Selection of Consulting Services to conduct Feasibility Study of Zambia Forest Economy Development Program Assignment

REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA MINISTRY OF GREEN ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION) Project: Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) II Project Grant No.: P507971 Assignment Title: Request for Expression of Interest for Consultancy Services (Firm) to conduct a Feasibility Study and Preparation of Zambia Forest Economy Development Program Reference No.: ZM-MGEE-559991-CS-QCBS The Government of the Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE) has received financing from the World Bank, Climate Investment Funds (CIF), Global Environmental Facility (GEF), Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Nordic Development Fund and Scaling Climate Action by Lowering Emissions (SCALE) totaling USD 137 million to support the implementation of the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) II project in Copperbelt, Luapula, Muchinga, Northern and Southern provinces, and intends to apply part of the funds towards eligible payments under the contracts for Consultancy Services to conduct a Feasibility Study and Preparation of Zambia Forest Economy Development Program. Zambia’s forests constitute a strategic national asset that supports rural livelihoods, energy supply, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and broader economic activity. The Zambia Forest Economy Development Program is being advanced against a strategic vision to transform the sector into a productive, formal, and sustainable forest economy by 2035, with potential to contribute up to US$7–10 billion annually to GDP under higher-value processing and export scenarios, create approximately 300,000–500,000 market-sustained and formal jobs, strengthen annual public revenues, and conserve and restore forest resources at scale. Current program materials also indicate an indicative ten-year investment envelope of approximately US$2.60–3.58 billion across forestry and industry sub-sectors, to be phased over time and structured so that public finance is used primarily for public goods, reform, restoration, and de-risking, while larger-scale commercial investments are increasingly mobilized from private capital and development finance. The objective of this assignment is to engage a qualified consulting firm to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study and prepare an implementation-ready design for the Zambia Forest Economy Development Program in line with the phased program concept and existing program materials. The assignment shall assess the technical, economic, financial, institutional, environmental, and social feasibility of the proposed program and translate the findings into a coherent and operationally sound program structure. The scope of work shall be organized as a set of detailed tasks aligned to the phased program approach, including upstream diagnostics and reform analysis, identification and design of priority investments, and preparation of an implementation-ready program package. The consultant shall ensure that the work is sufficiently granular to generate actionable recommendations for Government decision-making, partner engagement, financing discussions, and subsequent program preparation. The shortlisting criteria for the firm will be as follows; i. The firm should have a multidisciplinary consulting team with qualifications and experience relevant to the scope and complexity of the assignment, and to include experts in forestry, economics, financial analysis, environmental management, program design, and GIS / spatial analysis, value chain development, private sector investment, institutional analysis, social assessment, legal and regulatory review; ii. Demonstrate experience in the assignment area; iii. Demonstrated experience in working with multilateral agencies and banks on similar or related assignments; and iv. Experience in SubSaharan Africa. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.13, 3.15, and 3.16 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” Sixth Edition, February 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method as set out in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” Sixth Edition, February 2025 The Ministry of Green Economy and Environment 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. 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 the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. Complete terms of reference are available and can be accessed on the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment website: https://www.mgee.gov.zm Expression of Interest should be addressed to: The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Green Economy and Environment P.O. Box 30147 LUSAKA, ZAMBIA Expression of interest (EOI) “CLEARLY INDICATING” the name of Consultancy in the subject must be submitted electronically to info@npcu.org.zm and copy emmanuel.makombe@tralard.org.zm and, Sibeso.Mataa@mgee.gov.zm. The deadline for submission of expression of interest is Friday, 24th July 2026 at 17:00 hours local / Zambian time. Head – Procurement and Supplies Unit For/Permanent Secretary MINISTRY OF GREEN ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT