Sustainable Energy For All (SEFORALL)- Request For Proposal For Independent Verification Agent For Universal Energy Facility Stand-Alone Solar For Productive Use Programme (SSPU)

DEADLINE: 12TH DECEMBER, 2022
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL (SEFORALL)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION AGENT FOR UNIVERSAL ENERGY FACILITY STAND-ALONE SOLAR FOR PRODUCTIVE USE PROGRAMME (SSPU)

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an International Organization operating a worldwide multi-stakeholder platform focused on the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7). Launched as a UN initiative in 2011 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, SEforALL is widely acknowledged for its achievement in raising global awareness of the world’s sustainable energy challenges, ensuring they were included in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Now an independent international organization, SEforALL is directed by its CEO as it works toward the achievement of SDG7. The organization also supports the work of the CEO in her additional roles as Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All and as co-chair of UN-Energy. These roles include advising the UN Secretary-General and his staff on issues relating to sustainable energy and the implementation of SDG7 and supporting the coordination of sustainable energy issues in the United Nations system.

The ambitions of SDG7 on ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services by 2030 are extraordinary. Aiming to achieve them in the context of the Paris Agreement involves transformation at a scale never undertaken by humanity before. Swift action needs to be taken by leaders in governments, companies, institutions, financiers, development banks, unions and communities, entrepreneurs, and civil society. As a global team, SEforALL crafts interventions that support these leaders in accelerating the delivery of actions. All interventions comprise one or more of SEforALL’s competencies: (i) to marshal the evidence, (ii) to benchmark progress towards SEforALL objectives, (iii) to amplify the voices of the energy poor; (iv) to tell stories of success, and (v) to connect stakeholders and solutions. All interventions systematically draw on strategic insight, build on compelling communications, and are delivered through and include action-oriented partnerships. http://www.seforall.org/

Universal Energy Facility – Results-Based Financing
2020 marked the start of the final decade to achieve SDG7 – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all – by 2030. The world is not on track and a renewed sense of urgency and new approaches are required.

Providing finance at the speed and scale needed to achieve SDG7 requires a paradigm shift towards results-based financing (RBF). RBF allows governments and donors to shift the risk of delivery to the private sector and aggregates financing and scales support across multiple countries.

Understanding the benefits of RBF, SEforALL, launched and operationalized the Universal Energy Facility (UEF), a multi-donor RBF facility, to speed and scale up new energy connections in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, the UEF is a multi-donor RBF facility established to support the electrification of households, businesses, public institutions, and other potential electricity consumers in sub-Saharan Africa that do not have reliable access to modern electricity services. The UEF will provide incentive payments (i.e., grants) on a ‘results-based’ approach to selected eligible organizations that develop and operate systems and provide verified electricity connections. In 2020, the UEF was opened to mini-grid developers in Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Benin, and in August 2022, the UEF Stand-alone Solar for Productive Use (SSPU) opened in Nigeria. The SSPU component is limited to the deployment of stand-alone solar systems of between 100W and 5kW.

SCOPE OF WORK
In support of the UEF, SEforALL is implementing a robust project connection audit, and multi-faceted Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework, which includes on-the-ground verification to ensure the connections financed comply with programme requirements. As part of the Grantee’s Claims Report, the UEF performs remote connection verification through the UEF Platform. For remote verification, the UEF Platform enables the verification of the existence and consumption of every connection reported over 30 days through the Grantee Customer Relationship Management/Pay-As-You-Go platform (if applicable). The Grantee completes the verification process for all deployments or connections submitted in a claim before submission.

The audit and MEL framework also involves capturing the impacts that these energy access connections have on the lives of people and communities.

SEforALL seeks to engage a consulting firm to conduct on-the-ground verifications in Nigeria to verify SSPU deployments and connections at the reported locations and that they are operating in compliance with the UEF technical standards as per the Grantee’s Claims Reports. The consultant is expected to conduct verification visits in at least two states across each of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria in line with the Claims Report.

