Sustainability, Biodiversity, and Blue-Green Economy Assessment for Climate-Resilient Eco Tourism and Livelihood Investments in the Jaffna Outer Islands

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, HIGHWAYS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CONSULTING SERVICES

Project: Regional Empowerment through Vibrant, Inclusive, and Viable Economies (REVIVE)

Project ID: P511605

Credit No.: 7985-LK

Assignment Title: Sustainability Assessment for Climate-Resilient Development of the Jaffna Outer Islands

Reference No.: MTHUD/F/9/IRDP/Consultancy/4/Jaffna Outer Island, MoTHUD

STEP Procurement Activity No.: LK-UDA-PMU-551519-CS-QCBS, World Bank

1. The Government of Sri Lanka has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Regional Empowerment through Vibrant, Inclusive, and Viable Economies (REVIVE) Project. The Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development (MoTHUD), serving as the Executing Agency, intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. 2. The consulting services (“the Services”) include an integrated sustainability assessment to identify and prioritize environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, climate-resilient and financially viable tourism and related livelihood investment opportunities in the Jaffna Outer Islands. The Services include biodiversity, environmental, climate and safeguard assessment; socio-economic, cultural and community assessment; market and demand assessment; technical and infrastructure assessment; financial and economic analysis; institutional and governance capacity assessment; sustainable investment planning and prioritization; stakeholder engagement; and preparation of an evidence-based implementation roadmap for future investment planning. 3. The total duration of the assignment is expected to be twelve (12) months from contract commencement and expected to commence in mid of December 2026. 4. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website: https://www.transport.gov.lk/ (Urban Development > Integrated Regional Development Programme). 5. The Chairman of the Ministry Consultants Procurement Committee, on behalf of the REVIVE Project, now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they possess the required firm-level qualifications, relevant experience and institutional capacity to perform the assignment.

The shortlisting criteria are as follows:

a. Legal status, core business and institutional experience : The Consultant shall be a legally registered consulting firm with at least ten (10) years of corporate experience in one or more of the following areas: sustainable tourism and destination development; coastal and marine resource management; biodiversity conservation; socio-economic and livelihood development; financial and economic analysis; and investment planning. b. Comparable assignment experience : Successful completion, during the last ten (10) years, of at least three (3) comparable consultancy assignments. A comparable assignment means a master plan, tourism or destination development plan, sustainability assessment, feasibility study, investment plan, or similar strategic planning assignment comparable in nature and multidisciplinary complexity to the present assignment. Collectively, the assignments shall demonstrate experience across several relevant dimensions, including sustainable tourism or destination development, biodiversity and environmental assessment, social and livelihood assessment, climate resilience, infrastructure planning, financial and economic analysis, institutional or governance assessment, stakeholder engagement, and investment prioritization. At least one (1) assignment shall have been undertaken in an island, coastal, remote, environmentally sensitive, or similarly complex geographic setting. c. Multidisciplinary institutional capability : Demonstrated institutional capacity to undertake a multidisciplinary sustainability assessment. The Consultant, including any joint venture, shall collectively demonstrate capacity in sustainable tourism and destination development, biodiversity and environmental assessment, social and livelihood assessment, climate resilience, infrastructure planning, financial and economic analysis, and institutional or governance assessment. d. Relevant geographic experience : Experience in Sri Lanka, South Asia, or other coastal and island environments with comparable ecological, social and implementation conditions will be considered an advantage during shortlisting. The Consultant shall provide documentary evidence, such as signed contracts, completion certificates, client references, or equivalent records, to substantiate the firm-level experience claimed. Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage. The Consultant shall provide information demonstrating that they have required qualification and relevant experience to perform the services and should submit: i) Company profiles, qualifications of board of members, brochures, etc. ii) List of similar projects completed including foreign funded projects over the last ten years, along with the size of the associate consultancy contracts in man month and US Dollars equivalent terms (with contact details of the client). iii) Audited financial statement for last five years. 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 (July 2016, revised September 2025), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. 6. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but shall 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 members shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. Please note that a firm / organization is allowed to participate in only one submission as a sole consultant, joint venture partner or a sub –Consu