 (SN 2 to 7) | 12 to 22 | 6,623 |
| Commode wheelchair, 4 small wheels | 7 (SN 8 to 14) | 12 to 24 | 2,665 |
| Lightweight wheelchair | 7 (SN 15 to 21) | 12 to 24 | 688 |
| Powered wheelchair | 7 (SN 22 to 28) | 12 to 24 | 8,457 |
| Wheelchair for severely disabled | 5 (SN 29 to 33) | 12 to 20 | 4,466 |
| Standard wheelchair, long back | 6 (SN 34 to 39) | 14 to 24 | 6,459 |
| Standard wheelchair | 7 (SN 40 to 46) | 12 to 24 | 14,054 |
| Ultra lightweight wheelchair | 4 (SN 47 to 50) | 12 to 18 | 282 |
| Electric home care bed, adult | 1 (SN 51) | n/a | 5,780 |
| Mobile patient lift | 1 (SN 52) | n/a | 1,871 |
| Basic electric bed | 1 (SN 53) | n/a | 56 |
| Total | 53 | 54,672 (wheelchairs: 49 lines, 43,694) |
Item list points to note
- Largest lines: SN 43 standard wheelchair size 18, 6,060; SN 51 electric home care bed, 5,780; SN 44 standard wheelchair size 20, 3,887; SN 25 powered wheelchair size 18, 3,711; SN 1 air mattress, 3,271.
- No brand or platform is named in the item list. Item descriptions are one line each; the detailed specifications, their weights and the required accessories sit on MEDEVAL, not in the public item list (Mechanism, slides 20 to 22).
- Every line is its own group, so the "bid every item in a group" rule (cl. 2.7.2.2, p. 8) has no practical bite here. Our reading: you can bid a single size of a single wheelchair type.
- Gaps in item numbers (for example MHC10007, MHC10022, MHC10023, MHC10031) suggest lines were removed from a master list. Not explained in the documents.
4. What "associated services" requires
These duties apply to every awarded line, wheelchair or bed alike.
| Service | What the booklet requires | Clause and page |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering | Orders are issued by the customer on NUPCO's "Yusr" platform (منصة يسر). The supplier receives the approved order, prepares the device with all its accessories, delivers it to the home, and the beneficiary confirms receipt on Yusr. | cl. 6.4.1, p. 20; cl. 7.4.1 and 7.4.2, p. 21; cl. 9.2, p. 29 and 30 |
| Stock | Keep a reserve stock large enough to cover three months of quantities. | cl. 9.1.1.2, p. 29 |
| Footprint | "Provide storage space and points of sale in all administrative regions of the Kingdom" and upload proof with the offer. | cl. 9.1.1.11, p. 29 |
| Home delivery | To beneficiaries' homes in all regions, within 7 working days from receipt of the order on Yusr. | cl. 7.4.1, p. 21; cl. 9.1.1.3, p. 29; cl. 9.8, p. 30; cl. 9.17, p. 31 |
| Installation | Install the device and confirm it is ready; deliver in full working condition in front of the requester's representatives; full installation, calibration, performance and safety tests, detailed service report. Pre-installation works and drawings "if any". | cl. 9.1.1.5, p. 29; cl. 8.1.8 and 8.1.15, p. 23; cl. 8.3.1, p. 25 |
| Training | Train the beneficiary or family on safe use. Training cost is part of the offer. | cl. 9.1.1.6, p. 29; cl. 4.1.2.6, p. 11 |
| Warranty | Full warranty for two years from delivery to the end beneficiary, at no cost to the beneficiary: scheduled and corrective maintenance, calibration, emergency visits, labour, tools and spare parts. Extra warranty years may be priced. | cl. 9.1.1.8, p. 29; cl. 8.4.1 and 8.4.2, p. 25; cl. 4.1.2.1 and 4.1.2.2, p. 11 |
| Maintenance response | Response within 24 hours; repair within 72 hours of response (cl. 8.5.2), but the service level table says repair or replace within 5 working days (cl. 9.17). | cl. 8.5.1 and 8.5.2, p. 26; cl. 9.17, p. 31 |
| Replacement and return | Replace faulty devices with compliant ones; supplier is responsible for replacement and return through the warranty period. | cl. 9.1, p. 28; cl. 9.1.1.9, p. 29 |
| Staffing | No headcount is stated. Maintenance must be done by "maintenance engineers trained by the maker" (cl. 8.5.4); the supplier gives names and contacts of its engineers and an after-hours route (cl. 8.5.12); supplies workers to unload (cl. 8.2.2). | cl. 8.2.2, p. 24; cl. 8.5.4, p. 26; cl. 8.5.12, p. 27 |
