Request for Proposal (RFP)
Skills Needs, Curriculum Development and Training for Solar-Powered Cold Storage in Kenya
Kenya
Country
Skills needs assessment, curriculum development and training
Scope of Services
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Procurement Method
2026-10-13 03:00 (New York time)
Submission Deadline
01Project Overview
Project Name
Skills needs assessment, curriculum development and training for solar-powered cold storage
Reference
UNDP-KEN-00770
Country
Republic of Kenya
Contracting Authority
Procurement Unit, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Kenya Country Office
Procurement Method
Request for Proposal (RFP); proposals are submitted through the UNDP Quantum supplier portal
Scope of Services
Assessment of skills needs related to solar-powered cold storage, development of the corresponding curriculum and training programme, and delivery of the training
Target Group
Technical personnel and institutions engaged in the construction, operation and maintenance of solar-powered cold storage
Language of Proposal
English
Source
UNDP procurement notices portal (https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_negotiation.cfm?nego_id=50131), reference UNDP-KEN-00770; the same notice is published on the United Nations Global Marketplace (https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/316030, notice 316030). Published 28 Sep 2026, verified 13 Oct 2026
Background Sources
Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) official site (https://kplc.co.ke/), the national electricity utility responsible for transmission, distribution and supply of electricity in Kenya
02Project Background
Solar-powered cold storage is an important technological solution for cold-chain preservation of agricultural produce and fish catch in off-grid and unreliable-supply areas. It relies on photovoltaic generation and battery storage to power the refrigeration equipment, maintaining low-temperature storage in areas without a reliable grid and reducing post-harvest losses. Deployment of such systems depends not only on the supply of equipment but also on the availability of technicians able to design, install, operate and maintain them. This request for proposal by the UNDP Kenya Country Office is intended to carry out a skills needs assessment in the field of solar-powered cold storage, develop the corresponding curriculum, and deliver the training, thereby building the human capacity required for scaling up the technology.
Electricity supply in Kenya is delivered by the state-owned Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), which is responsible for transmission, distribution and supply of electricity nationwide. In recent years Kenya has continued to advance refrigeration-based post-harvest loss reduction in the agricultural and fisheries cold chain, and solar-powered cold storage is suited to areas without a stable power supply because it can operate independently of the grid. The outputs of this assignment will provide the basis for skills standards and training content for technical roles associated with solar-powered cold storage.
03Scope of Work & Technical Specifications
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Service Object | Skills needs assessment, curriculum development and training services in the field of solar-powered cold storage |
| Skills Needs Assessment | Carrying out an assessment of the skills needs of roles related to solar-powered cold storage, identifying gaps between existing technical capabilities and job requirements |
| Curriculum Development | Developing the corresponding curriculum and training materials based on the skills needs assessment, covering the technical principles, installation, operation and maintenance of solar-powered cold storage systems |
| Training Delivery | Delivering training in accordance with the developed curriculum, together with evaluation of training outcomes and record keeping |
| Language of Service | English |
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04Key Commercial Terms
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Contract Form | Consultancy and training service contracts of this type are normally awarded as lump-sum or deliverable-based service contracts in which the price covers all labour, travel, materials and subcontracted costs |
| Payment Arrangement | Service contracts of this type are commonly paid against deliverables or milestones, typically an advance after signature followed by payments on submission of the curriculum and training materials, completion of training delivery, and 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 |
| Deliverables | Deliverables generally include the skills needs assessment report, the curriculum and training materials, training delivery records and an outcome evaluation report, and a final report |
| Intellectual Property and Confidentiality | Contracts of this type generally provide that intellectual property in the developed curriculum and training materials vests in the contracting authority, and that the service provider keeps information received confidential |
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05Bidder Qualification Requirements
01
Supplier Registration
Offerors are required to hold a valid profile on the UNDP Quantum supplier portal in order to take part in this request for proposal
02
Institutional Eligibility
Offerors are normally required to be consultancy firms, training institutions or enterprises with independent legal personality and with the capability to carry out skills needs assessments and curriculum development
03
Technical Capability
Services of this type generally require demonstrated capability in assessment, curriculum development and training in the fields of renewable energy, solar refrigeration or cold-chain technology
04
Track Record
Evidence of comparable skills needs assessments, curriculum development work or training assignments in the energy and cold-chain sectors is ordinarily required, supported by contracts or acceptance certificates
05
Key Personnel
Personnel with a background in solar refrigeration or cold-chain technology for curriculum development and training are generally required, together with a statement of qualifications and experience
06
Pricing and Commercial Compliance
Proposals must be submitted directly in the system, and offerors are normally required to accept the applicable UN supplier quality and compliance requirements and not to appear on the relevant UN sanctions or suspension lists
07
Language and Documentation
The proposal and supporting qualification and experience documents are prepared in English, and the tender must be subscribed to and submitted in the system as required by the notice
06Key Milestones
28 Sep 2026 (New York time)
Notice Published
13 Oct 2026, 03:00 (New York time)
Submission Deadline (Proposals) and Opening
Originally 12 Oct 2026, 10:00 (New York time); now 13 Oct 2026, 03:00 (New York time); verified 13 Oct 2026
Deadline Extension
Proposal evaluation and contract award are carried out in accordance with the procedure set out in the notice and the solicitation documents
Evaluation and Award
The skills needs assessment, curriculum development and training are delivered from contract signature in accordance with the approved work plan
Service Delivery
07Evaluation Criteria
Technical Evaluation70%
- Prevailing practice is to assess the soundness of the proposed methodology and work plan, the qualifications and training track record of the proposed team in solar refrigeration and cold-chain technology, the relevance of the curriculum development approach, and the feasibility of the training arrangements
- Technical evaluation is normally pass or fail or scored; proposals that do not meet the technical requirements do not proceed to price comparison
Price Evaluation30%
- 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
