Innovation Voucher Scheme Manager

Country:Serbia

Business sector:Sustainable Resources and Climate Change

Project number:68971

Funding source:AUDR00 - Austria DRIVE Acc

Contract type:Consultancy Services

Notice type:Invitation for expressions of interest (CSU)

Issue date:09 May 2017

Closing date:31 May 2017   at  15:00   London

Project Description:
The main goal of the Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Team of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD or the Bank) is to mainstream the Green Economy Transition (GET) approach by promoting sustainable energy and resource investments (investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials efficiency and waste minimisation) throughout the Bank's operations. The EBRD has invested more than €22.5 billion in over 1,300 sustainable projects since the Sustainable Energy Initiative SEI commenced in 2006.

Innovation vouchers aims to support a country's long term economic competitiveness, resource efficiency and climate resilience through improving knowledge services, as well as the power and industry sectors. Innovation vouchers could provide support for companies to access innovation services such as R and D, testing and certification in the area of resource efficiency technology development and deployment. The first such scheme was set up in 1990, and by 2010, the number of schemes had increased to at least 25, implemented at national and regional levels all across Europe. Innovation vouchers help overcome the presence of information and co-ordination failures that inhibit businesses from investing in innovation.

Following the successful completion of a feasibility study, the EBRD is now setting up an Innovation Vouchers scheme to support Serbian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access state-of-the-art resource efficiency technologies. This will help the Serbian industry become more competitive through lowering its cost base and helping it meet international standards. Serbian industry currently faces multiple barriers to the adoption of best practice technologies and services on resource efficiency (the 'Project').

It is expected that innovation vouchers will help overcome the information and co-ordination failures that inhibit businesses from investing in innovation. SMEs also tend to have many innovative ideas but often lack the necessary capital, technical expertise and/or business expertise to transform their innovation project into a market success. Innovation vouchers are a support mechanism that is not administratively burdensome.

Assignment Description:
The EBRD now intends to engage an individual expert (the 'Consultant') who will be responsible for all aspects of launching and implementing the Innovation Vouchers ('IV') scheme for resource efficiency technologies (e.g. energy, water and material efficiency) in Serbia (the 'Assignment'). The tasks of the Consultant will include, inter alia, the following:

• Work at the development of templates and the setting up of administrative procedures needed for the deployment of the Innovation Vouchers scheme;
• Carry out market research and organize marketing events, to promote the visibility of the IV scheme;
• Support the deployment of a dedicated IV scheme website;
• Manage the IV scheme through the stages of conception, implementation, completion and impact evaluation;
• Collect and evaluate IV applications, liaise with clients and with R and D service providers;
• Prepare donors reporting and document and impact evaluation and documentation of results;
• Interface with EBRD staff in the country and in the HQ in London as well as other staff with a view to generate cross-referrals; and
• Support the Bank's Operation Leader in any activities within the scope of the Assignment.

The Consultant will liaise throughout the Assignment with the EBRD's Energy Efficiency and Climate Change (EECC) and Advisory for Small Businesses (ASB) teams, and will be based at the Bank's Regional Office in Belgrade. It is envisaged that this consultancy role will be full-time.

Interested applicants are invited to read the Terms of Reference for additional information on the scope of services required: http://www.ebrd.com/documents/procurement/68971-tor.pdf

Status of Selection Process:
Interested individual experts or firms interested to nominate an expert are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.

Assignment Start Date and Duration:
The Assignment is expected to start in June 2017 and last for 12 months with a possible extension, subject to business needs, satisfactory performance of the Consultant, and the availability of further funding.

Value Added Tax (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 International Financial Institution and state this to the Bank in their response to Notification of Assignment. To the extent that a consultant incurs input VAT on goods and services purchased in connection with the provision of services (eg 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 contract will be financed through the Austrian Fund for Delivering Resource Efficiency Investments in the Western Balkans and Turkey (DRIVE) Programme Account. Please note selection and contracting will be subject to the availability of funding.

