The list with recommendable functions of the construction on the territory of the New Urban Center also includes such which are related to the engineering infrastructure including in themselves areas for facilities of:

- The electric power distribution companies;

- The mobile operators;

- Other electronic communications;

- The gas supply and the gas distribution;

- other.

2.1.  Yes, it is possible.

2.2. Yes. It is necessary that each proposal should have design values of the structural indicators in conformity with the programme, both for the territory of the New Urban Center as a whole and specifically for the property for the Exposition Center.

A part of these indicators are FBA (Floor built-up area) and BA (Built-up area). Their calculation and demonstration in the design is a standard and established practice throughout the world in the design process and is an obligation of the designers (the participants in the competition) as a part of the implementation of the competition programme.

A substantial part of the town planning proposal is namely the balance of the areas depending on their functional designation – residential, commercial, administrative and others, from which it becomes clear that it is necessary to calculate and announce the values for each functional group either in square meters or in percentage.

3.1. This number shall be placed after your proposal arrives in the building of the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo. The place on the board where this number will be put should be left empty.

3.2. No, the ESPD need not be presented in hard copy.

3.3.

а) Yes, all the documents exclusive of the boards should be placed in the opaque envelope. The electronic carrier containing the ESPD should be placed in it, too.

b) No, this will be done by a committee of officials in the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo.

c) Yes, such a number will be placed again by the committee mentioned herein above.

d) Yes, it is not only admissible, but it is also necessary to indicate the sender but also that this assignment is in connection with a competition for a design for a New Urban Center aimed at it being distinguished from the other arriving mail.

If the needed information is available online, you should indicate the Internet address in ESPD and the selection committee will verify it from there. This does not mean that the obligation of all the persons to submit ESPD is dropped out.

The documents you should present are in conformity with a model form and within this meaning no translation is needed. If you decide to fill them up in another language, in this event you should also present a legalized translation. No other documents should be presented. No diploma should be presented, but it should only be declared in the ESPD.

You may sign the documents with your electronic signature but for the purpose you should also attach a Power of Attorney from the Japanese Company by which it authorizes you to represent it. As to the ESPD, it should be signed in person by the persons representing the Company and for the purpose they should have their own electronic signatures. The documents should be signed with the data of the Company.

7.1. The authorized person should be with a Power of Attorney by a person who may legally manage the participant.

7.2. It is not mandatory that all the documents should be signed by the same person. It is sufficient that the signatory should be entitled to represent the participant.  Regarding the signatures in ESPD see question 6.

Power of Attorney in an ordinary form in writing is meant. When another person submits the project proposal, a Power of Attorney is necessary so that he could do this.

Yes, you should indicate your information on envelope 2. Anonymity will not be disturbed in this manner as a committee of officials will seal these envelopes in another opaque envelope and will provide anonymity placing corresponding numbers on the boards and the envelope with the documents.

10.1. It is not necessary to declare the consultant anywhere. If you wish to indicate his participation, this may be done in model form 1 or in a separate document / declaration in conformity with your choice.

10.2. Proving such measures is necessary only if you have committed any of the violations they refer to.

Reliability measures are based on DIRECTIVE 2014/24/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL.

In case such measures are taken, they should be declared in the ESPD.

The observation of the measures for reliability should be certified by pieces of evidence that the participant:

1. has redeemed his liabilities pursuant to Art. 54, Para. 1, item 3, inclusive of the accrued interests and/or fines or that they are rescheduled, postponed or secured;

2. has paid or is in a process of payment of an indemnity due for all the damages occurred as a result of the crime or offence committed by him;

3. has explained in detail the facts and the circumstances having actively cooperated with the competent authorities and fulfilled specific instructions, technical, organizational and staff measures, through which to prevent new crimes or offenses.

4. (New – State Gazette (SG), issue 102 of 2017, in force from 22.12.2017) has paid in full the receivable due pursuant to Art. 128, Art. 228, Para. 3 or Art. 245 of the Labor Code.

In this event the declaration is not a valid proof.

11.1. No, ESPD under the virtue of the law should be signed by an electronic signature. Model forms 1 and 2 may be signed in hard copy or by an electronic signature, in conformity with the choice of the participant.

11.2. This will not result in your prompt removal, but it bears a significant risk that this will happen at a subsequent stage. After the selection committee establishes that ESPD is not signed, it will send a protocol to the participant, by which it will instruct that this irregularity should be eliminated, for which the participant will have 5 /five/ working days. If he does not manage to eliminate this irregularity, the participant will be removed. Within this meaning it is appropriate that the ESPD should be fully valid at the initial time.

Yes, the documents are indicated there which should be contained, but it is not necessary that you should read the Regulations, it is sufficient that you submit the documents which are required in the brief and they comply with art.39 para.2. of the Regulation for Implementation of the PPA.

Yes. The evacuation exits must be 6 in number and they must also be with the indicated in the programme width of 2.40 m. Their location shall be in your judgment and they may be grouped (one next to the other) as well as located in various places and façades of the building.

Yes, it is possible that there should be other spaces in front of the evacuation exits as, for instance:  corridors, lounges, staircases, ramps and so on with the exception of elevators, as well as that the generally known rules for the shortest way at evacuation and non-intersection of flows of people and other functions should be observed.

The requirement for the emergency exits in the competition programme is imposed by the anti-fire requirements of the effective in the Republic of Bulgaria laws and legislation.

In view of the conceptual nature of the competition the Contracting Authority did not include the full texts of the laws and the Ordinances referring to the fire safety for this type of buildings, and set up conditions concerning mainly the evacuation ways and exits, with the intention that the remaining anti-fire requirements should also be satisfied at the development of the technical design of the building for Exposition Center, without this reflecting onto the architectural concept to a significant degree.

1. Yes, such a variant is admissible.

2. Yes, it is not only possible but in principle this is the manner for determination of the title of the association.

3. The list contains in itself all the documents in the project proposal, and the Application only those indicated in the Implementing Regulations of the Public Procurement Act.

4. (new - SG, issue 102 of 2017, in force from 22.12.2017) has paid in full the receivable due pursuant to Art. 128, Art. 228, Para. 3 or Art. 245 of the Labor Code.

4.1. The English text may be erased. The Bulgarian text should obligatorily remain.

4.2. Yes, it is indicated for each ESPD which declares the circumstances. If this is a natural person, his names are indicated.

4.3. Pursuant to Art. 56, Para. 1 of the Public Procurement Act these are pieces of evidence that the participant:

1. has redeemed his liabilities pursuant to Art. 54, Para. 1, item 3, inclusive of the accrued interests and/or fines or that they are rescheduled, deferred or secured;

2. has paid or is in a process of payment of indemnity due for all the damages occurred as a result of the crime or offence committed by him;

3. has exhaustively clarified the facts and the circumstances, having actively cooperated with the competent authorities and fulfilled specific instructions, technical, organizational and staff measures, through which to prevent new crimes or violations.

4.4. It is written in the application for participation itself.

4.5. The law does not make difference between an association of natural persons and an association of legal entities. The text that an agreement is applied for creation of an association is absolutely sufficient. If you still insist on specifying that the association is of natural persons, you may indicate this as a clarification after the text.

4.6. Yes.

5. 6 /six/ numbers of ESPD should be filled up – one for the association and five for each of its members.

6.1. The information in English may be erased. The text in Bulgarian is obligatory.

6.2. Yes, declaration model form No 2 is filled up only by the person representing the association.

6.3. The title of the association is indicated in the name of the participant as in this event the association is the participant.

6.4. The headquarters and/or the address of the leading partner are indicated.

6.5. This is the leading partner.

6.6. No, the association is represented by the leading partner under the virtue of the agreement for creation of an association.

6.7. There is no need of authorization.

7. Yes, only ESPD should obligatorily be presented in an electronic variant. The other documents may be in hard copy.

8. ESPD need not be printed out.

Yes, these names may be first name, second name and surname. Indicate the names as they are stated in your identity paper.

In part IV В a serial number or an outgoing number of the diploma which distinguishes it from the remaining ones is meant. The Contracting Authority is not interested in the number of diplomas. If your diploma does not have a number, indicate only the University which it was issued by.

In the Bulgarian legislation the legal entities may have a unique personal number which identifies the Company as an individual person. If the companies in conformity with your legislation are identified by the Individual Taxpayer Number, then indicate it.

There is no need of a notarial certified Power of Attorney for the hand-over of the Project. The person may be authorized both by a Power of Attorney in writing and verbally.

1. Yes, this is the place in ESPD, which the other members of the association are indicated in.

2. This person should be indicated only in ESPD of the association because he as a participant uses it to cover the selection criteria.

3. Yes, ESPD of the consortium is signed only by the representative (the leading partner).

Your first guess is right. The proposals must have been submitted to the Municipality of Veliko Turnovo before 17:00 (5 pm) on 20.07.2018. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered, whether they were sent before that date or not.

Yes, it is possible.

The area of the territory occupied by streets, squares and alleys in your project proposals may be increased or reduced as long as the already existing water and sewerage network is not disrupted and ensure good pedestrian and transport accessibility.

The purpose of the competition (page 7) is to obtain project ideas for the NUC and in the strategy of the competition (page 8) it is written that on the basis of the selected competition projects will be updated the spatial development plans for the territory based on the best concepts of its renewal into NUC, which makes it clear that you may not comply with the current DDP for the site.

The postal code of Veliko Tarnovo is 5000. The full address of the Contracting Authority is mentioned on page 2 of the Competition Program.

Yes, you can offer your ideas for greater access to the Yantra River, as well as suggestions for sports, recreation and recreational functions related to this despite the fact that the river bed is outside the scope of the competition program.

The Yantra River is not navigable for river vessels in its section passing through Veliko Tarnovo, mainly due to the difficult access to the steep and high shores.

