Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project

GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH

Name of Project: Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project

Sector: Education – Higher Education

Loan/Credit/Grant No.: 69390

Project ID No.: P168961

The People's Republic of Bangladesh has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project, implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the Ministry of Education, and intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, works, non-consulting services, and consulting services to be procured under the Project.

The Project aims to improve the quality, relevance, governance, resilience, and international competitiveness of higher education in Bangladesh through investments in institutional transformation, research and innovation, digitalization, quality assurance, regional and global partnerships, and enhanced project management and sector capacity.

The Project comprises the following components:

i. Component 1: Strengthening Regional and Global Partnerships in Higher Education

ii. Component 2: Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh

iii. Component 3: Enhancing Project Management, Results Monitoring and Communication

iv. Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response

Some of the key activities to be undertaken under the Project include, but are not limited to, the following:

Small Renovation Works:

Construction, renovation, expansion, and upgrading of higher education and research facilities, including academic and institutional infrastructure, research and Lab facilities, digital and ICT infrastructure, and other climate-resilient and energy-efficient facilities required to support the transformation of participating higher education institutions.

Goods:

Procurement of Lab and research equipment, ICT and networking equipment, servers and related digital infrastructure, office and institutional equipment, furniture, e-learning and digital learning resources, research materials, and other specialized equipment required for higher education, research, innovation, and project implementation.

Consulting Services:

Selection of consulting firms and individual consultants for institutional strengthening, higher education policy and reform, quality assurance, research and innovation, ICT and digital transformation, infrastructure design and supervision, monitoring and evaluation, project management, procurement, financial management, environmental and social management, communication, training, and other specialized technical assistance.

Non-Consulting Services:

Provision of training and capacity-building programs, workshops, conferences, events, communication and outreach services, ICT-related support and maintenance, data collection and surveys, and other operational and technical services required for implementation of the Project.

Procurement of contracts for Goods, Small renovations Works, Non-Consulting Services, and Consulting Services under Investment Project Financing (IPF) financed by the World Bank will be conducted in accordance with the World Bank's Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, as specified in the applicable Financing Agreement, and will be open to all eligible bidders and consultants as defined in the Regulations.

Specific Procurement Notices and Requests for Expressions of Interest for contracts to be procured under the Project will be announced, as they become available, through the World Bank's external website and, where applicable, relevant national procurement and publication channels.

Prequalification of suppliers and contractors, Initial Selection, and other appropriate procurement and consultant selection methods will be applied where required, based on the nature, value, complexity, and risk of the respective contracts, in accordance with the applicable World Bank Procurement Regulations.

The list of major procurement activities will include, among others:

Procurement Category Major Procurement Activities

Goods Lab and research equipment; ICT and networking equipment; digital infrastructure; furniture and institutional equipment; e-learning and digital learning resources. However, there are only a few packages valued at more than US$2.00 million.

Consulting Services Institutional strengthening; policy and quality assurance; research and innovation; ICT and digital transformation; infrastructure design and supervision; monitoring and evaluation; project management and technical assistance. However, there are only a few packages valued at more than US$1.00 million.

Non-Consulting Services Training and capacity development; workshops, conferences and events; communication and outreach; ICT support and maintenance; surveys and data collection. However, there are only a few packages valued at more than US$2.00 million.

Interested eligible firms and individuals who wish to be considered for the provision of Goods, Works, Non-Consulting Services, and Consulting Services under the Project, or those requiring additional information, should contact:

Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman Project Director Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project University Grants Commission of Bangladesh Dhaka, Bangladesh [contact details removed] 01938534828