1. The Kigali Urban Fabric Initiative (UFI)

The project is sponsored by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) And European Union (EU). Urban Fabric Initiatives (UFIs) a participatory project to develop public spaces and social facilities in a collaborative manner, bringing together all stakeholders involved in the production of the city.

The Kigali Urban Fabric Initiative (UFI) is an informal settlement upgrading project implemented in conjunction with the City of Kigali under the Kigali Informal Settlement Upgrading Project (KISUP).  The aim is to fund small-scale public space upgrading and community infrastructure projects co-designed and co-produced by residents and urban stakeholders, implemented in close collaboration with local authorities (community representatives and the City of Kigali).

Three partnering organisations have been appointed as a consortium to be the Kigali UFI Operator: Rwanda Women’s Network (RWN; based in Kigali), Bantu Studio Design & Research (Bantu; based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Espelia (based in France). RWN is a local non-profit organisation responsible for stakeholder and community engagement and project administration. Bantu is responsible for the co-design and co-construction of selected social facilities within the project, as well as quality control advising to the City of Kigali. Espelia is a French consulting firm with expertise in the design and implementation of economic, financial, institutional, and organizational aspects of public policies and projects in emerging and developing countries, and is responsible for the development of operation & maintenance (O&M) strategies and a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for the project.

Collectively, the RWN-Bantu-Espelia consortium has been engaged by AFD for a three-year contract to implement the Kigali UFI within three informal settlements of Kigali.  The UFI Operator sees this project as an opportunity to not only build positive interventions but also to establish real, measurable, and lasting socio-economic benefits to the surrounding communities. The UFI Operator, together with Sectors’ elected Community Upgrading Committees (CUCs), developed the ‘Impact Strategy’ that focuses on the positive change brought by the construction of the interventions. It has six goals, each of which considers the overall welfare of the communities and the ways small projects can make a larger impact:

• Keep project expenses in the community: The project aims to boost the local economy by prioritizing spending within the sectors where facilities are built. Community members will be actively involved in construction, with a focus on local contracting, and job creation.
• Develop tradecraft: The project aims to enhance the skills and experience of construction crew members, enabling them to take on more complex projects in the future. Workmanship quality will be assessed, with skill-building workshops provided as needed.
• Support underrepresented and vulnerable groups: Economic benefits of the project expenditures should be equitably distributed amongst participants regardless of gender, age, religion, etc. Unemployed or under-employed individuals should be prioritised for work they are capable of performing. The participation of women disabled and/or other vulnerable groups shall make up at least 30% of the construction workforce. For Unskilled labour, the contractor shall prioritise the selection of individuals on the “List of Interest”, which is a regularly maintained registry of unemployed/under-employed individuals who have expressed interest in applying for Unskilled Labour positions within the project. This list will be created and maintained by the Construction Committee, determining its prioritisation criteria and rotational employment strategy, and keeping contact details and employment status up to date over time.
• Mainstreaming of environmental sustainability: The project will prioritize sustainable materials and practices in construction and maintenance while educating workers on sustainability considerations for future projects. This includes using low-carbon and locally sourced materials, integrating nature-based solutions, recycling, and planning for material maintenance and end-of-life treatment.
• Create a fair, transparent structure for implementation; A transparent and fair selection process will be established for contractors and workers, incorporating input from all relevant stakeholders, including the UFI and Sectors’ elected Community Upgrading Committees (CUCs). Clear communication protocols will ensure broad access to opportunities, while defined roles and requirements will guide participation. A fair recruitment policy will be implemented, with flexibility for amendments as needed.
• Prepare a way of working for longer-term projects: The five outlined goals will be integrated into the public tendering process for the next phase of UFI, ensuring alignment with Rwandan public procurement regulations.

1.2. The Construction Committee

The UFI Operator, together with elected community representatives, formed sectors’ construction committees that will oversee labour selection and construction management.