In the different seasons, the river level is variable depending on the amount of rainfall in its water catchment area, but the Yantra River is also a protected area to the Natura 2000 Ecological Network, which means that construction works in its riverbed, except for those related to the strengthening of the shore and its periodic cleaning, are limited to a minimum.

According to the Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) in force in the Republic of Bulgaria, the ecological status of the Yantra River is "Moderate" and its chemical composition is "Good", with a prescription for improving the ecological status to "Good" in the period up to 2021.

The master plan for the site includes different and multilateral information related to construction, landscaping, transport, communications and other urban and spatial aspects. Gathering them in one drawing is necessary to present and analyze the qualities of your project proposal in its entirety. The transport-communication plan clarifies a specific element of your overall proposal, and we have defined a scale of 1:5000 or 1:1000 for its performance.

Considering the exceptional importance of this part of your proposals, the Contracting Authority has included a fragmentation in M 1:2000 for the purpose of presenting your concept in detail, given the possibility of developing a part of the transport-communication plan at two or more levels.

No, the draft contract is only for the purpose of getting the participants acquainted with its content. By signing the unified declaration you agree to the content of the contract.

Acknowledgment of receipt means that it is possible to certify receipt of the project in the building of the Municipality. In this sense, the Post Office e-mail certificate is sufficient.

No, the packaging does not need to be an envelope. It can be in any form, as long as it is opaque, including a cardboard box, a box, etc.

No, there are no such conditions.

Yes, there is no problem if the boards are sent in a tube or otherwise packaged.

There are no strict terms regarding the content of the list. It is logical to indicate the entire contents of the package (Envelope No.1).

There are no conditions regarding the information on the envelope. You can only specify your studio name or more information at your discretion.

Yes, an economic operator is an expression referring to the participant.

Once you are a consortium, you should submit three ESPDs - one for the consortium and one for each of the participants. In this case, in Part II, Section A, the information of the person to whom ESPD relates shall be filled in. The consortium's ESPD details the data of the consortium, and the details of the participants shall be given in the participants’ ESPD.

Yes, the law does not prohibit the two participants from representing the consortium. To that end, however, the consortium agreement / contract must agree how exactly this representation will be, and in particular whether the two representatives represent together or separately.

Yes, all three of them must complete Part III in the ESPD (both consortium and each member).

Part IV, Section C is to be filled in in the ESPD submitted by the consortium as it is the participant. It is not wrong to include this information in ESPDs of one or the other, or both participants.

Part V is generally available in the ESPD, but in the particular form, the Contracting Authority has not set requirements for it to be filled in and therefore does not appear in it. The text referred to in Part V is standard and can not be changed and has, therefore, remained in ESPD.

There is no requirement to comply with the Detailed Development Plan given in the competition program. Information on previous developments is helpful to participants in the contest.

However, the contest proposal must not change the existing underground infrastructure (see Figure 6 on page 38).

The purpose of the competition (see p.7) is to receive project ideas for a New Urban Center, and in the strategy of the competition (see p.8) it is written:

Stage 2: On the basis of the selected competition projects, the land development plans will be updated on the basis of the best concepts for its renovation into a New City Center, which makes it clear that you do not have to comply with the current working Detailed development plan.

On page 22 of the competition program in item 2.7 AREA "EXTERNAL SPACES AROUND THE BUILDING" describes the requirements for AMPHITHEATER AND OTHER FUNCTIONAL SPACES, namely:

 - Design and develop spaces to complement the functions of the building. Some of them shall provide the opportunity to temporarily merge with the interior spaces of the lobby, if necessary, in order to improve the architectural and exhibition qualities of the centre.

Yes. These spaces are mandatory for anticipation and development.

Yes. Their place should be searched within the boundaries of the property without involving neighbouring properties.

No, ESPD must be submitted together with the project proposal.

Your question is most likely about the excavations from the underground water supply network. The preparation and implementation of this project is under a European Operational Program, where the routes of the underground pipelines comply with the current Detailed Development Plan for the territory. That is why the Contracting Authority has set the condition for preserving the roads of the completed water and sewerage infrastructure in a plan without limiting your project proposals in the vertical direction. The exact fitting in vertical terms of the access roads and linking-up the existing buildings with the constructed water supply pipelines and the levels of the newly designed streets is a complex technical task, which can only be solved with a detailed investment project.

Yes, an economic operator is the expression referring to the participant.

Once you are a consortium, you should submit three ESPDs - one for the consortium and one for each of the participants. In this case, in Part II, Section A, the information of the person to whom ESPD relates shall be filled in. The consortium's ESPD details the data of the consortium, and the details of the participants shall be given in the participants’ ESPD.

Yes, the law does not prohibit the two participants from representing the consortium. To that end, however, the consortium agreement / contract must agree how exactly this representation will be, and in particular whether the two representatives represent together or separately.

Yes, all three of them must complete Part III in the ESPD (both consortium and each member).

Part IV, Section C, is to be filled in in the ESPD submitted by the consortium as it is the participant. It is not wrong to include this information in ESPDs of one or the other, or both participants.

Part V is generally available in the ESPD, but in the particular form, the Contracting Authority has not set requirements for it to be filled in and therefore does not appear in it. The text referred to in Part V is standard and can not be changed and has, therefore, remained in ESPD.

1. The present Contest for a conceptual project of the Exposition Center does not require the development of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) project, especially since the Contracting Authority did not include a detailed technical specification for the ventilation and air-conditioning of the building. This will be done in the next design phase, namely a technical design.

2. The orientation and organization of the visitors in the main lobby is a complex issue, including a quality architectural solution, a stylish interior with excellent visual and communication semiotics and, last but not least, a good logistic culture and organizational skills. Things that Contracting Authority expects to receive from you.

3. The Contracting Authority does not have any requirements regarding the time required for the transformation of the Grand Hall and has no requirement for different temperature parameters of the individual spaces.

4. The Contracting Authority did not explicitly require that, in the transformation, the spaces to which a Grand Hall is divided should have the same area.

5. Yes, it is possible, as long as they meet the requirements of the competition program (page 21).

6. Yes, it is possible, as long as they meet the requirements of the competition program (page 21).

For all functional areas of the Exhibition Center, approximate but not strictly mandatory values of the areas are given. The addition of additional features is a matter of discretion for each participant, and the areas of these new functions may coincide with the areas for the mandatory functions (included in the competition program).

The Contracting Authority does not require a Grand Hall to be projected on one or more levels; this should be part of your design solution.

The design of the Exposition Center has the freedom to use the terrain features, as well as not to comply with them.

Yes, we have done samples on the composition of the dashboards before the contest was announced, and then we specified the scale of the submission of the project proposals.

In order not to be unfounded, we will give an example with Dashboard 2:

The dimensions of the plot assigned to the Exposition Center are approximately 99/83 m, which in M 1: 200 fit into a rectangle measuring 50/42 cm. Both building plans (underground and main level) could be composed next to each other and occupy ~ 50% of the area of the dashboard, the remaining levels and semi-levels (if the competition program is complied with) should occupy a considerably smaller area, all the more so that we have already explained in a previous answer to such a question that secondary plans and sections can be presented on a smaller scale, so that together with the text information they would occupy ~ 25% of the area of the dashboard.

The same applies with regard to facades and sections, but we will give an explanatory example, namely:

The longest possible facade / section according to the plot assigned to the Exposition Center has a maximum length of 100 m and the maximum height is determined by the number of levels and above all by the height of the Great Hall and the main lobby, as in its most extreme version would not be more than 20 m (including underground level(s)). These parameters in M 1:200 fit into a rectangle with a maximum size of 50/10 cm, which for 4 facades and maximum two incisions will occupy 25% of the dashboard area.

The composition of the dashboard is a matter of design, so we do not want to impose a compositional scheme, on the contrary - the composition of the dashboard shows the author's vision of the theme of the contest and the appearance of style in its presentation.

Considering the conceptual nature of this competition, the Contracting Authority has set the condition for keeping the infrastructure of the water and sewerage infrastructure in a plan, without restricting your proposals in the vertical direction. The exact adaptation of the approaches and the inclusions of the existing buildings with the already constructed plumbing and the levels of the newly designed streets in the vertical direction is a rather complicated technical task, which can be solved only with a detailed investment project.

The purpose of this contest is to find a solution to the urban development tasks of the New Urban Center, which is very important and necessary for the city before moving to a detailed design of the street levels.

No, it's not possible. The property you quote is denoted in Figure 9 as such with a retaining building and is not subject to change.

Yes, in case of a rewarding of your project, the names of the consultants may be published together with that of the participant.

Your contest proposals may include any developments for communication and transport networks, provided that access to the already completed water and sewerage infrastructure and to the existing and newly planned construction is provided.

Considering the conceptual nature of this competition, the Contracting Authority has set the condition for keeping the infrastructure of the water and sewerage infrastructure in a plan, without restricting your proposals in the vertical direction. The exact adaptation of the approaches and the inclusions of the existing buildings with the already constructed plumbing and the levels of the newly designed streets in the vertical direction is a rather complicated technical task, which can be solved only with a detailed investment project.

The purpose of this contest is to find a solution to the urban development tasks of the New Urban Center, which is very important and necessary for the city, before moving to a detailed design of the street levels.

The competition program states that the MAXIMUM Built-up Area (total built-up area), planned for new construction is 228,000 sq.m.

The Contracting Authority has not set a mandatory condition for reaching the maximum total built-up area, as well as a condition for a minimum built-up area for the individual properties and the territory of the New Urban Center as a whole.

You have the freedom to develop your project proposals according to your aesthetic and conceptual views.

Only semi-underground levels (floors) may be included in the total built-up area for the territory of the NUC if they meet the following condition:

Levels (floors) where the ceiling is located more than 1.50 m above the elevation of the middle level of the adjacent terrain to the street.

