Request for expressions of interest

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Request for expressions of interest

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

The Republic of Azerbaijan

Project Preparation in relation to: Competitive and Resilient Agriculture and Irrigation Services (CRAIS) Project

Loan/Grant No.: TF0D1739

Assignment Title: Review and Updating of Feasibility Studies, Technical Assessments and Detailed Engineering Design for Irrigation Schemes

Reference No.: CRAIS-P515925-CS-CQS/1

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan has received grant financing from the World Bank for the preparation of the proposed Competitive and Resilient Agriculture and Irrigation Services (CRAIS) Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), as the Grant Recipient, is the Contracting Authority for this assignment. The Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency (ASWRA) is the direct beneficiary and recipient of the assistance and will provide technical coordination for the assignment.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include:

Phase 1: Comprehensive assessment and prioritization of 4 irrigation schemes under Component 1 of the CRAIS Project, to identify the viable schemes amongst these 4 schemes which can be supported and financed by the World Bank, and to recommend the most suitable / readiest (priority) sub-project.
Phase 2: Updating of the necessary technical and economic assessments and feasibility studies for all viable schemes to inform CRAIS project appraisal (April 2027), starting with the priority sub-project. This includes independent dam safety assessment (including dam dependency review under ESF ESS4 Annex 1), conceptual designs for rehabilitation/modernization of hydraulic structures, canal lining, automation, telemetry and SCADA systems, and economic/financial analyses.
Phase 3: Finalize the engineering design for the most ready (priority) sub-project only, including the preparation or updating of detailed engineering designs, construction drawings, Bills of Quantities, Technical Specifications and draft Technical parts of the works/equipment bidding documents (Section VII – Works’ Requirements under FIDIC Red Book). The Consultant shall, upon the ASWRA’s request, provide technical clarifications and supporting information concerning design changes made under this assignment required for obtaining the necessary approvals from relevant government bodies.

The expected implementation period is 12 months, with an anticipated commencement date of January 2027.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following link, or interested parties are requested to contact the addresses below.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan 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.

Participation is open to eligible consulting firms from Azerbaijan and other countries, either individually or in association.

Shortlisting Criteria

Interested consulting firms shall provide information demonstrating that they have the qualifications and relevant experience required to perform the Services. The assessment will focus on the firm’s relevant corporate experience and organizational capacity. Key Experts will not be evaluated at this stage.

The criteria are:

(i) Corporate experience in irrigation and water resources infrastructure: Relevant experience in the assessment, rehabilitation and modernization of irrigation systems, canals, hydraulic structures and associated water resources infrastructure.
(ii) Feasibility studies and technical-economic assessments: Relevant experience in reviewing, preparing or updating feasibility studies, technical assessments, investment options, cost estimates and economic or financial analyses for irrigation or related infrastructure projects.
(iii) Engineering design and procurement readiness: Relevant experience in detailed engineering design, construction drawings, Bills of Quantities, technical specifications, cost estimates and preparation of technical requirements for works and/or equipment procurement.
(iv) Dam safety assessment: Relevant experience in dam safety assessments and the evaluation of dams, hydraulic structures and associated risks, including recommendations for safety-related measures where applicable.
(v) Irrigation modernization and multidisciplinary project delivery: Relevant experience in irrigation automation, telemetry, SCADA or digital water management systems, and delivery of multidisciplinary assignments involving relevant engineering, environmental, social, economic or stakeholder engagement aspects.

The assessment will also consider the firm’s core business, organizational and project management capacity, and experience working with government agencies, public sector entities or water and irrigation institutions.

Firms may demonstrate their qualifications through relevant assignments undertaken individually or as part of an association, with their respective roles and contributions clearly identified.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” September 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting 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 the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s Qualification-Based Selection (CQS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations and to be specifically set out in the Request for Proposals.

Further information can be obtained at the addresses below during office hours (Monday to Friday 09:00 to 18:00 hours).

Expressions of interest must be delivered in written form to the addresses below (in hard copy or by e-mail) by November 16, 2026 cob.

Consultants are strongly encouraged to limit their Expression of Interest to 30 pages. Company brochures may be attached as an Annex and will not count toward the 30-page limit.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan

AZ1025, Baku city, Suleyman Vezirov, 91

Attn: Mr. Parviz Yusifov / Project Coordinator

E-mail: perviz.yusifov@agro.gov.az

Attn: Ms. Vusala Asadova / Project Procurement Specialist

E-mail: vasadova@gmail.com

ADDENDUM No 1

TO THE REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

The Republic of Azerbaijan

Project Preparation in relation to: Competitive and Resilient Agriculture and Irrigation Services (CRAIS) Project

Loan/Grant No.: TF0D1739

Assignment Title: Review and Updating of Feasibility Studies, Technical Assessments and Detailed Engineering Design for Irrigation Schemes

Reference No.: CRAIS-P515925-CS-CQS/1

CLARIFICATION RESPONSES REGARDING THE TERMS OF REFERENCE

The following clarifications are provided to ensure a common understanding among all prospective consultants of the scope of the assignment.

