Laboratory equipment maintenance and method validation — Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Tanzania

Table of contents

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 3

INVITATION NOTICE 4

QUALIFICATION AND EVALUATION CRITERIA 6

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY/SERVICES 10

SCOPE OF ACTIVITY / SERVICES 11

EoI Expression of Interest

G.N. Government Notice

GPN General Procurement Notice

ICS International Competitive Selection

NCS National Competitive Selection

NeST National e-Procurement System of Tanzania

PPA Public Procurement Act, Cap. 410

TR99/TASFAM/P179969/2025/2026/C/17; TZ-MLF-528912-CS-QCBS FOR

Lab equipment maintenance, method validation, proficiency testing and accreditation Dar Fish Quality Laboratory to ISO standards

26/05/2026

1.This invitation for expression of interest (pre-qualification) follows the General Procurement Notice (GPN) dated 23/02/2026.

2.The MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES - TASFAM has received a Credit from the World Bank toward the cost of Consultancy Services for Method Validation, Proficiency Testing, and Accreditation of Fisheries and Aquaculture Laboratories to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and it intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The consulting services (“the Services”) include Lab equipment maintenance, method validation, proficiency testing and accreditation Dar Fish Quality Laboratory to ISO standards.

3.The MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES - TASFAM 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 for a period of 150.

4.Interested all eligible tenderers must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services by submitting a consultant’s profile, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc. The specific shortlisting criteria are indicated in the section of qualification and evaluation criteria.

5.Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications.

6.The Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

7.The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by World Bank Borrowers of Fourth Edition, November 2020 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

8.Interested eligible consultants may obtain further information through the National e-Procurement system (NeST)

9.Expressions of Interest (EoI) must be delivered through NeST before the deadline indicated on NeST.

Permanent Secretary

P.o.Box 2847, Dodoma

•Litigation History (SCORE: Comply/Not Comply to specified minimum requirements)

Litigation History Start Year 2023-01-01

Litigation History End Year 2025-12-31

•Notarized Special Power of Attorney (SCORE: Comply/Not Comply to specified minimum requirements)

Bidder must fill in Standard Power of Attorney as per the required format and upload it into the system.

9001, with at least 10 years of relevant experience. • Laboratory Method Validation: Demonstrated expertise in validating at least 10 analytical methods for water quality, microbiology, chemicals, food products, or environmental testing, with a focus on fisheries or aquaculture and the development of SOPs, quality manuals, and audit tools aligned with ISO/IEC 17025:2017

Specific Experience Start Year 2023-01-01

Specific Experience End Year 2025-12-31

Number of Specific Experience Contracts 3

Value of each specific experience contract in the specified tender currency

150000000

•General Experience (SCORE: Comply/Not Comply to specified minimum requirements)

General experience start date 2023-01-01

General experience end date 2025-12-31

Number of contract 3

Contract value in the specified currency 150000000

ISO/IEC 17043. • Proven experience working with National or regional accreditation bodies (e.g., SADCAS, SANAS, TBS) and International standards and guidelines (e.g., Codex, OIE, WHO, FAO) • Strong facilitation, documentation, and stakeholder coordination skills o Excellent writing and oral communication skills in Kiswahili and English.

Number of Required Key Personnel 4

Fisheries laboratories play a critical role in ensuring the safety, quality, and compliance of fish and aquatic products for both domestic consumption and international trade. These labs conduct testing for contaminants, microbiological hazards, chemical residues, and other parameters to meet sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical trade barriers (TBT)requirements. However, most fisheries and aquaculture laboratories in Tanzania lack accreditation to international standards like ISO/IEC 17025, limiting their credibility and capacity to support regulatory enforcement, trade, and public health, which specifies general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. This gap hinders trade facilitation, increases costs, and limits market access.

This TOR outlines consultancy services to assist Fisheries Quality and Control, NMRC, and TAFIRI Laboratories in achieving ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, focusing on method validation, proficiency testing, and overall quality management system implementation to meet global quality and safetyrequirements, enhancing the credibility of test results for fish health, waterquality, and fishery product safety, and facilitating international trade.

1.0 Scope of the Consultancy

The consultant shall provide comprehensive technical support to selected fisheries and aquaculture laboratories in Tanzania to achieve ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The scope of work includes five interlinked components:

1.1.Baseline Assessment and Gap Analysis

·Conduct diagnostic assessments of laboratory infrastructure, equipment, staffing, and existing quality systems.

·Review current analytical methods, SOPs, documentation practices, and internal controls.

·Identify gaps in compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 requirements

·Produce a detailed gap analysis report with prioritized recommendations.

1.2.Method Validation

·Assessment of Current Methods: Review existing analytical methods used in fisheries laboratories for testing fish and fishery products (e.g.microbiological, chemical, and physical parameters), water quality, and fish health assessments.

·Method Development and Validation:

oIdentify priority analytical methods based on national fisheries and aquaculture needs, such as total plate count, coliforms, heavy metals, pesticide residues, and fish disease diagnostics, ensuring compliance with ISO/IEC 17025.

oValidate methods for accuracy, precision, specificity, sensitivity, and measurement uncertainty, following international guidelines (e.g., WHO Good Practices for Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratories).

oDevelop validation protocols covering accuracy, precision, specificity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ)

oConduct method validation trials in collaboration with laboratory staff

·Documentation: Prepare detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs), validation protocols, and reports for all validated methods.

·Training: Train laboratory staff on validated methods, including calibration, maintenance of equipment, and record-keeping.

1.3.Design and Implementation of Proficiency Testing (PT)

·Design PT Schemes: Develop proficiency testing programs tailored to fisheries

laboratories, focusing on parameters relevant to fish and fishery products, water quality, and fish health (e.g., viral and bacterial pathogens, chemical contaminants).

·Sample Preparation and Distribution: Coordinate the preparation and distribution of standardized samples to participating laboratories, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with ISO/IEC 17043 standards.

·Performance Evaluation: Analyze PT results, provide feedback reports to laboratories, and recommend corrective actions to improve performance.

·Inter-Laboratory Comparisons: Facilitate inter-laboratory comparisons within Tanzania and, where feasible, with regional or international laboratories to benchmark performance.

1.4.Quality Management System (QMS) Development

·Develop or revise laboratory quality manuals, SOPs, work instructions, and record-keeping templates.

·Establish systems for document control, equipment calibration, maintenance, traceability, and corrective/preventive actions to international standards.

·Train laboratory personnel on QMS implementation, internal audits, and continual improvement

·Support labs in conducting mock audits and management reviews

1.5 ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation

·Accreditation Support:

oAssisting selecting an accredited body (e.g., SA