Community-Based Organizations Engagement in Watershed Rehabilitation and Nature-Based in Suluta

NOTICE OF CALL FOR TENDER Title: Community-Based Organizations Engagement in Watershed Rehabilitation and Nature-Based Solutions in the little Akaki Catchment in Sululta town of Sheger city, Ethiopia Objective: This Service Agreement is to recruit capable and experienced CBO to the implementation of Nature Based Solutions for harvesting rainwater run-off and ultimately enhance ground water replenishment potential of little Akaki Catchment in Sululta town. Publication Date: September 8, 2026 Closure Date: September 22,2026 Service Procurement – Contracting CBOs for the implementation of Nature based Solutions measures for Integrated Watershed Restoration in the little Akaki catchment covering Bilisuma mountain micro catchment in Sululta town of Sheger city. Project Code: P04807 Donor reporting reference: DN01983, AVKE-00130 Country of Assignment: Ethiopia Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office Country/Location: Ethiopia Reporting to: Field Project Officer, Nbs4Water in Africa Ethiopia Awash Project Expected start date: September 20,2025 Type of contract: 180 days service contract for delivery of NbS for IWRM in little Akaki Catchment, covering Bilisuma mountain micro catchment in Sululta town Expected Contract end date: 30 April 2027 1. Context and Rationale Ethiopia faces a severe land degradation crisis, with more than eighty-five percent of its nationwide land area classified as moderately to severely degraded. Although recent policy interventions and national campaigns have achieved measurable improvements in overall forest cover and reduced localized deforestation rates, broad rural and peri-urban landscapes remain under extreme pressure. This ongoing ecological stress is driven by rapid demographic growth, continuous expansion of unsustainable agricultural practices, aggressive over-extraction of surface and groundwater resources, severe soil erosion, and persistent institutional gaps in land governance. Together, these drivers fuel a self-reinforcing cycle of ecosystem vulnerability and socio-economic fragility. As Ethiopia's fourth largest and most socio-economically utilized watershed, the Awash River Basin experiences acute environmental distress characterized by aggressive farmland expansion, industrial effluent pollution, soil salinization, and invasive species encroachment. The Upper Awash Sub-basin, which directly encompasses the rapidly growing Addis Ababa Metropolitan Area and its critical surrounding catchment highlands, bears the heaviest burden of these human-induced pressures. In response to these profound threats, the Government of Ethiopia has launched high-level strategic frameworks, including the nationally recognized Green Legacy Initiative, basin-wide master planning overseen by the Ministry of Water and Energy, and dedicated funding channels such as the Green Legacy and Landscape Restoration Special Fund. The IUCN's NbS4Water in Africa project contributes to watershed restoration result pathways that ultimately improve groundwater recharge in Addis Ababa. This project aligns directly with these overarching national priorities, seeking to systematically restore degraded catchments and enhance water-related ecosystem services through Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) and application of Nature-based Solutions. 2. About the Project The project focuses on promoting catchment protection through Nature-based Solutions (NbS), framed as best adaptive practices in the context of climate change and increasing land degradation. It aims to scale up NbS for watershed restoration in alignment with national basin development, land degradation neutrality, and landscape restoration goals. The general objective is to enhance water-related ecosystem services in key watersheds of the Awash sub-basin for the benefit of both people and the environment through the application of NbS. To achieve this, the project will strengthen action-oriented partnerships among community-based organizations (CBOs), the wider public, national and local governments, and non-government actors. These partnerships will promote NbS that build knowledge, shape positive attitudes, and encourage good practices, mobilizing society as a whole to achieve large-scale watershed rehabilitation, restoration, and sustainable development and use. Four key outcomes have been proposed to deliver the project’s general objective: Outcome 1: Implement a range of watershed restoration measures, including site prioritization, support for CBOs, and integrated watershed management (IWM). Activities will also include strengthening catchment monitoring, foster inter-community dialogue, and supporting the creation of six catchment management plans and twelve community by-laws. This outcome will be delivered by 2028. Outcome 2: Conduct degradation mapping and restoration assessments, enforce catchment management plans and by-laws, and organize periodic community-led reviews to strengthen capacities for catchment management. This outcome will be delivered by 2027. Outcome 3: Identify alternative livelihood opportunities for women and youth, provide entrepreneurship training and tools, and facilitate market linkages for eco-friendly products. This outcome will be delivered by 2027. Outcome 4: Rehabilitate five community water points, supply water storage facilities to five schools and five health centres and conduct eight training sessions to raise awareness on personal and environmental hygiene. 3. Description of the Assignment The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is currently executing a strategic project focused on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for integrated watershed restoration within the Little Akaki Catchment. This crucial catchment is located in the north-western region of Addis Ababa, encompassing the Gulele and Addis Ketema Sub-Cities, as well as Sululta Town around the Entoto Peak and adjacent territories beyond Entoto. [...] Procurement details Reference: IUCN-26-08-Community-Based Organizations Engagement in Watershed Rehabilitation and Nature-Based in Procedure: SOP1 - Open Procedure Procurement type: Field - Repair & maintenance IUCN office (lead): ESARO Kenya Requisitioning unit: ESARO - Programme Coordination (KE) Project: P04807 Scaling up NbS for water in Africa Country of performance: Ethiopia Expected contract duration: 6 Months Estimated contract value: 25,000-199,999 CHF Currency of proposals: USD - United States dollar Language of documents: English Donor requirements: Not Any Deadline for questions: 15 September 2026 20:59 UTC Deadline for technical and financial proposals: 30 September 2026 20:59 UTC Expected contract award date: 14 October 2026 20:59 UTC Documents - Terms of Reference: Terms of Reference.pdf - Conditions for Participating: Conditions for Participating ENG-SPA-FRA.docx - Standard contract: Standard Agreement.docx The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership union of government and civil society organisations working on nature conservation and sustainable development. IUCN procures consulting services, goods and works for its projects worldwide through the IUCN Procurement Portal. For all contracts above CHF 25,000 IUCN selects contractors through a formal competitive tendering process under its Standard Operating Procedure 1 (Open Procedure). Interested bidders must register on the portal, review the Terms of Reference, the Conditions for Participating and the standard contract, and submit their technical and financial proposals through the portal before the stated deadline. Questions must be raised through the portal's Q&A function before the deadline for questions.