Re-tender: Request For Quotation (RFQ) for Consultancy Services to Conduct Ground Truthing and Market Intelligence Surveys For 150 Communities for the Development and Expansion of Mini-grids in Sierra Leone

New clarification added: Dear UNOPS Procurement Team,Dalberg Research is interested in submitting a proposal for this bid and would like to get clarifications on the below:Are the optional-scope items (Biomass Feedstock Supply Surveys, Pico/Micro Hydropower Siting, and Solar-waste & Recycling Diagnostics) in addition to the 150 mandatory ground-truthing sites, or could any of them be drawn from within that same set of 150?For the short video evidence requested at WP 5.2 sites: is there a required or preferred format and length (e.g., a short walkthrough/tour-style video vs. brief interview clips)? Also, are there specific data privacy/consent guidelines we should follow when recording operators and end-users?How many video recordings are expected per site or facility, for example, a single tagged interview per community/facility, or multiple recordings per site?Should the technical proposal present an integrated technical approach covering all optional modules, or should each optional module be presented as a distinct, separable work package?Is there a standard checklist, template, or technical specification (resolution, file format, naming convention) to be used for field-collected video and photographic evidence, so we can align our data-collection tools and equipment (do we need to hire a professional videographer?) accordingly?Is the expectation to embed photo and video evidence directly within the CAPI survey tool (as binary attachment fields linked to individual survey records), or should these files be submitted as a separate, structured media repository mapped to survey IDs?Will the optional technical modules (Biomass Feedstock Supply, Pico/Micro Hydro Siting, and Solar-waste & Recycling Diagnostics) be scored within the primary technical evaluation, or assessed separately from the core technical proposal?Will additional reimbursable allocations be permitted for specialized diagnostic equipment required for solar e-waste testing or biomass sampling?Will a master list of target public social institutions (e.g., health centres, schools, administrative offices) be provided, or is the consultancy expected to identify and map all relevant institutions within each site's catchment area during fieldwork?Thank you in advance,Best Regards,Dalberg Research. 1. The optional scope locations will be outside of the 150 mandatory sites2. Brief interview clips of potential beneficiaries (households, business owners, social institutions like schools, health facilities, etc.) and existing mini-grid operators if any, and short walkthroughs are preferred formats for the short videos. The bidder can use a combination of these formats across different sites. Each clip is preferred to be less than 2 minutes. Bidders should propose a data protection/consent protocol (informed consent, right to refuse recording, secure storage) as part of field operations and ethical guidelines, which will typically be required at Inception Report deliverable stage3. About 2 recordings will typically be sufficient per WP5.2 site, but further alignment can be achieved during inception.4. Optional modules should be presented as distinct, separable work packages (own methodology, resourcing, and billing logic) appended to, and not merged into, the core 150-site technical approach, since activation is independent. 5. Videos should be recorded in Full HD (minimum 1920 × 1080 resolution) and submitted in MP4 format. The orientation (landscape or portrait) may be determined by the bidder based on the site conditions and the most appropriate way to capture the required information, provided the footage is clear and stable. Photographs should be submitted in JPEG format at their original resolution, and should capture the power infrastructure, end users and uses of electricity where possible. Files should be named using the site index (or site ID) followed by the file type and a sequential number to facilitate identification and processing. For example: Videos: SiteIndex_Video_01.mp4, Photographs: SiteIndex_Photo_01.jpg, etc.The objective is to obtain clear documentary evidence of the site that can also be used to communicate about the project. Accordingly, no specific recording equipment or professional videography services are prescribed, provided the submitted material meets the minimum quality requirements above. 6. Media files are expected to be submitted as a separate structured media repository.7. Primary technical evaluation will be done covering all.8. The TOR doesn't rule this out. Bidders can reference specialized equipment needs (solar e-waste, biomass sampling) in their proposal, and costs may be considered under the optional-scope billing methodology, but must be clearly itemized and will be subject to UNOPS/SEforALL review and agreement. 9. Bidders will be expected to identify and map social institutions (schools, health centres, administrative offices, etc.) within each site's catchment area during fieldwork. At inception, when access to NODE datasets is granted to the successful bidder, it can help support this identification and mapping process. 