| Non-agent bidders | A bidder that is not the device's authorised agent must attach a notarised maintenance contract with the agent, or with a specialised maintenance company approved by the beneficiaries, covering the whole warranty period. | cl. 8.5.16, p. 28 |
| 10-year support | Each device supplied through the agent or authorised distributor, responsible for spare parts and maintenance for ten years after installation. Undertaking from the Saudi agents, naming device, model, serial number, maker, agent and main supplier with addresses, certified by the Chamber of Commerce. | cl. 8.1.16, p. 23; cl. 8.4.4, p. 25 |
| Support and reporting | Answer tickets in the NUPCO ticket system; record every service visit (serial number, fault, parts, test results); periodic reports to NUPCO; beneficiary confirmation is proof of the visit. | cl. 9.4, p. 30 |
| Patient data | Keep beneficiaries' data private and use it only to deliver the service. | cl. 9.5, p. 30 |
| Satisfaction | At least 95% beneficiary satisfaction, measured by surveys on the platform. | cl. 9.17, p. 31 |
Our reading: who this lets in and who it keeps out.
- The natural winner is a Saudi medical device distributor that already runs home delivery and field service nationwide. A pure importer without regional warehouses and field engineers cannot meet cl. 9.1.1.11 or cl. 8.5.4.
- A foreign maker can take part through its Saudi agent, or through a consortium agreed before bidding and certified by the Chamber of Commerce (cl. 4.3, p. 12 and 13). Subcontracting delivery or service needs NUPCO's written approval (cl. 4.4, p. 13).
- The 7 working day delivery clock and the SAR 50 per device per breach penalties make thin regional coverage expensive (see penalties, section 6).
5. What the third document (MEDEVAL submission mechanism) changes
The deck is a general NUPCO guide for medical device tenders on MEDEVAL; its screenshots use another tender (an open framework agreement for pharmacy, NPT0012-26) as the example. The booklet makes it binding: bidders must follow it, and NUPCO may reject bids that do not (cl. 4.2.4, p. 12; cl. 5.6, p. 18; cl. 9.7, p. 30).
| Change for bidders | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Different platform | Bids go through MEDEVAL (https://medeval.nupco.com), not iNUPCO. The booklet never mentions iNUPCO or the NUPCO Catalogue. | Mechanism, slides 1 and 2; cl. 9.10, p. 30 |
| Separate account | New account: email ME_PRODUCTS@NUPCO.COM with employee name, email, mobile, company name, NUPCO supplier number, and a registration form certified by the Chamber of Commerce. A new company needs company name, official email, phone and NUPCO company number. | Mechanism, slides 2 and 3 |
| Manufacturer record | The bidder creates each manufacturer (name, email, phone, website, headquarters address; subsidiary link to a parent maker). | Mechanism, slides 4 and 5 |
| Product registration replaces the Catalogue | Each product is registered with: maker, product name, supplier, item type (main device or standalone accessory), medical or non-medical, country of origin as on the AR certificate, launch year, agency type (exclusive or distributor), model number, photo. | Mechanism, slides 6 and 7 |
| Certificates at product level | Maker authorisation certificate on NUPCO's template, stamped by the maker, with start and end dates; installed base worldwide; installed base in Saudi Arabia with a supporting file; MDMA number (format "MDMA-X-XXX"), MDMA certificate, issue and expiry dates. The form marks these fields as required. | Mechanism, slide 8 |
| Manufacturer documents | User manual, data sheet and catalogue, each issued by the maker, searchable and showing the model name. Accessories from another maker must be registered as separate standalone products. | Mechanism, slides 9 and 10 |
| Approval stages | Product status runs Created, Pending Review, Pending Approval, Final Approval, Approved. Only an approved product can be linked to a tender line. | Mechanism, slides 6 and 19 |