Yes, you can participate in the contest. The Contracting Authority has not stipulated that the participants shall have an electronic signature issued by the Bulgarian company. The same may be issued in another EU Member State, Russia or another non-EU country. The only condition is that this signature must possess the characteristics mentioned in the previous explanations.

A list of European Union Certification Services providers can be found here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tl-browser/#/search/type/3.

Apart from the above, I would like to inform you that the signing of the ESPD is not a ground for removal at this stage, but if your project is successful, you will have 5 /five/ working days to fulfill this condition, otherwise, you will be disqualified.

Yes, it is possible to participate in this way in the competition. One possibility is to unify the designer and the certified architect. Another option is for the company to enter into a civil contract with the architect and to use it as a third party if the company does not have its own graduate architects or as a subcontractor if it uses the architect only as an additional resource. In this case, the company participates independently. Both versions are perfectly legitimate and possible and can be freely chosen by the participants.

Considering the conceptual nature of this competition, the Contracting Authority has set the condition for keeping the infrastructure of the water and sewerage infrastructure in a plan, without restricting your proposals in the vertical direction. The exact adaptation of the approaches and the inclusions of the existing buildings with the already constructed plumbing and the levels of the newly designed streets in the vertical direction is a rather complicated technical task, which can be solved only with a detailed investment project.

The purpose of this contest is to find a solution to the urban development tasks of the New Urban Center, which is very important and necessary for the city, before moving to a detailed design of the street levels.

As has already been explained in several responses to date, the documents should be signed with a qualified electronic signature. Qualified electronic signature has the following characteristics:

• uniquely connected and enables the signatory to be identified;

• created in a way that allows the signatory to retain control;

• related to the document in a way that any subsequent change in information is detectable;

• created by a qualified signature creation device;

• and based on a Qualified Electronic Signature Certificate.

If the device you own meets those features, then it can be used to sign the documents. The best information about whether a particular service has the required features can be given by the company that provides this service.

Borica is currently available in the 'Certification Service Providers Register' of the Communications Regulation Commission, and their signature could only be used if it is qualified electronic signature rather than another service.

Lists of Certification Services Providers:

Link to the list of listed e-service providers: http://crc.bg:8080/dpls/apex/f?p=923:310:4482264662440710

Link to the European Union Certification Services List: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tl-browser/#/search/type/3

Achieving pedestrian and transport accessibility should be part of your contest proposal. Raising the terrain level under a current Detailed Development Plan for a road network is unacceptable as access to part of the completed water cycle infrastructure will be compromised.

Yes, for this very reason, the Contracting Authority has set limit values for construction for the whole territory and has not specified specific requirements for construction for the individual neighborhoods.

In the new urban centre is supposed to operate sites generating serious pedestrian and vehicle traffic. As a city centre, it should be secured with transport infrastructure with good conductivity. In this connection, the area occupied by streets, squares and alleys can be both increased and reduced, as long as water and sewerage networks are not compromised and better pedestrian and transport accessibility to be provided.

Covered walkways may be included in your contest proposal, provided that the access to the completed water infrastructure is not compromised.

Yes, it is possible to console the building or parts of it outside the building lines, subject to the following clarification: In front of the outer line of construction, when it does not coincide with the street regulation line, are allowed balconies and bay windows up to 1.5 m that cannot cross the street regulation line.

In the laws and regulations in force in the Republic of Bulgaria, there are strict rules for the edges of the buildings. Their detailed description and interpretation are not included in the competition program due to the conceptual level of project development. In the next design phase, namely a technical design, the current technical and construction norms, which will be described in detail in the design specification, must be observed.

Yes, it is possible to console parts of the building outside the outer (towards the street) and the internal (to the neighboring site) building lines, under the following clarification: In front of the outer line of construction, when it does not coincide with the street regulation line, are allowed balconies and bay windows up to 1.5 m that cannot cross the street regulation line.

You do not necessarily represent drawings with all the facades, as well as plans and cuts of all levels at the specified scale, but only those that show that you meet the requirements of item 2 of the building assignment and by which you offer an original, functional and constructive solution. Drawings showing secondary information may be presented in the form of drawings, sketches, axonometry, etc. on a scale of your choice.

The design contest and the documents shall be submitted by the participant or by his authorized representative - either personally or by post or other courier service with registered delivery with acknowledgment of receipt, in the register office in the building of the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo, at 2 Maika Bulgaria Square until 17:00 on 20.07.2018.

No, signatures do not need to be confirmed by certified in Bulgaria organization. The only condition is that the signatures owned shall possess the characteristics of a qualified electronic signature, namely:

• uniquely connected and enables identification of the signatory;

• created in a way that allows the signatory to retain control;

• related to the document in a way that any subsequent change in information is likely to be detected;

• created by the manufacturer of a qualified signature;

• based on a Qualified Electronic Signature Certificate.

What matters is the role of so-called consultants. If they are part of an unincorporated company, then each of the members of this company should submit a separate ESPD. If a consultant is a person who is a graduate architect, it should also submit a separate ESPD as it is a third party within the meaning of the Public procurement law. In the event that the consultants do not fall into either category but are used to give a competent opinion on a given matter, then their listing in the application or another separate list could be accepted. Provided that the mention of these consultants is informative and does not seek to create any legal relationship between them and the contracting authority. If it is intended to create any such link, they should be declared as third parties or subcontractors and accordingly submit a separate ESPD or participate in an informal company or consortium and re-submit a separate ESPD.

Participation in the competition is made with the submission of a project proposal.

The ESPD steps are as follows:

• Download ESPD from the contest site or buyer’s profile;

• The .xml extension file received after unpacking the downloaded file shall be uploaded on the ESPD's e-service web site at: https://ec.europa.eu/tools/espd?lang=en;

• the requested ESPD information shall be filled in;

• ESPD is then saved in .pdf format and this file shall be signed with a qualified electronic signature.

• The signed ESPD in .pdf format is recorded on electronic media.

In the file 'V.Tarnovo_AutoCAD_r2000.dwg', which is part of the Appendices to the competition program, there are partial data on the terrain of the central zone in Veliko Tarnovo.

These data are in the form of topographical outlines (horizontal projections of points at the same altitude, over 1 meter) and should be considered namely in a plan (horizontal projection).

Regarding information about the area in the Northeast direction of the site of the NUC (Boruna Park), as is stated in the Brief on page 91, “Sources of information” such can be found on the site of the municipality. Concretely in the following link:

https://www.veliko-tarnovo.bg/bg/evrofinansirane/priklyuchili-proekti-na-obshina-veliko-tarnovo/proekt-culttour-kulturnoto-gradinsko-nasledstvo-kato-fokusni-tochki/

The Contracting Authority has already clarified a question with similar content. All answers to queries are posted on a regular basis in the "Q&A" section of the contest website (http://velikotarnovocentre.com/q-and-a-bg.html) and in the "Buyer’s Profile" section of the website of the Contracting Authority (https://www.veliko-tarnovo.bg/bg/profil-na-kupuvacha/).

22,800 sq. m. is the recommended share of the total built-up area with sporting functions, based on the amount of the total built-up area envisaged for new construction. The Contracting Authority has no requirements and recommendations as to the type of sporting objects as well as the area of the site for the NUC to accommodate them. You have been right to find that if your design solution for sporting features is composed only of the classic type of sports fields occupying a large area, a significant part of the area for the NUC will be occupied by sports facilities.

No, they can not choose. Only participants who have proposed both a town-planning solution (concept) and a project (concept) for the building of the exhibition centre are eligible to participate.

Yes, you have the complete freedom to design your idea of an Expo Center, as long as you meet the requirements of the competition program.

The exits of the Great Hall, which are described on page 20 of the Program, are two types:

1. Functional exits / entrances from and in the hall shall be at least six, with a minimum width of 2.40 m each, with a transitional space for information boxes, wardrobes and sanitary facilities.

They provide the link of the hall with the main lobby, which in turn must have independent and representative exit / entrance.

and

2. Evacuation exits (other than those described above), with direct access to the outdoors - outside the building. Their number must be six, with a minimum width of each of them - 2.40m. The evacuation requirements are mandatory from the point of view of fire safety.

In case of transformation of the hall into 6 individual separate parts (halls), it is necessary to meet the same requirements as above, namely (para.21 of the Program):

• Individual exits / entrances to each of the 6 parts (halls) of the main lobby must be provided.

• as well as access to direct evacuation exits must be provided, which can also be reached by staircases, ramps and corridors (in the case of evacuation no lift is allowed).

No, you do not have to answer this question. Once the participant has not committed any of the listed violations, there is no obligation to declare any reliability measures.

These issues in ESPD are set to facilitate participants. Once it's not known if the information is available at a complimentary and free access address, then you say "no". If this information is subsequently detected, it may be presented as necessary after the winner has been selected.

In your question, it is stated that the quote is from the Assignment, but it is from ESPD. The Contracting Authority does not make a registration requirement, so this issue is inappropriate.

In your question, it is stated that the quote is from the Assignment, but it is from ESPD. The participants should not respond to this issue, as there are no requirements for registration or certification according to the instructions in the Assignment.

The electronic signature that shall be used is a Qualified electronic signature. Scanned handwritten signature is not recognized as an electronic signature, and the document will be considered as unsigned.

In your question, it is stated that the quote is from the Assignment, but it is from ESPD. In this case, participants do not have to register with a particular organization in order to participate in the competition. This requirement is not mandatory and does not necessarily correspond to it and to the question in ESPD.

Hello, you can find an INTERACTIVE MAP - http://www.velikotarnovocentre.com/interactive-map-en.html on the contest site in the GALLERY section. Icons indicate the locations where each of the photos is taken.

It is not permissible to propose solutions for changes in the water supply networks or their partial coverage with buildings, facilities and tree vegetation.

There is no statutory requirement for its preservation.

1. Have you correctly understood that in the case of the unification of two architects, it is necessary to present three copies of European Single Procurement Document (ESPDs), one on behalf of the unification and one copy for each partner. The ESPD of the unification shall be signed by the lead partner defined in the Consortium Agreement. The other two are signed by the respective partner. That is, only the two architects must have a qualified electronic signature.

2. Yes, it is possible to create a union of a legal entity (company) and two architects. In this case, four ESPDs should be submitted. One for unification and one for each partner - two of the architects and one of the company. The company's copy should be signed by the persons listed on pages 83-84 of the Assignment.

Providing sample information on where you can print and burn a disk on the territory of the municipality would violate the freedom to provide services amongst companies performing such services. Such information and contacts can be found on the Internet. During the competitive procedure, the Contracting Authority can not provide you with a proxy or partner to submit your contest documentation as this would violate the principles of equality and free competition.

In the event that you choose an alternative for submitting your project proposal from another person, there should be an authorization of the person submitting the offer in case the person is not a courier.

Yes, naturally, there are regulatory requirements in the Republic of Bulgaria concerning the spatial planning, construction, etc. They are publicly available both on the Internet and on a paper or digital medium in the commercial network on the territory of the country.

However, their quantity and variety are such that it is not in our power, as the organizers of the competition, to collect, summarize and provide this information for the needs of the participants, and it is not necessary. In drawing up the competition program, we have complied with the hypothesis that participants from other countries do not know in detail the legal and regulatory base in the Republic of Bulgaria.

That is why the competition is for an urban concept and for a conceptual project for an Exposition Center building, where it is sufficient to observe the general architect knowledge, rules and physical laws and it is not necessary to respect the local development and construction norms.

In the next stages of planning and design, after completion of the current competition, detailed terms and conditions will be prepared for the contractors, who will clearly regulate all the regulatory requirements.

Yes, you can connect neighboring properties, the only rule being that no underground infrastructure is built between them.

For the needs of conceptual town planning solutions, you do not need to know in detail the norms and rules in force in the Republic of Bulgaria. Their strict application is the subject of the next stages of design, where a detailed assignment and requirements to contractors will be prepared after completion of this competition, which will clearly set all the necessary requirements.

The underground infrastructure built must be located only in the areas designated for the street network.

With the exception of the streets on the periphery of the New City Center, in all internal to the territory of the New City Center streets, it is possible / permissible passing / hanging of buildings above them.

No, the design of the Exposition Center proposed by the participants will not have a greater weight than the urban plan for the territory (master plan), and vice versa.

In the competition program on pages 29-30 in the section "Evaluation Criteria," the criteria and the system for evaluation of the competitive tenders are clearly set out and explained.

Of these, it is clear that both elements of the competition - Urban planning (concept) for the territory and the Project (concept) for a building of the Exhibition centre, have equal weight in the final assessment of the jury.

The Contracting authority did not set any condition regarding the country of origin of the digital signature. The only condition is that this signature is a qualified electronic signature, for these are the requirements of the EU and Bulgarian legislation.

A qualified electronic signature has the following requisites:

• uniquely linked to and capable of identifying the signatory;

• created in a way that allows the signatory to retain control;

• linked to the document in a way that any subsequent change of the data is detectable;

• created by a qualified signature creation device;

• and is based on a qualified certificate for electronic signatures.

As stated in: https://ec.europa.eu/cefdigital/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=46992760.

Any signature that complies with these requirements is sufficient and can be used to sign the documents in the competition.

Every participant should enquire if the electronic signature that they have, has the aforementioned requisites.

The members of the international jury can be found on the competition's website in the section "ABOUT THE COMPETITION" - http://www.velikotarnovocentre.com/for-competition.html, as well as on the profile of the buyer - https://www.veliko-tarnovo.bg/bg/profil-na-kupuvacha/582/

It is not mandatory, but you can submit proposals for a new public transport destination as well as the location of elements of the related infrastructure, according to the distribution of functions and the intensity of construction in your competition decision. As described on page 15, paragraph 12, any suggestions can be made to improve the current traffic organization and promote environmental protection.

Right from the start of your question, it is clear that you have not understood / read / translated correctly the design assignment of the Exhibition Center included in the contest program, therefore  we clarify:

The design assignment does not indicate that the Exhibition Center building should be 16500 sq. m.

The structural indicator gross floor area – whose maximum value is 16 500 sq.m (page 18 of the competition program) is solely and only a limit value of construction in this property, no matter who and what will be built in it.

This value is irrelevant to the design assignment of the Exhibition Center, except to limit the construction of buildings in this property with a total area of 16500 sq. m.

The other indicator you mention - 3300 sq.m. represents the maximum built-up area that is possible in this property, in other words, this value is generally the maximum area of the first (ground) level of the building. The building can have a second, third, and so on aboveground levels as well as underground levels. No one restricts you in this respect.

The strict program (as you call it) in terms of the types of functions and their respective areas is in fact approximate values of the mandatory elements and functions of the building for the Exposition Center according to the requirements of the Contracting authority, in order to establish uniform conditions and specific values for all participants, ensuring accuracy in project evaluation. No limitation is given in the assignment for the inclusion of additional functions according to the discretion of each author.

Of course, the budget is of great importance, and it is in line with the preparation of the competition program by setting the approximate areas for the individual functions. The price / quality ratio always depends on the size (area) of the building, but also on the design. In this sense, the creation of a project assignment for the Exhibition Center with a "strict program and approximate area" is in order to offer you the opportunity to compete with the other participants at the architecture and design level without the budget dictating the rules.

No, we cannot declare the approximate budget allocated to the construction of the building because the competition is international and the construction prices in the different countries are different so that the participants would hardly present an adequate budget for the realization of their project in Bulgaria.

It is advisable not to change the percentage ratios. Their values are determined on the basis of a public opinion poll and after discussions between local experts and spatial planning specialists.

It is absolutely necessary to preserve the water supply and sewerage network pipelines as they are made by funds from the European Union Operational Program (in guarantee period).

Boards should be mandatorily presented with the content specified in the assignment. The jury is independent and the Contracting authority can not instruct it‘s members on how to review and evaluate the submitted competition projects - whether they will compare and scrutinize the board No. 1 with the town planning decisions (concepts) for the territory or they will watch both boards simultaneously, only the jury can judge it. The Contracting authority cannot guarantee that the board No 1 and the board No 2 of a given competition project will be placed side by side in the evaluation process. It is also not possible to remove the frame from the template. It is, for the sake of unification of the competition projects, indicated for preventive purposes (the edges of the template can undergo unintentional and small physical deformations after gluing it on a rigid basis during transportation, jury or storage).

It cannot be changed. The values stated are marginal and derive from the requirements for the implementation of the general urban development plan of Veliko Tarnovo, which is from a higher hierarchical level of planning and with which the future detailed development plan should be adapted to. The values refer to the entire territory provided for new construction and not to each property individually, which gives sufficient freedom to the participants in the competition to draw up an aesthetic and functionally sustainable town-planning decision.

Yes. It is permissible to provide other functions as long as they serve or complement the main function of the building, namely the Exposition Center.

Yes. The property is designated only as an Exposition Center Building, with complementary and service buildings and technical facilities.

Yes. Figure 7, page 39, shows a street that needs to be retained in the competition projects because it represents the only link between the underground levels of existing buildings and the street network of the city. Unfortunately, this street is not yet realized and therefore we cannot provide you with output levels. Such filming is necessary when preparing a detailed technical project, which is not the subject of this competition - for the concept of a town-planning decision.

Yes, it really is. This is a transformation requirement of the large hall, which must have the property / ability to divide into 6 individual separate parts (halls), allowing the simultaneous holding of different events in them.

We cannot determine what events will take place in individual parts, but they will be related to the functions of the Exposition Center. These can be conferences, video presentations, exhibitions, performances, etc.

Yes. You have correctly understood that simultaneous interpretation rooms should only be provided in the large room.

On page 85 of the Brief it is pointed out that “the filled-in form shall be saved and signed with certified digital signature”. This kind of signature is identical to a Qualified electronic signature (QES) - in the link in the question. That kind of signature must be used because the Qualified electronic signature is the only one that is equivalent to a written signature as is stated in article 13, para. 4 of Regulation (EU) 910/2014.

Any participant should contact a service provider and acquire a Qualified electronic signature in order to be able to sign the eESPD and other documents as well, if so choosing.

All the information needed to take part in the competition is available on the website and on the Byers profile. There is detailed information in the Brief about how to participate and how to prepare your project proposal (starting from p. 74 onwards).There is no need to register for the competition. All You need to do to participate is submit a project proposal. As is stated on page 86 of the Brief: the design entering for competition and the documents under art. 39, para. 2  of  the  Regulation  for  Implementation  of  the  PPA  shall  be  submitted  by  the participant or by an authorized representative in person or by registered mail with acknowledgement  of  receipt  at  the  registry  office  of  the  Municipality  of  Veliko Tarnovo, at the following address: 2 Mayka Bulgaria Square until 5 pm on 20 July 2018. That’s the way to participate in the competition. The Design and the documents should be submitted in an opaque package inscribed with:

a. the name of the applicant or participant, including the consortium members, when

applicable;

b.  address  for  correspondence,  telephone  and  e-mail  address,  where

possible fax;

c. name of the competition.

 That are the necessary steps to take in order to participate.

The aforementioned package must contain:

1.  List of the submitted documents – in free form;

2.  Application for participation – Form No 1;

3.  European  Single  Procurement  Document  (ESPD)  filled  in  for  the  applicant  in accordance  with  the  legal  requirements  and  the  conditions  of  the  Contracting Authority, and where applicable – an ESPD for each of the members of a consortium, which is not a legal entity, for each subcontractor and for each person, whose resources will be relied on for performance of the contract.

