Funding Opportunities

Request for Proposals: Technical Support to 4C and the CLEAR Methodology

Summary

The United Nations Foundation’s (UNF) Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) is accepting proposals to provide technical support to the Clean Cooking & Climate Consortium (4C), which is a group of partners supporting the use of cooking energy interventions to achieve climate goals.

Background of Organization

The Clean Cooking Alliance works with a global network of partners to build an inclusive industry that makes clean cooking accessible to the three billion people who live each day without it. Established in 2010, CCA is driving consumer demand, mobilizing investment to build a pipeline of scalable businesses, and fostering an enabling environment that allows the sector to thrive. Clean cooking transforms lives by improving health, protecting the climate and the environment, empowering women, and helping families save time and money.

Objective

4C has recently released for public comment a draft version of the Comprehensive Lowered Emissions Assessment and Reporting (CLEAR) Methodology for Cooking Energy Transitions (CLEAR methodology,) the first-ever methodology for crediting emissions reductions from cooking projects to be applicable to all cooking transition scenarios. The selected organization(s) or consultant(s) will provide technical support for activities related to this methodology.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

CCA is currently seeking bids for technical expertise for the following five tasks. CCA may hire multiple firms to accomplish these tasks; bidders may bid on individual tasks or any combination of tasks, and CCA may accept bids for a subset of tasks proposed.

1) Statistical inputs into the development of sampling guidance for surveys, stove use monitoring, kitchen performance testing, and controlled cooking testing – CCA seeks a statistician with experience in the clean cooking sector to provide guidance on:

• Sample size requirements for measured parameters (primarily, stove and fuel usage, displacement of baseline technologies, uptake of project technologies, energy consumption, and household demographics).
• Design of sampling strategies to collect representative data for baseline and project scenarios, including at baseline and over the course of the project period.

2) Website development – CCA seeks support in developing interactive online versions of the CLEAR methodology and an accompanying Excel spreadsheet calculator tool that facilitates quantification of emissions reductions. The methodology is currently under review. After finalizing the details, 4C intends to create a fully functional interactive web-based version that will allow users to either enter default parameters or input their own data (with guardrails) to facilitate project design to accurately estimate baseline and project-based emissions. The platform will require the following characteristics and components:

• A virtual version of the methodology that guides users through decision points based on the given monitoring approach and baseline/project technologies.
• The ability to calculate emission reductions based on user inputs, and generate associated, automated reports providing transparent calculations and assumptions.

3) Carbon data platform development support

CCA seeks technical support to build on a carbon data platform currently under development. The platform will provide a “one-stop-shop” for project developers and other interested parties to select and compare a wide range of parameters necessary for calculating emissions from baseline, transitional, and clean cooking technologies and changes in emissions that result from interventions. The current activities include collecting all necessary data and building accessible web-based platform fields that can be queried by technical parameter, fuel, or geographic location. This add-on scope of work will be to develop functionality to allow users to calculate emissions reductions so that in addition to selecting and accessing data, users can also use the platform to perform calculations aligned with the CLEAR methodology.

4) Technical support to 4C

CCA seeks technical support for the 4C group in analyzing and communicating issues related to woodfuel sustainability, climate-forcing emissions associated with cooking fuels and technologies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and issues related to wood to charcoal conversion efficiencies. This entails attending weekly 4C meetings, contributing to future developments of the CLEAR methodology, representing 4C at both virtual and live conferences and workshops, and developing analytic models and simulations quantifying impacts associated with baseline, transitional, and clean cooking technologies.

5) Support for modeling of Fraction of Non-Renewable Biomass (fNRB)

The recent release of global default values for fNRB using the “Modeling fuelwood savings scenarios” (MoFuSS) model parameterized with global datasets has led to many requests from project developers and host-country stakeholders for more customized assessments using country-specific data. It has also generated interest in validating results of the MoFuSS model. CCA seeks technical support for both of these objectives. To facilitate country-specific modeling efforts, CCA will support the development of WebMoFuSS, a cloud-based version of the model that interested parties can populate with their own datasets and run the model using MoFuSS developers’ cloud-based servers. To facilitate validation of key assumptions and outputs from the MoFuSS model, CCA will support formative research into running MoFuSS models over the recent past in select locations known to be impacted by woodfuel harvesting and comparing MoFuSS outputs to observed woodfuel-driven changes in tree cover.

Project Period of Performance

The period of project of performance will cover 12 months from September 2024 to September 2025.

Technical Requirements

The selected organization(s) will need to have:

• Deep knowledge of the clean cooking sector
• Experience working with key stakeholders in the carbon market
• Experience working with country governments on clean cooking activities
• Expertise in statistics for Task 1
• Expertise in website development for Tasks 2 and 3
• Deep knowledge of carbon methodologies for clean cooking for Task 4
• Expertise in carbon emissions reductions especially related to woodfuel for Tasks 4 and 5
• Expertise modeling biomass renewability for Task 5

Timeline

Budget

A detailed budget in US Dollars must be submitted with the proposal. Budget should include both pre-tax and net of tax values. The budget should include direct costs (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Sub-Agreements, Equipment, Supplies, etc.), as well as indirect costs (overhead). For indirect costs, please indicate a list of expenses covered by the indirect rate. For all direct cost, please include assumptions that were made to arrive at line item costs (e.g. 2 trips @ $1,500/trip = $3,000 or 10 staff hours @ $60/hour = $600). For consultants applying individually, not as part of an organization or firm, the daily rate cap is $735.60. The total budget for all tasks is a maximum of $250,000.

