Office of the Project Director
Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP)
Dhaka Trade Centre (8th Floor)
99 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Kawran Bazar, Dhaka-1215
Web: www.heqep-ugc.gov.bd Fax: 02-8189021
Ref: UGC/HEQEP/Procurement/S-25-AF/2015/ 588 Dated: 19/06/2016
Request for Expression of Interest (REOI)
for
Selection of Services for International Partner (IP) for BdREN
(Package No. S-25-AF)
The People’s Republic of Bangladesh has received a Credit in an amount of equivalent to US$ 125.0 million (Additional Financing) from the International Development Association (IDA), toward the cost of Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) and intends to utilize a part of the proceeds of this Credit to payments under the contract for ‘’Services for International Partner (IP) for expansion and development of Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN)” to provide sustained technical consultation and guidance to the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN) Team as and when required so that BdREN can remain technically sound and can conform to the state-of-the-art practices in REN management and also can attain the vision on Research and Education Network initiatives worldwide. The IP is expected to complement the technical knowledge of the BdREN Team. The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh is the implementing agency of the Project.
1. SCOPE of Services for International Partner
a. Strengthening BdREN Connectivity;
b. Creating Learning Activity on REN;
c. Collaboration with other RENs;
d. Capacity Building for BdREN Technical Operations and Knowledge Exchange;
e. Review Various other Document;
f. Facilitating Participation in International REN/Knowledge Fair;
g. Organizing National/International Workshop and help BdREN.
2. ELIGIBILITY OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
The partner shall either be a Research and Education Network (REN); or a joint venture of REN with university/Higher Education Institute (HEI)/other REN. In case of joint venture, (a) the lead member must be identified and b) the intention of all members to be contractually bound must be documented in the form of an agreement to form a joint venture among all the members. Sub-consultants are not permitted in this contract. The eligibility criteria of the consultant shall be as follows:
a. At least 10 (ten) years of continuous operation in own area of expertise
b. Providing REN services to at least 20 HEIs/Research Institutes.
c. Collaboration experience with at least three (03) other RENs/HEIs/Research Institutes
d. Experience of delivering/conducting training/internship for five thousand (5000) person days pertaining to Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
e. Should have experience of operating and managing well-established IP-network having at least 5000 (five thousand) active Network client connection, a tier three type data center and network operation center (NOC)
3. Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) now invites eligible consultants (institutional entity) to express their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (List of similar assignments, list of key personnel and so on).
4. A consultant (Institutional entity) will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011. Applicable method will be Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS).
5. The Terms of Reference (ToR) is available in the web address: www.heqep-ugc.gov.bd. Interested consultants may also obtain the same from the office of the undersigned during office hours (9.00 am to 5.00 pm-Bangladesh Standard Time) on working days up to the day preceding the deadline for submission of EOI.
6. The estimated duration of assignment is about 24 (Twenty four) months and is expected to start from 01 August, 2016. However, the duration of the assignment will depend on the performance of the International Partner which will be reviewed periodically by the IDA/GoB joint missions.
7. Expression of Interest shall have to be submitted by 14 July 2016 up to 3:00 pm (Bangladesh Standard Time) to the office of the undersigned and the envelop must be clearly marked ‘’Services for International Partner (IP) for expansion and development of Bangladesh Research and Education Network (Bren), (Package No. S-25-AF)”.
8. The authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all EOIs.
(Dr Gauranga Chandra Mohanta ndc)Project Director (Additional Secretary)
Tel: 02-8189020;
Email:
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