Invitation For Expression Interest

The above named client, intends to use part of the proceeds of a loan from/grant administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the Bank) and set out above and from Client's own funds towards the cost of the above named project. Contracts will be subject to the Bank's Procurement Policies and Rules.
Funding Details:
A loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the Bank)
Regional And Local Roads Programme (Use Of Savings)

The proceeds of the loan from/ grant administered by the Bank will not be used for the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, of for any import of goods, if such payment or import is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations or under a law of official regulation of the Client's country.

Contracts to be financed with the proceeds of a loan from/ grant administered by the Bank and will be open to firms from any country.


The main objective of the assignment shall be:

To carry out the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the A2 GOSTIVAR - KICEVO motorway section which is located in western Macedonia and will form part of the Trans-European Corridor VIII motorway.
The three sections of the new road are as follows:

Section 1 - a 6 km long section that runs through flat open which will form a bypass around Gostivar city, followed by 9 km long section that runs mostly through steep side-sloping wooded mountainous terrain. This section at km 13 includes a junction where a new 5 km road will also be constructed as link back the existing Gostivar - Kichevo road towards Mavrovo Ski Resort;

Section 2 - a 15 km long section around steep side-sloping wooded mountainous terrain. These slopes lead up to a high rocky plateau;

Section 3 - a 12 km long section running south to Kichevo, through some low foothills and a flat river flood plain.

This project is expected to be categorised A by the EBRD and therefore requires an ESIA Disclosure Package comprising: ESIA, Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Land Acquisition and Livelihood Restoration Framework, Environmental and Social Action Plan (plus additional supporting studies, if deemed, appropriate).
The ESIA prepared will be required to meet the following technical requirements (as a minimum)

- Applicable Macedonian regulations
- Relevant EU substantive environmental standards, and in particular the pertinent requirements of the EIA Directive (as updated in 2014), Birds and Habitat Directives, Seveso Directive;
- Compliance with the EBRD' s ESP and PRs 2014;
- Public consultation and stakeholder engagement in accordance with national requirements and PR 10
- Relevant international conventions and protocols relating to environmental and social issues, as transposed into national legislation.
The key specific objectives of this assignment are to be carried out in two phases structured as follows:
Phase I - ESIA Scoping Study and Preliminary Stakeholder Engagement Plan
The Consultant will acquaint themselves with the Project and prepare a Preliminary Stakeholder Engagement Plan and a brief ESIA Scoping Report summarising the following:
- Brief Project description and justification;
- Alignment description, with details of alternatives considered and justification of preferred alignment selection;
- Main potential environmental and social issues;
- The proposed ESIA process;
- The results of the scoping stage stakeholder engagement;
- Work programme, covering both the environmental and social baseline information that needs to be acquired and the impact assessment yet to be done.
The Consultant will also provide a detailed project plan for Phase II; the ESIA Disclosure Package preparation and public disclosure process.
Phase I will result in a scoping report that will be subject to review by PESR, MoEPP and the Bank.

Phase II - ESIA Disclosure Package Preparation, Public consultation and submission.
The consultant will undertake surveys and review of data to prepare the documentation agreed at the end of Phase 1 for the ESIA Disclosure Package, which at this stage is expected to include the following:

- a comprehensive ESIA including a Non -Technical Summary and Environmental and Social Management Plan structured to meet the technical requirements (as specified above)
- a Land Acquisition and Livelihood Restoration Framework in compliance with EBRD PR 5,
- an updated Stakeholder Engagement Plan in compliance with EBRD PR 10
- an Environmental and Social Action Plan which will include mitigation measures to meet the EBRD' s Environmental and Social Performance Requirements.

In addition the consultants will be expected to support the public consultation process and submission of the ESIA to the MoEPP for review and approval in line with national regulatory requirements and PR10 and to draft Resettlement Action Plan in compliance with PR 5 for the 3 section only.

The assignment is expected to start in 08/03/2016 and last about 16 months.

This consultant selection will be conducted by e-procurement using the EBRD Client E-Procurement Portal (ECEPP). Interested firms should register on ECEPP at this link:

https://ecepp.ebrd.com/respond/373J27NA72

and express an interest in this assignment.

In order to determine the capability and experience of consulting firms seeking to be shortlisted, the information submitted shall include the following:

• Company profile, organisation and staffing;
• Details of experience or similar assignments undertaken in the previous not more than 5 years, including their locations;
• CVs of staff who could be available to work on the assignment.

The above information should not exceed 25 pages.

Following this Invitation for Expression of Interest, a shortlist of qualified firms will be created by the Client to be invited to submit proposals for the assignment.


Other Information: Consultant Profile:
The consultant will be a firm or consortium of firms with experience in environmental and social impact assessments of road and large linear infrastructure /transport projects. The consultant' s team will consist of the following key experts:
- Lead ESIA Manager with at least 10 years' experience in leading at least one similar ESIA assignments and equivalent scope, magnitude and complexity in preparing international ESIA to meet IFIs/ EBRD requirements or equivalent with excellent communication skills (verbal and written).
- Environmental specialists with experience in EIAs transport sector and/or large linear infrastructure projects for IFI's (or equivalent) including specialists in biodiversity, geology and hydrology
- Social specialists with country or regional experience in SIA, Resettlement, Labour , gender considerations and public consultation
- Health and safety specialists with experience in occupational health and safety and community health in the road sector
- Stakeholder engagement specialist with practical experience in preparing SEPs and in public consultation meetings
- Technical experts in road construction, road safety, mining and blasting and designing mitigation measures in road construction with experience of working with IFIs;

The Consultant Team is expected to be a combination of international and local experts. Should the Consultant includes local experts, at least one should hold an EIA Licence issued by the national authorised body.

Submission Requirements:
Interested consultants are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest. In order to determine the qualifications and competence of consulting firms seeking to be shortlisted, the information submitted should include the following:
- company profile, organisation and staffing (1 page maximum)
- details of ESIA preparation experience or similar assignments undertaken in the previous five years in the region, including their locations with references (or confirmation that the project was successfully completed).
- details of experience in the implementation of EBRD Performance Requirements on large infrastructure transport projects e.g. motorway or expressway projects , pipeline projects over 10km .
- CVs of key experts who could be available to work on the assignment

Note:
1. the estimated commencement date for this assignment is June 2016.
2. the deadline time is set on GMT (UK time)



Client Address:
Mr. Aleksandar Stojanov
Public Enterprise for State Roads (PESR)
Dame Gruev Str. No.14, Skopje, 1000, Macedonia FYR
Tel. +389 2 3118 044, Email: j.jovanovski@roads.org.mk