Specific tasks
The consulting firm will be responsible for the following tasks:

(i) Desk Review: Checking the information provided in all the Claims Report(s) to verify the following details:

(a) Identity of the end-use customer

(b) Customer category and type

(c) GPS coordinates and contact details of customers

(d) SSPU systems/inverter serial number (solar PV standalone or inverter system)

(e) Customer load (W or kW)

(f) Date of SSPU connection or deployment

(g) Gender of the customer (head of household/business)

(h) ID/project name and name of solar provider

(i) All electronics and PUE appliances directly receiving power from the SSPU system

(ii) Field Verification: Verifying a sample of connections per grantee (as communicated by UEF) according to UEF technical specifications which will include checking the following

(a) Actual SSPU System (PV modules and battery) Capacity

(b) Compliance with the minimum level of service as specified in the UEF SSPU operating manual (Attached as Annex I)

(c) Compliance with National Codes/Standards (where applicable)

(d) Actual Productive Use of Energy equipment/appliances being powered by SSPU system

(e) Verify the signed customer agreement and actual cost of SSPU to end-use customer based on the Customer Sales Agreement

(f) The Independent verification agent will also be required to take three to five photos per deployment site or equipment(system)

(iii) Collection of qualitative and quantitative information in addition to the information above through customer surveys of a sample of SSPU users in each location and for each category of SSPU users; SEforALL will provide the details of these users in advance. The consultant will be required to code the findings in a database and generate a summary of customer feedback. The purpose of these surveys will be to obtain information on the impacts of connections on livelihoods, gender, as well as economic and social impacts

(iv) Collaborate with SEforALL and UEF grantees to identify customers, and coordinate visits and logistics.

(v) Obtain written permissions and release forms from any individuals included in the photographs and the videos. Once the consultant is notified by the UEF that connections are ready for verification, on-ground verification will take place within seven days of notice.

Deliverables and Timeframe
The selected firm is expected to adhere to the following schedule of deliverables between 1 February 2023 to 30 March 2024 to achieve the following schedule of deliverables:

Duration of Assignment
14 months (1 February 2023 to 30 March 2024)

Travel
Duty travel is defined as travel that is requested as part of the performance of services under the Contract. Duty travel is usually from the duty station to the place of the mission and returns to the duty station.

Offerors should exclude any ‘duty travel’ related costs in their financial proposals. The financial proposal should include only costs related to professional services.

Qualification and Expertise
Organizations wishing to submit a proposal must have

• A presence in sub-Saharan Africa with the ability to travel to verification sites simultaneously (multiple sites at once)
• More than 7 years of demonstrated experience managing or evaluating programmes in the off-grid energy sector in sub-Sahara Africa; Prior experience in Nigeria is preferred
• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in conducting verification exercises in the energy sector, specifically within the off-grid electricity;
• The firm should have experts in Project Management, Electrical Engineering, Financial Analysis/Auditing Energy Economics, and Database Management.
• The Team leader will have expertise in one of the technical areas listed above as well as expertise and 10+ demonstrated experience in designing verification and survey methodologies and data collection tools and demonstrated experience in leading similar assignments. Other team members should have at least 5 years of experience in their respective fields.
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Bidding Process
Bidders are allowed to submit bids as a consortium. Proposals must include the following (in either PDF or PPT format). Technical and Financial proposal are meant to be submitted as separate documents.

How to Apply and Deadline
Please submit your proposals to procurement@seforall.org by 12 December, 2022, 17:00 CET.

In case of questions or queries contact SEforALL at procurement@seforall.org

Each SSPU deployment shall be based on the individual customer’s energy needs and affordability threshold. The UEF requires the Grantee to deploy high-quality SSPU systems, based on the contractual agreement with the customer that provides quality and reliable electricity supply and meets the minimum service standards listed in the tables below:

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