Market assessment study on Productive Uses of Energy (affordability & quality assurance)

Request for Expression of Interest Consultancy Services for Geospatial Solar PV -powered Income-Generation Driven Integrated Productive Use of Energy Market Assessment targeting agricultural, fisheries, mining/extractive, forestry, commercial & industrial value chains in Liberia

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRM SELECTION)

Liberia Renewable Energy Access Project

Contract Reference No: LR-RREA-480463-CS-CQS

Issue Date: November 3, 2025

Deadline: November 17, 2025

1.0 Background

The Government of Liberia’s integrated least-cost geospatial National Electrification Strategy (NES) aims to achieve universal electricity access by 2030 through a mix of grid expansion, mini-grids, and stand-alone systems—targeting 402,835 grid connections, 93,986 mini-grid connections, and 149,383 stand-alone systems across all counties. However, despite this progress, access to reliable and affordable electricity for productive sectors such as agriculture, mining, forestry, commerce, and industry remains severely limited due to insufficient generation and grid capacity—only 126 MW installed (44 MW available in the dry season) against an estimated 400 MW residential demand, excluding productive-use needs. Consequently, national electricity access stands at 33%, with just 14% served by off-grid solutions. Within this context, Liberia ranks 178th of 191 on the Human Development Index, with 45% of the population in multidimensional poverty and a GDP of $4.7 billion. Through its ARREST Agenda (2024–2029), the government targets a GDP of $6.5 billion and 38% growth, driven by agriculture and fisheries (29.8%), mining (20.4%), and manufacturing (5.9%), recognizing access to sustainable, affordable, and reliable electricity as a key enabler of inclusive economic transformation and poverty reduction.

2.0 Objective of the Assignment

The objective of the assignment is to gather/analyse data relevant to demand-side, supply-side, enabling environment including de-risking financing mechanisms either for site-specific (large scale concessional and industrial with energy demand ≥100kWp) and clustered/aggregate for small scale at district-level and deliver an integrated electrification solar PV powered geo-spatial income-generating productive use of energy risk-based viability and market potential for economic value chains including agriculture, fisheries, mining/extractive, forestry, commercial & industrial and project preparation to inform design of public-private models including catalytic grants to attract relevant investments and financing.

3.0 Scope of the Assignment:

· Bundled Energy Demand Profiling: Aggregate energy needs (load profiles, capacity, hours of use, power quality) tied to productive-use value chains to guide technology selection and infrastructure sizing.

· Affordability and Willingness-to-Pay Analysis: Collect data on ability and willingness to pay for clustered and individual end-users, considering gender, seasonal income variation, and current energy costs.

· Gender and Social Inclusion: Mainstream gender, health, and vulnerability considerations in demand-side data collection and design of productive-use interventions, especially in agriculture and fisheries.

· Demand-Side Barriers: Address constraints such as limited financing, low market access, weak capacity for entrepreneurship, poor-quality products, and lack of awareness of solar PUE benefits.

· Supply-Side Optimization and Viability Modelling: Conduct least-cost techno-economic analyses for various solar PV configurations (SHS, mini-grid, self-supply, grid-connected) including CAPEX/OPEX, IRR, NPV, and payback.

· Market and Financing Ecosystem Strengthening: Map suppliers, distributors, and financiers; promote viable business models (PAYGO, lease-to-own, energy-as-a-service); and improve access to affordable and de-risked financing.

· Policy, Regulatory, and De-Risking Measures: Identify and implement enabling frameworks—quality standards, fiscal incentives, subsidies, and innovative financing—to integrate viable demand- and supply-side solutions into national electrification strategies through geospatial and least-cost planning.

4.0 Qualification, Experience and Competencies for Consulting firm Requirements

The selected Consultant will have up to 5years of local or regional and relevant demonstrated track record of market development, energy access investment planning and design & implementation of energy access and agriculture-fisheries-commercial-industrial nexus from demand-side, supply- side, enabling environment and de-risking mechanisms for technical and financial viability of income-generating energy efficient solar PV-powered productive use of energy value chains and activities to attract investments and financing. The Consult firm shall possess demonstrated expertise and a minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in each of the following thematic areas:

• Solar PV and Energy Efficiency Engineering – Demonstrated experience in the planning, design, implementation, and performance optimization of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and energy efficiency measures, with proven application in rural or off-grid contexts.

• Agro-Industrial Economy – Practical experience in integrating energy solutions within agro-industrial value chains, including the promotion of productive uses of energy for Agro-processing and rural economic development initiatives.

• Energy Financial Modelling – Proven experience in developing and applying financial models for renewable energy projects, including mini-grids, to assess project bankability, tariff structures, investment planning, and financial viability.

• Energy Infrastructure GIS – Demonstrated expertise in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for energy infrastructure planning, spatial analysis, and evidence-based decision-making in the energy sector.

• Energy Policy, Legal, and Regulatory Frameworks – In-depth understanding and practical experience in analyzing, interpreting, and applying energy sector policies, legal frameworks, and regulatory instruments, including institutional and governance arrangements.

The RREA now invites eligible Firms to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (profile, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills, etc.) Submissions must be in a single file and should not exceed 10 megabytes (MB) in total size.

The attention of interested individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” dated July 2016, revised November 2017, and August 2018, November 2020, September 2023 and revised in February 2025 setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. Please refer to paragraph 3.17 of the Procurement Regulations on conflict of interest related to this assignment which is available on the Bank’s website at http://projectsbeta.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/products-and-services/brief/.

A Consulting Firm will be selected in accordance with Consultant Qualification Selection (CQS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information and the detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained electronically at the following email addresses and Website, from Mondays to Fridays, from 0900 to 1600 hours GMT:

Email: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected] Website: www.rrealiberia.org

Expression of Interest clearly marked Consultancy Services for Geospatial Solar PV -powered Income-Generation Driven Integrated Productive Use of Energy must be delivered in an electronic/mail copy to the address below, on or before 4:00 p.m. Local Time, on November 17, 2025.

Attn: Samuel Bocay Nagbe Jr.

Executive Director

Rural and Renewable Energy Agency

LEC Sub-station, Newport Street

1000 Monrovia 10, Liberia

Email: samuelnrrealiberia.org

Electronic submission should also be copied to the following addresses:

[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected],[email protected],[email protected], [email protected]

Only the highest ranked firm will be issued the Request for Proposals.