Foreign economic-aid-related services

Tender description

Cities and infrastructure for growth (CIG) DFID wishes to alert all interested parties that it intends to procure a new Economic Development Programme — Cities and Infrastructure for Growth — in Early 2017. This is a Prior Information Notice. Background Developing countries need to transform their economies if they are to eradicate poverty and meet the sustainable development goals. Reliable access to power, productive cities and infrastructure are vital. Leading world experts agree with this. For example, Paul Collier cites ‘connectivity’ (well-functioning cities and urban infrastructure) and energy as two fundamental prerequisites to Africa's economic transformation over the coming years. DFID country office and regional diagnostics have identified insufficient investment in these areas as binding constraints to growth. The Programme Subject to Ministerial approval, the UK will provide 165 000 000 GBP over 5 years for the CIG umbrella programme to support inclusive economic growth and job creation in DFID focus countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The CIG programme's objectives are to deliver outcomes in DFID focus countries in terms of: —Creating productive cities, —Improving access to reliable and affordable power, and —Increased investment into infrastructure services. It will do this principally by providing politically-engaged technical assistance (TA) to governments, municipal authorities and public agencies to: address constraints to private and public infrastructure investment; build capabilities for sector management; and support competitive cities through economic planning, smart industrial policy, urban planning and the development of municipal finance. It is proposed that CIG will comprise the following components: —A portfolio of country TA programmes —Innovation and Investment Fund (I2F) —Results, Management and Learning (RML) DFID intends to separately contract for each of the country programmes, although suppliers may bid for more than one. Suppliers are encouraged to form consortia including with local firms based in CIG operating countries. The RML will provide independent oversight and results verification of the country programmes, as well as manage the I2F. Given this role, suppliers may not simultaneously be part of consortia bidding for RML and country programme contracts. DFID intends to hold a Supplier Engagement Day on a date to be confirmed. The objective of this meeting is to seek feedback and views from the market on the overall programme concept. Ahead of the event DFID will solicit initial reactions from the market through a short survey (responses will not be made public). Further details will be available by registering your interest via the DFID Supplier Portal.