Avinor has awarded the contract for the development of an airport in Mo i Rana in Norway to construction company AF Gruppen.
Three different players submitted tenders in the competition for the interactive contract. AF Gruppen scored the highest number of points and has therefore been awarded the contract as turnkey contractor. The award criteria, as stated in the tender documents, were based on assessments of the categories of key personnel, understanding of the assignment and price.
The contract will be signed when the waiting period expires on August 30, 2022. The contract will then enter the initial phase, where Avinor and the contractor intend to identify the best solutions for the next phase. When Avinor reaches an agreement with the contractor on the target price, phase two will start, which is the actual construction.
In 2020, Avinor was tasked by the Ministry of Transport to take over the process of building the new Mo i Rana airport. In June 2022, the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) approved Avinor’s funding of the new airport with support from the government and Rana municipality. Avinor could thus award the first contracts for the construction of the new airport.
Avinor has chosen an interaction contract with a target price as its contract strategy for building the Mo i Rana airport. An interaction contract entails the early involvement of contractor experience in the project. In the project’s initial phase, the contractor and Avinor cooperate on improving technical solutions and construction implementation. This process is intended to result in an agreed target price for the development. When Avinor as a client reaches an agreement with the contractor on the target price, phase two will start, which is the actual construction. This interaction is intended to enable uncertainty in the project to be dealt with and quantified between the parties before the price is set and construction starts. It is also to create user participation and reduce the quality risk for Avinor. Overall, interaction is expected to result in cost-effectiveness and innovation in terms of both solution choices and implementation.
Abraham Foss, CEO of Avinor, said, “We are very pleased of having decided on a turnkey contractor, and are looking forward to collaborating with AF Gruppen. It was a tough competition between competent and skilled bidders, where AF Gruppen submitted the best combination of price and quality in relation to the award criteria.
“AF Gruppen has offered the key personnel considered to be best equipped for execution of the project. They have described how they will implement the project in a confidence-inspiring manner, and they have a reflected and realistic approach to how the project shall work to reduce the overall climate and environmental footprint. Avinor aims to plan, build and commission a new forward-looking and environmentally adapted airport. Our goal for the Rana community and Avinor is to be proud of the new airport.”
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