TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)

Appointment of Contractor – Multiple Water Use System in Kalulushi & Lufwanyama Districts

Title: Multiple Water Use System in Kalulushi and Lufwanyama Districts

Area of assignment: Chembe Community in Kalulushi and Kapilamukwa community in Lufwanyama, Zambia

Expected starting date: 1st December, 2025

Expected completion date: 19th December, 2025

Duration of assignment: 3 weeks (inclusive of close-out)

1. Background

iDE Zambia seeks to improve sustainable water access and management in rural agricultural communities within the Copperbelt Province. These communities face scarcity driven by unreliable surface sources and over-dependence on seasonal rainfall.

This initiative will establish Community-Managed Water Systems (CMWS) that:

●       Improve year-round household water access

●       Reduce women’s time and labour burdens

●       Increase productive agricultural output

●       Enhance climate resilience

●       Strengthen local stewardship

●       Enable revenue generation reinvested into community infrastructure

The target districts sit on the boundary of Agro-ecological Zones 2 and 3, averaging 800 mm annual rainfall and a four-month growing cycle. Despite healthy soils, communities lack proximity to perennial water sources, severely limiting productive use, horticulture participation, and income potential.

2. Strategies & Expected Results

• Drill a commercial borehole - Increased access to safe drinking water; reduced contamination; productive irrigation use.
• Empower community committees to manage water in a commercial manner - Sustainable management, increased resilience, reduced labour burden on women & children.
• Pilot private-sector management model - Commercial viability demonstrated; fees reinvested in community priorities.
• Provide irrigation & production management training - Increased revenue base; improved water-use efficiency.
• Design a water-reticulation model - Water allocations optimized to supply

 3. Scope of Work

The selected Contractor shall:

1. Fabricate and install one (1) steel tank stand capable of supporting 2X 10,000 (20,000-litre total ) water storage tank at a finished height of 13 m.
2. Must provide structural calculations accounting for wind loads, dynamic loads (slosh), and maintenance access.
3. Supply and install a solar-powered pump sized to meet the specified pump duty point (flow volume and total dynamic head requirements).
4. Supply and install a solar PV array.

•  Roof-mount allowed only with structural proof.

1. Construct diamond-mesh perimeter fencing with lockable gate and signage.
2. Install one internal test tap for operational checks.
3. Provide two lockable, metered outlets:

• Household consumption
• Productive/agricultural use

1. Ensure safety, tamper-proof cable routing, and fastener security per community context.

All works shall comply with relevant Zambian standards and regulatory laws.

4. Final Review, Presentation & Close-Out

Following installation:

●       A Technical Committee consisting of representatives from Local Councils, Ministry of Water, Nkana Water Supply & Sanitation, Ministry of Agriculture, and iDE will conduct a site inspection.

●       The Contractor shall present deliverables to:

○       Community Water Management Committees

○       Nkana Water

○       District stakeholders

A commissioning certificate must be issued and accepted prior to final payment.

5. Outputs & Timeline

Scope of Work & Outputs | Due Date | Lead

• Signed agreement; inception meeting; baseline deliverables confirmed | Week 1 | iDE
• Confirmation of Bill of Quantities (BoQ) (submitted with bid), technical costing, procurement of materials | Week 2 | Contractor / iDE
• Fabrication of steel tank stand; installation of tank, pump, PV array, piping, metering | Week 3–4 | Contractor
• Commissioning tests; operator training; as-built drawings submitted | Week 4 | Contractor
• (Close-out) - Final review, presentation, approval by Technical Committee; submission of:

> Final as-built drawings

> Warranty documentation

> Training report

> Commissioning certificate

(Week 5 | Contractor / Technical Committee / iDE / Nkana Water and iDE)

6. Commissioning & Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance requires:

• Demonstrated flow at required TDH
• No leakage and maintained pressure observed under sustained operation
• PV output meets calculated system demand
• Electrical safety checks passed
• Metering and valves operational
• Documentation submitted (as-built, manuals, warranty forms)

Upon acceptance, a 12-month defects-liability period begins.

