In 2013 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD or the “Bank”) established the Sustainable Resource Initiative (“SRI”). The SRI is an ‘umbrella’ initiative that develops the Bank’s range of transition support instruments in three areas:
• sustainable energy – under the existing Sustainable Energy Initiative (“SEI”);
• water efficiency; and
• materials efficiency.
This umbrella approach allows the Bank to develop each component flexibly, reflecting strategic policy and pragmatic business opportunities in each component.
To further support implementation of the SRI, the Bank has established an SRI Policy Dialogue Framework (the “SRI Framework” or the “Programme”). The main aim of the SRI Framework is to support the implementation of the SRI through the provision of well-targeted, high-quality advice and support relating to policy development and implementation in the EBRD countries of operation (full list of EBRD countries of operations (“COOs”) is available at www.ebrd.com). The SRI Framework is structured with three windows covering:
1. Sustainable Energy and Integrated Resource (including associated climate resilience issues);
2. Materials Efficiency; and
3. Water Efficiency (including associated climate resilience issues).
In this context, the EBRD is now seeking to contract up to three consultancy firms (the “Consultants”) for the Water Efficiency Window who will provide policy dialogue assistance that would further strengthen the Bank’s ability to deliver its transition mandate in the water sector under the SRI Framework.
Framework Agreements for the Programme
The Bank intends to enter into Framework Agreements with up to three consultants (Framework Consultant or Consultant) to enable the Bank to call upon a shortlist of pre-qualified firms from which it can quickly and efficiently obtain reliable services. The Framework Contract will establish, in advance, fee rates for experts, contract terms and agreements, and procedures that will govern individual assignments (Assignments or Call-offs) to be required to implement the Programme. Under these Framework Agreements, the Bank will have the option, but not the obligation, to place individual Assignments with the selected Framework Consultants.
Framework Consultants will be selected for individual Assignments in accordance with EBRD’s Procurement Policies and Rules (PP and R). The Bank may send to the Framework Consultant(s) specific Terms of Reference for the Assignment (Specific ToR). The Specific ToR will include a description of the tasks to be performed, time-schedules and reporting instructions. The Framework Consultant(s) should respond by sending to the Bank a technical and financial proposal for the Assignment together with details of the Expert(s) proposed to carry out the work. The Bank will then assess the response(s) and – subject to successful negotiations - issue a call-off notice (Call-Off Notice) for the individual Assignment to the selected Framework Consultant.
Description of individual Assignments (Call-offs): The main aim of the Water Efficiency Window is to support the implementation of the SRI through the provision of well-targeted, high-quality advice, support relating to policy formulation and implementation. The Water Efficiency Window will comprise several assignments to be undertaken by the Consultants who will be awarded Framework Agreements upon completion of this selection process. The selected Consultants will be required to support the following three main areas:
1. Policy Prioritisation
The policy prioritisation assignments will focus on assisting the EBRD and its client to understand the priority areas for policy development. This prioritisation will be achieved through a range of activities including:
- mapping of resource-intensive sectors and processes, identifying market potential for optimal water resource use by sectors;
- identifying barriers to market penetration of water-efficient technologies, including affordability, local production, import and distribution, and awareness-raising;
- providing a critical review of international good practice in policy instruments to address barriers to water efficiency;
- establishing a repository of global best-practice information on water efficiency, including examples of ‘investment grade’ policy frameworks and project documentation;
- identifying priority policy gaps and recommending appropriate policy instruments to address these gaps;
- identifying priorities for promoting climate resilience in key sectors and industries relevant to EBRD operations, and for integrating practical climate resilience measures (both structural and non-structural) into policy and investment planning; and
- ex-post monitoring of policy reform activities and its impact on investments to identify persistent market barriers and inform the design of remedial policies.
2. Policy and Sector Reform Advice
The policy and sector reform advice assignments will support wider sector reform to address identified policy gaps and the establishment of legislative, regulatory and institutional structures governing water sector through long-term engagement with governments while also including the voices of all other relevant stakeholders. In particular, the focus will be on addressing the major water resource challenges by providing support for:
- establishing well-designed and compliant with good international practice legal and regulatory frameworks for water resource management that promote the introduction of commercialised structures, good governance principles, demand-side measures and greater private sector participation (“PSP”);
- establishing efficient and effective water resource pricing mechanisms (through the introduction of the principles of full cost recovery) that introduce incentives for better use of resources and increase financial sustainability of the water sector’s operations;
- setting standards for water resource management and governance as well as business conduct, including performance indicators and monitoring systems, to ensure compliance with the environmental and participatory requirements for other companies to follow.
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3. Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing
The capacity building and knowledge sharing assignments will support and facilitate policy-related capacity building and knowledge sharing to strengthen the implementation of policy instruments and the understanding of how the policies interact or impact investment environment. It is anticipated that the Consultants would be requested to assist in the following specific tasks:
- institutional strengthening and capacity building at the national and local government levels to adequately tackle the resource challenges, provided targeted training activities or programmes, build up a critical mass of local capability to plan, prepare, structure, manage and deliver resources and, where appropriate, achieve true customer-service orientation;
- identifying opportunities for integrating a participatory approach that aims to raise awareness and promote meaningful involvement of representatives of local communities and civil society in sustainable water use and management;
- strengthen capacities to develop and integrate climate risk management and adaptation into policy planning;
- build capacities and share knowledge in developing corporate resource reporting and disclosure methodologies to demonstrate company’s engagement on resource issues with various stakeholders, including CSOs;
- providing capacity building and assistance in adopting international best practice in managing resources (incl. management systems), water efficiency standards for equipment and processes (ISO certification (i.e. ISO 14046 for water footprinting of products, processes and organisations based on the life cycle approach), labelling scheme, etc.); and
- promoting knowledge sharing by drawing lessons learned and disseminate the results of various policy reform activities.
