Consultancy to support Government of Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe in the design and implementation of the process to competitively award an operations concession for the electricity distribution and retail (D&R) segment in the country.

• REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES)

Country:São Tomé and Principe

Project: ACCESS TO CLEAN RESILIENT ELECTRICITY PROJECT (ACRE)

Loan No./Credit No./ Grant No.: E259-ST

Assignment Title: Consulting Services for supporting the Government of Sao Tome e Principe on private sector participation in operations and maintenance in the electricity sector.

REFERENCE NO: 16/C/ACRE/2024

The Government of the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe (GoSTP) has received a grant financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Access to Clean Resilient Electricity Project (ACRE) whose objective is to increase access to sustainable and clean energy in Sao Tome e Principe. This is aligned with the ASCENT MPA Program Development Objective (PrDO) of accelerating access to sustainable and clean energy and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) is to recruit a Consulting Services for supporting the Government of Sao Tome e Principe on private sector participation in operations and maintenance in the electricity sector.

The principal objective of the assignment is to support the GoSTP to introduce private sector participation in operations and maintenance in the electricity sector. Three options are to be considered: (a) outsourcing specific activities in commercial operations; (b) operations concession for the electricity retail segment (commercial); and (c) operations concession for the electricity distribution and retail segment (affermage). `

The assignment is divided into two phases. Phase 1 – of the assignment is to provide a full scale analysis of the most suitable institutional arrangement and legal framework (including regulatory aspects and contractual arrangements) for achieving and maintaining the Government’s targets in the power sector, where institutional arrangements include the use of PPPs, including legal framework, financing models (including but not limited to tariffs, capital investment, revenues, cost estimates, payment mechanisms, operation and maintenance expenditure, risk allocation and Value for Money for the Government), environmental and social impact. This phase will also include a market sounding with potential participants and stakeholders for each possible alternative.

The objective shall be congruent with the global objective of the GoSTP:

• to reduce commercial losses.

• to reduce the cost of power generation.

• to expand the power sector and its accessibility; and

• to improve the quality of the power supply

This phase of the assignment should provide sufficient information for the Government of São Tomé e Príncipe to decide whether to change and if so, how to change the institutional and legal arrangements in the sector. As a note, assets ownership shall remain always with the GoSTP’s.

The main objective of Phase 2 of transaction support services is to facilitate the bidding/tendering process and assist the Government Authorities until financial close of the project.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained by sending a request to the address email: [email protected] , [email protected];

The Project Administration and Fiduciary Agency (AFAP) invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the services, sending a Letter of intent, 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 according to the TOR.

The shortlisting criteria are:

Relevant Experience in the Energy Sector: Firms should demonstrate strong experience in working with operations and maintenance (O&M) in the electricity sector, particularly with projects involving public-private partnerships (PPPs). Previous involvement in outsourcing, concessions, or affermage models in similar contexts will be highly valued.

Expertise in Private Sector Participation and PPP Models: Firms will need to have a proven track record in structuring and advising on private sector participation (PSP) in utility sectors, especially in electricity distribution and retail. Knowledge of various models such as outsourcing, concessions (commercial and distribution), and affermage is essential.

Experience in Developing Countries or Small Island States: Priority will be given to firms with experience working in developing countries or small island states, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the unique challenges of such markets, such as limited infrastructure and financial constraints, is crucial for success in São Tomé e Príncipe.

Demonstration of successfully managed and implemented projects: Firms must demonstrate that they have successfully managed and executed a minimum of three (3) advisory projects in the energy sector as well as demonstrate that they have managed and executed two (2) similar transactions of comparable complexity, over the past ten (10) years.

Note: AFAP reserves it’s right to verify submitted references and use obtained information for evaluation purposes.

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, September 2023 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

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 entire contract, if selected.

The consultants are strongly advised to limit their Expression of Interest to 30 pages. Company brochures may be included as an Annex and will not be affected by the limit of 30 pages.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in World Bank’s Guidelines: World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers”, dated September 2023 “Consultant’s Quality and Cost-based Selection (QCBS) method”.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours, i.e., from 08:00 16:00 hours.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below in person, or through by e-mail: [email protected] , [email protected]; until November 8, 2024 at 12 pm (local time) and mention “Expression of Interest – Consulting Services for supporting the Government of Sao Tome e Principe on private sector participation in operations and maintenance in the electricity sector

Agência Fiduciária de Administração de Projectos 10 de Outubro, 2024.

General Director

Hélio Silva Almeida