If a bid has a mathematical discrepancy, CCA may correct the discrepancy and notify the Consultant of the adjustment. In such circumstances, the Consultant may choose to withdraw their bid.

Evaluation Process

The Clean Cooking Alliance will review all written proposals and may request a phone or in-person interview and/or updated submission to address questions or provide clarification.  CCA will use the following criteria in our evaluation.

Intent and Disclaimer

This RFP is made with the intent to identify a Consultant to deliver results as described in this RFP.  UNF/the Clean Cooking Alliance will rely on the Consultant’s representations to be truthful and as described.  The Clean Cooking Alliance assumes it can be confident in the Consultant’s ability to deliver the product(s) and/or service(s) proposed in response to this RFP.

If the Clean Cooking Alliance amends the RFP, copies of any such amendments will be sent to all respondents to the proposal.

Proposal Guidelines and Requirements

• This RFP is open to multiple partners and is a competitive process.
• Proposals received after 8/9/2024 at 8pm ET will not be considered.
• The price provided should be in US dollars and should contain both pre-tax and net of tax values. If the process excludes certain fees or charges, the applicant must provide a detailed list of excluded fees with a complete explanation of the nature of those fees.
• CCA prefers a single point of contact who manages deliverables. If the execution of work to be performed by the Consultant requires the hiring of sub-contractors, the Consultant must clearly state this in the proposal. Sub-contractors must be identified and the work they will perform must be defined. Subcontractors are subject to vetting and approval of UNF/CCA.
• CCA will not refuse a proposal based upon the use of subcontractors; however, we retain the right to refuse the sub-contractors you have selected.
• Provisions of this RFP and the contents of the successful responses are considered available for inclusion in final contractual obligations.

Format for Proposals

Proposals must include applicant signature as well as a signed declaration form. Proposals must include the full legal name of applicant, as well as legal formation and ownership structure (e.g. incorporation certification, tax status and ID, etc.).

Proposals must not exceed 10 pages.

Contracting and Compliance

CCA will negotiate contract terms upon selection. A copy of the contract terms and conditions will be provided upon selection. All contracts are subject to review by the UN Foundation’s Business Services and Budget Reporting team. The project will start upon the complete execution of the contract. The contract will outline terms and conditions, scope, budget, and applicable flow down terms. Selected recipient(s) must comply with Alliance, United Nations Foundation, and funder compliance requirements. The selected recipient(s) must also undergo detailed legal, financial, and commercial due diligence.

Release

The Consultant understands that the Clean Cooking Alliance has chosen to solicit an RFP for consulting services, and that the Consultant’s response does not guarantee that the Clean Cooking Alliance will enter into a new contract with the Consultant or continue any current contract(s) with the Consultant.

The Consultant agrees that Clean Cooking Alliance may, at its sole discretion:

• Amend or cancel the RFP, in whole or in part, at any time
• Extend the deadline for submitting responses
• Determine whether a response does or does not substantially comply with the requirements of the RFP
• Waive any minor irregularity, informality or nonconformance with the provisions or procedures of the RFP
• Negotiate with all Consultants UNF deems acceptable
• Issue multiple awards
• Photocopy the responses for evaluation/review

This RFP is not an offer to contract.  The Clean Cooking Alliance assumes no responsibility for Consultant’s cost to respond to this RFP. All responses become the property of the Clean Cooking Alliance and United Nations Foundation.

The Consultant, by submitting a response to this RFP, waives all right to protest or seek any legal remedies whatsoever regarding any aspect of this RFP.

The Consultant represents that it has responded to the RFP with complete honesty and accuracy. If facts provided in the Consultant’s response change, the Consultant agrees to supplement its response in writing with any deletions, additions, or changes within ten (10) days of the changes. The Consultant will do this, as necessary, throughout the selection process.

The Consultant understands it may receive proprietary and confidential information from the Clean Cooking Alliance during the RFP process (“Confidential Information”).  The Consultant and CCA agree to not use Confidential Information for any purpose other than the Consultant’s participation in the RFP process, and to not reveal Confidential Information directly or indirectly to any other person, entity, or organization without the prior written consent of the other party. The Consultant and CCA further agree to exercise all reasonable precautions to maintain the proprietary and confidential nature of Confidential Information where it can best demonstrate its value and capacity to delivery ecosystem-wide, meaningful value.

Grounds for Exclusion

Material misrepresentations, including omissions, may disqualify the Consultant from a contract award.

Submissions will be rejected in the Clean Cooking Alliance’s sole discretion if it finds that the Consultant has engaged in any illegal or corrupt practices in connection with the award.

