Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN)

Refer to the Request for Expression of Interest (REoI), the following is the amendment to the REoI:

Notice of Time Extension for submission of EoI

The deadline for submission of EoI (filled up Form-A, documents listed in Form-A, additional document if any) for the below service has been extended from 10 June 2024, 15:00 HOURS Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) to 23 June 2024, 15:00 HOURS BST.

All other terms and conditions for the below REoI shall remain unaltered.

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Notice of Time Extension for submission of EoI

The deadline for submission of EoI (filled up Form-A, documents listed in Form-A, additional document if any) for the below service has been extended from 30 May 2024, 15:00 HOURS Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) to 10 June 2024, 15:00 HOURS BST.

All other terms and conditions for the below REoI shall remain unaltered.

General Information

Language of Notice: English

Deadline for submission of expressions of interest: 30-May-2024

Local Time(hh:mm): 15:00

Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Department of Youth Development

Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) Project

Jubo Bhaban

108, Motijheel, C/A, Dhaka-1000

www.dyd.gov.bd

Request For Expression of Interest

(Consulting Services – Firm Selection)

Country                       : Bangladesh

Project Name               : Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN)

Credit No.                   : IDA-7364-BD

Assignment Title          : Selection of Service Provider for operating VLTC at Rangpur Division

Reference No.              : Package No. – S13

1. The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) Project (P178077) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.
2. The project will select Service Providers (SPs) to implement different project activities including operating the Village Level Training Centers (VLTCs) in selected 250 upazilas in 64 districts under 8 divisions in Bangladesh. A total of 10 SPs will be selected and awarded for contracts under 10 separate procurement packages (Package No. S7, S8, S9.1, S9.2, S9.3, S10, S11, S12, S13, S14).
3. The consulting services (“the Services”) will include but not limited to the following key tasks:
   1. The Service Provider will be responsible to carry-out the implementation support in the Rangpur division, and liaison with Community Groups (CGs), Upazila Coordinator-UCs, Union Youth Information Center (UYICs), Upazila Youth Development Officer-UDYO, Upazila Nirbahi Officer-UNO, Bangladesh Open University (BOU) and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED)’s MIS Cell under the guidance and supervision of Project Management Unit (PMU) headed by the Project Director. More specifically, the SP will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following activities:
      1. Community Engagement for creating an enabling environment; 
      2. Beneficiary selection;
      3. Selection of local level/Upazila-wise trades;
      4. Establish Village Level Training Centers (VLTCs);
      5. Supporting Curriculum Development Committee in the development of curriculum for trade specific course (Each trade 360 hours);
      6. Establish childcare facilities at VLTCs in 2 selected upazilas;
      7. VLTC Operation:
         1. Instructors
         2. Skill development of the beneficiaries on selected trades
         3. Assessment and certification
         4. Ensure Data Flow
         5. Creating awareness among the local stakeholders
      8. Conduct SEB and EDT training of the NEET youth;
      9. Internship/apprenticeship support for the NEET youth;
      10. Facilitating Seed financing and managing incubation support;
      11. Expanding the horizon by connecting the beneficiaries with markets;
      12. Leadership training at the Youth Clubs;
      13. Monitoring and Data Generation.

