Technical Assistance to support the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION

Country: ALBANIA

Name of the Project: Clean and Resilient Environment for Blue Sea (Care4BlueSea)

IBRD Loan No.: 95070-AL

Project ID Number: P176163

Assignment Title: Technical Assistance to support the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Reference No.: AL-MTE-573446-CS-CQS

The Ministry of Environment has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Care4BlueSea initiative and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The consulting services (“the Services”) include provision of support the Ministry of Environment in the practical operationalization of circular economic instruments, primarily through structured capacity-building modules, workshops, and international knowledge exchange, focusing on: Establishment and operationalization of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems Development of circular economic approaches and sector-specific applications (e.g., packaging, tourism, resource efficiency) Strengthening institutional capacity through hands-on, practice-oriented learning

The assignment should prioritize transfer of operational know-how , practical system design, and stakeholder alignment rather than standalone analytical outputs. The Implementation Period is up to 12 months from commencement date. The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found in the link below: https://mjedisi.gov.al/newsroom/kerkese-per-shprehje-interesi-3/ The Ministry of Environment now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The Consultants shall fulfill the following minimum requirements: The Consultant shall be a legally registered firm, joint venture or consortium with substantial practical and operational experience in waste management, recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility and circular economy. The qualifications shall demonstrate that the Consultant has the institutional capacity and first-hand operational knowledge required to deliver a practice-oriented assignment of this nature.

The Consultant should demonstrate:

At least five (5) years of corporate or professional experience in waste management, recycling, resource management, circular economy or closely related sectors. Demonstrated direct experience in the design, establishment, implementation and/or operation of EPR or Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) systems for packaging waste, preferably in one or more EU Member States. Practical experience across relevant parts of the packaging and recycling value chain, including producer or retail interfaces, collection, sorting, recycling, secondary-material management and operational compliance with recycling targets. Demonstrated experience with circular economy business models and resource-efficiency approaches, including design for recycling, closed-loop solutions, material-flow optimization and/or deposit-return systems. Sound familiarity with the EU regulatory environment for packaging, EPR and circular economy, and experience translating regulatory requirements into operational processes and business arrangements. Capacity to mobilize senior operational specialists and to provide practical exposure to functioning EPR, sorting, recycling, retail or circular economy systems through workshops, case-based learning and operational examples.

The shortlisting criteria are:

Core business and years in business – 30 points Past experience in similar assignments – 60 points Availability of qualified staff among the firm to perform the assignment – 10 points

Key Experts will not be evaluated at this stage. 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. 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 Procurement Regulations. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 09.00-16:00 from Monday to Thursday and 09.00-13.00 Friday. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by October 5, 2026 .

Protocol Office Clean and Resilient Environment for Blue Sea Project

Attn: [contact details removed]

Ministry of Environment

Address: Blv. “Dëshmorët e Kombit”, No. 1, Tirana, Albania

E-mail: [contact details removed]