| Technical answer per specification | For each specification (number, name, value, weight) the bidder chooses Fully Comply, Partially Comply or Not Comply, names the supporting document and page, and states its own value. Partial means within plus or minus 10% of the specification value without affecting clinical efficiency. A wrong document or page risks rejection. | Mechanism, slides 20 and 21 |
| Accessories are priced and linked | Each accessory must be linked to a registered product code; a wrong link excludes the offer. Accessories marked Not Comply cannot be priced. Each accessory gets an embedding type: built-in with extra price, built-in free, standalone, or standalone with free quantity. Extra clinical add-ons may be offered; NUPCO may accept or reject them. | Mechanism, slides 22 to 25 |
| Financial entry | Unit price of the main item including the base warranty, VAT 15% or 0%, quotation number; system totals. | Mechanism, slide 22 |
| Signed quotation | Download the system quotation, stamp and sign it, re-upload it, then submit. | Mechanism, slide 26 |
| Tender requirements upload | Bank guarantee, cover letter, CR, zakat/tax, GOSI, Chamber, Saudization, SFDA MDEL and AR, Capital Market Authority proof if listed, agency certificate, Monshaat certificate, others; enter guarantee amount. "Confirm offers" is final: no edits after. | Mechanism, slide 27 |
Our reading: MEDEVAL turns the paperwork into product-by-product data entry that NUPCO reviews before the bid. That front-loads the work. A bidder that has never used MEDEVAL needs account creation, manufacturer records, product approval and line-by-line technical answers within 9 days. The Saudi installed base field also previews the "prior purchase by reference hospitals" test in cl. 5.2.1.
6. Compliance matrix
"Gate" means failure can exclude the bid or the line. "Scored" means it affects the 60/40 evaluation.
| Requirement | What the booklet says (our translation) | Clause and page | Who must hold it | Gate or scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who can buy the documents | Released after purchase "للوكلاء والموزعين المعتمدين المؤهلين لدى نوبكو" (accredited and qualified with NUPCO) and specialised in the items. | cl. 1.3, p. 5 | Saudi agent or distributor | Gate |
| Who counts as a competitor | Factories, drug companies, agents, local producers, suppliers, or companies abroad. | cl. 1.1.5, p. 3 | Either | Definition |
| Platform account | Fill the NUPCO platform registration form; MEDEVAL account and product approval as in section 5. | cl. 1.1.1.2, p. 3; cl. 9.10, p. 30 | Bidder | Gate |
| NUPCO Catalogue / iNUPCO | Not stated in the booklet. Replaced by registration of every product on the "medical devices platform" per the mechanism, with approval and valid documents. | cl. 9.10, p. 30; Mechanism, slide 19 | Bidder per product | Gate (per line) |
| SFDA documents | Valid MDEL, AR and MDMA, uploaded stamped within the offer. SFDA certificates for main items and their medical accessories. | cl. 1.5.6 to 1.5.9, p. 6; cl. 9.11, p. 31 | Our reading: MDEL and AR held by the Saudi agent; MDMA per product | Required document |
| SASO | Certificates from SASO for non-medical items; devices must meet SFDA rules for medical devices and SASO rules for other devices. | cl. 9.12, p. 31; cl. 8.1.17, p. 24; cl. 9.6, p. 30 | Maker and bidder | Required document |
| MDMA as award criterion | No clause makes MDMA an award criterion or requires the national registry number. MEDEVAL product registration asks for MDMA number and certificate. | Booklet silent; Mechanism, slide 8 | Product | Our reading: a de facto gate through MEDEVAL |
| Agency certificate | Agency certificate for the makers in the offer. | cl. 1.5.11, p. 6 | Agent holds, maker issues | Required document |
| GMP | Not stated in the booklet. | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Saudi company documents | CR, zakat/tax, GOSI, Chamber, Saudization (each when legally required), Capital Market Authority proof if listed, Monshaat certificate for SMEs. Copies must be valid and stamped. Also applies to subcontractors. | cl. 1.5.1 to 1.5.5, 1.5.10, 1.5.12, p. 6 | Bidder and subcontractors | Required |
