The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the EBRD or the Bank) aims to continue to lay the foundations for and support energy efficiency investments in six Western Balkans countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia), particularly in the residential sector by establishing Regional Energy Efficiency Programme Plus (REEP Plus or the Programme).
The EBRD has been active in assisting to address barriers to energy efficiency in the Western Balkans. In 2013, with the support of the European Union and in partnership with the Energy Community Secretariat (ECS), the EBRD established the REEP for the Western Balkans. Despite the success of REEP, much still needs to be done on energy efficiency in the Western Balkans. In particular, following feedback from the Energy Community’s the Energy Efficiency Coordination Group (EECG) it became clear that there is an urgent need to extend REEP to the residential sector.
Energy is used inefficiently in the Western Balkans compared to many other countries. The energy intensity of the six Western Balkans countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) is around three times higher than the average for the European Union. This high energy intensity is a result of aged and often obsolete energy infrastructure and poorly maintained and/or outdated energy-using capital stock – especially in industry and buildings. It is critical that the Western Balkans countries capture the enormous energy efficiency potential. When properly supported by a solid legal and institutional framework and backed up by well designed and implemented investment programmes, increased energy efficiency delivers many cost-effective benefits for competitiveness, the environment, security of energy supply and economic development in general.
The residential sector is generally a difficult energy efficiency market to serve. To pave the way for a residential facility in the Western Balkans, the EBRD in cooperation with the ECS and the EECG, commissioned a regional residential energy efficiency study that concluded that the opportunities for improving energy efficiency in existing buildings in the Region are tremendous.
The aim of the Programme is to provide policy support to the governments in the Western Balkans to eliminate market barriers to energy efficiency, and accelerate the take up of energy services. This will involve work across several themes that will be refined in consultation with the Energy Community Secretariat’s Energy Efficiency Coordination Group, regional stakeholders and government officials.
Framework Contract for the Programme
The EBRD intends to enter into a Framework Contract with one (1) consultant (Framework Consultant or Consultant) to enable the Bank to call upon a pre-qualified firm from which it can quickly and efficiently obtain reliable services. The Framework Contract will establish, in advance, fee rates for experts, the contract terms and agreements, and procedures that will govern individual assignments (Assignments or Call-offs) to be required to implement the Programme. Under the Framework Contract the Bank will have the option, but not the obligation, to place individual Assignments with the selected Framework Consultant.
The Bank may send to the selected Framework Consultant 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 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.
Description of individual Assignments (Call-Offs)
Consultancy services for individual Assignments are expected to include the following:
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support countries with development NEEAP and implementation;
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assist with development of primary and secondary legislation governing energy efficiency;
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assist with development and implementation of policies to support investments in residential energy efficiency;
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support the countries with implementation of the energy efficiency obligation schemes;
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provide institutional capacity building assistance in the field of energy efficiency;
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assist countries with developing and implementing Monitoring, Verification and enforcement (MVE) for energy efficiency policies.
Status of Selection Process: Interested firms or groups of firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
Assignment Start Date and Duration: The Programme is expected to start in June 2016 and has an estimated overall duration of 40 months (until June 2019).
Cost Estimate for the Programme and Assignment: EUR 3,000,000 (exclusive of VAT). Subject to availability of funding, the performance of the selected Framework Consultant and the specific needs of the Bank the Framework Contract may be extended beyond the current scope.
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: The Programme is expected to be funded through the EBRD’s donor funded Technical Cooperation Funds Programme. However consultant selection and contracting will be subject to availability of funding from an appropriate donor.
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.
Framework Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant will be a firm or a group of firms preferably with previous project experience in energy efficiency sector relating to: (i) project advisory services, including development and implementation of NEEAPs, implementation of the energy efficiency obligation schemes, provision of institutional capacity building assistance; (ii) supporting public administrations in providing key policy recommendations, including assisting with development of primary and secondary legislation governing energy efficiency, development and implementation of policies to support investments in residential energy efficiency, assisting countries with development and implementing of monitoring, verification and enforcement for energy efficiency policies.
Firm’s previous project experience relating to energy efficiency investments in the residential sector in EBRD countries of operations would be considered an advantage.
The Consultant’s expert team is expected to include Key Experts listed below, for the purposes of evaluation of expressions of interest please include CVs as follows:
1 CV of Team leader with preferably 10 years of previous policy experience and expertise in leading the implementation of energy efficiency policy projects with demonstrable project management skills and previous professional experience of working in the Western Balkans or similar EBRD Countries of Operations (COOs).
3 CVs of Senior international legal experts with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience and expertise relating to energy efficiency policy development and implementation .
3 CVs of Senior international economists with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience relating to energy efficiency policy development and implementation
3 CVs of Senior international energy engineers with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience relating to energy efficiency policy development and implementation.
3 CVs of Senior energy markets experts with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience relating to energy efficiency policy development and implementation.
3 CVs of Senior energy efficiency policy experts with preferably 10 years of previous professional experience relating to energy efficiency policy development and implementation.
3 CVs of Local experts with preferably 5 years of relevant previous professional experience relating to energy efficiency in the Western Balkans.
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. Following this invitation for expressions of interest, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Consultant selection and contracting will be subject to availability of funding.
2. The evaluation criteria are as follows:
- Firm's experience in energy efficiency sector relating to project advisory services, including development and implementation of NEEAPs, implementation of energy efficiency obligation schemes, provision of institutional capacity building assistance - 40%
- Firm's experience in energy efficiency sector supporting public administrations in providing key policy recommendations, including assisting with development of primary and secondary legislation governing energy efficiency, development and implementation of policies to support investments in residential energy efficiency, assisting countries with development and implementing of monitoring, verification and enforcement for energy efficiency policies - 30%
- Qualifications of Key Experts - 30%