Status of Selection Process: Interested firms or groups of firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
Programme Start Date and Duration: The Programme is expected to start in February 2016. The selected Framework Consultants will be engaged via Framework Agreements with a validity period of up to 34 months.
Cost Estimate for the Programme and Assignments: EUR 1,000,000.00; exclusive of VAT (cumulative, for up to 3 framework agreements); Subject to availability of funding. The cost estimate for individual Assignments will vary depending on their specific scope, but individual budgets are expected to be between EUR 75,000–EUR 300,000.0 (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 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 (e.g. 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 funding will come from the Czech Republic ODA TC Fund.
Please note that selection and contracting will be subject to the availability of funding.
Eligibility: Consultancy firms shall be registered in the Czech Republic and all experts proposed must be either Czech nationals or permanent residents of the Czech Republic. However, up to a maximum of 35% of the maximum contract amount may be used to finance services of other nationalities including experts who are nationals of the country in which the assignment is being conducted and firms which are registered in these countries. Selection and the final contracting of consultants will be subject to the availability of funding from the donor.
The Statute of Czech Republic ODA TC Fund that prohibits award of the contract to an entity which has already won two projects funded from the Czech Republic ODA TC Fund as a consortium leader does not apply to this project.
Framework Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant will be a firm or a group of firms preferably with previous project experience in the water sector. The Consultant is expected to demonstrate:
- policy-related project experience in water resource management and governance, and climate resilience, preferably in EBRD COOs;
- experience in provision of technical policy advice to water efficiency or climate resilience projects, preferably in EBRD COOs;
- policy-related project experience in institutional capacity building at the national and local governments level, preferably in EBRD COOs;
- participation in structuring and negotiating of contractual frameworks for water or climate resilience projects, including provision of legal, institutional and technical advice, preferably in EBRD COOs.
The Consultant’s expert team for project implementation is expected to include the following key experts listed below. For the purposes of evaluation of expressions of interest please provide CVs of experts as follows:
- 2 CVs of Project Managers/Team Leaders with a university degree or equivalent qualification with preferably 15 years professional experience in water sector, with comprehensive experience of similar assignments in EBRD region. The expert should demonstrate management and administration experience, including experience with procedures of international financing agencies (preferably EBRD procedures);
- 3 CVs of Policy/ Regulatory and Institutional Experts with extensive previous professional experience in policy development and implementation, analysis of market barriers and policy evaluation;
- 3 CVs of Training Experts with relevant water sector experience;
- 2 CVs of Climate Change Experts with previous professional experience, preferably in the EBRD COOs;
- 3 CVs of Technical Water and Wastewater Specialists and Engineers with previous professional experience, preferably in the EBRD COOs;
- 3 CVs of Financial analysts with previous professional experience in financial modelling;
- 3 CVs of Environmental and Social specialists with experience in Environmental and Social Impact Assessments and Environmental and Social due diligence, stakeholder engagement, public consultation and disclosure in the local context, gender and inclusion expertise, and/or resettlement expertise, in the sub-sectors covered; familiarity and expertise with addressing and promoting gender equality issues preferred.
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:
- Company/group of firms’ profile, organisation and staffing (max. 2-4 pages);
- Details of previous project experience or similar assignments 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;
- CVs of key experts who could be available to work on the Assignment detailing qualifications, experience in similar assignments, particularly preferably undertaken in the previous ten years, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), experts months provided, assignment budget, main activities, objectives;
- 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 20 pages excluding CVs and contact sheet.
The complete expression of interest (including CVs and Contact Sheet) shall be one file (pdf or Word), not exceeding 4MB, to be uploaded to eSelection. The EBRD reserves the right to reject applications of firms submitting more than one file. Only if the permissible file size is exceeded, the Consultant may split the expression of interest into further files.
Expressions of Interest shall be submitted, in English, electronically through e-Selection, to reach the Bank not later than the closing date.
Bank Contact Persons:
Maria Haugh
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 7185
e-mail: haughm@ebrd.com
(submissions should be sent through eSelection and NOT to this email address)
Notes:
1. Subject to satisfactory response to this invitation for Expression of Interest, a shortlist of qualified consultants will be formally invited to submit proposals. Shortlisting and selection will be subject to the availability of funding.
2. The shortlist criteria are as follows:
1. Firm’s policy-related project experience in water resource management and governance, and climate resilience, preferably in EBRD COOs - 15%
2. Firm’s experience in provision of technical policy advice to water efficiency or climate resilience projects, preferably in EBRD COOs - 15%
3. Firm’s experience in policy-related institutional capacity building at the national and local governments level, preferably in EBRD COOs - 15%
4. Firm’s participation in structuring and negotiating of contractual frameworks for water or climate resilience projects, including provision of legal, institutional and technical advice, preferably in EBRD COOs - 15%
5. Qualifications of Experts – 40%
