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: Colombia: Long-Term Trade and Economic Analysis for the Strategic Development of Port Infrastructur
Assignment Countries:
- Not Country Related
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION
The World Bank, is seeking expressions of interest from qualified consulting firms to undertake a comprehensive port sector market analysis. The objective is to assess the long-term economic and trade trends affecting Colombia’s port infrastructure and to propose strategic, regulatory, financial, and institutional reforms aligned with global trade, technological transformation, and decarbonization pathways.
This consultancy will provide the analytical foundation for the design of a future-oriented national port strategy, identifying actionable investments and policies that ensure Colombia’s ports remain competitive, resilient, and environmentally sustainable. The work will contribute directly to the implementation of the Government’s commitments under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as well as the National Port Policy (CONPES 4118 of 2023).
Scope of Work:
Task 1: Work Plan and Methodology
The firm will develop a comprehensive and detailed work plan, outlining methodologies, data needs, timelines, and alignment with Colombia’s sustainability priorities. This includes defining macroeconomic and green transition scenarios, mapping global best practices in port modernization, and initiating structured engagement with private sector stakeholders.
Task 2: Macro-Economic and Trade Policy Trends, Energy Outlook, and Port Sector Diagnostics
This task involves a multidimensional analysis of Colombia’s macroeconomic context, global trade realignments, and regulatory environment. It will examine trade scenarios, energy transition developments (including IMO standards and green fuels), and review port sector governance, throughput patterns, infrastructure readiness, and shipping connectivity. The consultant will assess port competitiveness, legal frameworks, and institutional capacity.
Task 3: Port Demand and Logistics Cost Assessment
The consultant will map the hinterland logistics structure, including economic and demographic freight patterns, and assess multimodal connectivity with special attention to the Magdalena River. It will evaluate logistics costs along key corridors and trade routes (including comparisons via Panama and Suez canals) and identify potential shifts in market share. Sensitivity analyses will be conducted to assess cost impacts under different trade and fuel price scenarios.
Task 4: Strategic Framework for Decarbonizing Port Operations
The consultant will assess Colombia’s readiness to support green fuel logistics—especially hydrogen and offshore wind—and develop an infrastructure roadmap for decarbonized port operations. The framework will identify investments in shore power, low-carbon fueling stations, and infrastructure retrofits needed to align with emerging IMO standards and international best practices.
Task 5: Legal and Policy Review for Green Investment Enablement
A comprehensive institutional and legal review will identify regulatory bottlenecks and propose reforms to support low-carbon investments in ports. This includes assessing Law 1 of 1991, PPP frameworks, environmental licensing, and alignment with carbon finance instruments (e.g., green bonds, carbon credits). International benchmarking will inform a reform roadmap for sustainable port concessions and investments.
Task 6: Demand Forecasting for Sustainable Port Services
This task entails the development of long-term demand forecasts under baseline, optimistic, and conservative scenarios. The model will account for changes in cargo composition, trade routes, energy regulations, and technological advances to identify infrastructure and service gaps. Results will be disaggregated by port region, cargo type, and service type, including low-carbon logistics.
Task 7: Final Roadmap for Port Modernization
The consultant will consolidate all findings into a strategic roadmap, including a SWOT analysis and actionable recommendations to enhance competitiveness, sustainability, and operational efficiency. This final deliverable will propose prioritized infrastructure and policy actions, institutional reforms, and investment frameworks that enable private sector engagement and long-term transformation of the port sector.
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.
