Consultancy Services for the Gender in Energy Programme Technical Assistance

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The Kingdom of Eswatini

Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) Consultancy Services for THE GENDER IN ENERGY PROGRAMME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (YEAR 1 GAP IMPLEMENTATION – 2026) UNDER THE Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation in Eswatini

(ASCENT-ESWATINI)

Project ID No: P508960

Request for Expression of Interest (REOI)

Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC)

(Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini)

Consultancy Services for the Gender in Energy Programme Technical Assistance (Year 1 GAP Implementation – 2026)

Country: Kingdom of Eswatini

Name of Project: Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation in Eswatini (ASCENT Eswatini) Project

Sector: Energy Sector

Credit No: IDA-7700-SZ

Project ID No.: P508960

Assignment Title: Consultancy Services for the Gender in Energy Programme Technical Assistance (Year 1 GAP Implementation – 2026)

Reference No. SZ-ECC-553052-CS-QCBS

• The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini (GoKE), through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy (MNRE), is implementing the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation in Eswatini (ASCENT Eswatini) Programme. Recognising that energy access and participation in the energy sector are not gender-neutral, the programme is supported by a comprehensive Gender Action Plan (GAP). MNRE now seeks to engage a qualified consultant (firm or consortium) to provide integrated technical assistance to operationalize the Year 1 priorities of the GAP.

• The consulting services (“the Services”) will provide technical support to achieve ASCENT’s gender targets — including electricity access for 20,000 female-headed households and the recruitment of 30 women in STEM roles at the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) — through the following workstreams:• • Workstream 1: Gender and Energy Sector Diagnostic (Baseline)
• Workstream 2: Gender Indicators and Results Framework
• Workstream 3: Institutional Systems and Policy Support
• Workstream 4: Capacity Development and Workforce Participation (including a Structured Women in STEM Internship Programme and Women Leadership Academy)
• Workstream 5: Inclusive Access and Women’s Entrepreneurship
• Workstream 6: Public Engagement and Communication
• Workstream 7: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the primary procurement stage for the assignment can be obtained from MNRE upon request or downloaded from: www.mnre.gov.sz and eec.co.sz/electricity/projects/ascent

• Interested consultants must provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform all the services. The following documents shall also be submitted along with the EOI applications by all consulting firms, including each member of JV firms:• • Copies of certificates of incorporation/registration of the consulting firms.
• Corporate profile of the firm with quality assurance plan, information on organizational strength (organization structure, number of total staff), availability of licensed software and tools for the execution of the assignment, and any other necessary information deemed appropriate.

• The short-listing criteria are:
• Demonstrated experience in gender mainstreaming in the energy sector or related sectors in developing country contexts, including experience in designing and implementing gender action plans for government institutions or donor-funded programmes.
• Proven experience conducting gender and sector diagnostics, including sex-disaggregated data collection and analysis covering energy access, workforce participation, and institutional gender gaps.
• Experience in designing and operationalising Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) systems with gender-disaggregated indicators, results frameworks, and gender data dashboards.
• Demonstrated experience in institutional capacity development, HR policy reform, and gender-responsive organisational development within energy sector institutions.
• Experience designing and implementing women’s STEM workforce development initiatives, structured internship programmes, leadership academies, or mentorship frameworks.
• Experience in developing women’s entrepreneurship programme frameworks, including business support models and financing/incubation pathways in the energy sector.
• Experience in communication strategy design, behaviour change communication, and public awareness campaigns related to gender and energy.
• Experience working with utilities, government agencies, and/or PIUs in Sub-Saharan Africa; familiarity with World Bank-financed project environments is an advantage.

• Consultants may associate with other consultants to enhance their qualifications. Where firms are associating, the submission must include verifiable evidence of association from all parties. Experience and qualifications of parent or subsidiary firms will not be considered for evaluation.

• All submissions from consulting firms shall be in the English language.

• The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraphs 3.13 to 3.16 of the fifth edition of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers dated September 2023 setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

• The Consultant(s) shall be evaluated and shortlisted based on general qualifications, experience and capability. Shortlisted Consultants will subsequently have their RFPs evaluated in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based (QCBS) selection method as per the seventh edition of Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers dated September 2025.
• Interested eligible consultants may obtain further information by sending an email to the address below or visiting during office hours from 10.00 to 16.00 hrs. The Terms of Reference for the proposed consulting services can be downloaded from our website www.mnre.gov.sz (Tenders) and Eswatini Electricity Company www.eec.co.sz/electricty/projects/ascent/
• Expression of interest must be delivered in a written form (in person or by e-mail) to the address below no later than 11H00 ON 18 June 2026 Attn: The Procurement Manager

Eswatini Electricity Company

Eluvatsini House, Mhlambanyatsi Road

P.O. Box 258, Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini

Tel: +268 2409 9165

Email: [email protected]

Copied to: [email protected] and [email protected]

The procedures for making a Procurement-related Complaint are detailed in the “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (Annex III).” If an Applicant wishes to make a Procurement-related Complaint, the Applicant shall submit its complaint following these procedures, in writing (by the quickest means available, that is either by email), to:

For the attention: Mr Mphumuzi Maziya

Title/position: Managing Director

Employer: Eswatini Electricity Company

Email address: [email protected]

In summary, at this stage, a Procurement-related Complaint may challenge any of the following:

• the terms of the Prequalification Documents; and
• the Employer’s decision not to prequalify an Applicant.