The Consultant will be excluded from participation for the reasons below. By submitting a proposal in response to the RFP, the Consultant confirms that none of the below circumstances apply:

• The Consultant is bankrupt or being wound up, is having their affairs administered by the courts, has entered into an arrangement with creditors, has suspended business activities, is subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations.
• The Consultant or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a final judgment.
• The Consultant has been found guilty of grave professional misconduct; proven by any means which CCA can justify.
• The Consultant has not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established, or within the United States of America, or those of the country where the contract is to be performed.
• The Consultant or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have been convicted for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization or money laundering by a final judgment.
• The Consultant makes use of child labor or forced labor and/or practice discrimination, and/or do not respect the right to freedom of association and the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining pursuant to the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Principal Point of Contact

Please send questions to climate@cleancooking.org with cc: to Elisa Derby (ederby@cleancooking.org) by July 31, 2024.

Submission Details

Please send proposals in a single PDF via email to climate@cleancooking.org with cc: to Elisa Derby (ederby@cleancooking.org) by August 9, 2024 at 8pm ET.

Frequently Asked Questions:

General Questions:

Q: Are there any restrictions on the countries from which proposals can be submitted?
A: No

Q: Can the work for this project be performed remotely/are there any specific location requirements?
A: There are no requirements related to the location of those bidding on this solicitation.

Q: How should applicants approach budgeting for tasks described in this RFP?
A: The RFP intentionally does not prescribe a specific level of effort for each task, and leaves it up to partners to propose their own level of effort. Please detail any assumptions you make about the level of effort required for any individual task, and the basis for those assumptions, as well as the daily rates you propose.

Q: Is there a possibility of extending the deadline for proposal submissions?
A: We are unfortunately on a tight timeline to undertake this work given next steps for the methodology and cannot extend the current proposal submission deadline. We do anticipate having future 4C technical assistance needs; partners wishing to be contacted directly when future solicitations are posted may submit their information to the climate@cleancookng.org email address.

Q: Do bidders need to develop separate bids for each task?
A: No, proposals can include multiple tasks.

Q: Is there a specific template provided for the declaration form?
A: This RFP does not provide a specific template for the declaration form. You may use your own format

Q: Are CVs for technical personnel required to be included in the proposal? If so, are they subject to the proposal’s 10-page limit?
A: CVs for technical personnel may be included as an annex, not subject to the page limit for this RFP.

Questions about Task #1 (Statistical inputs into the development of sampling guidance for surveys, stove use monitoring, etc.)

Q: What constitutes a sampling strategy?
A: An effective sampling strategy will ensure that the collected data is statistically valid and representative of both baseline and project scenarios over the project period. The selected statistician will develop guidance to help project proponents determine the most appropriate sampling methods and sample sizes, among other considerations.

Q: Is there a geographical focus for the sampling strategies?
A: There is no geographical focus for the sampling strategies. They should be adaptable to various geographical regions where clean cooking projects are implemented.

Questions about Task #2 (Website development)

Q: Will the website be a brand-new website in a new domain? Or will it be an add-on in the existing domain of CCA?  A: This will likely be part of the existing CCA website, but a final decision has not yet been made.

Q: Would an online Power BI version of the Excel files in use be valid?
A: The interactive methodology website will need to include decision trees based on relevant project parameters and an interactive version of the methodology calculator tool.

Q: How will input data be captured? Will the user have to enter each detail one by one?
A: The specifics of how input data will be entered are yet to be determined; bidders should include any proposed approaches in their proposal.

Q: Is this website expected to exclusively support the CLEAR methodology framework?
A: Yes, the website is specific to the CLEAR methodology. It is not intended for calculating emissions reductions using other existing methodologies.

Questions about Task #3 (Carbon data platform development support)

Q: What range of technologies will the carbon data platform consider?
A: The carbon project input data platform will include data for a wide range of technologies and fuels, including but not limited to biomass stoves (wood, charcoal, and pellets), LPG, electricity, and biogas. The goal is to develop a comprehensive online data repository of cookstove carbon project input data.

Q: What is the current data platform that is under development? Is the scope to complete it or develop from scratch?
A: The carbon data platform that is under development is an online, open-access platform that aggregates key input data for cookstove carbon projects. The selected consultant(s) will add functionality to the in-progress data platform to allow for emissions reductions calculations.

Questions about Task #4 (Technical support to 4C)

Q: What is the geography of focus for the 4C meetings, workshops, and live conferences?
A: The geography of focus for in-person 4C events is not fixed and may include locations in the US and Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to virtual meetings and convenings.

Questions about Task #5 (Support for fNRB modeling)

Q: What is the country in focus?
A: This task does not focus on any one country.  Country-specific activity locations will be determined during the implementation of the work.

Q: Will this model be used externally? Or is it an internal CCA asset?
A: The MoFuSS model is not a CCA asset. You can learn more about the model here: MoFuSS website.

Q: Will this cloud-based model be hosted on a separate web?
A: To be determined