Regional: Urban Transport Public Service Contracts - Framework Contract for Preparation

Regional: Urban Transport Public Service Contracts - Framework Contract for Preparation

Assignment Description:

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the "EBRD" or "the Bank") finances urban transport projects in many of its countries of operations.
The Bank is now seeking to engage a consulting firm (the "Consultant") which will provide the EBRD with a mechanism through which to enhance the transition impact of its urban transport projects, a key aspect of which is the implementation of Public Service Contracts (the "PSCs").
In nearly all cases a PSC lies at the centre of the financing structure. PSC is a contract between an operator and its client authority/city, which sets out the rights and obligations of each party.

PSCs are critical as a credit enhancement tool for the Bank, since they provide the essential creditworthiness to a given transaction. It is therefore important to ensure that PSCs are prepared in an efficient manner, with a consistently high quality.

PSCs will establish a solid framework for service delivery and regulation of a key public service, as well as will facilitate corporate development and achieve cost efficiency. Additionally, the PSCs developed by the Consultant will adhere to the EU Regulation 1370/2007 which came into effect in December 2009.

The Consultant�s tasks will be divided into two Phases.

The Consultant will be awarded a framework contract (the "Framework Contract") setting out the general terms and conditions and defining all services that are likely to be required to implement Phases I and II. Individual Call-Off Notices will be awarded to the Consultant which will define the precise Terms of Reference and budgets for specific assignments related to Phases I and II.

For both Phases I and II the Consultant will be expected to ensure that PSCs are drafted with the aim to:

� Enable the introduction of sustainable business conditions for the operator, by setting the initial service volume, level of standard and rate per service unit;
� Make the operator creditworthy and enable long-term financing;
� Create natural incentives for a client authority/city to increase tariffs on a regular basis and for an operator to seek cost efficiency, thus reducing any public support levels; and,
� Establish improved sector regulation, whereby a client authority/city is able to hold the operator accountable for delivering a high-quality service in exchange for public support payments paid for operating low-volume routes and transporting any passengers at discounted rates due to social policy.

Phase I: Template PSCs and Marketing Material

The Consultant will prepare two standard template PSCs for each of rail and bus sectors, including for service delivery only and for service delivery plus related infrastructure. The Consultant will be required to draft template

PSCs in such a manner that they can be applied for bus, trolleybus, tram, light rail, metro and possibly cable car and lift transport projects.

The templates will be used in each relevant project specific case going forward and therefore must be designed taking into account this purpose.

Additionally, the Consultant will prepare marketing materials to persuade decision-makers and opinion-formers of the merits of a PSC regime. Such materials should be in a form suitable for marketing and training. The materials should draw on practical examples of relevance to the likely audience, and make extensive use of graphics and possible audio-visual media.

Phase II: Assignment Specific PSCs

Once the Bank has engaged with a client to work together to prepare a transport project, the Bank may offer technical cooperation to prepare a PSC in a form and format suitable for project financing. Once this point is reached, the Bank will trigger a Call-Off Notice for that specific assignment under the Framework Contract with the Consultant, under which the Consultant will prepare an appropriate PSC based on the templates formulated under Phase I. For each assignment specific Call-Off Notice, the Consultant will prepare a draft PSC satisfactory to the Bank

For each assignment specific Call-Off Notice for Phase II it is required that local experts are engaged, to ensure that the PSC is enforceable under local law and to provide an official local language version. It is expected that the local contribution would be at least 40 per cent of each assignment specific Call-Off Notice value.

To date specific assignments for Phase II have not been determined. Indicative list of countries in which specific assignments under Call-Off Notices may occur is as follows: Armenia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine. The potential list of countries will be restricted to the EBRD countries of operations.

Framework Contract start and duration: The Framework Contract is expected to start in late 2013 and last for 18 months.
Maximum Budget Available for the Framework Contract: Up to EUR 550,000.00 (estimated value of Phase I - EUR 100,000; estimated value of assignment specific Call-Off Notices under Phase II - EUR 45,000 to 65,000 per assignment); 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 Bank's special status 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 purhcased 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: EBRD Shareholder Special Fund.

Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.

Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant should be a firm or a group of firms with relevant experience in the transport industry. The Consultant should have extensive project experience and knowledge in transport planning, public sector procurement and country specific legislation, specifically with PSCs, preferably in the EBRD countries of operations.

The Consultant is expected to nominate an expert team capable of carrying out the services under the Framework Contract. The expert team is expected to at least include key experts in the following areas: public transport planning, modelling, and financial analysis; public transport institutional and regulatory frameworks; country specific public sector procurement and legislation; marketing expertise; and, country specific law.

Submission Requirements: Interested firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.

In order to determine the capability and experience of consulting firms seeking to be shortlisted, the information submitted should include the following:

� Company profile, organisation and staffing;
� Details of firm's (group of firms') previous relevant project experience as required under the section Consultant Profile 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 experts who could be available to provide services under the Framework Contract.
� Completed 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.

Expressions of Interest shall be submitted, in English, electronically through eSelection, to reach the Bank not later than 26 September 2013 at 23:59 hrs. (London time). Do not send expressions of interest to the EBRD contact person

EBRD contact:
Marina Matushina
Advisor
Technical Cooperation
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 6577
e-mail: MatushiM@ebrd.com

Note: Following this Invitation for Expression of Interest, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Consultant shortlisting and selection is subject to availability of funding.