Service Provider/Agency Eligibility Criteria

1. The Department of Youth Development (DYD) invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. Eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) means any not-for-profit organization/institution/agency, such as, International/National Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)[1], Civil Society Organizations (CSO), not for profit private entities, State-owned enterprises (SOEs) or institutions of the Bangladesh[2] body, and/or Joint Venture (JV)[3] of any of the above-mentioned entities. The shortlisting of the Consultants will be contingent upon a set of criteria, encompassing factors such as the agency's relevance to the scope of work, youth engagement, relevant experience, portfolio size, outreach capabilities etc.. Interested organizations/agencies must meet the following eligibility criteria to be shortlisted:
   1. Relevant experience:
      1. In case of single entity, the agency should have at least 10 years of working experience in the area of enhancing access to skills (technical, soft/life skills) development, enhanced livelihoods for youths, and economic empowerment of youth, especially for the female, communication, promoting climate and environmental knowledge, awareness and business models, monitoring, evaluation and survey.  
      2. In case of JV, the above skill set should be met jointly by the JV partners, including the Lead Partner, together. Total number of Partners in the JV shall not exceed 6 including the Lead partner. All non-Lead Partners[4] of the JV should have at least 3 years of working experience at least in any of the above fields.
      3. The experience could be in Bangladesh and/or in a similar economic/social context.
   2. Experience in implementing at least two GoB and/or Development Partner and/or donor supported projects.
      1. In the case of JV, the Lead partner should have experience in implementing at least two (2) GoB and/or Development Partner supported projects.
   3. Outreach Capacity: The single entity or in case of JV or Sub-consultant, at least one Partner should have working experience of 3 years within the last 10 years in the subject Districts/Upazilas. The sub-consultant experience will be evaluated for this criterion only.
   4. The agency (single entity)/Lead Partner of the JV should have experience of implementing at least BDT 70 crore or equivalent US$ (1 US$ = 108 BDT) since January 2014 till December 2023. Each Partner other than the Lead Partner should have experience of implementing/ongoing at least BDT 5 crore or equivalent US$ (1 USD = 108 BDT) since January 2014 till December 2023. Portfolio of the microcredit program will not be considered for the financial capacity of the single entity agency or the Lead Partner of the JV or any other partner of JV.
   5. Transparency: Integrity in fund management with audit system with audit report by a well reputed chartered firm for the last three years.
2. If any single entity and/or the lead partner of the JV and/or any partner of the JV submits more than one Expression of Interest (EoI), either individually or as a JV partner, in the same procurement package, all EoIs submitted in that package will be rejected. However, this does not preclude a firm’s (single entity and/or the lead partner of the JV and/or any partner of the JV) participation as a sub-consultant, or an individual’s participation as a team member, in that package.

Regional/Country Experience  : Bangladesh

Date of Commencement           : October 2024.

Assignment Period                   : From October 2024 to June 2028.

Place of Assignment                  : 22 Upazilas under Rangpur Division.

1. The detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) for the assignment can be found at the following website: https://dyd.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/dyd.portal.gov.bd/page/3059f79d_fefa_4dd7_989a_d3380b023f32/2024-04-08-07-58-7c0163e9b5b52070a3e082465cd3707f.pdf
2. Please find the Prescribed Format for Submission of EOI (Form A) at the following link: https://dyd.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/dyd.portal.gov.bd/page/3059f79d_fefa_4dd7_989a_d3380b023f32/2024-04-08-08-02-d1d25da51eeff03914da82232f2084ad.pdf
3. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016 [dated November 2020] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. 
4. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.
5. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s Qualifications and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
6. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours [i.e.,09:00 to 16:00 hours].
7. EoI (filled up Form-A, documents listed in Form-A, additional document if any) may be delivered through courier service or in person (hard copy along with an USB drive) to the address below by 30/May/2024; 15:00 HOURS Bangladesh Standard Time (BST).  Email and/or any other sorts of submission will not be accepted.
8. In view of 10 (ten) parallel ongoing selections, to ensure competition, the shortlist may exceed eight consultants.  

Kazi Moklesur Rahman

Project Director (Joint Secretary)

Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) Project

Department of Youth Development

5th Floor, Jubo Bhaban, 108, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.

Tel: +880-02-55101121

e-mail: pd.earn@dyd.gov.bd            

Website: www.dyd.gov.bd 

[1] The single agency entity or lead partner in case of JV, should be registered with the NGO Affairs Bureau and/or Department of Social Welfare in Bangladesh.

[2] The agencies may be eligible to compete and be awarded contracts in Bangladesh only if they can establish that they:

i. are legally and financially autonomous;

ii. operate under commercial law; and

iii. are not under supervision by the agency contracting them.

[3] Joint Venture (JV) means an association with or without a legal personality distinct from that of its members, of more than one Consultant where one member has the authority to conduct all business for and on behalf of any and all the members of the JV, and where the members of the JV are jointly and severally liable to the Client for the performance of the Contract.

[4] In the case of JV, any Partner of the JV shall contribute at least 15 percent of the expenditure related to the Contract and provides specific technical input (e.g, communication, enterprise development, employment, survey, training on specific trade, etc.).