Project Description:
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD or the Bank) and the KfW Entwicklungsbank (the KfW; collectively the Lenders) are considering providing finance to the Georgian State Electrosystem JSC (GSE or the Client) to finance the strengthening of Georgia Transmission System, including the following 3 components:
a) 500 kV OHL Tskaltubo – Akhaltsikhe - Tortum;
b) Reinforcement of Transmission Infrastructure in Guria; and
c) the North Ring-Tskaltubo including related substations divided in three sub-projects; C1, C2 and C3 (collectively, the Project).
As the Project involves the construction of high voltage overhead transmission lines (220kV or more and more than 15km long), the EBRD has assigned it a Category A. Consequently a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) meeting the Lenders’ policies and requirements and review of associated documents must be carried out, followed by their public disclosure for a minimum period of 120 days.
Assignment Description:
The Bank now intends to engage a consultant (the Consultant) to prepare an ESIA disclosure package for the Project against the Lenders’ requirements for ESIA (the Assignment).
The selected Consultant is expected to provide the following services:
1. Prepare an ESIA, according to the requirements of the EBRD Performance Requirements (2014), current European Union (EU) EIA legislation (updated in 2014) and KfW Environmental and Social Policy. This would include the following key tasks:
· Review of available data
· Site visit and scoping consultation
· Baseline data collection and impact assessment
· Reporting and public consultation
2. Develop an Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP).
3. Prepare required documents for disclosure (Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Non-Technical Summary).
Status of Selection Process: Interested firms or groups of firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
Assignment Start Date and Duration: The Assignment is expected to start in Q4 2016 and has an estimated overall duration of 12 months.
Cost Estimate for the Assignment: EUR 490,000 (exclusive of VAT). Subject to availability of funding, the performance of the selected Consultant and the specific needs of the Bank the Assignment 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: It is anticipated that the Assignment will be funded by EBRD Shareholder Special Fund. Please note selection and contracting will be subject to the availability of funding.
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.
Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant will be a firm or a group of firms preferably with previous project experience in undertaking ESIAs for International Financial Institutions (IFIs) on similar projects in the Power and Energy sector in Georgia and/or the Caucasus. The Consultant’s expert team is expected to include the following Key Experts:
Key Expert No 1 - Team Leader/Project Manager: An environmental/social specialist with preferably 15 years or more previous professional experience in environmental and social assessments including previous relevant experience on similar projects with EBRD or IFC, experience in Georgia and experience in the power and energy sector.
Key Experts No 2 – Pool of Biodiversity Specialists including at least the following experts:
· Ornithologist;
· Protected areas specialist;
· Zoologist; and
· Botanist
Each proposed Biodiversity expert should preferably have 10 years or more previous professional experience conducting biodiversity assessments/analysis in Georgia preferably in the power and energy sector.
Key Experts No 3 – Social Specialists including at least the following experts:
- Land acquisition, compensation and resettlement specialist
- Public consultation specialist
Each proposed social expert should have preferably 10 years or more previous professional experience conducting biodiversity assessments/analysis in Georgia in the power and energy sector.
The following non-key experts are expected to be included in the Consultant's expert team:
· GIS Specialist
· Reforestation specialist
· Ichthyologist
· Geologist
· Hydrology specialist
· Waste management specialist
· Archaeologist
· Soil conservation and erosion control specialist
· Occupational and community Health and safety specialist with experience in transmission lines construction
All Key and non-key Experts should have an accurate understanding of the EBRD, IFC and national environmental and social policies and Performance Requirements/Standards. Additionally, all key experts should have good written and spoken English language skills. Local experts should be fluent in English and Georgian languages.
The Consultant shall include experienced and reputable local experts in the project team as deemed necessary for the successful implementation of the Assignment and will be a key aspect of the evaluation.
Submission Requirements: In order to determine the capability and experience of Consultants seeking to be shortlisted 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 and non-key experts who could carry out the Assignment in accordance with the Consultant Profile 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 (maximum 3 pages per CV).
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 20 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 eSelection, to reach the Bank not later than the closing date. The expression of interest shall be one file (pdf). The EBRD reserves the right to reject applications of firms submitting more than one file. Only if the permissible file size is exceeded (4MB), the Consultant may split the expression of interest into further files.
Bank Contact Person
James Yoo
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 6368E
Email: YooJ@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 shortlist criteria are:
(a) Firm’s previous project experience in developing ESIAs for projects of similar size and complexity preferably in the power and energy sector (30%)
(b) Firm’s previous project experience in Georgia and/or the Caucasus (20%)
(c) CVs of proposed Key Expert Nos 1-3 (30%)
(d) CVs proposed non-key Experts (10%)
(e) Inclusion of local experts (10%)
