1. The government of Benin (the "Government") and the United States of America, through the Millennium Challenge Corporation ("MCC"), have entered into a Millennium Challenge Account Compact of approximately US $ 391 million ("MCC Funding") to promote poverty reduction and economic growth in Benin (the "Compact"). The Government, acting through MCA-Benin II (the "MCA Entity"), intends to use part of the MCC Funding to eligible payments under the contract for which this Request for Applications ("RFA)") is launched. Any payments made by the MCA Entity in accordance with the proposed contract will be subject, in all respects, to the terms of the Compact and related documents, including restrictions on the use of the MCC Funding and disbursement conditions of the MCC Funding. No party other than the Government and the MCA Entity will obtain any right under the Compact or have any right in relation to the amounts of the MCC Funding. 2. MCC’s funding is appropriated by the U.S. Congress and obligated to the Compact up-front, with no incremental or partial funding. So, when a contract is signed with an MCA Entity, money is already available to the MCA Entity and, for most contracts, invoices are paid directly to Contractors/Consultants/Suppliers by the US Treasury. 3. The Benin power program consists of four (4) projects: (i) Policy Reform and Institutional Strengthening Project; (ii) Electricity Generation Project; (iii) Electricity Distribution Project; and (iv) Off-grid Electricity Access Project. The objective of the program is to increase the productivity and production for businesses, generate more economic opportunities for households and improve the capacity to provide public and social services by improving the quantity and quality of power supply. The Compact will be executed during a period of five years after its entry into force, that intervened on June 22, 2017. To face the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Compact has been extended to June 22, 2023. 4. MCA-Benin II now invites eligible individual consultants to submit a letter of application, a Curriculum Vitae (CV), comments on the Termes of reference and a financial proposal for the Recruitment of an Individual consultant to support the Direction of Operations (DO) in biodiversity conservation. 5. The mission will take place from the date of contract signature until the Compact End Date, i.e. June 22, 2023. 6. The qualifications required from the Consultant are indicated in the Terms of Reference contained in the RFA. They include among other the following: (a) Academics qualifications - At least an engineering degree (BA+5) in Agronomy, or Agro-forestry or equivalent. (b) Professionals’ experiences - Have professional experience of at least five (05) years in monitoring reforestation activities. - Have participated in at least three (3) monitoring missions of similar plantations. - Demonstrate a good knowledge of the International Finance Corporation performance standards. - Demonstrate a good knowledge of the resettlement activities of the MCA-Benin II program or other donors. - Have a good command of IT/office tools, planning and database management. - Have a good knowledge of French language (reading, writing and speaking). 7. This RFA is open to all eligible Individual Consultants, as defined in the MCC Program Procurement Guidelines (PPG), available on the MCC website (www.mcc.gov), who wish to participate. The Individual consultants cannot associate in groups or subcontract the services. 8. This RFA follows the Compact General Procurement Notice No. 18, published on dgMarket on October 13th, 2022, on the MCA Entity website - www.mcabenin2.bj - on October 14th, 2022, in the UN Development Business Online ("UNDB") on October 18th, 2022, and in the local newspapers "La Nation" on October 20th and 27th, 2022 and "Le Matinal" on October 20th and 24th, 2022 . 9. The Consultant shall be selected through the Individual Consultant selection procedures as specified in the MCC PPG (P.1. B.3.9.). Interested consultants should express their interest by sending a message (with the subject line: “Recruitment of an Individual consultant to support the Direction of Operations (DO) in biodiversity conservation” to the email address of the Procurement Agent:
[email protected] and by communicating full contact details. 10. The Application documents must be submitted electronically by DropBox as indicated in the RFA. 11. The deadline for receipt of Application Documents is December 13th, 2022, at 11:00 am local time in Cotonou, Benin. The Application Documents received after this time and date shall not in any case be accepted or opened. They will be deleted from the place where they were submitted. Please note that paper-based Application Documents are not accepted. 12. Contact Information /Address: Millennium Challenge Account - Bénin II 95, rue 5073, Zongo Nima Immeuble Kougblénou, 3ème étage Domaine de l’OCBN Derrière la Compagnie Territoriale de Gendarmerie du Littoral Cotonou, République du Bénin
[email protected] http://www.mcabenin2.bj DISCLAIMER: THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. FOR UPDATES ON THIS SOLICITATION PLEASE FOLLOW THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE LINK PROVIDED. THIS PROCUREMENT IS NOT CONDUCTED UNDER THE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS, IS NOT ADMINISTERED BY THE US GOVERNMENT, AND THE RESULTING AWARD WILL BE MADE BY THE COUNTRY INDICATED IN THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PROCUREMENT PLEASE CONTRACT THE PERSON NAMED IN THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT.