The Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has issued a call for expressions of interest to enlist vendors/contractors for solar power projects at its sites and retail outlets. The deadline for the submission of applications is set for May 8, 2024. The task involves the design, engineering, testing, supply, packing, and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, and commissioning of a solar project/system in lump sum turnkey (LSTK) mode. This entails providing a complete solution for the solar project and comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&M) services. The O&M of the project is planned for an initial two-year term, with the potential of extending it for an additional three years subject to satisfactory performance. IOCL aims to utilise rooftops and available land across various locations in India to implement solar photovoltaic projects, maximizing the generation and utilisation of renewable energy. The selection of vendors will be conducted in two categories: one covering both critical and non-critical jobs and the other exclusively for non-critical jobs. Applicants are required to submit Rs 10,000 for Category I and Rs 20,000 for Category II as processing fee. Vendors failing to meet the standard eligibility criteria for annual turnover and prior experience will be categorized under critical and non-critical jobs, further divided into two sub-categories: Category-I, organised by geographical regions (North/South/East/West), for capacities ranging from 1-50 kWp, and Category-II, covering capacities above 50-500 kWp nationwide. The applicant should have installed and commissioned a specific cumulative capacity of solar projects in India over the past three years, ending on the last day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the bid submission deadline falls. The minimum cumulative capacity requirements for the respective categories, Critical & Non-Critical Jobs Both I and II, are 150 kW and 1,500 kW, respectively. Vendors and LSTK contractors enlisted under Category I will also have the opportunity to undertake the solarisation of retail outlets, including petrol pumps and Kisan Seva Kendras, within their respective regions. Start-ups and micro and small enterprises benefiting from relaxation in annual turnover and prior experience criteria, provided they meet the stipulated quality and technical standards, will be empanelled solely under the non-critical jobs only category. This category will also feature two sub-categories, corresponding to the capacity ranges and regional divisions mentioned earlier. Various locations will then commence the bidding process, inviting participation from the empanelled vendors/LSTK contractors to install solar projects. Vendors/LSTK contractors will be empanelled for 24 months from the empanelment date. Existing empanelled parties who do not take part in the new empanelment process will retain their current validity until expiration, after which they will be excluded from the list of empanelled parties.