Regional Roads Development Project: Pre-Investment Study to Upgrade the Tashkent to Andijan Road to Expressway Standards Using an Appropriate PPP Model

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST  

THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

RAGIONAL ROADS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Credit No.: 5679-UZB

Assignment title:  Consultant Services for Pre-Investment Study to Upgrade the Tashkent to Andijan Road to Expressway Standards Using an Appropriate PPP Model.

Reference No.: UZ-RRFCM-199290-CS-QCBS

The Republican Road Fund (RRF) under Committee for Roads of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan has received financing from the International Development Association (IDA) toward the cost of the proposed “Regional Roads Development Project”, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include upgrading the existing Tashkent to Andijan Road to expressway standards (the TAR Project) of ~350 km and 4-lanes, including a new tunnel through the Kamchik Pass and other ancillary infrastructure.  The TAR Project would form the eastern segment of a planned system of expressways linking Ferghana Valley with the central and western regions of Uzbekistan. The TAR Project is divided into three main sections based on topography, land use and administrative jurisdictions

• Section 1 – Tashkent-Angren (105 km): from Tashkent bypass to just east of Angren;
• Section 2 – Angren-Kokand (Kamchik Pass) (68 km): from just east of Angren through the  Kamchik Pass (south of Khanabad); and
• Section 3 – Kokand-Andijan (167 km): from the south of Khanabad to the Andijan bypass.

The TAR is expected to play a catalytic role in improving transit connectivity and trade logistics with Uzbekistan’s neighbors. The road forms part of the new 950 km international transit corridor Tashkent-Andijan-Osh-Irkeshtam, opened in 2018 by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. This corridor could become one of the most important trade routes between China and Central Asia, reducing freight transit time between Uzbekistan and China from 8-10 days to 2-days, and facilitating access to markets in South Asia, the Middle East and Europe, including Russia.

Objective of Assignment

Following the results of the Pre-FS, the Government of Uzbekistan (GoU), with the continued support of the WB, is seeking to engage a qualified Consultant to develop a Pre-Investment Study (Pre-IS)for the TAR Project.  The Terms of Reference (ToRs) elaborate the scope of work of the Consultant.  The Pre-IS will include a review of the technical, financial, economic, legal and regulatory, environmental and social, and procurement aspects of the TAR Project.  The Pre-IS will include recommendations on the necessary actions  to be taken by the GoU for the implementation of the TAR Project, including the elaboration of a tolling policy, definition of the alignment and right of way and related land acquisition requirements, market sounding, risk allocation between public and private sectors, public sector contributions and others.

The findings of the Pre-IS will allow the GoU to select the most optimal procurement schemes for the implementation of the TAR Project. The GoU may retain a separate Transaction Advisor to implement the selected procurement schemes, including bankable PPP structures which will ensure value for money for the GoU.

Proposed Tashkent to Andijan Road Upgrade to Expressway Standard - Key Elements 

The implementation period of assignment is 14 months.

To obtain the Terms of Reference of the assignment please follow the link below of send your request to the following e-mail address: rrdproject14@gmail.com

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mBWA4ioK-ZgvY69-CqIJYv9Izv9bksaa?usp=sharing

The Project Implementation Unit (PIU) under the Republican Road Fund as the Implementing Agency now invites eligible consulting firms ("Consultants") to express 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. Expression of interest should cover, but not limited to: corporate profile, years in business, experience relevant to the project activities, key staff resources, and core business.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraphs 1.9 and 1.11 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers, dated January 2011 and revised 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest and eligibility.

Consultants may submit their REOI as an individual firm or in association in the form of a joint venture or sub-consultancy.  All the members of the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire assignment.  However, the experience of sub-consultant will not be considered while short-listing.

The selection of consultant will be conducted using the procurement method set out in the Guidelines - Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers, dated January 2011 revised 2014, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest and eligibility.

The shortlisting criteria are:

• Significant experience of Consultant in PPP project development, including conducting feasibility studies of road / expressway projects, with tunnelling structures, with total   construction costs of US$ 200 million and above;
• Transaction advisory experience of at least one successfully completed assignment, i.e., PPP project achieved commercial close, by the Consultant in road / highway projects with total construction costs of at least US$ 100 million;
• Relevant international experience in developing PPP bid documents or draft PPP agreements of at least two completed assignments by the Consultant.
• Regional experience in undertaking feasibility studies and PPP transaction advisory in road / highway projects or in any other infrastructure PPP projects is preferred.

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

• Consulting Firm Information

• Associations (Joint Venture or Sub-consultancy)

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

• 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).

• Summary for the Projects listed above

• 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);
• Ensuring 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.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours: from 9:00 to 18:00 hours Tashkent time.

The expressions of interests (in written in person, or by post mail or by e-mail) must be submitted before 15:00 on December 3, 2020 (Tashkent time) at the address below.

PIU of Regional Road Development Project under the Republican Roads Fund under the Committee for Roads of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan   

Attention of: Mr. Ulugbek Ganiyev, PIU Director;

604, 6th floor, 68A Mustakillik Avenue, 

Tashkent city,100000, Republic of Uzbekistan,

Tel: (99871) 286-11-74, (99871) 286-11-84;

E-mail: rrdproject14@gmail.com