Independent Verification Agent (IVA)

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

Country: Kosovo

Project: Kosovo Financial Sector Development (KFSD)

Project ID: P507881

Loan No.: 76840-XK and 76850-XK

Assignment Title: Independent Verification Agent

Reference No . (as per Procurement Plan): XK-MOF-575633-CS-CQS

Date: 06.10.2026

1. BACKGROUND

The World Bank, through the International Development Association, has extended a credit of EUR 49.3 million (USD 52 million) to the Government of Kosovo, under a financing agreement for the Kosovo Financial Sector Development Project. The main objective of the Project is to strengthen financial stability and promote financial inclusion in Kosovo by enhancing the capacity of the Deposit Insurance Fund, supporting access to finance for underserved firms, and catalyzing faster payment systems. The Project is structured as an Investment Project Financing incorporating elements of results-based financing through Performance-Based Conditions as well as Financial Intermediary Financing. Accordingly, the Project is organized into several components and subcomponents which reflect different implementation areas.

2. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of this assignment is to engage a qualified consulting firm to conduct the independent verification of the achievement of PBCs 1-7 as defined under the Project. The disbursement of the funds for the project is contingent upon the successful fulfillment of PBCs associated with each component and subcomponent for the project. In this context, the Borrower, represented by the MF, must submit satisfactory evidence to the World Bank in the form of a Verification Report.

3. SELECTION METHOD

The consulting firm will be selected using the Consultant’s Qualifications Selection (CQS) method in accordance with the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. The firm with the best qualifications and relevant experience will be invited to submit combined technical and financial proposals and negotiate the contract.

4. SHORTLISTING CRITERIA

The Consultant shall meet the competence related criteria as follows: A minimum of ten (10) years of institutional experience providing advisory, audit, or verification services in the financial sector. Within this period, at least five (5) of those years must be evidenced by completed audit engagements for financial sector institutions specifically. The firm's year of establishment and date of first qualifying financial sector engagement shall be confirmed through its company registration documents and the complete list of relevant assignments. To demonstrate a verifiable track record, the firm shall submit a portfolio of at least ten (10) completed engagements in the financial sector conducted within the last ten (10) years, where the firm's scope explicitly included advisory, audit, monitoring and evaluation, or verification services. Of the ten engagements, at least five (5) must be audit engagements for financial sector institutions specifically. For each engagement, the firm shall provide the client's name and contact details, contract value and duration, a brief description of the scope, and key deliverable produced. The MoF reserves the right to contact listed clients to verify the scope and quality of delivery. At least one (1) of the five qualifying engagements must have been conducted in Kosovo, and at least one (1) additional engagement must have been conducted in a comparable country context, defined for this assignment as a country in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, or Central Asia.

Proven institutional banking and financial sector expertise, demonstrated through the relevance of the scope of firm assignments, to adequately review and evaluate information furnished to confirm the authenticity and completeness of achievement of the Project’s PBCs, including through the preparation of the respective verification reports. The firm must demonstrate, through its submitted assignment list, experience in two (2) of the following focus areas: i) financial sector legal and regulatory frameworks, and ii) governance and operations of financial institutions.

At least two (2) of the submitted assignments must explicitly demonstrate experience in each focus area. The relevance of each assignment to a focus area must be evident from the scope description field in the assignment list; no separate narrative will be assessed.

Other specific tasks, deliverables, professional and qualified key staff requirements, etc. are indicated under ToR for this assignment.

The evaluation criteria are:

General qualifications and institutional capacity (30%) (Core business and years of experience, Corporate and organizational capacity to undertake the assignment). Relevant experience in similar assignments (60%) (Experience in audit, verification, assessment, or monitoring assignments; Experience in the financial sector and related institutions). Overall capacity to deliver the assignment (10%) (Availability of qualified personnel within the firm-not the key experts needed for the assignment but in general-and ability to mobilize resources and deliver the assignment within the required timeframe)

5. CONFLICT OF INTEREST PROVISIONS

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” September 2023 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

6. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s Qualifications based Selection (CQS) method set out in the Procurem