Independent Assessor for the Somalia AMP Solar-Battery Mini-Grid Pilots, Somalia
01Project Overview
02Project Background
The Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) is a country-led technical assistance programme of USD 50 million, financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by UNDP in partnership with RMI (founded as Rocky Mountain Institute) and the African Development Bank, covering 21 African countries with Somalia among the participants. The programme aims to stimulate the solar-battery mini-grids market so as to expand access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on productive uses of energy and thereby improving energy-dependent sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education and small businesses. Implementation began in 2022 and continues until 2027.
The mid-term review report of the UNDP AMP child project in Somalia records that the project is supported by a GEF grant of USD 3,276,147 and UNDP TRAC resources of USD 750,000, and runs from November 2022 to November 2026. The executing partner is the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR) of Somalia, with participation by the National Energy Authority, electricity service providers (ESPs) and the renewable energy sector association. Somalia's electrification rate is approximately 35% and grid infrastructure is limited; existing mini-grids are predominantly diesel systems operated by private electricity service providers at comparatively high tariffs. The project seeks to expand access to clean energy by increasing the financial viability of and commercial investment in low-carbon mini-grids, focusing on the adoption of photovoltaic technology and the hybridisation of existing diesel mini-grids.
This request for proposal is issued under the above national project to select an Independent Assessor (IA) to carry out an independent assessment of the Somalia AMP solar-battery mini-grid pilots, providing the basis for an objective judgement of pilot performance and for subsequent scale-up.
03Scope of Work & Technical Specifications
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Service Object | Independent Assessor services for the Somalia AMP solar-battery mini-grid pilots |
| Role | The Independent Assessor performs a third-party independent assessment function in the solar-battery mini-grid pilots, working independently of the project implementers |
| Programme Linkage | The services relate to the Somalia national project of the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP), financed by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by UNDP |
| Working Arrangement | Participation and submission of proposals are made through the UNDP Quantum supplier portal as required by the notice; the detailed assessment scope, deliverables and schedule are set out in the terms of reference and solicitation documents attached to the notice |
| Language of Service | English |
04Key Commercial Terms
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Contract Form | Consultancy contracts of this type are normally awarded as lump-sum or deliverable-based service contracts in which the price covers all labour, travel and subcontracted costs |
| Payment Arrangement | Comparable consultancy contracts are commonly paid against milestones or deliverables, typically an advance after signature followed by payments on submission of interim reports and on acceptance of the final report |
| Performance Security | Consultancy contracts of this type normally do not require a performance security |
| Taxes and Insurance | Contracts of this type generally place the consultant's own personnel taxes and travel insurance on the service provider, to be included in the offered price |
| Quality and Documentation | Assessment outputs are generally required to be submitted as written reports, containing the assessment methodology, data sources, survey and interview records, and conclusions and recommendations |
| Intellectual Property and Confidentiality | Contracts of this type generally provide that intellectual property in the assessment outputs vests in the contracting authority, and that the service provider keeps information received confidential |
05Bidder Qualification Requirements
06Key Milestones
07Evaluation Criteria
- Prevailing practice is to assess the soundness of the proposed methodology and work plan, the qualifications and track record of the proposed team in renewable energy and mini-grid assessment, the demonstrated understanding of Somalia's energy sector and off-grid electrification context, and the arrangements for data collection and field work for the pilot assessment
- Technical evaluation is normally pass or fail or scored; proposals that do not meet the technical requirements do not proceed to price comparison
- Prevailing practice is to compare offered prices among technically compliant proposals, with price scores derived by ranking offers from lowest to highest; offers regarded as abnormally low or containing unpriced items affect the outcome