| Prior use in Saudi hospitals | The product must have been bought and tried before by reference hospitals, stated in the remarks field with documents. NUPCO may accept or reject the product. If this conflicts with platform specifications, this clause prevails. | cl. 5.2.1 to 5.2.3, p. 14 | Product track record | Our reading: a gate for new entrants |
| Language of offer | "يجب أن تقدم العروض باللغة العربية". Another language may be added; Arabic prevails. | cl. 3.1, p. 9 | Bidder | Gate |
| Currency and price format | Saudi riyals, unit price for the smallest unit, no more than four decimals. | cl. 3.2, p. 9; cl. 7.1.3, p. 20 | Bidder | Format rule |
| VAT | Prices must include VAT and all costs (cl. 7.1.1); unit price entered without VAT, VAT in its own field (cl. 7.1.2). MEDEVAL asks for VAT at 15% or 0% per line. | cl. 7.1.1 and 7.1.2, p. 20; Mechanism, slide 22 | Bidder | Ask NUPCO |
| What the price must cover | Device with first and second year warranty; extra warranty years if any; critical add-ons; pre-installation works if any; storage, delivery and installation at the beneficiary's home; end-user training. | cl. 4.1.2, p. 11 | Bidder | Scored (35% block) |
| Offer letter | Upload a copy with tender name and number, total value, number of items, attachments and initial guarantee details, discounts. No "reservations" item (unlike NPT0031/26 and NPT0032/26). | cl. 4.1.6, p. 12 | Bidder | Exclusion risk |
| Reservations | Bidding means acceptance of all terms "without any reservations"; NUPCO may reject incomplete, vague or qualified bids. | cl. 2.11, p. 9; cl. 5.6, p. 18 | Bidder | Exclusion risk |
| Brands | Disclose all trademarks in the price schedules. | cl. 4.1.3, p. 12 | Bidder | Exclusion risk |
| Alternatives | Basic offers only. | cl. 4.1.1, p. 11 | Bidder | Gate |
| Use of bidder information | NUPCO keeps the right to use information submitted by bidders for any commercial purpose. | cl. 3.5.3, p. 10 | Bidder | Accepted by bidding |
| Initial bank guarantee | 1% of the offer value, "covering all items and priced accessories". Offers without it are excluded. Issued through Bawatak and registered within the submission period. In NUPCO's name, first demand, unconditional, irrevocable, no deductions, 120 days from opening, auto-renewing; no cash or cheques. Returned through Bawatak after signing and final guarantee. | cl. 3.7.1 to 3.7.1.5, p. 10 and 11; cl. 3.7.4, p. 11 | Bidder | Gate |
| Initial guarantee exemptions | Local SMEs exempt; local factories may skip it, with proof on the NUPCO platform. | cl. 3.7.1.6, 3.7.1.7 and 3.7.2, p. 11 | Saudi SME or factory | Exemption |
| Final guarantee | 5% of each purchase order, given to the beneficiary that issued it within 15 working days of the order date; extendable once. Not needed if the order is SAR 100,000 or less, or if goods are delivered and finally accepted within that period, or if accepted part-delivery covers the guarantee value. | cl. 6.3.1 and 6.3.2.1 to 6.3.2.2, p. 19 | Awarded bidder | Gate per order |
| SME penalty | SME that withdraws during validity or fails to give the final guarantee pays a penalty equal to the initial guarantee. | cl. 6.3.2.3, p. 20 | Saudi SME | Penalty |
| Bank acceptable | Local bank, or foreign bank through a local bank; Saudi Central Bank-approved foreign bank where a Saudi guarantee cannot be had. | cl. 6.3.2.5 and 6.3.2.6, p. 20 | Bidder | Gate |
| Offer validity | 120 days from bid opening, extendable for a similar period. | cl. 3.3, p. 9 | Bidder | Gate |
| Withdrawal | Before deadline: guarantee back, fee kept. After deadline: guarantee may be forfeited. After orders: execution at supplier's cost. | cl. 4.6, p. 13 | Bidder | Penalty |
| Economic participation policy | Applies; comply and submit documents. Policy and undertaking form are tender documents. | cl. 1.1.6, p. 3; cl. 1.4.5 and 1.4.6, p. 5 | Bidder | Required. Not in our document set |
