Construction of Durable Houses at Magalacad IDP Relocation Site Somali Region Ethiopia

United Nations Office at Nairobi (hereinafter referred to as UNON) on behalf of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) Kenya invites qualified interested and qualified firms to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) to participate in the upcoming procurement process for the Construction of Durable Houses at Magalacad IDP relocation site,Somali Region,Ethiopia. UN-Habitat Ethiopia is looking for interested building contractors registered in Ethiopia from Grade 6 and above who hold certification in pre-cast jute reinforced concrete technology as (a) Authorized Agent Engineers or (b) Authorized Agent Professionals in construction, particularly in the housing domain to support UN-Habitat’s initiative to achieve durable solutions for displacement-affected communities through durable housing. Project background: In line with its mandate, UN Habitat has been supporting member states including Ethiopia in developing planned human settlements, increased access to public spaces and adequate housing, infrastructure and basic services. UN-Habitat Ethiopia, in a joint project with IOM, FAO, and the regional governments of Somali and Oromia regions, through joint funding from the Government of Sweden and the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), is implementing a project titled "Strengthening Resilience of Disaster-Affected Communities Through Durable Solutions in Oromia and Somali Regions of Ethiopia". Among other objectives, the project aims to strengthen resilience among displaced and disaster-affected communities through sustainable, long-term solutions, focusing on providing access to durable housing, land, and property rights. Housing units that are sustainable and made from environmentally friendly materials provide adequate protection against external weather elements promoting well-being and allow displacement affected communities’ resilience to rebuild their lives and adapt to circumstances. The emergence of prefabricated and innovative housing construction techniques, such as using precast jute-reinforced concrete panels (an innovative system integrating jute fibres with concrete for added strength and sustainability) has been formally endorsed by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure (MUI) and complies with the Ethiopian Construction Design Standard (ECDS), ensuring structural integrity and safety. Due to its adaptability, the approach is recommended to be implemented in any region or city across Ethiopia, offering a cost-effective, sustainable, and rapid solution to the country’s chronic housing demand. Leveraging locally available materials like jute, the technology also promotes environmentally friendly construction practices, aligning with Ethiopia’s broader urban development and infrastructure goals while creating job opportunities for many. Through this project, UN Habitat will contribute towards achieving SDG 11, targeting SDG 11. 1: Safe adequate and affordable housing, and SDG 11.3: Integrated and sustainable human settlement planningThis project aims to: 1. Build durable,comfortable and quality houses 2. Promote community engagement and skills development 3. Support sustainable living and climate change mitigation 4. Establish a model for future housing constructions using innovative materials and techniques. Specific Requirements/Information Interested vendors must posses the necessary technical expertise and capacity to provide the required services, as only suitably qualified vendors will be invited to participate. Vendors are required to complete the attached self-declaration form (Annex A) and return the form via emai to unon-procurement-rfx@un.org with a copy to gladys.murangi@un.org Vendors expressing interest must be registered with the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) at minimum of Basic Registration Level. Vendors not registered in UNGM will not be eligible to paricipate in the tender exercise at a later stage. An expression of Interest does not guarantee paricipation in the request for proposal as only suitably qualified vendors will be invited to pariticpate IMPORTANT: Please note that this EOI is not an invitation for submission of tenders. Its purpose is to identify companies that would be interested and eligible to participate in the solicitation when issued. UNON will examine the outcome of this request for EOI and will consider those companies that have expressed their interest. UNON reserves the right to change or cancel the requirement at any time during the EOI and/or solicitation process. Thus, submitting a reply to this Request for EOI does not automatically gurantee your company will be considered for receipt of the solicitation when issued.