International Competitive Procurement — Request for Bids (RFB)
Design, Supply, Installation, Commissioning and Training of the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Testbed at the Noor Ouarzazate R&D Platform, Morocco
Ouarzazate, Morocco
Project Location
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) testbed
Project Content
Design, supply, installation, commissioning and training
Contract Nature
2026-11-27 14:00 (Moroccan time)
Bid Deadline
01Project Overview
Project Name
Morocco Energy Storage Testbed Project — design, supply, installation, commissioning and training of the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) testbed at the Noor Ouarzazate R&D Platform
Reference
RFB No. 13/2026/MASEN; World Bank procurement notice No. OP00475205; grant No. ESMAP TF0C4720
Country
Kingdom of Morocco — Ouarzazate, Noor Ouarzazate R&D Platform
Employer
Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen)
Parent Project
Morocco Energy Storage Testbed Project, World Bank project ID P174586, implemented by Masen
Financing
Financed by the World Bank through an ESMAP grant (TF0C4720); the employer processes payments by the Direct Payment disbursement method except for payments the contract provides to be made through a letter of credit
Procurement Method
International competitive procurement by Request for Bids under the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, July 2016 (revised September 2025)
Language
English
Bidding Document
The English bidding document can be downloaded free of charge from the Masen e-tendering platform: https://etendering.masen.ma
Source
World Bank procurement notice OP00475205 (RFB No. 13/2026/MASEN), employer Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen), published 14 Oct 2026, verified 16 Oct 2026: https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/procurement-detail/OP00475205
Background Source
World Bank project page P174586: https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P174586; Masen official website: https://www.masen.ma/
02Project Background
The Morocco Energy Storage Testbed Project is financed by the World Bank under project ID P174586. The borrower is the Kingdom of Morocco and the implementing agency is the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen). The commitment amount is US$4.5 million; the project was approved by the World Bank Board on 13 June 2024 and is scheduled to close on 30 April 2027. Its thematic areas include energy, energy efficiency, climate change mitigation and private sector development.
According to the World Bank's published project abstract, the project seeks to establish an energy storage testing platform in Morocco as part of a global network of energy storage testing facilities (starting with India, Morocco and South Africa), in order to accelerate the commercial deployment of pre-market and early-market energy storage technologies in developing countries, to improve renewable energy integration and to increase energy access. This procurement covers the construction of that platform.
The notice states that Masen has received financing from the World Bank towards the cost of the Morocco Energy Storage Testbed Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds towards payments under this contract. The contract covers a complete and operational Battery Energy Storage System testbed at the Noor Ouarzazate R&D Platform, including all equipment, systems and associated civil and electrical works required to test and characterise industrial BESS.
03Scope of Work & Technical Specifications
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Contract Scope | Design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, training and handover of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) testbed |
| Site | Noor Ouarzazate R&D Platform, Morocco |
| Delivery | One complete and operational BESS testbed, including all equipment, systems and associated civil and electrical works |
| Purpose | Testing and characterisation of industrial BESS |
| Performance Basis | In accordance with the functional and performance requirements set out in the Employer's Requirements |
| Contract Duration | Within the period specified in the Contract |
| Language | English |
| Detailed Requirements | The functional and performance requirements, equipment lists, delivery interfaces and training content are specified in the bidding document; bidders must submit their bids in the format and with the content required by the bidding document |
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04Commercial Terms
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Payment Method | The notice states that payments under this contract are processed using the Direct Payment disbursement method, except for payments the contract provides to be made through a letter of credit |
| Contract Form | Contracts of this design-supply-install-commission-train nature are usually awarded on a lump-sum basis, with the price covering equipment, systems, associated civil and electrical works, commissioning and training |
| Advance and Progress Payments | Comparable contracts commonly provide a percentage advance payment, with the balance paid in instalments upon equipment delivery, completion of installation, commissioning and acceptance |
| Performance Security | Comparable contracts usually require a performance security of a percentage of the contract price, valid through the construction period and the warranty period |
| Insurance | The contractor is commonly required to take out transport insurance, erection all risks insurance and third party liability insurance, at its own cost |
| Warranty and Defects Liability | For comparable projects the warranty period for equipment and systems commonly runs from acceptance, and defects appearing during the defects liability period are rectified by the contractor at no cost |
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05Bidder Qualification Requirements
01
Eligibility
The notice states that the procurement is open to all eligible bidders as defined in the World Bank Procurement Regulations
02
Legal Status
The bidder must be duly established and qualified to design, supply, install and commission battery energy storage systems or electrical works
03
Technical Capability
Comparable projects usually require demonstrated capability in the integration, testing and characterisation of industrial battery energy storage systems, together with a track record in supplying battery systems, power conversion systems and energy management systems
04
Experience
Evidence of comparable energy storage or electrical works contracts, with project size and location, is commonly required
05
Key Personnel
A project manager and a commissioning lead with a background in energy storage systems or electrical engineering are usually required, together with curricula vitae of key personnel
06
Financial Capacity
Bidders are commonly required to demonstrate financial capacity commensurate with the contract size, supported by audited financial statements as required by the bidding document
06Key Milestones
14 Oct 2026
Notice Issued
Available free of charge on the Masen e-tendering platform (etendering.masen.ma)
Bidding Document Available
27 Nov 2026 at 14:00 Moroccan time; paper submission only, electronic bidding is not permitted; outer envelopes marked “ORIGINAL BID” and inner envelopes marked “TECHNICAL PART” are publicly opened
Bid Submission Deadline and Opening
Requests for clarification on the bidding document may be raised through the Masen e-tendering platform, with responses issued as specified in the bidding document
Clarifications
07Evaluation Criteria
Technical and Non-Price Evaluation70%
- The notice states that the Rated Criteria, including technical and non-price factors, carry a weighting of seventy per cent in the overall evaluation and weigh substantially more than bid cost
- Evaluation covers the responsiveness of the bid to the functional and performance requirements, the technical solution and integration capability for the BESS, the testing and characterisation functions of the testbed, and the match between key personnel qualifications and comparable experience
- This part is scored factor by factor and weighted into a single score
Bid Cost Evaluation30%
- The notice states that bid cost carries a weighting of thirty per cent in the overall evaluation
- Prices are compared among bids that pass the technical and non-price evaluation and converted into a score, which is combined with the technical and non-price score into an overall score