7. Required Deliverables

• Structural drawings
• Pump curve, yield estimation, and energy balance
• BoQ submitted with proposal (mandatory)
• As-built drawings (PDF + editable format)
• Commissioning certificate
• Training workshop report
• Warranty documentation
• Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) plan
• Proof of insurance coverage

 8. Team Composition and Qualifications

iDE requires that the Contractor assign a qualified Project Leader to oversee all works and maintain responsibility for design, safety, installation quality, documentation, and stakeholder coordination. The Project Leader must be available for the duration of the works from mobilization through acceptance. iDE may request replacement of the Project Leader if qualifications, performance, or availability are deemed insufficient.

In addition to the Project Leader, the Contractor must demonstrate access to appropriately skilled personnel necessary to safely execute this assignment. This includes competencies in structural steel fabrication, solar PV integration, pump installation and commissioning, work-at-height safety, welding, hydraulic testing, and community operator training. Such competencies may be delivered by in-house staff or qualified subcontractors. iDE reserves the right to review and reject any personnel deemed insufficiently qualified.

Project Leader / Team Leader (Required)

Minimum Qualifications, Professional Requirements, and Duties

• Qualifications: Master’s degree in Civil, Environmental, Sanitation, or related Engineering field; Minimum 5 years’ experience managing rural water or solar pump infrastructure projects.
• Professional Requirements: Registration with the Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) or proof of pending registration; Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams; Experience working with rural communities and government stakeholders.
• Duties: Overall responsibility for project delivery, quality assurance, schedule adherence, stakeholder liaison, oversight of structural integrity calculations, coordination of solar pump commissioning, verification of metering and outlets, approval of as-built documentation, oversight of operator training, submission of reports to iDE, coordination with the Technical Committee during inspection and acceptance, and formal sign-off prior to final handover.

9. Proposal Format

Technical Proposal

Bidders shall submit a Technical Proposal not exceeding ten (10) pages, excluding annexes, that addresses the requirements of this ToR. The Technical Proposal must be structured as follows:

1. Introduction and Interpretation of the Terms of Reference - A brief narrative demonstrating the bidder’s understanding of the assignment, contextual considerations, and critical success factors.
2. Methodology and Approach - A detailed description of the methodology to be used in undertaking the assignment, including:

a) How rigorous evidence-based estimates will be obtained to develop the Bill of Quantities (BoQs)

b) Approach to material quality assurance

c) Estimated cost of materials

3. Work Plan and Activity Schedule - A clear work plan aligned to the timeline in Section 3, showing:

a.      Sequenced activities

b.      Dependencies

c.      Milestones

d.      Quality control inspections

e.      Documentation handover

4.      Organizational Capacity and Relevant Experience. At least three (3) similar assignments performed in the last seven (7) years should be summarized.

5.       Key Personnel - Curriculum Vitae (possibly not exceeding 3 pages per CV) for the Project Leader and personnel with relevant competencies, demonstrating:

6.      Risk Mitigation Measures - A brief description of anticipated risks and control measures

7.      Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Approach -A summary of the bidder’s HSE plan.

Financial Proposal

Bidders shall submit a Financial Proposal denominated in Zambian Kwacha (ZMK) and inclusive of all applicable taxes and VAT. The Financial Proposal should clearly correspond to the methodology, scope, and timeline described in the Technical Proposal.

The Financial Proposal must include the following components (submitted in MS Excel format):

1. Cost Breakdown by Output / Milestone - A table aligned to the Outputs & Timeline presented in Section 5 of this ToR, showing the cost associated with each major output and milestone.
2. Personnel Costs For each staff member involved in this assignment, provide:

a.      Name and role

b.      Number of hours/days allocated

c.      Hourly/day rate

d.      Total labor cost per role

3.      Operational and Direct Costs -Specify any additional direct costs required to execute the assignment.

4.      Materials and Equipment - Provide itemized pricing: Bill of Quantities (BoQ) and Material Specifications - A detailed BoQ must be submitted as an annex and must include (BoQs prepared after contract award are not acceptable):

a.      Unit rates

b.      Material specifications

c.      Quantity calculations

d.      Warranty information

5.      Warranty and After-Sales Support -Where applicable, state costs associated with (Warranty compliance, Spare parts defects liability period support)

6.      Contingency - If included, contingency must:

a.      Not exceed 5%

b.      Be separately itemized

c.      Not be automatically billable (requires prior written approval)

