3 August 2015: This notice has been amended. Please see revised weightings of the shortlisting criteria.
The regional authorities, the Akimat of the Eastern Kazakhstan Oblast (the "Oblast Akimat"), have approached the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the "Bank" or "EBRD") with a request technical assistance to assess the possibility of financing the priority investment programme (the "PIP") for the modernisation and upgrade of the water supply and wastewater infrastructure in the City of Ust-Kamenogorsk (the "Project").
The PIP is estimated at around KZT 3.3 billion (USD 16.2 million) and the preliminary assessment suggests the following investment components to be part of the PIP: (i) modernisation of the wastewater pumping stations; (ii) modernisation of the water intake facilities, (iii) partial rehabilitation of the water and wastewater networks, and (iv) procurement and installation of individual and bulk water meters and associated equipment.
The Bank now intends to engage a consulting company (the "Consultant") to prepare a feasibility study ("FS") to appraise the Project and take a decision on the prospective financing (the "Assignment").
The FS will be shared with the State Communal Enterprise "Oskemen Vodokanal" (the "Company"), the Oblast Akimat and the City Akimats (all together the "Partners").
The expected outcome of the Assignment is for the final FS to be submitted by the Consultant to the Bank, and that the Consultant provides sufficient information for the Bank and the Partners to decide on the project feasibility and structure.
The FS shall comprise, inter alia, the following:
1) technical and financial feasibility assessment of the proposed investments including whether it is the most effective least cost investment programme;
2) financial analysis of the Company and preparation of financial projections. The projections shall be fully consistent with the proposed PIP, strategic development plan and be based on prudent assumptions on the Company’s revenues and expenditures. The Consultant will prepare the financial forecasts for the Company and the Project financial model (using Microsoft Excel) that will cover a period of 5 years (from 2015 to 2020);
3) determination of an efficient implementation strategy for the PIP;
4) calculation of the Bank’s standard measuring indicators and SRI impact indicators;
5) once the Project/PIP has been confirmed, screen the Project against the EBRD’s "Environmental and Social Policy" ("ESP") and associated "Performance Requirements" to propose, and agree with the EBRD, the project category (A or B) and confirm the environmental and social due diligence required.
Note: If the Project is categorised as B (once agreed with the EBRD), carry out the Environmental and Social Assessment (E&S Due Diligence – ESDD) of the proposed project to identify its environmental and social risks, impacts and benefits and to structure the Project to comply with the Bank’s Environmental and Social Policy (“ESP”) and Procurement Policies and Rules. If the Project is categorised as A, this terms of reference will be revised by the EBRD.
To the extent possible, the FS should:
- take into account the potential impacts of climate change on the project in order to build in resilience to climate change related risks;
- assess the resource efficiency opportunities (including energy and water efficiency and waste minimisation potential and the impact on greenhouse gas emissions) on the Project.
In order to meet the requirements above the Consultant shall undertake the following tasks:
Task 1. Baseline study;
Task 2. Technical assessment;
Task 3. Long-term investment strategy;
Task 4. Priority Investment Programme;
Task 5. Financial and economic analysis;
Task 6. Resource efficiency assessment; and
Task 7. Environmental and social assessment.
Status of Selection Process: Interested firms or groups of firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
Assignment Duration: The Assignment is expected to start in Q4 2015 and has an estimated overall duration of 4 months.
Maximum Cost Estimate for the Assignment: EUR 251,000 (exclusive of VAT).
The Consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the special status of the Bank as an international financial institution (IFI) and state this to the Bank in their response to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest. To the extent that a Consultant incurs input VAT on goods and services purchased in connection with the provision of services (eg VAT on airline ticket) which is not otherwise recoverable by the consultant from the local tax authority, the gross cost to the consultant of such expenses shall be treated as a reimbursable expense.
Funding Source: It is anticipated that the contract will be financed through the EBRD's donor funded Technical Cooperation Funds Programme.
