Letter of Invitation

New Delhi
25th October, 2023

Dear Mr. / Ms.:

1. The Government of India has undertaken various initiatives to promote climate-sensitive planning and development. During COP26 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held at Glasgow in November 2021, the Honourable Prime Minister of India presented the five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of India’s climate actions, which include achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070. Moreover, there are eight National Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change which are focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation. One of them is the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH) anchored at Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
2. City Investments To Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) 2.0, the second phase of the CITIIS program, has been conceived by MoHUA in collaboration with Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), European Union (EU), and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) to supplement such climate initiatives of Government of India and MoHUA through its unique model. The program builds upon the learnings and successes of CITIIS 1.0 and is designed to supplement MoHUA’s actions undertaken through ongoing national programs, while deepening the values of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability.
3. The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) (hereinafter called “Client”) has been designated as the Program Management Unit (PMU) by the MoHUA, AFD and KfW towards managing the CITIIS 2.0 program. The Client intends to apply a portion of the funds to eligible payments under the contract for which this Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued.
4. Under Component 1 of CITIIS 2.0 program, financial and technical support will be provided to up to 18 smart cities through competitive selection of projects promoting circular economy with a focus on integrated waste management. All 100 Smart Cities selected under the Smart Cities Mission of Government of India shall be eligible to apply. The selected projects will undergo four phases i.e. preparation phase, selection phase, maturation phase and implementation phase.
5. During preparation phase, the 100 Smart City SPVs under SCM will be invited to submit applications, presenting innovative projects that promote a circular economy with focus on integrated waste management. A helpdesk will be made available to applicant cities by the Program Management Unit (PMU) at NIUA. The helpdesk will be staffed with in-house experts of the PMU as well as external experts. SPVs may reach out to the helpdesk, however, the support will be restricted to the application process. For SPVs in the North-Eastern and Hill States, stronger support on demand can be organised (through peer-review, mentoring, etc.).
6. The NIUA now invites proposals from Individual Experts/Consultants through an open RFP to provide the following consulting Services: Engagement of Experts for Help Desk under CITIIS 2.0 Program. More details on the Services are provided in the Terms of Reference (TOR). The Individual/Expert has to ensure availability for 50 days as per requirements and submit undertaking as per Annexure 2.
7. Four Individual Experts/Consultants will be selected under this RFP for the Help Desk. An Individual Expert/ Consultant shall be selected under the selection method based on quality (mostly on Individual Experts/Consultant’s qualification) i.e. Quality Based Selection (QBS).

The technical scores as per following criteria would be evaluated :

Proposal Component Technical Score (Max Marks 100)
1. CONCEPT NOTE (40)
i) Understanding of the objectives of the services 10
ii) Outline and methodology of activities 10
iii) Alignment with objectives and activities with clear definition of milestones 20
2. WORK EXPERIENCE (40)
i) Relevant work experience of minimum 10 years for Post Graduate Degree and 7 years for PhD as per Annexure – 1 40
3. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (20)
Relevant educational qualifications.
Minimum qualification – Post Graduate in Environmental Engineering / Environmental Science / Infrastructure Development / Urban Planning/ Urban Development /Urban Policy / Urban Management /Environmental Management / Climate Change / Waste Management 20

8. The candidate’s experience in integrated waste management and her/his knowledge/skills in providing technical or process support to ULBs, SPVs or PMUs shall be a critical criterion in the selection. The ceiling amount of remuneration is mentioned in the TOR.
9. In accordance with AFD Procurement Guidelines, Quality Based Selection (QBS) mode of procurement will be adopted. Eligibility criteria to AFD financing are specified in sub-clause 1.3 of the “Guidelines for the Procurement of the AFD-Financed Contracts in Foreign Countries” available online at www.afd.fr.
10. This Request for Proposals includes the following documents:
i. This Letter of Invitation;
ii. Terms of Reference;
iii. The Forms of Submission of the Proposal
• Technical Proposal;
• Financial Proposal;
iv. Standard Form of Contract.
11. The RFP shall be published on the NIUA website and is free of cost for download. Bid Security / Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) is not required for the submission of the proposal. It is not permissible to transfer this invitation to any other Consultant.
12. Your proposal shall comprise your Proposal Submission Form, a Technical Proposal, a Financial Proposal inclusive of all taxes and the signed “COVENANT OF INTEGRITY”, and must be received at the following address via physical copy to National Institute of Urban Affairs, Core 4B, 1st Floor, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi-110003 by 23rd November, 2023, 17:00 hr IST.
13. Any queries in relation to the RFP to be sent prior to 08th November, 2023 17:00 hr IST at the mail ID citiis@niua.org and the responses will be available online by 15th November, 2023.
14. To substantiate their credentials and to respond to any queries, the Consultants may be asked to make a presentation of their Technical Proposal, during the technical evaluation stage.

Yours sincerely,

Program Director - CITIIS
National Institute of Urban Affairs