Request for Quotation -Provision of Consultation Services for Sustainable Taxonomy of Costa Rica

New amendment added #3: Dear Bidders,This RFQ has been amended as below:I. Schedule of Requirements has been amended to include the paragraph on techical sessions and roundtables in Clause 7 "Consultant Role" (change has been highlighted in red)II. Schedule of Requirements has been amended to include the paragraph on financial proposal in Clause 10 "Timing and Schedule of payments" (change has been highlighted in red)III. Schedule of Requirements has been amended to include the sentenced on due dates and delivery deadlines in Clauses 2 "Objectives and Outputs", 9 "Additional notes" and 10 "Timing and Schedule of payments" (changes has been highlighted in red)IV. Returnable Bid documents have been amended to include the paragraphs technical sessions and financial proposal (changes has been updated in red)V. The RFP Submission deadline has been extended to 15 April 2026, 10:00 UTC.

New clarification added: Clarification 14: Could you please indicate whether there is an estimated budget or budget range for this consultancy?UNOPS Response: The budget cannot be provided. Bidders can consider placing their best offer based on schedule of requirements provided.Clarification 15: Should travel and in‑country field missions be considered within the financial proposal, or will these be covered separately by the contracting entity?UNOPS Response: Please refer to response provided for Clarification Question # 13.Clarifications 16: Do you expect the consultancy to be carried out primarily in‑person, virtually, or through a hybrid approach? This will help us allocate time and resources appropriately for the team.UNOPS Response: While most of the consultancy can be conducted virtually, the following key milestones require in-person participation:Sectoral technical roundtables.Capacity building sessions.The project launch and closing events.Kindly see the details in response for Clarification Question #13 for further logistical context.Please refer to the Amendment # 3 and updated Schedule of Requirements and Returnable Bidding Forms documents 

New clarification added: Clarification 11: Language of submission: Could you please confirm the required language for the quotation and all accompanying documents (Returnable Bidding Forms, technical proposal, and price schedule)? While the RFQ documents are issued in English, we wish to confirm whether proposals must be submitted in English, Spanish, or if both are acceptable.UNOPS Response: Language of submission is English.Clarification 12: Bidding currency and validity period: We would appreciate confirmation of the mandatory bidding currency and the required period of validity for quotations, as we have not been able to locate the Tender Particulars section in the documents available on the platform.UNOPS Response: All bids will be evaluated with USD currency . The prevailing UN Exchange rate will be applied for bids not submitted in USD.Clarification 13: Workshops and logistics costs: Regarding Activity 6 (training sessions for key stakeholders) and the various roundtables, bilateral meetings, and technical dialogues referenced throughout the Terms of Reference (Activities 2, 3, and 4), could you please clarify whether the financial proposal should include logistical costs associated with these events (e.g., venue rental, catering, travel, materials, audiovisual equipment)? Or will UNEP FI / UNOPS cover these logistics separately, and the consultant's budget should reflect only professional fees and related technical costs? Thank you in advance for your kind assistance.UNOPS Response:The financial proposal must include all travel-related expenses, such as flights, per diems, and local transportation, required to execute the activities and technical dialogues outlined in the Terms of Reference. Other logistical costs associated with event hosting—specifically venue rental, catering, audiovisual equipment—will be covered separately by country authorities and UNEP FI. Consequently, the consultant’s budget should reflect professional fees, technical costs, and all necessary travel, while excluding the direct costs of event logistics.Regarding the technical sessions, the following table serves as a reference of minimum requirements for the proposal. It is essential to note that the consultant is expected to conduct at least two sectoral technical roundtables (one at the beginning and one at the end of the process) for each prioritized sector, including a dedicated session for minimum social safeguards. However, should the technical complexity of the Biodiversity Objective or the feedback from stakeholders necessitate a third round of technical roundtables to achieve full alignment and validation, the consultant must ensure these requirements are met to guarantee the quality of the sectoral technical annexes.Activity NameDescription/Rationale: Sectoral Technical Tables and Capacity BuildingDescription/Rationale: In-person workshops are required for initial training and the presentation of the sectoral technical annexes of the TFS-CR Biodiversity Objective. The goal is to conduct at least two technical roundtables, each spanning a minimum of 5-7 business days. Two technical roundtables are expected: one at the beginning of the development process for the second edition of the TFS-CR, and another at the conclusion. The primary objective is to present the draft sectoral technical annexes to technical experts and gather feedback on sectors, activities and measures, substantial contribution criteria, DNSH requirements, and minimum safeguards. A technical roundtable must be held for each prioritized sector, plus a session for minimum social safeguards, incorporating the participation of indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local communities. The presence of at least three members of the technical team is required.Activity NameDescription/Rationale: Optional: Launch of the Second Edition of the TFS-CR Description/Rationale: The launch event will be led by national governance institutions. However, the participation of one member of the consulting team is optionally welcome to attend the event.Please refer to the Amendment # 3 and updated Schedule of Requirements and Returnable Bidding Forms documents