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions; however, consultant selection and contracting will be subject to availability of funding from an appropriate donor.
Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant will be a firm or a group of firms preferably with previous project experience related to:
1. Delivery of feasibility studies of a comparable nature, scale and complexity to that required for the Assignment;
2. International water/wastewater sector experience, preferably in relation to institutional frameworks, environmental and social requirements; local financial management standards and international technical standards.
The Consultant’s expert team is expected to include key experts as follows:
Key Expert No 1 - Project Manager/ Team Leader with
• a university degree or equivalent qualification,
• preferably 15 years or more of previous professional experience in the field of water supply and wastewater management,
• previous professional experience in the conduct and project management of comparable assignments in countries with comparable water industry conditions to Kazakhstan,
• previous professional experience in institutional and commercial management of a water/wastewater Company,
• preferably previous professional experience with the procedures and rules on public procurement and disbursement policies of international financing agencies such as the EBRD, WorldBank, European Investment Bank etc.
Key Expert No 2 - Financial specialist(s) with knowledge of public financing and modelling, and preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in a comparable role to the one proposed for this Assignment.
Key Expert No 3 - Technical specialists and water and wastewater engineers with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in a comparable role to the one proposed for this Assignment.
Key Expert No 4 - Environmental and Social experts with
• preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in environmental and social impact assessments and environmental and social due diligence, health and safety, stakeholder engagement, public consultation and disclosure in the local context, gender and inclusion expertise, and/or resettlement expertise,
• preferably previous professional experience in the water/wastewater sector and in in countries with comparable conditions to Kazakhstan.
Key Expert No 5 - Climate change expert with experience in evaluation in climate change and with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in a comparable role to the one proposed for this Assignment.
Key Expert No 6 - Institutional expert with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in a comparable role to the one proposed for this Assignment.
Key Expert No 7 - Resource efficiency expert with experience in water and waste water treatment and with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in a comparable role to the one proposed for this Assignment.
Non-key experts are expected to include local experts with good communication skills and evidenced technical knowledge of water supply and wastewater. The Consultant shall engage Russian and, if necessary, Kazakh language speaking staff on their team or arrange for translation/interpreting when necessary.
All Key and Non-key experts must be independent and free from conflicts of interest in the responsibilities accorded to them.
Submission Requirements:
In order to determine the capability and experience of Consultants seeking to be selected for this Assignment, the information submitted should include the following:
1. Company/group of firms’ profile, organisation and staffing (max. 2-4 pages).
2. Details of previous project experience or similar assignments particularly undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contract value, contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided (if different from duration) , main activities, objectives.
3. CVs of key experts who could carry out the Assignment detailing qualifications, experience in similar assignments, particularly assignments undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided, assignment budget, main activities, objectives.
4. Completed Consultant Declaration Form and Contact Sheet, the template for which is available from the following web-link:
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc.
The above information should not exceed 25 pages excluding CVs and contact sheet.
The complete expression of interest (including CVs, Consultant Declaration and Contact Sheet) should be submitted, in English electronically through e-Selection, to reach the Bank not later than the closing date. The expression of interest should preferably be in one file (no more than 4MB is the permssable size).
Bank Contact Person:
Paula Alegria
Technical Co-operation
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 7589
e-mail: AlegriaP@ebrd.com (submissions should be sent through eSelection and NOT to this email address)
Notes:
1. The selection will normally be made from responses to this notification only. Consultants will not be asked to submit a proposal. The highest-ranked Consultant will be selected from a shortlist and be invited to negotiate the contract, subject to availability of funding.
2. The shortlist criteria and weightings are:
a) Firm’s previous project experience in the delivery of feasibility studies of a comparable nature, scale and complexity to that required for the Assignment - 10%
b) Firm’s previous project experience in the international water/wastewater sector, preferably regarding institutional frameworks, environmental and social requirements; local financial management standards and international technical standards – 40%
c) CVs of the Key Experts proposed – 50%