7.      Final Lump-Sum Price - The proposal must present a final, all-inclusive lump-sum price in ZMW

8.      Validity Period -Financial proposals must remain valid for 90 days from submission deadline.

10. Evaluation Criteria

Category Points

Methodology & work plan 20

Relevant experience 25

Personnel qualifications 15

Warranty & after-sales support 10

Technical Total 70

Financial Proposal 30

Minimum technical score to open financial proposals: 70%

Eligibility and Mandatory Requirements:

The following eligibility criteria must be met in full for a proposal to be considered responsive Failure to provide evidence for any of the listed criteria will lead to automatic disqualification prior to detailed evaluation.

Type of eligible companies

• Legally registered engineering, construction, or water infrastructure companies with demonstrated experience in solar-powered water systems;
• Firms licensed to operate in Zambia and compliant with all national tax, labor, and safety regulations;
• Entities in good financial standing and not suspended, debarred, or under investigation by any donor agency or government authority.
• Disqualifying conditions
• A firm will be disqualified if:
• It is not legally registered or cannot provide a valid Zambian registration number;
• It has outstanding tax obligations or fails to provide a valid Tax Clearance Certificate;
• It has been convicted of fraud, corruption, collusion, or misrepresentation in any procurement;
• It submits incomplete documentation or fails to meet submission deadlines;
• There is evidence of conflict of interest, including shared ownership with another bidder;
• The firm or any of its principals appear on donor or government sanctions lists.
• Mandatory documentation
• Certificate of Incorporation or PACRA( Patents and Companies Registration Agency) registration
• ZRA Tax Clearance Certificate (compliance with national tax laws)
• Company profile and list of key personnel
• Evidence of at least three (3) comparable projects in the past seven (7) years
• Proof of physical business address in Zambia
• Bank reference letter or statement of good financial standing
• Audited financial statements for the last two (2) years
• Engineering Institute of Zambia Certification

11. Contractor responsibilities

The Contractor shall be fully responsible for the safe and successful execution of all works under this assignment. At minimum, the Contractor must:

1. Ensure Safe Working Practices

• Implement work-at-height controls, fall-arrest systems, and scaffolding where required.
• Conduct daily toolbox safety briefings.
• Comply with applicable Zambian occupational safety regulations.

2. Maintain Site Access Control

• Establish a secured work perimeter.
• Restrict access to unauthorized persons, with particular emphasis on children and community bystanders.

3. Secure Materials, Equipment, and Wiring

• Protect solar panels, wiring, structural components, and tools against theft, vandalism, and tampering.
• Implement secure cable routing and anti-theft fasteners.

4. Manage Environmental Waste Responsibly

• Collect, contain, and dispose of waste materials according to environmental best practices.
• Prevent contamination of soil and water sources.

5. Provide Training to Community Operators

• Deliver operational and basic troubleshooting training to community water management committees.
• Submit a training report summarizing attendance and competencies.

6. Submit As-Built Documentation

• Provide as-built drawings, commissioning reports, warranty documentation, and operating manuals prior to close-out.

7. Comply with the Approved HSE Plan

• Implement the site-specific Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) plan submitted and approved prior to mobilization.
• Maintain appropriate PPE for all workers.

8. Protect iDE and Community Assets

• Report incidents immediately.
• Repair damage caused by contractor negligence at no additional cost.

9. Maintain Mandatory Insurance Coverage

Prior to mobilization, the Contractor must provide valid certificates of insurance covering:

• Public Liability Insurance for third-party injury and property damage.
• Worker’s Compensation Insurance for all on-site personnel.
• Contract Works Insurance for damage, theft, or loss of materials, equipment, or structures during installation.

All policies must remain valid through the contract period and be submitted to iDE before mobilization. iDE reserves the right to verify the adequacy and validity of coverage and may require replacement of insufficient policies.

12. Submission Instructions:

Send proposals electronically to:

• Email: Zambia-procurement@ideglobal.org
• Subject line: RFP – Solar Water System Installation – Zambia – [Company Name]
• Deadline: 21 November 2025 – 12:00 Hours (CAT)

Clarification questions accepted until [November 19th, 2025], responses shared with all bidders.

Late submissions will not be accepted.