Provision of an End-to-End Digital Platform and Associated Services for Investment Deal Lifecycle Management — ASCENT Program

COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

MARCHE COMMUN

السوق المشتركة للشرق والجنوب الأفريقى

REQUEST FOR “EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – EOIs”

(CONSULTING SERVICES -FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT – FIRMS SELECTION)

COUNTRY: COMESA REGIONAL COUNTRIES AND 5 NON COMESA AFRICAN COUNTRIES

NAME OF PROJECT: ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE AND CLEAN

ENERGY ACCESS TRANSFORMATION

(ASCENT) PROGRAM

PROJECT ID: P180547

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY LEVEL “END TO

END SUSTAINABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

ACCESS DIGITAL PLATFORMS”

REFERENCE NO: ZM-COMESA -481028-CS-QBS

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) received a grant from the World Bank for the implementation of the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) program and intends to apply part of the proceeds to finance several similar consulting services in some of the 21 COMESA Region Countries and in about 5 non-COMESA countries in Africa .

The consulting services (“the Services”) includes developing Country Level “Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Digital Platforms”. The assignment will include system development or customizing, hardware supply testing and commissioning, system user training and sector specific capacity building and system maintenance of the end-to-end digital platforms. The digital platform systems will enable participating ASCENT National Project Implementation Units (PIUs) to manage the full lifecycle of energy access investment deals and programs, including where applicable planning (technical and financial feasibility studies for mini-grids), online applications (including e-tendering), contract management, and digital Monitoring Results Verification (dMRV). These actions will contribute to creating a scalable foundation to support the exponential growth of the energy sector in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The objectives of the proposed Country Level “End to End Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Digital Platforms” will contribute to creating a scalable foundation to support the exponential growth of the energy sector in Eastern and Southern Africa. The platforms will guarantee structured data and information storage, processing and operational efficiency, and the provision of top-notch, easily accessible insights crucial for both routine and strategic decision-making. Furthermore, the systems will be designed to deliver real benefits to COMESA member Country key users including participating enterprises, financial institutions, and the management teams of national PIUs, COMESA Secretariat as well as potentially a wide network of stakeholders.

In support of the above-mentioned objectives, this procurement or selection process aims to secure framework contracts with suitable digital platform providers. The providers will work with beneficiary COMESA member states and a limited number of non-COMESA ASCENT country Program Implementation Units (PIUs) to develop state-of-the-art digital platforms at the national level. The duration and scope of services to be delivered for each specific framework contract will vary depending on the needs of the countries as will be identified by the PIUs implementing the specific country program. The ASCENT Program will end in 2031. The calls for specific assignments are expected to be implemented in the first 2 to 3 years of the program, that is by 2028. After this REOI and development of the short list of the Firms that will comprise the Framework Agreement, COMESA expects to invite the Firms with whom Framework Agreements will be entered into to prepare and submit technical and financial proposals based on Secondary Procurement. Each time, a specific Request for Proposals will be issued for this purpose. Following submission of EOIs in response to this request, COMESA expects to issue RFP for the first assignment within a year.

The TORs can be obtained from the individual listed below on request using the email provided:

Attn: Mr. Silver Mwesigwa

Head of Procurement

Email: [email protected]

SHORTLISTING CRITERIA

COMESA Secretariat 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.

The shortlisting criteria are:

• The firm’s core business (Submit company profile)

• Experience of the firm (Not less than 5 years)

• Evidence of having undertaken similar assignments (at least 3 similar projects), preferably in the COMESA region, Africa or in a developing country in the last five (5 No.) years. (Name, scope and cost of previous comparable similar assignments and client contact details -email, physical address and details of the contact person).

• Demonstration of the firm’s relevant technical and managerial capacity (Firms Principals / Directors). (Key experts will not be evaluated at the short-listing stage)

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” Fifth Edition of September 2023.

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 contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Framework Agreement arrangements described in the Procurement Regulations and to be specifically set out in the Request for Proposals.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 09:00am to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 16:00 hours Monday to Thursday, on Fridays from 0900am to 12:30pm hours local Zambian time except for Public Holidays for Zambia. Address:

Head of Procurement,

COMESA Secretariat,

Ben Bella Road, Lusaka, Zambia.

Email address: [email protected] copy [email protected]

CLOSING DATE

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) must be submitted to the following email address;

[email protected] copy to [email protected]

Hard copies may be submitted to the above indicated address and deposited in a clearly marked Tender Box 1 in the Administration Division on the Ground Floor. All submissions of EOIs must be made by 10th June 2025 at 15:00pm hours Zambian time

Attn: Mr. Silver Mwesigwa

Head of Procurement

COMESA Secretariat

Ben Bella Road

P.O Box 30051

LUSAKA 10101

Zambia

Telephone: +260 211 2297226/29;

Web: http://www.comesa.int