Development of an Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESPC) Model for Energy Efficiency in Government Buildings for Botswana.

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), on behalf of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), invites qualified and interested firms to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in an upcoming solicitation for the provision of technical assistance for Development of an Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESPC) Model for Energy Efficiency in Government Buildings for Botswana.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), on behalf of CTCN, seeks to engage a qualified consulting firm to provide the technical assistance requested and endorsed by the National Designated Entity (NDE) of Botswana.

The objective of this assignment is to support the development of an enabling environment for Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESPC) in Botswana’s public building sector by establishing the necessary policy, institutional, technical, and financial foundations to facilitate energy efficiency investments.

Botswana has made notable progress in strengthening its energy sector and expanding electricity access, supported by national development strategies and infrastructure investments. At the same time, improving energy efficiency, particularly in public and commercial buildings, has emerged as a key opportunity to enhance energy security, reduce operational costs, and contribute to climate mitigation objectives. Public buildings such as offices, hospitals, and schools represent a significant share of electricity demand, driven by lighting, cooling, and equipment use, and therefore offer strong potential for cost-effective energy savings.

Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) and Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESPC) models are internationally recognized mechanisms for delivering such improvements. Under ESPC arrangements, investments in energy efficiency are repaid through verified energy savings, enabling building owners to implement upgrades without upfront capital expenditure while transferring technical and performance risks to specialized service providers. These models have been successfully deployed in more mature markets, where enabling frameworks, standardized contracts, and access to finance support large-scale implementation.

In Botswana, efforts to promote energy efficiency have been initiated through policies and guidelines, but implementation mechanisms remain limited. There is currently no structured ESCO market, and the use of performance-based contracting is not yet institutionalized.

Botswana is well positioned to initiate the development of an ESCO market through a structured intervention focused on public-sector pilot projects. By combining enabling frameworks, technical tools, and the design of appropriate financing and de-risking mechanisms, the proposed initiative aims to establish the foundations for a scalable and sustainable energy efficiency market aligned with national development priorities.

Expected Outputs include:

1. Project Management (Mandatory Output)

2. Establishment and Operalization of a National ESPC Working Group

3. ESCO Markets, Policy and Financing Landscape assessed

4. ESPC and ESCO Framework Developed

5. Priority ESPC Pilot Pipeline Identified and Prepared

6. ESPC Financing Structures and Derisking Mechanisms Designed

7. Capacity Building Delivered

Detailed requirements will be provided in the solicitation documents to be issued following the closure of this REOI.

Specific Requirements/Information The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) is the Operational arm of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and hosted by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The mission of the CTCN is to promote accelerated development and transfer of climate technologies at the request of developing countries for energy-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient development. CTCN provides technical assistance to the countries using its own funds ( which it recives through voluntary contributions of donor) or through the other funding sources specifically the Green Climate Funds (GCF) through the Readiness Programme. The requests for Technical Assistance (TA) are submitted to the CTCN by the National Designated Entity (NDE) of the respective country. CTCN has developed a response plan and expect to implement the technical assistance.

In case you are not a CTCN network member yet, you may apply for this REOI and subsequent soliciation (Request for Proposal), subject to the condition that you submit your completed application for CTCN membership before the proposal submission closing date, which will be communicated in the subsequent Request for Proposal in due course of time. Furthermore, the contract award – should your proposal be selected – is conditional to your application for CTCN network membership being approved by CTCN management. The requirement to join the CTCN network is only relevant to the main bidder and not subcontractors. Please find more information to join CTCN Network at- https://www.ctc-n.org/network

The purpose of this REOI is to identify suitable firms who may be invited for the Request for Proposal after the REOI is closed. In addition to CTCN registration, all applicants should also be registered (free of charge) at United Nations Global Marketplace (www.ungm.org).

IMPORTANT:

Please note that this REOI is not an invitation for submission of tenders. Its purpose is to identify companies that would be interested and eligible to participate in the solicitation when issued. UNON will examine the outcome of this request for EOI and will consider those companies that have expressed their interest . UNON reserves the right to change or cancel the requirement at any time during the EOI and/or solicitation process. Thus, submitting a reply to this Request for EOI does not automatically guarantee your company will be considered for receipt of the solicitation when issued.