(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

COUNTRY: Uzbekistan

NAME OF PROJECT: Electricity Sector Transformation and Resilient Transmission (ESTART) Project

Credit No.: IDA-6943 UZ

Assignment Title: Consulting Services of Technical Supervision under the subcomponent 3.1 of the ESTART Project for business processes modernization: ERP-level information system implementation

Reference No.: ESTART/QCBS/ERP/2025

The Government of Uzbekistan has received financing from the International Development Association (the Bank) toward the cost of the Electricity Sector Transformation and Resilient Transmission Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for Consulting Services of Technical Supervision under the subcomponent 3.1 of the ESTART Project for business processes modernization: ERP-level information system implementation.

1. The objective of this assignment is to engage a highly qualified, independent, cost-efficient and impartial Consultant (a firm) to exercise comprehensive supervision, enforce quality assurance, and carry out rigorous risk oversight over the implementation of the ERP system under Subcomponent 3.1 of the ESTART Project, with explicit reference to the signed ERP Contract, which defines the obligations, deliverables, and timelines of the ERP Contractor.

2. The Consultant shall act as the sole, designated authority for quality assurance throughout the ERP implementation. NEGU will rely fully on the Consultant’s certifications of ERP Contractor’s deliverables as a basis for progress monitoring, milestone verification, and release of payments to the ERP Contractor. All certifications, approvals, and assessments issued by the Consultant shall be considered final, binding, and enforceable for the purposes of project management, contract enforcement, and payment authorization, except in cases of fraud. For the Consultant’s own remuneration under this Time-Based Contract, payments will be made based on actual time inputs (timesheets) and reimbursable expenses, subject to timely submission of required reports and certifications.

3. The Consultant's core responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to:

4. Continuously monitoring the ERP implementation in strict alignment with approved project plans, timelines, and contractual milestones, and promptly identifying any slippage or deviation, with formal written progress reports submitted to NEGU on a monthly basis or as otherwise agreed. Submission of such reports, together with approved timesheets, shall constitute a condition for processing the Consultant’s remuneration under this Time-Based Contract;

5. Independently reviewing and certifying the adequacy and completeness of all key technical and managerial documentation prepared by the ERP Contractor, against recognized international standards (e.g., SAP Activate methodology, PMI project management standards, or ISO 9001 where applicable);

6. Proactively identifying technical risks, contractual non-conformities, implementation gaps, or performance failures, and issuing binding written recommendations for corrective action or escalation to NEGU’s senior management;

7. Advising NEGU on the formal acceptability of each major deliverable and work milestone. The Consultant shall have the authority to recommend formal rejection of non-compliant outputs and the suspension or withholding of milestone payments until compliance is achieved;

8. Providing structured reporting at each phase, including independent expert reports with findings, risk assessments, and mitigation strategies. These reports shall serve both as assurance for NEGU’s project management and as mandatory supporting documentation for the Consultant’s invoices under the Time-Based Contract;

9. Providing timely and accurate updates to NEGU and supporting its coordination with stakeholders.

It is envisaged that the assignment will take around 24 months to complete with an expected start date in January, 2026. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be downloaded on the below link:

https://cloud.uzbekistonmet.uz/index.php/s/2TTT4TpzYaktZ5M

National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan (NEGU) now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The best-qualified firms to carry out the services will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations. Following this invitation for Expression of Interest, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals

Shortlisting Criteria

• The Consultant shall be an independent consulting firm with at least 10 years of relevant experience in ERP or SAP system supervision, preferably in utilities or public sector.

• The firm should have carried out at least two similar ERP supervision assignments, each with a contract value of at least USD 1 million, preferably in multi-site or multi-wave implementations; experience in Eastern Europe or Central Asia is an advantage.

• The firm shall have sufficient qualified key experts (as specified in the ToR) to perform the assignment within the specified timeframe.

• The firm shall demonstrate strong management capability, including a robust quality assurance and risk management system.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” 7th Edition (September 2025), which sets forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all partners shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract if selected. For this assignment, the maximum number of partners in a joint venture shall not exceed two (2) firms. Participation as a sub-consultant or team member in multiple proposals is permitted only if allowed by the Request for Proposals

Further information can be obtained using the e-mail: pmu.modernization@gmail.com

Expressions of Interest should be submitted in English, electronically to the address below by October 13, 2025 17:00 local time to the email: pmu.modernization@gmail.com 

Information service of JSC «NEG of Uzbekistan» 

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