4.	Eligible Bidders
4.1	A Bidder may be a firm that is a private entity, a state-owned entity- subject to ITB 4.3- or any combination of such entities in the form of a joint venture (JV) under an existing agreement or with the intent to enter into such an agreement supported by a letter of intent. In the case of a joint venture, all members shall be jointly and severally liable for the execution of the Contract in accordance with the Contract terms. The JV shall nominate a Representative who shall have the authority to conduct all business for and on behalf of any and all the members of the JV during the bidding process and, in the event the JV is awarded the Contract, during contract execution.
4.2	A Bidder shall not have a conflict of interest. Any Bidder found to have a conflict of interest shall be disqualified. A Bidder may be considered to have a conflict of interest for the purpose of this bidding process, if the Bidder: 
(a)	Directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by or is under common control with another Bidder; or 
(b)	Receives or has received any direct or indirect subsidy from another Bidder; or
(c)	Has the same legal representative as another Bidder; or
(d)	Has a relationship with another Bidder, directly or through common third parties, that puts it in a position to influence the bid of another Bidder, or influence the decisions of the Purchaser regarding this bidding process; or
(e)	Participates in more than one bid in this bidding process. Participation by a Bidder in more than one Bid will result in the disqualification of all Bids in which such Bidder is involved. However, this does not limit the inclusion of the same subcontractor in more than one bid; or 
(f)	Any of its affiliates participated as a consultant in the preparation of the design or technical specifications of the goods that are the subject of the bid; or
(g)	Any of its affiliates has been hired (or is proposed to be hired) by the Purchaser for the Contract implementation; or
(h)	Has a close business or family relationship with a professional staff of the Purchaser (or of the project implementing agency, or of a recipient of a part of the funds) who: (i) are directly or indirectly involved in the preparation of the bidding documents or specifications of the contract, and/or the bid evaluation process of such contract; or (ii) would be involved in the implementation or supervision of such contract unless the conflict stemming from such relationship has been resolved in a manner acceptable to the AFD throughout the procurement process and execution of the contract.
4.3	The AFD’s eligibility criteria to bid are described in Section V, Eligibility criteria.
4.4	A Bidder shall not be under suspension from bidding by the Purchaser as the result of the execution of a Bid–Securing Declaration.
4.5	A Bidder shall provide such evidence of eligibility satisfactory to the Purchaser, as the Purchaser shall reasonably request.
5.	Eligible Goods and Related Services	5.1	All the Goods and Related Services to be supplied under the Contract and financed by the AFD may have their origin in any country in accordance with Section V, Eligibility Criteria.
5.2	For purposes of this Clause, the term “goods” includes commodities, raw material, machinery, equipment, and industrial plants; and “related services” includes services such as insurance, installation, training, and initial maintenance.
5.3	The term “origin” means the country where the goods have been mined, grown, cultivated, produced, manufactured or processed; or, through manufacture, processing, or assembly, another commercially recognized article results that differs substantially in its basic characteristics from its components.