NOTICE AT-A-GLANCE

Project ID: P170206

Project Title: Modernizing Uzbekistan National Innovation System Project

Country: Uzbekistan

Notice No: OP00375462

Notice Type: Request for Expression of Interest

Notice Status: Published

Borrower Bid Reference: MUNIS/CS/CQS/27

Procurement Method: Consultant Qualification Selection

Language of Notice: English

Submission Deadline Date/Time: Sep 10, 2025 15:00

Published Date: 27-Aug-2025

Description: Consultancy services for the development of a national scientific project management standard and the establishment of a certification framework for scientific personnel

Details:

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR CONSULTING FIRMS

Country: Uzbekistan

Project name: “Modernizing Uzbekistan National Innovation System” Project

Credit No.: IDA-67840

Assignment Title:Consultancy Services for the Development of a national scientific project management standard, establishment of a certification framework, and training of scientific personnel.

Reference No.: MUNIS/CS/CQS/27.

The Republic of Uzbekistan has received a credit from International Development Association (IDA) toward the cost of the “Modernizing Uzbekistan National Innovation System (MUNIS)” Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for Consultancy Services for the Development of a national scientific project management standard, establishment of a certification framework, and training of scientific personnel.

The Project Implementation Unit under the Agency for Innovative Development now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATION (EVALUATION CRITERIA)

The Consulting Firm will be selected in accordance with the Consulting Firm’s qualifications based selection (CQS) Methodology, according to the Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” Procurement of Consulting Services is carried out in accordance with the Procurement Manual of Procurement Regulations for IPF Projects (2016) revised and updated February 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), which can be found at the following website: www.worldbank.org

To be selected Consultant Company shall meet the following qualification requirements:

• At least 10 years of experience in the project management market.
• Registered business activity codes: Management consulting – 70;
• Other education-related activities – 85.
• Possession of international accreditation as an Authorized Training Partner (ATP) of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and accreditation by the International Project Management Association (IPMA).
• Proven experience in developing national standards and regulations in project management, as well as conducting research in the field of strategic and project management.
• At least 5 years of experience in delivering project management training programs.
• Proven collaboration with higher education institutions in the development and implementation of academic programs.
• Availability of an in-house certification system for project management professionals.
• A team including at least 5 professionals certified by PMI PMP and IPMA Level C, at least 1 holder of Doctor of Science or PhD, and at least 3 professionals with a master’s or bachelor’s degree.

The technical proposal shall meet the following requirements for methodology/work plan and key personnel. The following range of scores should be defined considering three sub-criteria and corresponding percentage weights:

• Adequacy and quality of the proposed development methodology with a description of the system design of the entire project and an action plan in accordance with the terms of reference – 30 points.
• Relevant experience and qualification of key personnel – 70 points.

The team composition should include at least the following key experts with the required qualifications. Numbers in parentheses show the number of individuals estimated for the engagement:

Role	Quantity	Functions	Required qualifications
Project Manager (20 score)	1	Overall management, communication with the customer, content development of the standard, final editing of the document.	Education: PhD in management, economics, public policy, science, or related fields. Professional Certification: International certification such as PMI PMP® (Project Management Professional) or equivalent (e.g., IPMA Level C or higher, PRINCE2 Practitioner). Experience in standard development: Participation in the development of national standards, methodological documents, or regulations in project management, research activities, or related areas (provide supporting documents or references). Experience in scientific projects: Involvement as project manager, coordinator, or team member in scientific projects (grant-funded research, R&D, international programs, etc.).
Local Standardization Expert (15 score)	1	Guidance on the standardization process in accordance with the national standards body. Collaborate with policy advisors, legal consultants, and subject matter experts.	Deep knowledge of the national standardization system, including procedures for the development, coordination and approval of national standards. Minimum 5 years of experience in the national standardization system. Minimum of 3-year experience engaging with intergovernmental standardization committees. Working knowledge of both Russian and Uzbek language. Familiarity with international project management standards (ISO 21500, ISO 10006, PMBOK, PRINCE2, etc.). Strong understanding of the scientific/research institutional landscape. Ability to draft and review technical documents according to standardization protocols.
International Expert (15 score)	1	Research and analysis of the international context, needs assessment, quality assurance.	Education: Master's degree or MBA (preferably in project management, business administration, public policy, management, or related fields). Certification: International professional certification in project management, such as: – IPMA Level C or higher; – or PMI PMP (Project Management Professional); – or PRINCE2 Practitioner; – or Agile certification. Additional Competencies: – Ability to develop methodological documents, standards, and training materials; – Skills in facilitation, conducting consultations, focus groups, and expert discussions; – Coaching status, membership in relevant academies or professional associations is an advantage.
Administrative Coordinator (13 score)	1	Schedule management, communication with external partners, documentation control.	Education: Master’s degree in economics, public policy, or a related field. Experience: At least 3 years of experience in working with science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies and programs. Proven experience as a project or administrative coordinator, ideally within government, academic, or scientific projects. Prior involvement in national or international standard/documents development or policy implementation projects. Experience working with ministries, universities, or research institutions. Experience in conducting surveys, expert assessments, and regional studies to evaluate scientific and innovative potential. Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and online project management tools (e.g., BOX, Trello, Asana, or Notion). Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities. Fluency in Uzbek and Russian. Working proficiency in English preferred.
Bilingual Technical Editor / Translator (7 score)	1	Translation of standards and working documentation.	Degree in Linguistics, Translation, Technical Writing, or a related field. Previous work with government bodies, universities, or scientific institutions is a plus. Fluency in Russian and Uzbek – both written and verbal. Demonstrated experience in technical translation, particularly in project management, science, engineering, or policy. Familiarity with major project management frameworks (PMBOK, ISO 21500, PRINCE2). Experience editing or translating official documents, reports, or standards.

To confirm the compliance of specialists/experts with the above requirements, a potential consulting firm will provide letters of recommendation or reviews or resumes of specialist/experts, copies of diplomas, certificates, and other documents confirming the professional qualifications of specialists/experts and their work experience, as well as copies of other documents, confirming work experience.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qZalYRPB7__zPnBXIpZcfM_sgdSE4GAG/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103319065924197421654&rtpof=true&sd=true

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016 (revised
in February 2025) (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

Further information can be obtained at the address below from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during working days.

Expressions of interest of the Consultant must be delivered in a written form to the address below by the 10th of September, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Tashkent time.

Attn: Mr. Dilshodbek Azgarov – Manager of the Project Implementation Unit

No.7, Universitet Street, Tashkent 100174, Uzbekistan

Tel: +998-97-170-67-84

E-mail: [email protected]

As part of the EOI, the Consultant should include the following information:

• Consulting Firm Information

Date:	Country of Incorporation:
Consultant Name:	Acronym:
EOI Submission Authorized by:	Position

• Associations (Joint Venture or Sub-consultancy)

Consultant	Acronym	Country of Incorporation	Joint Venture (JV) or Sub-consultant	EOI Submission Authorized By	Position

Present the rationale for and benefits of working in association (JV or Sub-consultant) with others rather than undertaking the assignment independently (as appropriate). Describe the proposed management and coordination approach of the association and the role of each firm.

• Technical competence

Project References - highlight the technical qualifications of your entity/consortium in undertaking similar assignments. Provide details of past experiences working with similar project authorities

• Geographical experience

Project References, present experiences in similar geographic areas.

• Management Competence

• Describe standard policies, procedures, and practices that your entity has to assure quality interaction with clients and outputs. Please state if your company is ISO certified.
• How your firm/consortium handles complaints concerning the performance of experts or quality of the reports submitted for previous and future assignments? What internal controls are in place to address and resolve complaints.
• How you ensure the quality of your firm’s/consortium’s performance over the life of assignments.

• Projects references

Present relevant projects to demonstrate the firm’s technical qualifications and geographical experience (maximum 10 projects).

N	Project	Period	Client	Country	Firm
1
2
3
4
….
……

• Summary for the Projects listed above

Project Title
Country / Region
Start Date
Completion Date
Continuous / Intermittent
Client
Funding Source
Description	(indicate your role and input in man-months)

• Eligibility

We, the undersigned, certify to the best of our knowledge and belief:

• We have read the advertisement, including the terms of reference (TOR), for this assignment (YES/NO)

• Neither the consulting firm nor its JV member or sub-consultant or any of its experts prepared the TOR for this activity (YES/NO)

• We confirm that the project references submitted as part of this EOI accurately reflect the experience of the specified firm/consortium. (YES/NO)

• Ensuing assignment resulting from our work product under this assignment, our firm, JV member or sub-consultant, and the expert(s) will be disqualified from short-listing and participation in the assignment.

• The lead entity and JV member or sub-consultant are NOT currently sanctioned by or other MDBs. Neither the consulting firm nor the JV member or sub-consultant has ever been convicted of an integrity-related offense or crime related to theft, corruption, fraud, collusion or coercion.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Organization/Department: Agency for Innovative Development

Name: Dilshodbek Azgarov

Address: City: Tashkent, postal code: 100174, Street University w/n Floor / room number: 4th floor, room 414

City:

Province/State:

Postal Code:

Country: Uzbekistan

Phone: +998971706784

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.wbgrants.uz