As set out in the Terms of Reference (TOR), the assignment is structured in three phases:

Phase 1 covers review of existing studies, feasibility studies, technical-economic assessments, conceptual designs, hydraulic data, operational records, and intensive technical consultations with ASWRA, irrigation institutions, local stakeholders, and relevant government entities regarding rehabilitation and modernization priorities for the irrigation schemes under Component 1 validating the viability and readiness of the irrigation schemes for World Bank financing, and identifying the needs and scope for updating existing documentation.

Phase 2 covers the preparation or updating of the necessary technical and economic assessments and feasibility studies for all viable sub-projects identified under Phase 1. The selected priority sub-project will be addressed as a priority to inform the subsequent detailed design work. The feasibility-level work for the remaining viable schemes should provide the necessary inputs for CRAIS project appraisal.
Phase 3 is limited to the selected priority sub-project and covers the detailed engineering design and preparation or updating of the technical documentation required to bring that sub-project to full procurement and implementation readiness.

Accordingly, the clarification below should be read together with the TOR and does not amend the scope of the assignment.

No.	Question / Issue Raised	Clarification
1.1	Is it intended to assess the existing technical documentation for all four projects against the requirements of the World Bank and identify any gaps?	Yes. Under Phase 1, the Consultant is required to review the existing feasibility studies, technical-economic assessments, conceptual designs, expert review reports, hydraulic analyses, preliminary technical studies, as-built drawings and operational records for the irrigation schemes under Component 1. Based on this review and consultations, the Consultant shall prepare a readiness assessment for each scheme covering, among other matters, data completeness, technical adequacy of the existing studies, key gaps, the estimated effort required for updating, and a preliminary ranking of readiness for financing. The purpose is to validate the viability and readiness of the proposed schemes for World Bank financing and identify the needs and scope for further work.
1.2	Will the analysis for the other three non-priority projects be conducted only at the feasibility study level, or will corrections and updates also be made to their existing project documentation?	Please refer to Section 3. Scope of Work of the disclosed TOR. Under Phase 2, the Consultant is required to prepare or update the necessary technical and economic assessments and feasibility studies for all viable sub-projects identified under Phase 1 to inform the CRAIS project appraisal. Section 3.2 of the disclosed TOR clearly states that Phase 2 is not limited to the selected priority/readiest scheme; all FSs for the viable schemes need to be updated as much as possible, as needed to complete the project appraisal. The level and extent of such updates should be consistent with the requirements of the TOR, including the essential inputs needed for project appraisal. Upon completion of works under Phase 2, the Consultants are required to deliver an Updated Feasibility Study Report for all viable sub-projects, including preferred options, preliminary technical solutions, indicative quantities and costs, economic/financial analyses, climate-resilience and SCADA recommendations, dam-safety findings, and indicative implementation schedules.
1.3	Which technical, economic, environmental and social criteria are expected to be taken as a basis when selecting the priority canal?	Please refer to Section 3. Scope of Work of the disclosed TOR. In accordance with the TOR, the recommendation of the priority/readiest sub-project shall be based on technical completeness of existing documentation, data availability, economic justification, climate-resilience benefits, dam-safety considerations, implementation readiness, and overall contribution to the objectives of Component 1. The Consultant's Phase 1 review and readiness assessment should provide the basis for this recommendation.
2.1	What is the technical and functional connection between the works envisaged for the Yengija Reservoir and the objectives and irrigation systems of the CRAIS Project?	The reference to Yengija in the TOR should be understood in the context of the Project Dam Dependency Note, which has a project-wide scope and covers all three CRAIS components. The TOR requires the Consultant to review dam dependency for dams on which the Project relies for water resources or whose failure could affect Project facilities. Yengija, which is under construction, is specifically mentioned as an example to be considered in relation to the Water Users Association/irrigation pilot under Component 2 in the Gabala district. Its inclusion in this context does not imply a technical or hydrological connection with the Component 1 irrigation schemes supplied through the Araz River and Bahramtapa Hydrojunction.
2.2	Which technical or project documents justify the inclusion of the works on the Yengija Reservoir within the scope of this consultancy service?	The Consultant's responsibility in relation to Yengija arises from the TOR requirement to prepare a Project Dam Dependency Note covering all three CRAIS components. The relevant task is to identify dams, including dams under construction, on which the Project relies for water resources or whose failure could affect Project facilities, and to assess the consequences of dam failure as required under the TOR. The reference to Yengija does not require detailed feasibility, engineering design or other works for the reservoir itself under this consultancy assignment.
2.3	Is the inclusion of the relevant paragraph in the TOR a technical error, a provision left over from a previous project, or related to an expansion of the project's scope?	The primary scope of this consultancy assignment is focused on the key irrigation schemes fed by the Araz River via the Bahramtapa Hydrojunction (including the Bash Mughan canal network). It reflects the broader scope of the Project Dam Dependency Note, which, as specified in the TOR, covers all three components of the CRAIS Project.