Project Description:
The Kyrgyz Government approached the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the EBRD or the Bank) with a request to finance the Naryn Water Sub- project’s extension (the Extension, Project Extension) to be implemented in parallel with the original project to cover complementary priority investments, in particular, the wastewater improvements in the City of Naryn (the City).
Assignment Description:
The Bank now intends to engage a consulting company (the Consultant) to assess the possibility of financing the feasibility study (the FS) of the Project Extension that will include financial, technical, environmental and social due diligence, and an economic rate of return analysis of the proposed investment and an assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation recommendations as well as an assessment of inclusion impact through economic inclusion data gathering and analysis. The FS will support the development of a cost effective and bankable project investment plan (the PIP) with strong social and environmental benefits and promoting climate resilience as well as addressing economic inclusion (the Assignment).
The overall objective of the Assignment is to prepare a FS of the Project Extension, which the Bank can use to appraise the new investment and take a decision on the prospective financing.
The selected Consultant is expected to provide the following services:
• Assessment of the technical and financial feasibility of the proposed investment including whether it is the most effective least cost investment programme. This includes justification and refining of the proposed investment based on the long-term investment programme identified during the original project preparation, preparation of a detailed budget for the Extension, identification the best location for the Wastewater Treatment Plant (the WWTP) in the context of costs saving, reduction of water losses, wastewater management improvements and other rationale.
• Financial analysis of the Company, including analysis of financials for 2013-2015 and preparation of financial projections. The projections shall be fully consistent with the proposed PIP and strategic development plan and be based on prudent assumptions on the Company’s revenues and expenditures. The Consultant will prepare the financial forecasts and the financial model for the Extension (using Microsoft Excel) that will cover a period of 15 years (from 2017 to 2031).
• Financial analysis of the City budgets for 2013-2015.
• Determination of an efficient implementation strategy for the PIPs.
• Calculation of the Bank's standard measuring indicators and EBRD Sustainable Resources Initiative (SRI) impact indicators (Annex 3).
• Carry out an Environmental and Social Assessment (E and S Due Diligence – ESDD) of the proposed Extension to identify their environmental and social risks, impacts and benefits and to structure the Extension to comply with the Bank’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP) and Performance Requirements (PRs).
• Economic Inclusion Assessment: an assessment of improved wastewater connections in underserved areas and the link to improved economic opportunities of the local population. This should include a specific assessment of the gender impact that the improved provision of wastewater connections will have on the economic opportunities for women (compared to men).
• To the extent possible, the FS should:
- take into account the potential impacts of climate change on the Extension in order to build in resilience to climate change related risks;
- assess the resource efficiency opportunities (including energy and water efficiency and waste minimisation potential and the impact on GHG emissions) from the Extension.
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 Q1 2017 and has an estimated overall duration of four months.
Cost Estimate for the Assignment: EUR 75,000 (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 expected that the Assignment will be funded by the 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 with previous project experience related to:
• developing feasibility studies/due diligences for International Financing Institutions (IFIs) (or similar), and a good knowledge of IFI procedures and rules on public procurement and disbursement policies;
• the water/wastewater sector, specifically institutional and legal framework aspects, environmental and social requirements; gender and water, local financial management standards, professional standards of technical knowledge internationally as well as in the region.
The Consultant’s expert team is expected to include key experts as follows:
• Key Expert 1: Water and Wastewater Engineer (Project Manager/Team Leader) with a university degree or equivalent qualification with preferably 15 years or more of professional experience in the field of water supply and wastewater management, with comprehensive experience of similar assignments in the region, as well as in institutional and commercial management of water/wastewater companies. He/she should demonstrate management and administration experience, including experience with procedures of international financing agencies (including preferably EBRD procedures).
• Key Expert 2: Financial specialists with knowledge of the public financing and modelling.
• Key Expert 3: Technical specialists and water and wastewater engineers.
• Key Expert 4: Environmental and Social experts with experience in ESIAs and E&S due diligence, health & safety, stakeholder engagement, public consultation and disclosure in the local context, and/or resettlement expertise, in the water/wastewater sector with experience of similar assignments and with recent track record in the region.
• Key Expert 5: Gender and inclusion expert preferably with expertise in water/wastewater sector with experience of similar assignments and a recent track record in the region.
• Key Expert 6: Climate change expert with experience in building a country’s resilience and adaptation to the effects of changing climate.
• Key Expert 7: Local experts with good communication skills and evidenced technical knowledge of water supply and wastewater.
The Consultant should cooperate with local professionals and local consulting companies in order to promote the development of local expertise. The Consultant shall engage Russian or Kyrgyz speaking staff on their team or arrange for translation/interpreting when necessary. All experts must be independent and free from conflicts of interest in the responsibilities accorded to them.
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:
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 who could carry out the Assignment 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.
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 25 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 e-Selection, 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:
Sophie Medert
Technical Co-operation
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 7371
e-mail: mederts@ebrd.com (submissions should be sent through eSelection and NOT to this email address)
Notes:
1. The selection will normally be made from responses to this notification only. Consultants will not be asked to submit a proposal. The highest-ranked Consultant will be selected from a shortlist and be invited to negotiate the contract, subject to availability of funding.
2. The shortlist criteria are:
• Firm's previous project experience in developing feasibility studies/due diligences for International Financing Institutions (IFIs) (or similar), and a good knowledge of IFI procedures and rules on public procurement and disbursement policies – 20%;
• Firm's previous project experience in the water/wastewater sector, specifically institutional and legal framework aspects, environmental and social requirements; gender and water, local financial management standards, professional standards of technical knowledge internationally as well as in the region – 30%.
• Qualifications and competence of the consultant's team of key experts – 50%
(Key expert 1 – 15%; Key experts 2 to 8 – 5 % each)
3. The Consultants (including sub consultants and experts) implementing the TC assignments accompanying the original loan (Naryn Water Project - PIU support including engineering, design and contracts supervision and Naryn Water Project - Corporate Development and Stakeholder Participation Programme) are not eligible to participate in this selection process.
4. The Feasibility Study prepared for the original loan will be shared with interested consultants. Consultants who are interested in submitting an Expression of Interest and would like to receive the Feasibility Study should contact the Bank’s Operation Leader, Mr Nurlan Jumaliev (email: JumalieN@ebrd.com).