4. A design entered for competition (the boards containing the design, which shall by no means contain participant's identification information) WITHOUT  participant's identification data or data, form which such information may be derived;

5. Declaration Template – Form No 2.

5.1.  Authorizing  document,  when  the  person  signing  the  declaration  is  not  the  legal representative of the participant or the person representing the members of a consortium according to the agreement for establishment of the consortium.

6. The documents (numbers 1,2,3 and 5) should be in a separate sealed envelope, with identification data for the participant.

If You decide to submit the documents on a digital carrier (CD, DVD, flash drive etc.) there should be at least two carriers in the package, one containing the documents (numbers 1,2,3 and 5) and another containing the design (number 4). The one containing the documents still needs to be in separate envelope with identification data for the participant.

Yes it should be left blank. This is the place for the number that will be randomly assigned to the project for the anonymous evaluation by the jury.

There is no need for registration in order to participate. Applicants need to submit their project proposals before the set deadline in order to participate in the competition. In the documentation there are all the needed documents that should be filled for participating in the procedure. In the previous answers there is information about how to prepare your project proposal.

On fig. 12 and in the annexes, the borders of the above and underground construction in the allocated lot are shown with a borderline, which means that the measurements of the future building must conform to them.

The borders of the above and underground construction are of the limiting kind, which becomes clear from the type of line that is used to define them – a dotted line, and they are not mandatory – in that case they would be represented with e full line.

About the underground construction – the Brief gives the opportunity to use 100% of the lot area, but this is only an option and is not mandatory, meaning that there is no need of optimization.

About the aboveground construction – the area shown on the fig. drawn with limitation lines is approximately 3300 m2 and this area is the maximum allowed, meaning it is limiting and not mandatory. Besides that, according to the other condition in the Brief - 60% construction density for the lot with total area of 5502 m2 the maximum construction area in this lot is approximately 3300 m2, which according to the Contracting authority is enough for the purpose and does not come into conflict with the Brief and its requirements about the building.

The areas You cited, that are listed in the Brief are approximate and have the goal of creating a more clear and concrete conditions for making and evaluating the project proposals.

The only mandatory condition, that must be complied with is that the large hall should be with minimum capacity of 1200 people. The area of the hall is determined by the limiting fire safety norms for minimum density measured in m2 per person, which for this class of functional fire safety (fig.2.2) is 1.35 m2 per person. So the area of the hall is 1200*1.35=1620 m2.

The mechanism to ensure the anonymity of the competition is that no personal information is located on the tables, but a unique personal number of the participant is put on them. This happens after the deadline is passed and is done by a specially appointed commission of officials. These officials separate all the documents that contain information about the participant (the separate envelope see. p. 85, num. 6. in the Brief) and put it in an unmarked envelope. A random four digit number will be put on the unmarked envelope and the project boards. This is done in order to ensure anonymity for the evaluation process. The officials also create a list with the names of the participants and their corresponding number, which is sealed in an opaque envelope. This envelope is opened after the evaluation by the jury is done and the winner is known only by his/her number. This happens in a special session of the jury where the awarded participants will be announced.

Having this in mind the only thing You should consider when You identify yourself is to not put Your name on the project boards and/or any other information that could be used to find Your identity. The other documents must contain information about You, but that won’t affect the anonymity of the evaluation because of the aforementioned actions of the officials.

Yes, You can submit you design on a CD and mail it (or use other currier service or use another way to deliver it) to the following address: Veliko Tarnovo, Mayka Bulgaria Square No2. Bear in mind that the parcel should arrive before 20.07.2018, 17:00/ 5pm local (Bulgarian) time. Project proposals that arrived after that will not be evaluated.

Unfortunately You cannot make an online submission.

The “Application for participation” form can be found on that address: https://www.veliko-tarnovo.bg/bg/profil-na-kupuvacha/582/ the name of the file is as follows: Проект на договор, заявление и декларация - двуезичен/Draft contract, application and declaration – bilingual.

Is it an anonymous competition or not?

Yes it is anonymous, but the anonymity is insured after the project proposals arrive and a commission of officials is taking care of that. The process is shown in more detail in the answer of Question 1 and in the Brief.

3.2 - in the point 2: "Application for participation – FORM NO 1. The application form shall be accompanied by the documents listed therein, IF APPLICABLE"(pag.82).

It talks about a Form n.1. Where Can I find this Form n.1?

What does “if applicable” means?

The “Application for participation” form can be found on that address: https://www.veliko-tarnovo.bg/bg/profil-na-kupuvacha/582/ the name of the file is as follows: Проект на договор, заявление и декларация - двуезичен/Draft contract, application and declaration – bilingual.

In the Application there are listed documents that could be attached to it. In case You need to attach such documents you will do so and if You don’t have to, then they are not applicable.

3.3 - in the point 5 and 5.1 it talks about of a FORM NO 2(pag.85). Must this document ever be delivered or in same case?

Yes, you need to have this document as a part of your proposal. This document could be found in the same .zip file as the Application for participation.

3.4 - we have understood that all documents must be signed with digital signature. We are from Italy and we use .P7M digital files. Is it ok for you?

First there should be a clarification that only the ESPD should be digitally signed, because only this document should be submitted on an electronic carrier (CD, DVD, USB etc.). the other documents must be electronically signed only if they are submitted on an electronic carrier.

Yes these types of files are allowed and can be used.

3.5 - we have a doubt about submission of the design entering. We have two possibilities: the first is a package with printed boards and all documents inside and the second a package with a DVD, CD or USB pen drive with all documents and the two boards in digital form inside. Is it correct or not?

The two possibilities are permitted, but in order to be prepared the right way the design proposals need to be submitted the following way.

You need to have two envelopes. One is containing everything (the package) 1. the boards and 2. the second envelope. The second envelope should contain all the documents besides the boards. The only document that must be electronically signed and presented on a DVD, CD, USB drive etc. is the ESPD (also goes in the second envelope). Other documents can be presented on paper or electronically it’s Your choice. The boards can also be presented on paper or electronically or both, which way You prefer. If everything is presented electronically there must be the envelope (the package) with everything in it: 1. CD, DVD, USB drive etc. with the boards and 2. the second envelope with the CD, DVD, USB drive etc. with all the documents (besides the boards) who are digitally signed.

4.1. At page 85 you are describing an online submission via the ESDP procedure. We understand that we can upload here a zip file containing all the requested documents as well as the two boars. At page 86 point 4 you are describing a submission post-mail to Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo, at the address: 2 Mayka Bulgaria Square.

Please could you confirm that is possible to submit the competition online?

No, there is no such possibility. The ESPD online platform is only used to fill the template of the ESPD and save it, not to send it to us. You should use regular mail, other similar service provider or other person, who need to physically bring and submit Your proposal at this address: 2 Mayka Bulgaria Square, Veliko Tarnovo.

Can you be also clearer about what envelopes one and two should contain as it seems that the A0 boards are on the two.

No, the boards should be in envelope one, along with envelope two. For more information see the answer 3.5.

Can you confirm that we make an online submission we can replace the envelopes with folders?

Unfortunately You cannot make an online submission.

4.2. Could you be more specific about what a ‘design certification that is valid in the Republic of Bulgaria’ means?

Can you confirm that is a degree of architect recognized by the European Union?

In Republic of Bulgaria You must have a full design certification in order to be able to design buildings legally. In order to have such certification You must be a member of the Chamber of architects in Bulgaria. For foreign persons that are EU citizens or are part of the European economic area agreement or the Confederation of Switzerland there is a way to design a building, given it is a single project, if the person is compliant with the following conditions:

1. They are legally based in another member country with the intention of practicing the profession.

2. The person is practicing that profession in one or more member states full time for at least a year or an equivalent duration, when the person is not working full time, gathered in the last 10 years, when the profession is not regulated in that country. That requirement is not applicable when the profession or the education needed to practice it  are regulated in the country.

The designing of the building is possible through other means that will be presented to the winner of the competition in the invitation part of another procedure.

This questions have already been answered with the previous clarification No 91-00-164/08.05.18, which can be found here: https://www.veliko-tarnovo.bg/bg/profil-na-kupuvacha/582/ and here: http://velikotarnovocentre.com/news-en.html

Yes a non-European architect could participate in the competition.  The documents they should present are no different than the ones that should be submitted by the others participants.

Yes, You can participate in the competition.

1: According to the Brief it is not allowed to change the borders of the lot allocated for exposition center, as well as changing its configuration regarding the surrounding lots, streets and regulatory lines.

2: There were news that there were archaeological studies made in the limits of the Old military school. Is there information that should be taken into account or some recommendations?

Everything that the participants have to take into account is in the Brief that can be found on the site of the competition.

3: Is it allowed to make a proposal for partially or completely preserving the only remaining building of the Old military school and its reconstruction?

According to the Brief it is not allowed to partially or completely preserve the only remaining building Old military school as well as its reconstruction. See fig. 9 – Ownership p.41.

Yes, the diploma is enough for participating in the competition. Full design certification is needed only if the participant is announced as the winner in the competition and is invited to design the building.

There are no requirements for the volume and content of the plans and schemes clarifying the Urban Development (Concept), as they will not be approved by a local government or local administration or by the Chief Architect of the Municipality.

There is no requirement for compulsory compliance with the provisions of the non-applied spatial plans or parts thereof. Information on previous developments is helpful to participants in the contest. It can serve as a guideline for what city planning needs the city and the territory for the NFCs and which have proved inapplicable over time. The results of the contest can serve as a basis for the updating of the development plans.

It is acceptable. If the participant considers that the existing planning solution for the transport and communication services on the territory of the NFC and the city needs updating, it may propose an alternative solution. In the source materials there is a file that contains information about the terrain of the surrounding area.

The results of the sociological survey are analyzed as being included in the terms of reference.

- The described in item 11 of the brief percentages do not include the existing sites subject to preservation in conformity with Figure 9, but refer solely to the new construction, inclusive of the property anticipated as an exposition center.

- Yes, it is mandatory that the existing water supply and sewerage networks should remain located within the borders of the streets, but proposals may be given in the competition proposals for transformation from a street into an alley as well as for a change of streets within the borders of which there is no existing technical infrastructure.

 - Figure 7 treats a specific requirement of the Employer, namely a mandatory preservation of a street approach to an existing building defined by the effective Detailed Urban Plan and all the indicated properties are designated in gray color.

- Both the properties with existing buildings not subject to a change, inclusive of the property designated as a building of an EXPOSITION CENTER are indicated in Figure 9, as well as properties without construction subject to a change or not depending on your conceptual solutions for construction on the territory of the New Urban Center depending on the interference you propose for the transport-communication servicing (levels, overall dimensions and functions).

- Parts of the restored private property get onto: 1. Streets; 2. Property with bank protective vegetation;  3. Properties designated for construction.

- The project proposals do not have to anticipate construction over the parts of the restored private property, getting onto streets as well as over the property with the bank protective vegetation. In this lot there should not be any buildings intended for public purposes (serving the needs of the municipality).

 - It is not mandatory.

- The indicated on page 18 in item 2.2. structural indicators of the property are defined by the effective Detailed Urban Plan for the territory and are of a restrictive and not mandatory nature, i.e. it becomes clear from their value what maximal construction it is possible to design in this property.

The requirements of the Employer for the approximate size and capacity of the building for an EXPOSITION CENTER whose areas are rather lower than the maximal values of the structural indicators of the property are clearly stated in the competition brief in the part of TECHNICAL TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR AN EXPOSITION CENTER (from item 2.3. to item 2.5.).

 - No, there will be no difference at the evaluation.

Yes, it is possible.

On the other hand regarding the Municipal Private properties, are we allowed to use part of these spaces for public uses, like boulevards, plazas, and so on?

Yes, it is possible.

It is necessary to indicate the general distribution on the territory in voluminous-spatial aspect – underground and overground construction, the connection between them, where there should be open areas /squares, green areas, water areas and so on/ and others. The predominating functional designation of the new buildings and the open spaces and underground levels should be indicated in the concept. A specific site or a fragment of the competition proposal may be shown in details and its degree of development should be indicated in fewer details than that of the exposition center.

Yes, it is possible, but the tender’s proposal must not change the existing underground infrastructure (see Figure 6 on page 38).

The purpose of the tender (see p.7) is to obtain project ideas for the NТC, and in the strategy of the tender (see p.8) it is written:

Stage 2: On the basis of the selected tender projects, the land planning plans for the territory will be updated on the basis of the best concepts for its renewal in the NTC, which makes it clear that you may not comply with the current DDP for the site.

However, the tender’s proposal must not change the existing underground infrastructure (see Figure 6 on page 38).

The purpose of the tender (see p.7) is to obtain project ideas for the NТC, and in the strategy of the tender (see p.8) it is written:

Stage 2: On the basis of the selected tender projects, the land planning plans for the territory will be updated on the basis of the best concepts for its renewal in the NTC, which makes it clear that you may not comply with the current DDP for the site.

However, the tender’s proposal must not change the existing underground infrastructure (see Figure 6 on page 38).

According to the tender’s program, it is necessary to keep several panels of the existing fence and not the whole fence (which is marked with the number 2 in figure 5), and to suggest an idea for their exposure. It is also not necessary to preserve the original location of these panels.

The competition has its own web site - http://velikotarnovocentre.com. All the topical news related to the competition procedure are published further to on the indicated site, also in section “Buyer’s Profile” to the formal website of the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo - https://www.veliko-tarnovo.bg/bg/profil-na-kupuvacha

The requirements for the individual halls are to have functionalities which are closely related or originate from the main function of the building, the Exposition Center.

The height of the hall is in conformity with the judgment of the participants who at their designs should take into consideration the requirements for attainment of good acoustic environment, visibility and luminance in the hall in conformity with the criteria in the competition program.

The addresses of the websites are indicated in the answer above. All the answers to the questions asked so far with regard to the competition are published on the Bulgarian and English languages, regardless of the fact which of the two languages they were asked in.

A person who acquired a diploma for completed higher education in an accredited higher school with professional qualification “architect”.

Yes, it may.

The expression «acupuncture point» is a metaphor whose clarification is given in the text where the extract was made from (page 7*) – “to activate the town forming vectors, to arouse the investment interests of the private sector and to commence the process of the development of the New Urban Center as a program of a future PPP (Public Private Partnership)”.

Only the first place.

A design, on the grounds of which it should be possible to develop more detailed documentation in the next design phase, according to which a construction permit should be issued. No Priced Bills of Quantities are required in this stage. The members of the Selection Committee shall compare and evaluate the functional and aesthetic solutions for the exterior and the interior of the building, this is why they should be presented well enough in Panel 2.

In conformity with the Technical Terms of Reference for elaboration of the urbanization solution (concept) there is no requirement for the development of a Detailed Urban Plan as a part of the competition solution.

The best conceptual solutions from the competition will serve in a next stage at the development of a Detailed Urban Plan.

There are no restrictions for the height of the buildings located on the territory of the New Urban Center.

With a view to the alleviation of the participants, the competition developments may be presented in the indicated digital format and parameters as well as printed out in hard copy.

The selected format PDF is a universal format which includes in itself both vector and raster graphics which makes it completely appropriate for the purpose.

The restriction in the amount of the files is placed with a view to the publication of the competition designs on the web site of the competition without the need of additional processing of the files.

Anonymity is guaranteed, see page 87 of the competition program.

All the participants may attend the announcement of the designs which were conferred a price by the Selection Committee. The date and the time will be announced at the Buyer’s Profile and the site of the competition at least two working days prior to the session. All the participants will be notified about the results of the competition at the correspondence e-mail addresses indicated by them. The results will be published on the website of the competition and on the site of the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo. All the competition designs which were conferred prices will be published on the web site of the competition - http://velikotarnovocentre.com/. Other competition designs may also be published on the site of the competition in the judgment of the Contracting Authority.

No, there is no other system for evaluation related to these categories. The indicated concepts are clarifications of expressions used in the evaluation criteria. These clarifications were made aimed at orientating the participants with regard to what the Contracting Authority will value in a certain design and turning the participants into this direction. In this manner the subjectivity at the evaluation of the designs will also be reduced.

For precision we quote for you an extract from the competition program in connection with the evaluation.

10 points – Design proposal, which has met and exceeded the requirements specified in the terms of reference in the most efficient and original way.

7 points – Design proposal, which presents efficient proposals that are better than the minimum requirements specified in the terms of reference.

4 points – Design proposal, which presents a good proposal of the minimum requirements specified in the terms of reference.

1 point – Design proposal, which meets only the minimum requirements specified in the terms of reference.

The described on page 30 in italics notes indicate methodological rules for work of the Selection Committee in particular cases.  The requirements to observe such methodology ensue from the Bulgarian legislation. The notice for casting public lots will be announced on the web site of the competition, on the site of the Contracting Authority and e-mails will be sent to all the participants in the competition.

Yes, with satisfaction of the indicated conditions on p.31.

The competition conditions are in conformity with the Bulgarian legislation which is a part of the European such.

Pursuant to Art. 93. (1) of the Private International Law Code „Contracts shall be governed by the law chosen by the parties. Any such choice must be expressed or clearly demonstrated by the terms of the Contract or by the circumstances where under the contractual relationship evolves.” It is explicitly indicated in the draft-contract attached to the competition documentation that the applicable law is the law of the Republic of Bulgaria. Within this meaning the Bulgarian law is applicable in event of collision.

It is permissible to change the street network if this does not create a conflict with the existing underground infrastructure shown in Fig. 9.

Yes.

Yes.

No. The plots you quote are designated in figure 9 as such with preserved buildings and not subject to a change.

Probably a technical error is made at asking the question and in lieu of page 15, page 14 is meant. Although they satisfy the requirements in the assignment, it is not mandatory that you should take into consideration the anticipations of the DDP.Exceptions are the properties for Build № 5 of the Veliko Tarnovo Universuty, the district administration, the National Military History Archive and the exposition center, with which you must comply.

•  Within the supplied cad file, the red layer plots are allotments. When defining the actual buildings mass, is there a minimum distance from the street and from the adjacent allotment to respect?

There are requirements for a distance from the main street and from internal borders of a plot which shall be taken into consideration in a next phase of planning – at updating a DDP on the grounds of the best conceptual solutions. There are no requirements in this phase (competition).

• Is there a rule on distance between buildings?

There are rules in conformity with the functions, the nature and the manner of the construction which are taken into consideration in a next phase of planning – at updating of the DDP. There are no requirements in this phase (competition).

Отговор: Има правила според функциите, характера и начина на застрояването, които се съобразяват в следваща фаза на планиране – при актуализация на ПУП. В настоящата фаза (конкурс) няма изисквания.

• When working on adjacent lots, is it possible to incorporate them and propose a building by fusing two lots, or the actual property plot division needs to be respected literally?

Yes. It is possible.

• Is it possible to build in adherence between plots?

Yes. It is possible.

ESPD online procedure:

• From the manual we understood that it is possible to print and sign manually the document, and include it in one of the two envelopes askes with the submission. Please, can you confirm that the original signature is valid?

The European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) is presented on an electronic carrier and is signed with an electronic signature. There is no other variant for presentation of a valid ESPD.

Parking:

As you mentioned in paragraph 2.10, page 13-14 of the Brief,  the total number of requested parking in the NUC amounts to 2000 lots. They can both be underground and/or above ground;

In paragraph 2.1, page 19 of the brief, you mention the request of parking for the public building, as being part underground and part on surface, in order to allow maximal green exploitation of the site.

In light of these two requests:

• Is the parking required for the public building a percentage of the total 2000 lots requested for the masterplan? If yes, what is the percentage of parking to allocate for the public building?

