About ICIMOD

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge-sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Working in partnership with regional and international organizations, ICIMOD aims to influence policy and practices to meet environmental and livelihood challenges emerging in the HKH. ICIMOD provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from the region and around the globe to generate and share knowledge, support evidence-based decision making, and encourage regional cooperation. ICIMOD seeks to enable sustainable and resilient mountain development for improved and equitable livelihoods through knowledge generation and regional cooperation.

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Capability for the Hindu Kush Himalaya

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Capability for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (REEECH) Initiative at ICIMOD works to expand the adoption of green energy solutions among HKH communities and enterprises.

REEECH is the first centre with a clear mountain focus that functions as a regional hub and think tank under the umbrella of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) to accelerate universal energy access in the HKH region and advance mountain energy issues on the global sustainable development and climate agenda.

REEECH fosters South–South cooperation for improved access to decentralized sustainable energy solutions for HKH communities and actively promotes the scaling up of climate resilient sustainable energy markets, industries, and innovation customized for the off-grid mountainous areas of the HKH.

About the request for proposals

ICIMOD’s REEECH Initiative is issuing this request for proposals for turnkey engineering, procurement and construction of a solar pumping system in Paro, Bhutan (Please refer to “SECTION II – Terms of reference” for details.)

SECTION I – Bidding process

1. Interested bidders may submit their bid proposal by email to reeech@icimod.org with a copy to procurement@icimod.org by 4:00 PM (Nepal Standard Time), 31 December 2021.
2. In addition to the proposal document (narrative and financial), the bid should include copies of the following supporting documents:

• Company registration certificate
• VAT/PAN registration certificate
• Experience of similar work and proof of work completion
• Latest tax clearance certificate
• Bid validity period
• Payment terms
• INCOTERMs (CIF, etc.)
• Make/brand, brochure/catalogue, etc.
• Manufacturer’s authorization certificate/letter with bid reference floated by ICIMOD
• Evidence of proven track record of having worked with similar organization like ICIMOD
• Schedule and timeline for delivery, installation, and commissioning
• Guarantee/warranty

3. The bidder shall quote the item rates and total project cost as applicable for the work in a formal quotation with signature and stamp (please refer to sample Bill of Quantity format in SECTION – III for detailed cost proposal).
4. The bidder should indicate VAT and taxes in the financial bid as applicable.
5. ICIMOD reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids without giving any reason whatsoever.

Guidelines

• The closing date for the submission of this tender is 4:00 PM (Nepal Standard Time), 31 December 2021
• Proposals should include all costs in USD ($), a timeline for the execution of the project, and a breakdown of the duration for each assignment.
• Proposals will only be received on or before the closing date.
• Please submit your proposal with all supporting documents listed above.
• Write to reeech@icimod.org with copy to procurement@icimod.org for any queries related to this call.

Important dates

• Deadline for pre-proposal inquiries: 28 December 2021 (Inquiries after the date will not be entertained)
• Proposal submission deadline: 31 December 2021
• Evaluation announcement: 14 January 2022 (tentative)
• Finalization of contract: 31 January 2022 (tentative)

SECTION II – Terms of reference

Procurement of solar pumping system for the Royal Government of Bhutan

Objective

The objective of this assignment is to provide turnkey goods and services for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of solar pumping system in Paro, Bhutan.

Scope of work

The Department of Agriculture (DoA), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF), Royal Government of Bhutan, has requested for Technical Assistance to pilot a solar pumping system for irrigating winter crops in Bhutan.  In response to this request, the REEECH Initiative at ICIMOD is seeking to pilot one solar pumping systems at Paro in collaboration with the Irrigation Division of Department of Agriculture. Based on the design specifications provided below, we would like to commission this pilot work through a turnkey Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) arrangement wherein procurement, transportation, installation, and commissioning are to be done by the selected firm.

Responsibilities of the contractor

The major work under this turnkey package is the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of the Paro Solar Irrigation Project, Bhutan. The scope of work and main responsibilities of the contractor are, but not limited to, the following:

• All construction, site clearance, and project handover must be coordinated with DoA, Bhutan
• All survey work, if required, must be carried out before commencement of the work. As per the actual site condition, the desired water discharge at given heads stated in the bill of quantity and specification must be fulfilled.
• Installation of solar pumping system as per site instructions
• Test run, operation and maintenance, replacement of parts and free service for one year as required by the ICIMOD
• Technology transfer to beneficiary farmers for operation and maintenance as required

The pump float must be supplied and installed by the contractor as per the design provided by DoA, Bhutan (Refer to Part III for pump float design).

Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture

• Provide technical and financial support in implementing the civil, intake, transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure necessary for the pilot
• Provide local supervision, any site clearances or permits, and payment issuance certificates to contractors
• Establish water user association (management committee) and provide necessary technical assistance for the operational sustainability of the system
• The AED/DoA will draw up the execution plan, synchronize with the delivery of the electromechanical equipment and execute the Project
• Supply and installation of the main conduit line to the delivery tank will be carried out by DoA, Bhutan

Design specification

Please refer to Annex I for the detailed design specification.

Annex 1

Timeline for deliverables

Period of maintenance

The selected bidder will be responsible to undertake maintenance of the system for a period of one year from the date of installation and commissioning.

Retention money

ICIMOD will retain 10% of the total project cost until the expiry of the maintenance period. The retained amount will be released on maturity of the maintenance period and after certification by concerned authority delegated by ICIMOD.

Section-III Bill of quantity

The bidder must use the following format to fill out the quantity and cost details. The bill of quantity must include all the cost associated with this service.

Signed and Stamped

SECTION IV – Proposal submission and evaluation

Bidder’s eligibility

• The company must submit proof of having work experience in the supply of solar PV or solar water pumps system, installation, and commissioning work.
• The company must have an average annual sales turnover of $100,000 USD equivalent for the last three years.
• The company must have carried out Solar PV installations of individual project sized at least 10 kWp, or solar pump system of 15 HP, and the company must provide the respective project completion letter from the client
• If bid proposal is submitted with joint venture, 50% ratings will be given for each work experience and annual turnover of the lead partner and remaining 50 % will be given for other partner/s bidding with joint venture, for evaluation purpose. However, ICIMOD reserves the right to fix criteria as deemed necessary for evaluation of the bids received.
• If the selected bidder is outside Bhutan, they will need a local resident representative as the partner with required competency to execute the project.

Contents of the technical proposal

Applicants are advised to present their technical proposal in four sections:

1. Technical proposal must furnish design calculations, drawings and all other relevant documents mentioned in Annex-I (design specifications).
2. The bidders must provide a detailed project implementation plan.
3. Applicants should propose the structure and composition of their team, mentioning their qualification, skills and past experience with implementing projects of this nature.

ICIMOD committee/s will evaluate the technical and financial bids and final bid selection will be made by ICIMOD management.

* This is a reissue of the Request for Proposal.