| Local content and preference | Regulation on preference for local content, local SMEs and listed companies applies, with ZATCA national rules of origin. The words "price preference" appear only in cl. 1.1.9. Percentages: not stated in the booklet. Baseline local content certificate for mandatory-list items; local content certificate to prove a national product. | cl. 1.1.7 to 1.1.9, p. 3 and 4 | Saudi maker | Price adjustment; gate for mandatory-list lines |
| Priority to local products | No award-priority clause. National manufacture is "preferred" for materials and finish. | cl. 8.1.22, p. 24 | Saudi maker | Preference |
| SME and local factory benefits | 50% booklet fee discount after bid opening; guarantee exemption; 50% off objection fees for local factories. | cl. 1.1.2.2, p. 3; cl. 3.7.1.6 and 3.7.1.7, p. 11; cl. 5.8.3, p. 18 | Saudi SME or factory | Benefits |
| Regional HQ | Present. Bidders must take into account "قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (461)" dated 13/06/1445H on contracting with companies that have no regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, and related parties. No document or consequence is stated. | cl. 1.1.12.1, p. 4 | Our reading: affects maker group and agent | Unclear; ask NUPCO |
| Restricted origins | NUPCO may require another origin, exclude the offer, cancel the line, or cancel the item or contract. | cl. 1.1.13, p. 4 and 5 | Maker | Risk |
| Lowest price commitment | Price among the lowest in Saudi Arabia; report any lower price given during the term, or face exclusion or award cancellation. | cl. 2.9.2 to 2.9.4, p. 8 and 9 | Bidder | Gate during term |
| Negotiation | Including reverse financial auction. | cl. 2.9.1, p. 8 | Bidder | Process |
| Evaluation weights | Technical 60%, financial 40%. | cl. 5.3.1 to 5.3.3, p. 14 | n/a | Scored |
| Technical scoring | Each specification weighted as Critical, Major, Minor or Optional. Critical: full or partial compliance (at least 90% of the value, no effect on clinical safety); non-compliance excludes the offer. Other categories: non-compliance scores zero. Critical add-ons: non-compliance excludes. Optional add-ons do not count in the base total. NUPCO may exclude offers below 40% of the technical score. | cl. 5.3.4.1, p. 15 and 16 | Product | Gate and scored |
| Financial scoring | Only technically accepted offers. Critical components cost (device with 2-year warranty, extra warranty years, critical add-ons, supply cost, any essential cost such as training or consumables contracts) is 35%: lowest gets the top score, others scored against it "by standard deviation". Non-critical add-ons cost is 5%. Offers ranked on the total; NUPCO may exclude offers below 60% of the total. | cl. 5.3.5, p. 16 and 17 | Bidder | Scored |
| Splitting of awards | NUPCO may split a line or group between suppliers or makers; beneficiaries may choose. | cl. 2.7.1, p. 8 | n/a | Volume risk |
| Arithmetic errors | Written price beats figures; unit beats total; errors over 10% may exclude. | cl. 5.4, p. 17 | Bidder | Exclusion risk |
| Samples | Not stated in the booklet. | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Factory visit | Bidder pays for up to three people. | cl. 5.5, p. 17 | Maker hosts, bidder pays | On request |
| Committee queries | Answer committee queries within the set time or the offer may be excluded. | cl. 8.1.5, p. 23 | Bidder | Gate |
| Bid opening attendance | Authorisation letter; delegate must be a Saudi national. | cl. 4.7.1, p. 14 | Saudi agent | Required to attend |
| Objections | Within 5 working days of preliminary results, on the platform or by the tender email. SAR 3,750 plus VAT per item or group through SADAD; refunded only if successful. | cl. 5.8, p. 18 | Bidder | Process |
| Contract duration | Awarded offers valid three Gregorian years from final results; beneficiaries may order or add quantities. Supply after the term: not stated in the booklet. | cl. 9.9, p. 30; cl. 1.1.11, p. 4 | Awarded bidder | Binding |
| Refusing orders | The supplier may not refuse an order after award, except if a shorter supply period than awarded, a different scope, or a different device configuration is asked for. | cl. 9.14, p. 31 | Awarded bidder | Binding |
