SELECTION OF CONSULTING FIRMS BY THE WORLD BANK GROUP
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)
Electronic Submissions through WBGeProcure RFx Now
ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW
Assignment Title: Assessment of Key Logistics Supply Chains in Ukraine and Moldova
Assignment Countries:
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION
The recent geopolitical developments in Eastern Europe, especially the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have profoundly impacted the region’s trade, infrastructure, and economic stability. These events have forced Ukraine and Moldova to reconsider and reorient their trade routes and logistics channels, with increased emphasis on aligning with the European Union (EU) to ensure secure and resilient trade flows. Additionally, both Ukraine and Moldova have accelerated their EU membership aspirations, prompting alignment with EU customs, regulatory standards, and infrastructure requirements.
Prior to the invasion, Ukraine's export portfolio was predominantly comprised of agricultural and industrial products, which formed the backbone of its international trade. The conflict has necessitated a comprehensive restructuring of export channels and modal choices, particularly given the constraints on maritime routes. These rapid shifts highlight the importance of strengthening logistics chains, particularly for critical agricultural and industrial exports, to maintain market access and economic stability – but also, especially in Ukraine’s case, for the imports needed for reconstruction. The Black Sea partial blockade, despite the success of the Ukraine corridor initiated in August 2023, has also underscored the need to strengthen the capacity of overland logistics routes, in the Solidarity Lanes perspective. Streamlining border procedures, especially at key crossing points with EU countries, supports smoother, more efficient flows of goods.
This Assignment seeks to provide a clear understanding of the current logistics market and key export/import chains for Ukraine and Moldova, assess the functioning of border crossing points used for trade in key commodities, and identify practical options for streamlining supply chain procedures, facilitating trade, and attracting investment into the logistics and transport sectors.
The conclusions of this Assignment are intended to inform policy and investment decisions of the Governments of Ukraine and Moldova but also of the Development Partners community, providing actionable recommendations for infrastructure development, operational improvements, and regulatory reforms.
The Services comprise six tasks as outlined below:
1. Desk Review and Stakeholder Consultation setting the stage for the analysis.
2. Map key export and import logistics chains in Ukraine and Moldova for key agricultural and industrial cargoes, with specific attention to consumer goods supply chains and container flows.
3. Provide a comprehensive overview of the logistics market in both countries, highlighting market structure and dynamics, challenges, and evolving trade patterns.
4. Assess current operational capability of Ukraine's Black Sea ports (Odesa, Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk), looking at the infrastructure, superstructure, equipment, systems and personnel, with focus on actual and realistic operational potential rather than theoretical capacity.
5. Assess the functioning of critical border crossing points for road and railway transport between Ukraine, Moldova, and their EU neighbors to understand the existing constraints and capacities.
6. Establish baseline comparisons of logistics chains in both Ukraine and Moldova, ensuring equal analytical structure and methodology for both countries.
FUNDING SOURCE
The World Bank Group intends to finance the assignment / services described below under the following:
- BB: Bank Budget
- TF0B4981: EU2020
ELIGIBILITY
The
consultant should be a firm or a consortium (with clear indication of the lead
firm) with extensive knowledge, experience in assessment of logistics systems
and advisory in the trade and transport logistics sector, and a proven track record required to
carry out all tasks outlined in the ToR. Please refer to the ToR for detailed requirements.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The World Bank Group invites eligible firms to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc. for firms; CV and cover letter for individuals). Please note that the total size of all attachments should be less than 5MB. Firms may associate to enhance their qualifications unless otherwise stated in the solicitation documents. Where a group of firms associate to submit an EOI, they must indicate which is the lead firm. If shortlisted, the firm identified in the EOI as the lead firm will be invited to the request for proposal (RFP) phase.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through WBGeProcure RFx Now
NOTES
Following this invitation for EOI, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Shortlisting and selection will be subject to the availability of funding.
Only those firms which have been shortlisted will be invited to participate in the RFP phase. No notification or debrief will be provided to firms which have not been shortlisted.
If you encounter technical difficulties while uploading documents, please send an e-mail to the Help Desk at corporateprocurement@worldbank.org prior to the submission deadline.