The figure of 2000 parking spaces in paragraph 2.10. on pp.13-14 of the competition program is the minimum number of parking spaces that the Contracting Authority has defined overall for the territory of the NUC.

Referred to in paragraph 2.8. on page 22 of the competition program the number of parking spaces is part of the total amount for the territory and represents the minimum amount of parking space required for the building of the exhibition center.

No. There is no requirement for the ratio between the above two minimum values.

• What is the percentage of parking for the public building to allocate underground and what’s the percentage above ground?

In item 2.8., page 22 of the brief requirements are indicated for the provision of a number of underground spaces for parking and of a minimal number of parking spaces within the framework of the property. There is no defined percentage ratio between the numbers of underground and overground parking spaces.

Submission procedure:

• In the brief, at page 85, paragraph 6, it is mentioned: the documents under art.39, para .2 (item 1 of this section) and the declaration under item 5 shell be placed in a separate opaque envelope, on which the participants’ data shell be indicated.

Can you confirm that the personal data of the participant have to be placed on the envelope (outside) and not inside the envelope? This would mean that this internal envelope would not be anonymous. Is that correct?

The information about the participant should be placed on the envelope. The anonymity of the participants is guaranteed by the actions of a Committee of officials who separate all the documents containing information about the participant in a non-transparent envelope, which only the number generated on an accidental principle is being placed onto. The selection committee shall not have access to the documents with the information about the participants prior to the session for disclosure of the classification.

No, it is necessary that the documents presented in an electronic manner should be signed by a qualified electronic signature.

The density of construction should not exceed 40% of the total area of the territory anticipated for the new construction and not of each separate land property.

No. There is no requirement for a minimal built-up area in the competition programme both for the individual properties and for the territory of the new Urban Center as a whole.

The requirements of the Contracting Authority for the approximate size and capacity of the building for an EXPOSITION CENTER are clearly stated in the competition program in the part TECHNICAL TERMS OF REFERENCE (from item 2.3. to item 2.6.), whose areas are rather lower than the maximal values of the structural indicators of the property. Your architectural solution for the Exposition Center building is necessary to meet the requirements and needs of the CONTRACTING AUTHORITY. The indicated by you calculations do not correspond to the requirements of the competition program.

The sites quoted by you are given by the Contracting Authority as exemplary with regard to the Commercial Functions. Each participant has the freedom to select and offer variants of these functions corresponding to his specific development. The commercial functions include in themselves sites for exchange of goods or services for monetary payment which the sites with public-cultural, administrative-business, hotel, educational and sports functions do not refer to.

The Contracting Authority does not place a limitation for the kind and the number of the sites with educational functions. Each participant has the possibility to offer his vision for this type of function.

The quoted by you percentage for Sports Function (~10% = 22.800 sq. m.) are on the basis of the recommendable such set up by the Contracting Authority, proceeding from the total floor built-up area (228  000 sq. m) of the New Urban Center. We remind you that Floor built-up area (FBA) is the sum of the built-up areas of all the overground floors.

In this sense, your reasoning is correct, if in your competition proposal you only give priority to stand-alone sporting objects on a terrain and occupy a large area.

Yes, the development of a technical design refers only to the Exposition centre building.

The current architectural competition is for an Urban Planning solution (concept) for the territory of the Old Military School and a project (concept) for an Exposition Center building. The purpose of the competition (see p.7) is to get the project ideas for the New Urban Centre. It is imperative to prepare a design contest containing a city-planning solution for the territory at a conceptual level. There will be no consideration and evaluation of competition projects that do not contain such a solution. It is the Contracting Authority’s wish, that in the next stage the urban development ideas for the territory as a result of the competition (more than one), are collected and then be discussed with the general public. The idea about the Exposition Center (one) will be further developed into a detailed design by the author.

Up until this moment, the Contracting Authority has no immediate plans to carry out a procedure for a more detailed drawing of the urban planning idea. Such procedure will be carried out in the future, but a concrete date cannot be set for the moment.

Yes. The amount of BGN 300,000 (three hundred thousand levs) is the maximum price for the design of the detailed design of the Exposition Center building, which will be awarded in the next stage after the completion of the competition.

Yes. This amount does not include any other service related to the further development of the master plan, including supervision.

Yes, you may participate.

When participation as a team is made, which is not represented by a legal entity, this in conformity with the Bulgarian legislation represents a non-personified company (association). In this event the participants should sign a contract or an agreement for creation of such a company. The Contract should have the minimal contents (referring to a consortium) indicated on page 76-77 of the Brief. Only the signing of a contract / an agreement in writing is needed for the creation of a non-personified company (association), without the need of registration or a permit. A copy of the Contract shall be attached to the application for participation Model form No 1.

In event that the participant is an association / a non-personified company / consortium, an individual ESPD should be submitted for the association itself and a separate ESPD for each participant in the association.

The document shall be sent along with the boards format А0. All the documents shall be sent at the same time. For more information about the preparation see pages 81-85 of the Brief, the preceding clarifications and the visual assistance located here:

http://velikotarnovocentre.com/instructions-en.html

The submission on a compact disk or another electronic carrier is enough.

The non-realized anticipations of the DDP are not mandatory for being taken into consideration.

With a view to the preservation of the built up in conformity with the OP of the EU water supply and sewerage infrastructure the preservation of the district structure is mandatory. The participants in the competition have the freedom not to take into consideration the property structure in the parts which no construction subject to preservation is realized in.

There is no requirement entered into the competition program for conformity of the competition solution with the anticipation of the Master Communication Plan of 1997, due to which it is not necessary that it should be presented to the participants in the competition in the package with initial data. The plan was drawn up under different public-economic and structural conditions and it is not topical any longer due to made substantial changes in them.

Kraybrezhna Street, within the section of the territory of the New Urban Center, is not executed and respectively there is no realized transport access to it.

The territory of the National Urban Center gets within the security zone of a group immovable monument of urbanism and the cultural landscape “Historical settlement Veliko Tarnovo”, which is of category of national significance. The competition program is coordinated in accordance with the procedure established by the Cultural Heritage Act and the competent authority did not indicate specific requirements for entry into the assignments for workmanship of the town-planning solution (concept) and of a design (concept) for a building. Regardless of that in the assignment for workmanship of the town-planning solution (concept) the Contracting Authority the Contracting Authority indicated as mandatory the conformity of the competition solution with the scale and the specific particularities of the town and as inexpedient the use of unusual for the local geographic and social-economic conditions forms, volumes and other visual elements and functions.

All the networks and facilities of the water supply and the sewerage reflected in Figure 6 were realized on terrain. The placement of the conduits is conformed to the anticipations of the effective as of this time DDP for the streets of the territory of the OMS. There is information in the package of initial data with elevations for the levels of placement and for the level of the terrain as of this time. The minimal depth which the water supply pipelines are laid at, is 1.70 m with regard to the streets in conformity with the DDP and of the sewerage branches – 2.30 m.

The location of the Exposition Center is determined by the Integrated Plan for Urban Restoration and Development of the town of Veliko Tarnovo, which was subjected to public discussion. Its realization is anticipated as the first stage of the implementation of the plan. Its location is mandatory for being taken into consideration unlike the sites anticipated at the second stage of the implementation of the Integrated Plan for Urban Restoration and Development. The tree specimens within the scope of the plot anticipated for construction with the building for an Exposition Center are evaluated in the developed dendrological assessment, and a recommendation is provided for their preservation or movement. In this connection a requirement is placed in item 15 on page 16 of the Brief for a town-planning solution (concept) for the territory for preservation of the available tree vegetation in a good condition or in the events when this is impossible, ideas should be given for their conflict-free movement to close green areas.

In figure 12 there is no indicated spot with mandatory lines of construction but limitation lines of construction, within the scope of which the future building of the Exposition Center may be positioned. The building may not go beyond the lines indicated in a dotted line but it is not obligatory that its outlines should coincide with the limitation lines.

There is no indicated requirement for horizontal flooring in the brief for the design of an exposition center. The participants in the competition are expected to offer a solution for functioning and furnishing of the hall, which should cover the general requirements and those specific for transformability of the hall in the brief.

Yes, and in connection with which the initial data are provided on a foundation with a wider scope than that of the territory of the New Urban Center.

There is no regulated in a statutory document or in a structural plan height of construction for the buildings, getting within the scope of the territory of the New Urban Center. There is an indicated Cint (intensity of construction), which, as described on page 10 of the competition program, represents a ratio between the sum of the built-up areas of all the overground floors to the area of the property.

It is not obligatory that the participants should take into consideration the property structure and the functional designation of the properties in conformity with the anticipations of the DDP, which were not realized. Proposals may be made for their change if the same satisfy the requirements of the Contracting Authority for preservation of the built-up water supply and sewerage infrastructure, the plots of the University of Veliko Tarnovo, the regional administration and TWO and others described in the brief for development of a town-planning solution (concept) for the territory.

It is not obligatory that the participants should take into consideration the property structure and the functional designation of the properties in conformity with the anticipations of the DDP, which were not realized. Proposals may be made for their change if the same satisfy the requirements of the Contracting Authority for preservation of the built-up water supply and sewerage infrastructure, the plots of the University of Veliko Tarnovo, the regional administration and TWO and others described in the brief for development of a town-planning solution (concept) for the territory.

None. The participants in the competition may get an idea of the terrain and the available construction further to the provided in the package with initial data geodetic survey, also from the published on the web-site of the competition interactive map and panoramic photographs.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO CLARIFY:

The quoted by you value of 16500 sq. m. is inherent only to the PROPERTY, it indicates what maximal total value of construction (sum of the areas of all the overground floors), could be MAXIMALLY realized in this property in conformity with the urban plan effective at the moment.

