Before launching the tender, the public contracting authority and its team of advisers need to feel satisfied they have addressed a series of key questions, many of which result from work undertaken or overviewed by the PPP advisers. For example,

□ Are the requirements and scope of the TEN-T project clear and fixed?

□ Have all the environmental and planning approvals been identified and obtained?

□ Are there any unresolved issues regarding site and land acquisition?

□ Has the public contracting authority the powers to award the contract and enter into a long term contract?

□ If required by law, has a Value for Money assessment of the proposed TEN-T investment been carried out?

□ Is the scope of the TEN-T project affordable from the point of view of the public sector periodic payments required (availability-based PPP) or are tariff levels realistic and affordable (revenue-based PPP)?

□ With availability-based PPPs, have budgets and government or parliamentary approvals been obtained for any public sector payment obligations?

□ Is there enough evidence of sufficient commercial interest from contractors, lenders and investors to justify launching the tender?

□ Have project risks been identified and a potential risk allocation been assessed?

□ Have plans to publicise the launch of the project been agreed and finalised?

□ Has a project information memorandum been prepared?

□ Have the bidder qualification and bid evaluation criteria been developed?

□ Has the draft PPP contract been prepared including the project specifications, service standards, payment mechanism and proposed risk allocation?