The Construction Committees will oversee recruitment, project management, and compliance to ensure fair and inclusive employment practices. It will document meetings, and update stakeholders. The committees will manage the List of Interest (registry of individuals who have expressed interest in applying for Unskilled Labour positions), prioritizing and rotating employment opportunities while maintaining applicant records. The committees will evaluate contractor bids, and organize training sessions on skills, inclusivity, and sustainability where needed. Additionally, it will enforce safety standards on construction site and ensure contractor compliance with recruitment policies.

1.3. Lots and Scope of work

The UFI team (RWN-Bantu-Espelia) is seeking contractors to execute renovations and improvements to three water collection kiosks and sites in Rwezamenyo and Nyakabanda Sectors, to be tendered in two separate lots.  Each lot will have a three-month construction timeline.

Lot 1 will consist of a single water kiosk in Nyakabanda.

Lot 2 will consist of two water kiosks in close proximity to each other in Rwezamenyo.

Each lot will be evaluated separately. A prospective bidder may bid on one or both lots.  In the case where contracts are awarded to different bidders, the two lots will have separate contracts. In the case where a single bidder is awarded both lots, it may be done through a single contract, but the total construction timeline to complete both lots remains the same.

The scope of work for each lot is given in the tables below. Detailed drawings, specifications and a bill of quantities (BoQ) will be made available only to shortlisted bidders following the first stage of evaluation.

 2.    Recruitment

2.1.    Pre-qualification

The construction committees will evaluate eligibility to bid based on the following criteria:

Non-compliance with the minimum requirements will result in disqualification.  All other bidders will be evaluated and scored as indicated above.

2.2.  Qua

Any bidder scoring higher than 45 points, or the highest three bidders, whichever is more, will be invited to submit their financial and technical proposals. Subject to availability of construction permit, the complete construction drawings, bill of quantities, and other necessary documentation will be released to the shortlisted bidders.

Bids considered to be unrealistically low for the amount and quality of work expected may be asked for clarification. If the UFI Operator considers a bid to be a serious risk to the execution of the work, it may be eliminated. All other bids will be assessed on lowest cost. The selected bidder will be invited for contract negotiations.

2.3. Application Process

2.3.1 Submission & Evaluation

All documentation must be submitted in PDF format to rwawnet@rwanda1.rw not later than 04^th, April 2025 at 17:00 o’ clock. The candidates who will meet the criteria will be scheduled to do interview on 14 April 2025 at Rwanda Women’s Network Head Office (Gacuriro) from 10;00 am

2.3.2  Additional information

Questions, requests for clarity, or requests for additional information may be addressed to:

rwawnet@rwanda1.rw

Bidder’s Commitment to Monitoring, Evaluation, and Data Provision

I, the undersigned, representing [Bidder’s Name in case of company, cooperative, or legal entity], hereby confirm our willingness to participate in the monitoring and evaluation activities (tracking studies) of the Kigali Urban Fabric Initiative (UFI) Project, as required.

We acknowledge the importance of ongoing assessment and commit to:

• Providing necessary data and information relevant to project evaluation;
• Conducting an honest self-assessment of our knowledge and experience in sustainability practices;
• Responding to questions related to sustainability before, during, and after the project implementation;
• Cooperating with designated project evaluators and stakeholders to ensure transparent and effective monitoring.

We understand that this commitment is essential for the continuous improvement of the UFI Kigali project and agree to comply with requests for information and participation in evaluation processes.

Bidder’s Name: _______________

Authorized Representative: _______________

Designation: _______________

Date: _______________

Signature: _______________

LIST OF PROJECTS COMPLETED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS BY PROPOSED KEY SKILLED STAFF (one form per key staff member)

Role:

Staff’s Name: _______________

Place of residence: _______________

Date: _______________

Signature: _______________

PROJECT EXPERIENCE DETAILS BY {BIDDER’S NAME]  (one form per project)

Bidder’s Name: _______________

Authorized Representative: _______________

Designation: _______________

Date: _______________

Signature: _______________