The REQUIREMENTS of the Contracting Authority for the approximate size and capacity of the building of EXPOSITION CENTER, whose areas are rather LOWER THAN THE MAXIMAL values of the structural indicators of the property are clearly stated in the competition programme in their part TECHNICAL TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR EXPOSITION CENTER (from item 2.3. to item 2.6.).

Your architectural solution for the building of the Exposition Center must be conformed to the requirements and the needs of the CONTRACTING AUTHORITY!!!

No. The building mentioned in your question is anticipated for removal / demolition.

YES! The built-up area of the building of the exhibition centre is included in the indicated 30,400 m2.

In the first example given by you, the underground part of the building should not be included in the maximum built-up area (30,400 sq.m). The above ground (roof / one floor), if its height is up to 1.2 m from the average level of the adjacent terrain, should also not be included in the maximum built-up area of 30,400 sq. M.

In the last part of your question you are mistakenly mixing two values, therefore we annotate that:

The first value of 30,400 sq. m. refers only and exclusively to buildings - and represents the maximum built-up area of all newly built buildings, which in general can be defined as the sum of the areas of their first floors.

The second value - 76,000 sq. m. refers only and exclusively to the territory - areas of properties where new construction is envisaged.

Among the parameters on page 13 is described another value – 27,000 sq. m., which represents and refers only to the territory intended for coastal vegetation. This value has already been realized in the slope to the Yantra River in the properties shown in figure 3 on page 35 and figure 11 on page 43 in green colour. The overhead part of the building, no matter how green it will be, should not be included in this value – 27,000 sq. m.

In the second example, the part of the building located on the columns does not enter the maximum built-up area of 30,400 sq. m, however, this area must include the area of the colonnade, representing the first ground floor.

The precise calculation of the built-up area in such a non-standard solution (according to the Bulgarian law) can be made only with clear architectural and constructive plans, but for the purposes of the competition, the following rule can generally be adopted: Built-up area of a building is the area of the closed geometric figure including all structural and architectural elements (walls, columns, washers, etc.) entering the ground, foundations or other underground level, except for those elements that are up to 1.20 m high from the adjacent terrain (stairs, terraces, etc.).

It should be noted here that the part of the building located on the pillars should be included in the maximum size of the total built-up area planned for new construction – 228,000 sq. m. - also on page 13.

We again clarify:

Generally speaking, the figure (30,400 sq. m.) is the maximum value of the sum of the areas of the first floors of all new buildings and the figure (228,000 sq. m.) is the maximum value of the sum of the areas at all above ground levels (including the first) of all new buildings.

The building of the Old Military School has been in poor operating condition and has not been managed for years. During the implementation of the water cycle project, its construction was further damaged, found to be dangerous and an order was issued for its demolition. The property is municipal, unlike the building for the former Belyanka flour factory. Both buildings are not declared and classified as real cultural property within the meaning of the Cultural Heritage Act. The coordination of the competition program with the competent institution for the protection of the cultural heritage does not require preservation and exhibition. According to article 9 of page 13 of the town planning decision (concept) for the territory, the Assignor recommends the preservation of the building for the former factory. The decision for its preservation, however, remains entitled to its owner.

Yes, the square space should be referred to the transport infrastructure area and not to the area planned for new development.

No. The Assignor does not have a 3D model on the site as well as on existing buildings. All the information you need to find out is in the competition program and its appendices. In Annex 4. Geodetic Filming - The terrain horizons are plotted with their actual altitude / elevation. For the four-digit number, located at the bottom of the boards 1 and 2, you do not have to fill in, write, paste, and mount anything in these fields. This is the work of officials appointed personally by the Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo (see p.87-88 of the competition program).

Yes. In conformity with the competition program these functions should be included in your design solutions – concepts, and it is not mandatory that they should be separated in independent buildings. On the contrary, we expect you to combine them both between themselves and with other functions which will be offered by you. We expect you to offer completely different solutions.

NO. In conformity with the competition program, these buildings and the properties they were constructed on, ARE NOT subject to a change.

Only projects received by the assignor prior to the officially announced end date and time of the competition or  deadline for submitting a project  announced in the Tenders Electronic Daily profile will be accepted for jury approval.

On the competition website, please follow the indicative schedule or the website of Veliko Turnovo Municipality for the date of the public procurement publication.

In the Site documentation section on this website, you can find information after the competition has been announced.

Yes, architects from all countries can participate in the competition. The competition is open to participation from other professionals, provided they have an architect in their team and declare this in the ESPD template, which can be found in the documentation.

Yes, an architect can participate by himself/herself. Participating as a team is allowed, but is not mandatory.

The participants can create a consortium or a legal entity with other people or legal entities to participate in the competition. In that case the participant should present a copy of the partnership agreement/contract with which this consortium is created. The partnership agreement/contract should be accompanying the “Application for participation – Form No 1” (See page. 82 in the Brief, and the Application form itself). The partnership agreement/contract for establishment of a consortium shall include the following information related to the specific public procurement:

1. the rights and obligations of the consortium members;
2. person nominated to represent the consortium in the competition;
3. allocation of responsibilities among the consortium members;
4. the activities that will be performed by each consortium member in this competition and in case a contract is awarded for the next phase of the design.

Yes, you can participate in the competition. If the participant is a natural person and is an architect with an acquired diploma he/she can participate in the competition by him/herself without the need of a team. If someone wishes to participate but has no diploma, he/she should state that he/she has an architect with a diploma in his/her team. A member can be any person that is responsible for some of the work of the team, regardless of the legal grounds on which this person participates in the team. For more information about the participation You can read the “2. Conditions for participation” section of the Legal framework in the Brief, that starts on page 76.

According to the procurement notice, which can be found here: http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:177328-2018:TEXT:EN:HTML&tabId=0, languages in which projects or requests to participate may be drawn up are Bulgarian and English. In the brief is stated that the official language of the competition is Bulgarian and the project proposals can be submitted in Bulgarian and English. This means that the proposals can be in one of the two languages. Is the choice of the participant in which language to present his/hers proposal.

Questions can be asked in written form via e-mail, on paper or via fax. The e-mail addresses to which the questions could be sent are: info@velikotarnovocentre.com и mop_vt@abv.bg. The questions should be directed towards the Contracting authority – Daniel Panov – Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo.

- DO THESE REQUISITES COMPLY TO THE ONES OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BULGARIAN LAW TO PARTICIPATE TO THIS COMPETITION AND NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT IN CASE OF WIN?

Yes, your requisites are enough for you to take part in the competition. The only condition for participating is that the participant or a person from the team is an architect.

- ARE THEY VALID FOR THE ISSUES DEFINED IN THE TENDER: THE INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS SHOULD HAVE QUALIFICATION RECOGNIZED ACCORDING TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATUTE OF THE CHAMBER OF ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS IN INVESTMENT DESIGN - THE PARTICIPANT SHOULD HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR DESIGN ACCORDING TO THE CULTURAL HERITAGE ACT?

These requirements are listed in this procedure but are not applicable to it. They are listed for information only. Winner of the competition must prove compliance with these requirements but this will happen in a following procedure. This could happen in several ways that will be presented to the winner of the competition when he/she is invited to take part in the new procedure.

- OR DO WE NEED TO HAVE A BULGARIAN ARCHITECT IN THE DESIGN TEAM TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE TO THE COMPETITION AND NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT IN CASE OF WIN?

No, it is not necessary to have a Bulgarian architect in order to participate in the competition. The winner of the competition provided he/she is a foreign person may need to have a Bulgarian architect in the team when is invited to participate in the next procedure.  It should be noted that this is only one of several possibilities to meet the requirements of Bulgarian law. This and other ways to meet the requirements will be presented to the winner in the invite to participate in the next procedure.

- IN CASE MY REQUISITES DON’T COMPLY WITH THE COMPETITION REQUISITES, IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD, AFTER A POSITIVE RESULT OF THE COMPETITION, A LOCAL ARCHITECT THAT HAS THESE REQUISITES FOR RECEIVE THE AWARDS AND/OR SIGN THE CONTRACT?

In case Your requisites don’t comply You will be removed from the competition. Being an architect You comply with the requisites and can participate.

The only condition for participating in the competition is that the participant or a member of their team must be an architect. There are no other criteria for participating.

If You meant that you do not comply with the requisites needed in the following procedure (for drawing the technical investment design) than yes, in case of winning the competition adding a local architect to Your team is one of the ways to sign a contract for designing the building.

For receiving the award there is no need to take additional actions besides participating. The winner of the competition will receive the award after signing the contract for transferring the copyrights, a draft of which is in the documentation. Receiving of the award is not in any way connected to the requirements for the next procedure.

- IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEND THE COMPETITION DOCUMENTS AND BOARDS ONLY DIGITALLY?

No, under Bulgarian law the only way to receive procurement documents digitally is through a specialized electronic platform. Unfortunately such platform is not yet available to the Contracting authority. The applicants must submit their project proposals in the way inscribed in the Brief (p.86).

- WHICH IS THE MAIL ADDRESS WHERE WE CAN SEND THEM?

There is no such address.

- DOES THE LIMIT OF 10MB APPLY FOR EACH DOCUMENT AND BOARD OR IS THE MAXIMUM FOR THE ENTIRE ATTACHMENT?

The limit applies for each document individually.

- HOW  IS THE PROCEDURE TO SEND TWO DIGITAL ATTACHMENTS (DOCUMENTS AND BOARDS) MAINTAINING THE ANONYMITY?

There is no way to send proposals via e-mail.

The construction lines, marked in dotted lines, are restrictive lines. The future build-up should be within the range of the boundary line. In accordance with the foregoing, the distances can be changed by increasing, but cannot be reduced. The minimal distances to Alexander Stamboliyski Street are indicated in order to preserve an air and visual corridor to two of the most popular and visited landmarks on the territory of Veliko Tarnovo - the Stambolov Bridge and the Asenevtsi Monument, the pedestrian access to which takes place along Alexander Stamboliyski Street.