REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

GROW PROJECT

Expressions of interest for renewable energy service providers to provide technical support and installation of 5-15KWp photovoltaic solar panels for GROW project beneficiaries 

• Background: About CowaterSogema:

With more than 30 years of experience, CowaterSogema is Canada’s global leader in management consulting services specializing in international development. We have managed the implementation of over 800 projects in more than 80 countries around the globe for clients such as DFID, DFAT Australia, the World Bank and Global Affairs Canada. We work with governments, partner organizations, communities and civil society to design and implement sustainable solutions that generate lasting social, economic and environmental impacts. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2017 and 2018. CowaterSogema International Inc. (lead), in collaboration with the Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association (Asala) and the Near East Foundation (NEF), will implement a 4-year initiative that aims to enhance economic empowerment and increase prosperity for low-income women and youth in the West Bank.

• Generating Revenue Opportunities for Women and Youth in the West Bank (GROW):

The goal of the GROW project is to enhance economic empowerment and increase prosperity for low-income women and youth, particularly female youth, in the West Bank. The project will seek to achieve this by adopting a gender transformative approach aimed at recognizing, formalizing, and amplifying women’s existing roles in key value chains whilst promoting women’s increased decision-making and control over income, assets, and productive resources. This project will focus specifically on value chains, where significant potential exists to empower women, including female youth, to move beyond their essential but largely unrecognized roles, ultimately contributing to their increased agency in both economic and social spheres.  Towards this end within the renewable energy sector, Grow Project is set to leverage energy-and economic related national policies to advance the recognition of women not only as users of energy, but also as providers and decision makers at all levels of the energy value chain. Such transformation shall result in increased opportunities for women and men to benefit fully from the energy sector’s economic and investment opportunities, as well as expand emission reduction opportunities.  

One of the important challenges limiting women’s economic empowerment in the West Bank is the lack of access to reliable and affordable energy, particularly in Area C. In energy intensive activities, high electricity costs and the unreliability of the connection contributes to high production costs, thereby limiting overall productivity and competitiveness of women’s businesses and women-led co-operatives. The project will seek to address these challenges by developing small scale photovoltaic (PV) generation projects to provide cost effective and reliable access to power where a potential exists to significantly enhance the productive capacity and competitiveness of selected women’s groups or SMEs. The project will also support pilot innovations in the production, distribution and servicing of energy technologies, putting women at the forefront of entrepreneurship and innovation. 

Moreover, the growth of the RE sector in the West Bank in recent years provides valuable opportunities for women’s decent employment and entrepreneurship, particularly for female youth who remain under-represented in the sector.  There are many situations in which women face difficulties joining or remaining in the sector as well as have less access to decision making spaces regarding energy. Women may not be given the same career opportunities as men, experience discrimination in the recruitment process by employers and in the workplace, and work in environments that are not supportive to achieving a work life and family balance. In addition, women and youth are not aware of the potential employment opportunities in this emerging sector. The project will therefore seek to promote employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women in the RE sector, with a focus on introducing scalable and sustainable results that break both the horizontal and vertical segregation of employment within the sector. Specific attention will be given to graduates with a focus on female youth.    

• Brief description OF the Assignment:

The project will focus on enhanced opportunities for female entrepreneurs, particularly female youth, to support the adoption of renewable energy in the olive byproducts, goat and sheep dairy and agro-food processing value chains. To achieve this outcome, the project will address several key challenges impacting women’s entrepreneurship in the West Bank, including women’s limited access to reliable and affordable energy.

Grow is aiming to enhance access of women to reliable and affordable energy by designing various interventions regarding the RE sector, one of which is installing 36 PV systems with sizes ranging from 5 kWp to 15kWp depending on the energy consumption of each potential women MSME’s or cooperative in the West Bank. 

The targeted service provider (companies) will be responsible for organizing the supply and installation of solar photovoltaic systems which will also serve as pilot and conduit to promote female employment in the renewable energy sector.

• Proposal content 

Grow Project invites eligible renewable energy service providers to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested service providers must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the intended services, the proposal should include the following:

1. Company registration.
2. Deduction at source certificate.
3. Proof of good financial statement (report financial statement or bank recommendation letter or etc.) 
4. Company profile including experience and description of similar assignments.
5. A list of company references (Clients, donors, NGO’s, etc.)  including contact person, mobile number and email.
6. Company staff Resumes. 
7. The company willingness to train and employ female engineers from Grow project capacity building and placement program, demonstrated in clear employment approach and plan, number of needed female engineers, proposed position and tasks.

• Expected implementation period

Start Date: January 2020

End Date: December 2021

• EVALAUTION CRITERIA 

Service provider/s will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in Grow Project's and below Selection Criteria.

1. Company good governance.
2. Company past experiences in related fields.
3. Competency of the company staff.
4. The company willingness to employ women.

To apply, please send your proposal consistent with the above content requirements to the following address: [email protected], no later than 15th of October 2019 before 4:00 p.m. 

You can apply by indicating your interest in this assignment (please state in the email subject): Expressions of interest for RE Service Providers.

If you have any questions or inquiries, please contact us at Tel: 02-2951656

We thank all applicants. However, only the successful candidates will be contacted.