| Framework updates | Every 6 months: newly localised products and mandatory-list items. Every year: offers rejected for incomplete SFDA, LCGPA or other certificates, and products not offered for limited-source items or at NUPCO's discretion. Updated prices may not exceed agreed prices. | cl. 7.5, p. 21 and 22 | Bidder | Our reading: a rejected offer waits a year, not six months |
| Delivery terms | Home delivery within 7 working days of the Yusr order; delivery period for items without pre-installation works starts at order receipt; all basic accessories delivered with the main device. Prices include shipping, storage and transport. Incoterm: not stated in the booklet. | cl. 7.1.1, p. 20; cl. 7.4.3 and 7.4.4, p. 21; cl. 9.8, p. 30 | Supplier | Binding |
| Electrical and IT | 220 V single phase or 380 V three phase, 60 Hz; devices needing transformers or running at 50 Hz are rejected. Hospital-grade plugs. A UPS for the device. EMI and virus protection. Network compatibility where connectable. | cl. 8.1.10 and 8.1.13, p. 23; cl. 8.1.18 to 8.1.20 and 8.1.23, p. 24 | Maker | Gate for electric devices |
| Latest models | Supply the newest devices and software, including linked computers and screens; declare and supply product updates after award at no extra cost; notify NUPCO of updates. | cl. 8.1.4 and 8.1.6, p. 22 and 23; cl. 9.15, p. 31 | Maker and agent | Binding |
| Shelf life | Medical supplies (if any): at least two-thirds of shelf life; under 9 months from manufacture for 3-year items. | cl. 8.1.24, p. 24 | Maker | Binding |
| Certificate of origin | At delivery, attested by the government authority in the maker's country and the Saudi embassy (or an Arab embassy, Chamber of Commerce or industry union); export-country certificate or Saudi scientific offices accepted. | cl. 8.4.5, p. 25 and 26 | Maker | Binding at delivery |
| Cold chain, labelling, batch papers | Not stated in the booklet. | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Maintenance record | Maintenance record for the last two years of the same device (or same class if not in Saudi Arabia), covering 50% of units installed in the Kingdom, with failure dates, duration and type, plus catalogue and specifications. | cl. 8.5.18, p. 28 | Bidder from maker | Our reading: a hard gate for devices new to Saudi Arabia |
| Defects and compliance | Undertaking to replace defective items whatever the quantity; work plan or replacement per SFDA instructions. Non-compliant supply: NUPCO may deduct its value or buy it at the supplier's cost, and it counts against future tenders. | cl. 7.1.4, p. 20; cl. 8.1.3, p. 22; cl. 7.3, p. 21 | Supplier | Binding |
| Service levels | Delivery within 7 working days; fault response under 24 hours; repair or replace within 5 working days; satisfaction at least 95%. | cl. 9.17, p. 31 | Supplier | Binding |
| Penalties | Delivery over 7 and up to 14 working days: 2% of device value. Over 14 and up to 20: 5%. Over 20: procurement at supplier's expense. Response over 24 hours: SAR 50 per device. Repair or replacement over 72 and up to 96 hours: SAR 50 per device; over 96 hours: procurement at supplier's expense. Satisfaction below 95% down to 90%: SAR 50 per device; below 90%: SAR 100 per device. Device down over 72 hours: patients sent to private hospitals at the company's cost, deducted from its dues. Missed preventive maintenance: penalties deducted from dues. | cl. 9.18, p. 32; cl. 8.5.15 and 8.5.17, p. 28 | Supplier | Penalty |
| Payment terms | Not stated in the booklet. Penalties are deducted from the supplier's dues. | cl. 8.5.17, p. 28 | n/a | Cash flow risk |
| E-marketplace | Awarded items listed on the NUPCO platform at awarded prices; technically accepted unawarded offers may be listed as alternatives at agreed prices. | cl. 4.1.4 and 4.1.5, p. 12 | Bidder | Binding on bidding |
| Intellectual property | Contents of winning offers belong to NUPCO. | cl. 2.6, p. 8 | Bidder | Accepted by bidding |
| Consortium | Allowed if agreed before bidding, Chamber-certified, leader named, all parties seal the offer, members do not bid separately. | cl. 4.3, p. 12 and 13 | Bidder and partners | Option |