New clarification added: Are specialist biomass, hydro and waste-management experts required, or is only sufficient field-survey capacity sufficient?Bidders are not required to specify experts for these specialties. 

New clarification added: Below are questions for clarification:1.     The Terms of Reference (TOR) states that drone imagery may be used to complement the dataset "if possible." Kindly clarify whether the use of drone imagery is optional or whether it will be considered a mandatory requirement during the technical evaluation. If required, should bidders include the associated costs in their financial proposals? and would it cover the entire 150 communities2.     The TOR does not specify the minimum personnel or key experts required for the assignment. Kindly clarify whether the Client has a recommended team composition or whether bidders are expected to propose an appropriate team based on their methodology.3.     Kindly clarify the geospatial datasets that will be made available to the selected consultant, particularly those from the National Online Digital Electrification (NODE) platform. This information will assist bidders in their proposal development4.     Is there a minimum number of households, businesses, public institutions, and productive-use enterprises that should be surveyed within each community, or should the consultant determine the sample size based on an appropriate survey methodology?5.     Section 7 of the TOR refers to the ability to create a real-time data visualization platform. Kindly clarify whether the development of such a platform forms part of the project deliverables or whether bidders are only required to demonstrate their capability to develop one.6.     Will UNOPS/SEforALL provide official introduction or authorization letters to facilitate engagement with district authorities, chiefdom authorities, local councils, and other relevant stakeholders during field activities?7.     Since travel costs are to be quoted on a per-site basis, should bidders assume that assessments will be conducted in all 150 listed communities, or is there a possibility that the final number of sites may change during implementation?8.     Should accommodation and daily subsistence allowances (DSA) costs be included in the financial proposal, or will these be treated separately by the Client?9.     Should the financial proposal be submitted inclusive or exclusive of all applicable taxes?10.  Kindly provide the expected payment schedule, including the payment milestones associated with each deliverable.11.  Does this procurement permit the submission of proposals through a Joint Venture (JV) or consortium arrangement?  1. Drone imagery remains an ‘added advantage’ for bidders and can be factored into financial proposals. However, it is not a mandatory requirement with significant weighing at technical evaluation. If drone imagery is to be factored, a sample of the 150 communities will be required and not the entire scope.2. Bidders are to propose team composition that covers all key areas of expertise (e.g. engineering, data collection, GIS etc.) with an overall team lead for coordination and accountability. Gender balance should also be considered. 3. The base datasets have already been provided in Annex II of the TOR, access to NODE for more detailed data access is being preserved for only the successful bidder. Bidders at this stage are encouraged to draft proposals around available data provided. 4. No fixed minimum household/business count is prescribed. The TOR requires comprehensive coverage of households, businesses, institutions, and productive users within each community and its 1km buffer. Bidders should propose and justify an appropriate methodology (census-type or statistically representative) in their technical proposal.5. The data visualization platform being referred to is one that is open source and simply allows the project team to see real-time data as they are analyzed from field work and nothing too elaborate or envisaged as an extra cost to implementation. 6. Yes, upon request, UNOPS/SEforALL will provide official letters of introduction to support engagement with district/chiefdom/local authorities. However, day-to-day securing of local permissions remains the consultant's responsibility (per TOR inception tasks). 7. Base the financial proposal on the current list of 150 communities (Annexes I & II). Minor refinement of the site list may occur during inception ("refining the criteria of selection"), but 150 is the planning basis.8. Include all field-related costs (travel, accommodation, DSA) in the financial proposal. UNOPS consultancy contracts are typically firm, all-inclusive lump-sum/unit-rate based. 9. Proposals should generally be submitted exclusive of VAT/sales tax, but inclusive of any non-recoverable local taxes/duties applicable to the firm. Bidders' own corporate income tax remains their responsibility. 10. Please refer to Section III, Form B: Price Schedule Form, Table 2 Cost Breakdown11. Generally permitted, provided one partner is designated as lead entity with contractual and financial responsibility, a JV agreement is submitted, and all partners meet the eligibility/experience criteria as clarified in the solicitation documents.