Bieb il-Belt Joint Venture has been named as the best candidate for two highly-important contracts with regards to the Renzo Piano project for City Gate, the new Parliament building and the restored Opera House site.

An announcement by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation last week named BlB JV as having the best ranking regarding the financial offers for Tender GHRC PB 03/2011 for Parliament Building Envelope Works.

As reported over the past weeks, there were five offers for this contract which were progressively drawn down to two.

BlB JV made an offer of €11,538,000 which with possible variances brings the total to €11.913,000 while the other remaining contender, ABC Joint Venture made an offer of €14,442,000 which with possible variances brings the total to €13,828,000.

GHRC announced that subject to the lapse of a 10 calendar day period for objections, which comes to a close next Friday, 3 June, GHRC intends to award the tender to the bidder who submitted the best offer.

Meanwhile in another recommendation also issued last Thursday, GHRC also announced that Tender GHRC OH 02/2011 for Opera House Backstage Works at City Gate Project, Valletta, has now been administratively and technically adjudicated and the Evaluation Board is recommending that this tender is awarded to BIB JV.

Two other companies, B.A.R Joint Venture and Polidano Brothers Ltd, were in the running, but they were both ruled out as not technically compliant. BlB’s financial offer amounts to €940,000.

According to a parliamentary reply given by Minister Austin Gatt some time ago, BlB JV had already won the tender for demolition and excavation of the Opera House ruins, costed at €484,000.