| Subcontracting | Not without NUPCO's written approval. | cl. 4.4, p. 13 | Bidder | Rule |
| Agency change | Old agent keeps supplying until transfer papers are approved. | cl. 8.1.7, p. 23 | Old and new agent | Binding |
| Conflict of terms | No general-over-special rule. Product trial rules prevail over platform specifications. | cl. 5.2.3, p. 14 | n/a | Rule |
| Documents not in our set | Tender announcement (with enquiry cut-off), economic participation policy and undertaking form. | cl. 1.2.2, p. 5; cl. 1.4.3, 1.4.5 and 1.4.6, p. 5 | n/a | Obtain after purchase |
7. Deadlines, counted from Monday 19 October 2026
| Date | Day count | What must happen | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Oct 2026 | Day minus 18 | Tender published. | Tender page |
| Date in announcement | Unknown | Last day for enquiries. Not stated in the booklet. | cl. 1.2.2, p. 5 |
| Mon 19 Oct to Wed 28 Oct 2026 | Day 0 to Day 9 | Pay SAR 16,675 through SADAD (biller 903) against the MEDEVAL invoice. Open or confirm the MEDEVAL account. Register manufacturers and products and get them approved. Answer every specification and accessory line, enter prices, upload the signed quotation. Issue the 1% guarantee through Bawatak. Upload proof of storage and points of sale in all regions, company and SFDA documents, Arabic offer letter. Press "confirm offers". | cl. 1.1.2.1, p. 3; cl. 3.7.1.1, p. 10; cl. 9.1.1.11, p. 29; Mechanism, slides 2 to 27 |
| Wed 28 Oct 2026 | Day 9 | Submission deadline. Time of day not stated in the booklet. No changes after upload. | Tender page; cl. 4.2.1 and 4.2.2, p. 12 |
| Thu 29 Oct 2026 | Day 10 | Bid opening; Saudi-national delegate with authorisation letter. Offer and guarantee validity start. | Tender page; cl. 4.7.1, p. 14 |
| Fri 26 Feb 2027 | Day 130 | End of 120-day validity unless extended (guarantee auto-renews). | cl. 3.3, p. 9; cl. 3.7.1.5, p. 11 (our date arithmetic) |
| Date set by NUPCO | 5 working days from preliminary results | Objections, SAR 3,750 plus VAT per item. | cl. 5.8, p. 18 |
| Each purchase order | 15 working days from order date | 5% final guarantee, unless an exemption applies. | cl. 6.3.2.1 and 6.3.2.2, p. 19 |
| Each Yusr order | 7 working days | Home delivery, installation and training. | cl. 9.8, p. 30 |
| Three years from final results | n/a | End of the agreement. | cl. 9.9, p. 30 |
| Every 6 months / yearly | n/a | Framework update windows. | cl. 7.5, p. 21 and 22 |
8. Bid/no-bid checklist: maker or distributor of home care devices
Any "No" in questions 1 to 9 means no-bid.
| # | Question | Yes / No | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the bidder a Saudi agent or distributor accredited and qualified with NUPCO, with a NUPCO supplier number? | cl. 1.3, p. 5; Mechanism, slide 2 | |
| 2 | Does it have, or can it get by 28 October, a MEDEVAL account with every product approved? | cl. 9.10, p. 30; Mechanism, slides 6 and 19 | |
| 3 | Does every device have an SFDA MDMA, and does the bidder hold MDEL and AR? | cl. 1.5.7 to 1.5.9, p. 6 | |
| 4 | Have Saudi government reference hospitals already bought and tried the device, with documents? | cl. 5.2.1, p. 14 | |
| 5 | Can it prove storage and points of sale in every administrative region, and hold 3 months of reserve stock? | cl. 9.1.1.2 and 9.1.1.11, p. 29 | |
| 6 | Can it deliver, install and train at any home in Saudi Arabia within 7 working days of an order? | cl. 9.8, p. 30; cl. 9.17, p. 31 | |
| 7 | Does it have maker-trained engineers to respond within 24 hours and repair within 72 hours, or a notarised maintenance contract with the agent? | cl. 8.5.1, 8.5.2 and 8.5.4, p. 26; cl. 8.5.16, p. 28 | |
| 8 | Can the Saudi agent sign a Chamber-certified 10-year spare parts and maintenance undertaking? | cl. 8.4.4, p. 25 | |
| 9 | Can the 1% guarantee be issued through Bawatak and the Arabic offer be ready by 28 October? | cl. 3.7.1.1, p. 10; cl. 3.1, p. 9 | |
| 10 | Does the device meet every critical specification and critical add-on on MEDEVAL? | cl. 5.3.4.1, p. 15 and 16 | |
