Expression of Interest for Establishment and Operation of Incubation and Sandbox Infrastructure Across Punjab (Six Lots)

The Information Technology and Innovation Department Punjab invites Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from eligible firms, universities, and consortia for shortlisting of consultants under the Innovate Punjab – Leaders of Frontier Tech Incubators Project. This project involves the establishment and operation of six specialised incubation centres with technology sandboxes across Punjab. Each lot corresponds to one centre located in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, or Bahawalpur. Applicants may apply for one, several, or all six lots. The estimated consultancy cost is up to **PKR 3900 Million** for all lots combined. Items being procured: - Establishment and operation of incubation and sandbox infrastructure at six centres in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur The consultant will design and execute the incubation programme for their assigned lot, acting as the single point of execution for premises, sandbox infrastructure, incubation and acceleration programmes, startup sourcing and mentoring, industry pilots, and investor engagement. The setup period is up to three months, followed by operations until June 2029. Payments will be milestone-based and performance-linked. Eligibility criteria include registration with SECP as a company (including section 42 companies), HEC-recognised universities and registered incubation entities, NTN with Active Taxpayers List status or undertaking to obtain it before contract, minimum five years of technical expertise in incubation or technology infrastructure, verifiable experience in large-scale incubation or acceleration programmes with exposure to AI, automation, fintech or related sectors, average annual turnover of at least **PKR 100 million** over the last three audited years (additional lots require further PKR 50 million), documented linkages with industry, academia and investment networks, and no blacklisting by any procuring agency in Pakistan. Applicants meeting mandatory criteria will be scored out of 100 marks per lot based on experience, startup outcomes, turnover, linkages, international partnerships, key management, and professional staff. Consortia of up to five members are permitted under a lead member, with joint and several liability. Foreign entities may participate as consortium members. The EOI document is available free of cost on the Punjab e-Procurement System (e-P) at https://ep.punjab.gov.pk and on the PPRA website at https://eproc.punjab.gov.pk until the closing date. Applicants must be registered on e-P. The response time is thirty days from the publication date on the PPRA website. A pre-application meeting will be held on Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 2:00 PM at the Office of the Project Director, PMU Innovate Punjab, 5th Floor, Tower-II, New Civil Secretariat, Lahore. Online participation is available on request by email. Clarification requests must reach mpc.ip.itid@punjab.gov.pk or be submitted via e-P by Wednesday 2 December 2026. Responses will be posted on e-P and PPRA website by Friday 4 December 2026. EOIs must be submitted only through e-P by Thursday 10 December 2026 at 11:00 AM. EOIs will be opened on e-P the same day at 11:30 AM. Late or other mode submissions will not be considered. If the closing date is a public holiday, the next working day applies. This EOI is a non-priced invitation for shortlisting consultants under Punjab Procurement Rules 2014. Only shortlisted applicants will receive the Request for Proposals (RFP). Evaluation will be by Quality and Cost Based Selection with 80% weight on quality and 20% on cost. A practical tip for bidders: Ensure your NTN and Active Taxpayers List status are current and that you are registered on the Punjab e-Procurement portal well before the closing date to avoid disqualification due to administrative issues.