Providing rural areas with everyday goods is becoming increasingly difficult for citizens residing there due to the closure of appropriate sales facilities. In contrast, digital shopping has long since reached rural areas and is not only a short-term trend, but has already become an integral part of everyday life.

The project “Consumption - naturally fresh North Saxon” aims to provide everyday goods from regional suppliers in an online department store. A large number of producers, producers and retailers (hereinafter retailers) can digitally market their products regionally on a common online platform. All ordered products from a purchase are then collected centrally and delivered to the end consumer (hereinafter customers) directly and conveniently by courier within one day by the logistics service provider. The service area includes the Delitzscher Land with the following municipalities: Delitz-sch, Jesewitz, Krostitz, Löbnitz, Rackwitz, Schkeuditz, Schönwölkau, Taucha, Wiedemar, Zschepplin.

The online platform is used to process orders. Customers buy the region's products online or over the phone via a hotline and receive home delivery for a fee.

The scope of service package 1 is the development of the online platform, the implementation of marketing and business operations. In detail:

- Building an online platform:

o Programming and designing a corresponding website with the four main categories: shop, customers, retailers, service, further subpages are developed and created according to agreement between client and customer

o Necessary content, which the online platform must at least map, are: product overview, ordering process, payment processing and shipping

o From the customer's perspective:

Option of ordering with customer account or without customer account

Payment processing: SEPA, credit card, Paypal, EC and cash upon receipt of goods by suppliers

possibility to return the goods

Creating the customer portal: ordering process including invoicing, information about customers, etc.

o From a retailer's perspective:

Create technical prerequisites for the retailer so that the possibility of integrating the merchant's goods (photos and product description) is possible

Creation of an invoice and booking system for retailers

Connecting retailers to the online platform with their own online shop via interface linking to their merchandise management

Retailers are connected to the online platform without their own online shop via a platform with its own merchandise management

o Creation and technical implementation of a suitable concept for process flow/coordination of the order/commission/delivery process

o Programming an interface to service packages 2 and 3

o Allocation of individual cost options to retailers on the one hand and customers on the other

o Integration of a shipping service provider with all necessary parameters through interfaces and system integration -system-side APIs are required

o Setting up a subpage - form for inquiries

o Setting up a hotline for customer calls for orders and questions

o Technical maintenance of the online platform for the duration of the project (24 months) and beyond if necessary. For possible maintenance work, the bidder is expected to pay a maintenance fee for the duration of the project or, alternatively, an hourly rate (1 h = 60 min) for maintenance work)

Alternatively, an existing online platform under license (license model) that covers the above-mentioned requirements for the online platform can be used for the project.

The execution of this task area is intended for a maximum of six months from the date of order placement.

- Marketing:

o For external and platform presentation, the project requires a complete corporate design (with color story, logo, key visuals, claims, image world, corporate typeface, etc.).

o Target size of the products to be included: approx. 1,000 articles

o Regional retailers and customers are purchased by a network coordinator. The bidder designates a person employed in the company to implement this task. The network coordinator is responsible for:

acquire and support retailers,

instructing retailers on how to use the online platform,

assisting retailers with technical problems and support with FAQs,

serve customers,

creation of information/advertising material,

creation of content for advertising campaigns online/offline,

monitoring of advertising measures according to effectiveness,

sales calls and arrangements,

content production for social media/online platform (texts, photos, etc.),

support of individual channels and distribution of content (website, social, Google, media),

public relations work in print media and channels of the district of North Saxony (official gazette, homepage, press office, etc.),

project management/reporting,

Setting up a hotline.

The execution of this task area is planned for 24 months from the date of placing the order.

- Business operations:

o Preparation and submission of a business/financial plan stating the calculated income

o Conclusion and execution of contractual relationships with dealers and customers

o Conclusion and execution of the necessary contracts with financial service providers for processing payment transactions via the online platform

o Set up and operate the system for proper billing to retailers and customers

o proper control of the proceeds of the project

The online platform provides the technical basis for the successful implementation of the local online marketplace from product provision to order processing, logistics and payment processing.

The subject of service package 2 is the daily transport of products and goods from local retailers to customers in the project area (Delitzsch region).

The bidder has to submit a logistics concept that takes into account the following routes in particular:

Pick up tours:

• The bidder picks up goods and goods from local retailers in a first tour and delivers them to a picking center (HUB). This results in time restrictions that are predefined by the ordering, picking and transport process, such as pick-up time windows, last order customer. This was agreed as a basis for sameday delivery.

Delivery routes:

• After picking, which is necessary for logistically sensible and efficient delivery, transport from the hub to the customer starts the same day.

Data from producers and customers is recorded in the system (online platform) for transports and transmitted to the bidder for same-day logistics planning. This process is a connection point with service packages 1 and 3 and a corresponding interface would have to be created.

As part of the logistics concept, the goods must be transported properly and in accordance with legal regulations. Fresh, chilled and frozen goods in particular must be transported without interrupting the cold chain.

Other components of the service package:

• Order picking

• Provision of a transport vehicle

• Provision of cool boxes to maintain the cold chain during transport

• Provision of cooling technology as equipment for the HUB

• insurance transport

The execution of this task area takes place from the 7th month of the project period and is then scheduled for a duration of 18 months, hence from the 7th to the 24th month of the project duration inclusive.

If the bidder is proposing a solution improved to the original concept through an existing organisation, both in stationary retail, vehicles and depots, he can submit it under the heading — Additional Offer.

The object of service package 3 is to set up a base station with sufficient interim storage capacities (HUB).

Since customers can order from several retailers in one order and multiple orders are possible for each retailer, it is necessary to re-sort the goods and pick the individual orders/deliveries between collection from retailers and delivery to customers. The bidder provides premises and a storage system for efficient handling of goods between collection from individual dealers and assignment to individual orders prior to delivery and unloading and loading of delivery vehicles.

• Provision of appropriate premises (at least 200m² of storage space) and construction of a base station in a central location of the delivery area as well as access to the warehouse

• purchase of shelves as equipment for the HUB

• Suitability to store goods properly and in accordance with legal regulations, in particular fresh, refrigerated and frozen goods without interrupting the cold chain

This task area will be executed from the 5th month of the project period and is then scheduled for a duration of 20 months, hence from the 5th to the 24th month of the project duration inclusive.

If the bidder is proposing a solution improved to the original concept through an existing organisation, both in stationary retail, vehicles and depots, he can submit it under the heading — Additional Offer.