Eligibility:
There are no eligibility restrictions.

Consultant Profile:
Individual services are required. The Consultant shall be an expert (individual expert or an expert nominated by a firm) preferably with preferably the following qualifications, experience and personal qualities:

Education/Professional Qualifications
Bachelor's degree (Engineering, Business, Economics, Finance etc.) and/or equivalent technical experience.

Experience
• Relevant professional experience, preferably from a similar support programme, or from a commercial management consultancy, corporates or bank, donor organisation, or international financial institutions or international support programme.
• Knowledge of energy, water and materials efficient technologies, markets, and current local affairs
• Knowledge of local business environment and R&D market.
• Knowledge of business advisory services.
• Knowledge of relevant national stakeholders such as regional development agencies, R&D institutions, chambers of commerce & industry and other SME support organisations desirable.
• Experience in working with R&D service providers would be desirable
• Relevant experience in designing and organizing visibility and promotion activities would be an additional asset

Skills
• Strong technical skills in the field of resource efficiency
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, understanding of enterprise financials and business diagnostics desirable.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Effective communication, presentation and negotiation skills and ability to manage relations with clients and consultants.
• Strong writing skills; experience in writing project proposals, terms of references or reports desirable.
• Fluency in English and Serbian, both written and verbal, is essential.
• Computer literate: excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office including Excel and Power Point, ability to learn new systems quickly.

General
• Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the EBRD mandate, passionate about private sector development.
• Ability to work in team and multi-cultural environment.
• Multi-tasking, self-initiative.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively within the country.

Submission Requirements:
In order to determine the capability and experience of experts seeking to be selected for this Assignment, the information submitted should include the following:

1. Cover letter (maximum 2 pages) summarising how the expert believes he/she satisfies the requirements as defined above under Consultant Profile;

2. CV (not exceeding 4 pages) which should include full descriptions of responsibilities carried out, not just a job title, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided (if different from duration) , main activities, objectives;

3. 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.

Expressions of Interest should be submitted in English electronically through e-Selection, to reach the Bank not later than the closing date. The complete expression of interest (including cover letter, CV, declaration and contact sheet etc.) shall be one file (pdf) to be uploaded to eSelection. The EBRD reserves the right to reject applications of experts submitting more than one file. Only if the permissible file size (4 MB) is exceeded, the Consultant may split the expression of interest into further files.

Bank Contact Person:
Paula Alegria
Deputy Head TC Operations
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square, London, EC2A 2JN
Tel: +44 (0)20 7338 7589
e-mail: AlegriaP@ebrd.com (submissions should be sent through eSelection and NOT to this email address)

Notes:
1. Consulting firms (proposing individuals) and individuals may apply. Consulting Firms nominating an individual expert shall submit (separate) individual applications for each expert via eSelection. Single applications for a number of experts containing various CVs may result in rejection of such application and all concerned experts.

2. Written Questions and Clarifications:
Applicants may submit the questions concerning this procurement notice in writing only via email to the Bank's contact person listed above. The deadline for receipt of requests for clarifications is 23 May 2017 at 14:00 hrs (GMT). No questions will be accepted after this date.

3. The shortlist criteria and weightings are:

(a) Education/Professional Qualifications 15%
(b) Professional Experience 25%
(c) Skills 25%
(d) General 10%
(e) Interview 25%

Criteria (a)-(d) are defined in Consultant Profile section above.

Interviews
Following the evaluation of expressions of interest received, up to the 6 highest-ranked consultants will be invited to attend an interview.

The Bank will consult with the consultant regarding the format (e.g. Skype call, meeting, conference call, etc.) and date of the interview at the time of the invitation. Please note that all and any costs incurred by the Consultant in connection with attendance to interviews will not reimbursed by the Bank.

4. The highest-ranked Consultant will be selected from a shortlist and be invited to negotiate the contract, subject to availability of funding.