Request for Expression of Interest – Medium Scale Biogas Company

Background

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation is a non-profit, international development organisation founded 50 years ago, and now operating in 38 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Our global team of local and international advisors use their expertise in Agriculture, Renewable Energy, Climate Change and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to contribute to solving some of the leading problems facing the world today. We work with local partners to equip communities, businesses and organisations with the tools, knowledge and connections they need to increase their incomes and gain access to basic services – empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and guide their own development.

SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995, and currently has over 80 national and international staff. SNV Vietnam’s team works hand-in-hand with communities, government agencies and businesses, in some of the remotest and poorest areas of the country, to strengthen their capacity to effectively reduce poverty. SNV Vietnam operates from a head office in Hanoi and project offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Dak Lak, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces. Programme sectors include Renewable Energy, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), Sustainable and Inclusive Agriculture, and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). Within the Renewable Energy sector, SNV has over a decade of experience that focuses on installing household and medium scale biogas plants, working with the government on establishing an enabling policy framework, the distribution of improved cookstoves, and the production of energy from agricultural residue.

SNV Vietnam is seeking for 10 engineering/biogas companies to have strategic partnerships with for future projects in the field of medium scale biogas.
Objectives

It is SNV’s objective to find financing for a 3 to 5-year-project developing a strong foundation for a competitive medium scale biogas (MSB) sector that provides high quality services to the agricultural sector. The project is thorough in building capacity at all stakeholder levels necessary for a sustainable sector.

The starting premise of the project is that high quality technical service providers are essential for medium-scale biogas sector to develop. This premise recognises that with larger systems comes increased technical complexity. This is true not only for design and construction elements, but more importantly in regard to biogas and bioslurry utilisation optimisation, which have large influence on return on investment and ultimately drive the sector.

Activities

The aim is to partner with 5 to 10 engineering companies (or individuals) to built their capacity in the delivery of high quality medium scale biogas solutions to the market, including any downstream equipment and training. Therefore the companies would receive high level technical training in design, construction, operation and optimisation of medium scale biogas digesters and related technologies, including power generation equipment, thermal appliances and bioslurry value adding. Initial focus will be on plug-flow systems, but the approach will not limit itself to this.

Depending on the funding the training will likely to be delivered by international and national specialist(s) in the form of an intensive course syllabus and materials, along with ongoing coaching, mentoring and/or business partnerships.

It is also the aim to work with the engineering companies to develop a strong supporting workforce in the provinces through training of construction workers to construction methodologies of MSB. These workers will provide a skills base for constructing MSB that will be sub-contracted by the engineering companies. Business development and mentoring services will be provided to these construction workers. These construction workers will be predominantly sourced from the 1,500 mason database of the national biogas programme.

Deliverables

• will depend on the funding

Candidate profile

Willing to contribute investment/time in this market based program is of high importance. It is not SNV’s aim to subsidize the companies and/or pay for their time investment, the project is looking for strategic partners.

• National companies, there is no preference for your location. Ideally all 10 engineering companies will be spread widely over Vietnam
• Demonstrated expertise in engineering – experience with renewable energy sector, especially in MSB is a benefit;
• Demonstrated track record in design, construction and operation;
• Previous work experience with INGO desirable; 
• Good understanding of market based approach and inclusive business;
• Excellent spoken and written Vietnamese and basic English required;

Proposals

Consultancy firms or individual consultant(s) are invited to submit a competitive proposal for this assignment, submissions are allowed in Vietnamese, however English will be an advantage for your selection. Submissions need to include:

• Company profile
• Application letter
• Relevant qualifications and past experience
• CVs of key manager 
• Financial statement of the last three years
• Registration certificate

Please submit your proposals and questions to Dagmar Zwebe, Sector Leader Renewable Energy, at [email protected]. Full technical and cost proposals must be received by 24th of August 2015.