| 11 | Are electric devices 60 Hz, 220 V or 380 V, hospital-grade plug, with a UPS where required? | cl. 8.1.13, p. 23; cl. 8.1.18 to 8.1.20, p. 24 | |
| 12 | Can we supply a 2-year maintenance record covering 50% of units installed in Saudi Arabia? | cl. 8.5.18, p. 28 | |
| 13 | Is the price, including 2-year warranty, delivery, installation and training, among the lowest in Saudi Arabia, fixed for three years? | cl. 4.1.2, p. 11; cl. 2.9.2, p. 8; cl. 9.9, p. 30 | |
| 14 | Can we absorb penalties of 2% to 5% of device value for late delivery and SAR 50 to 100 per device for service breaches? | cl. 9.18, p. 32 | |
| 15 | Can we fund a 5% final guarantee on each order above SAR 100,000 within 15 working days? | cl. 6.3.2.1 and 6.3.2.2, p. 19 | |
| 16 | Does our group have a Saudi regional HQ, or have we checked decision 461? | cl. 1.1.12.1, p. 4 | |
| 17 | Is the SAR 16,675 fee justified by the lines we can serve? | Tender page |
9. Open questions for NUPCO
Timing: the enquiry cut-off is in the tender announcement, which is not public (cl. 1.2.2, p. 5). Send questions now, by email from the official address registered with NUPCO to ME_TENDERS@NUPCO.COM (cl. 3.4.1, p. 9; cl. 9.16, p. 31). Send on Monday 19 October 2026 at the latest.
- What is the last day for enquiries, and the time of day for submission on 28 October and bid opening on 29 October?
- Can a foreign manufacturer buy the booklet, or only a NUPCO-qualified Saudi agent (cl. 1.3)?
- How long does MEDEVAL product approval take, and is there a cut-off for product registration before 28 October?
- Does "storage space and points of sale in all administrative regions" (cl. 9.1.1.11) mean owned sites, or are contracted logistics partners accepted? What proof is accepted?
- Repair time: 72 hours (cl. 8.5.2) or 5 working days (cl. 9.17)? Which governs penalties?
- Do the UPS (cl. 8.1.13), electrical load plan (cl. 8.1.11) and pre-installation drawings (cl. 8.1.15) apply to manual wheelchairs and mattresses?
- Does cl. 8.5.18 (maintenance record covering 50% of units installed in the Kingdom) apply to manual wheelchairs? What if the device is new to Saudi Arabia?
- Is prior purchase by reference hospitals (cl. 5.2.1) mandatory for award, and what documents prove it?
- Should unit prices include VAT (cl. 7.1.1) or exclude it (cl. 7.1.2)?
- Is the 1% initial guarantee on the indicative quantities in the item list?
- Under decision 461 (cl. 1.1.12.1), what must be submitted if the maker has no regional HQ in Saudi Arabia?
- Are any lines on the local content mandatory list, and what price preference applies (cl. 1.1.7 to 1.1.9)?
- Who pays the supplier, in how many days, and against which documents? Payment terms are not stated.
- Is only the offer letter required in Arabic, or also manuals and catalogues (cl. 3.1)?
- Please provide the tender announcement, the economic participation policy and its undertaking form (cl. 1.4.3, 1.4.5, 1.4.6).
10. Sources
- Conditions booklet (Arabic, 32 pages, saved as data/nupco/NPT0048-26/NPT0048-26-conditions-booklet.pdf): https://www.nupco.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/NPT0048-26-كراسة-الشروط-لمنافسة-رقم.pdf
- Item list (English, 2 pages, dated 30/09/2026, saved as data/nupco/NPT0048-26/NPT0048-26-items-list.pdf): https://www.nupco.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/items-list-NPT0048-26.pdf
- Bid submission mechanism on MEDEVAL (Arabic, 28 slides, saved as data/nupco/NPT0048-26/NPT0048-26-submission-mechanism.pdf; the live URL has an invisible U+202A character before the Arabic file name): https://www.nupco.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/آلية-تقديم-العروض-على-منصة-ميديفال-.pdf
- NUPCO tenders list (status, opening date, submission and bid opening dates, booklet price, as captured 19 October 2026): https://www.nupco.com/en/tenders/tenders-list/
All three PDFs were downloaded on 19 October 2026. All 32 booklet pages and all 28 slides were read. Arabic quotations and the penalty and service level tables were checked against rendered pages (cover, p. 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 28 to 32) because the PDF text layer swaps some letters.