New clarification added: Clarification 6:  Could you please confirm whether a bidder may submit a quotation in association with another firm for this RFQ?If such an arrangement is permitted, we would be grateful if you could also clarify:whether the associated firm should be presented as a subcontractor or as part of a joint bid/consortium/association;UNOPS Response: Joint Venture is permitted. The returnable bid forms and criteria have been amended to reflect the same.Clarification 7: whether both firms are required to complete the returnable forms separately, or whether one single set of forms may be submitted covering both entities;    UNOPS Response: For companies submitting under joint venture, the bid submission form must be completed by the lead organisation.Clarification 8:if one single set of forms is allowed, whether it should be signed only by the lead bidder or by both firms;                                                                                       UNOPS Response: The forms shall be submitted by the lead organisation Clarification 9: whether the associated firm must also complete and sign specific forms, such as Forms D, E and F; and whether a signed letter of association/teaming agreement between both firms would be sufficient, or whether any additional documentation is required.                                                                                                                                            UNOPS REsponse: The criteria has been amended to include criteria for JVClarification 10:We would appreciate your guidance regarding the company registration documents to be submitted with the quotation.Could you please confirm what specific documents are required under this category, for example whether this refers to documents such as certificate of incorporation/registration, tax registration, legal representative authorization, or similar?We would be grateful for confirmation of the exact documents expected in order to ensure full compliance with the submission requirements.UNOPS Response: certificate of incorporation will suffice

New amendment added #2: Dear Bidders,This RFQ has been amended as below:I. Returnable Bid documents have been amended to include the Joint venture form (change has been updated in red)II. RFQ Criteria has been updated to allow for Joint venture submissionsPlease take note of the above changes.

New clarification added: Clarification 1: Could we please request an extension to this?UNOPS Response: The RFQ has been extended to  9 April 2026Clarification 2: Language of the proposalCould you please confirm whether the quotation and all supporting proposal documents must be submitted in English or Spanish?We note that the Schedule of Requirements states that deliverables must be prepared in Spanish, with executive summaries and communication materials potentially also required in English. However, we would appreciate confirmation of the required language for the bid submission itself.UNOPS Response: Bid submission is in English. This is also included in the RFQ particulars under language of quotation.Clarification 3: Documents to be submitted / structure of the bidUNOPS Response: The bidder will submit the returnable bid forms, separate technical proposal, company registration documents, Sustainability requirement documentationClarification 4: Supporting evidence for experience and proposed teamSupporting evidence for experience and proposed teamUNOPS Response: Please include the the experience of the organisation in the technical proposal and in the returnable forms C,D and EClarification 5: Extension of the submission deadline. Given the scope and complexity of the assignment, would UNOPS consider granting an extension of the submission deadline to allow bidders sufficient time to prepare a robust and competitive proposal?UNOPS Response: The RFQ has been extended to  9 April 2026

New amendment added #1: Dear Bidders,This RFQ has been amended as below:I. The RFP  Clarification deadline has been extended  to 2 April 2026, 10:00 UTC.II. The RFP  Submission  deadline has been extended  to 9  April  2026, 10:00 UTC.III. The Expected contract award date has been extended to  20 April  2026.Please take note of the above changes.