Consultancy to assess impact of donor support programmes on devolution in Kenya (2013-2025), Council of Governors, Ref COG/PROC/003/2026-2027

What is being bought

The Council of Governors (Nairobi) is inviting sealed bids from consulting firms for a consultancy to assess the impact of donor support programmes on the devolution process in Kenya for 2013-2025. The assignment covers county case studies, surveys and focus groups across counties, and a team of specialists. The tender uses Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS), with a 70% technical and 30% financial weighting.

Key facts

Closing

Tue 3 Nov 2026, 11:00 am
Closing date and time: proposals must be received on or before Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 11:00 East African Time (matches the portal closing time). No addenda were provided that change this. D1 p.15

Bid / tender security

Original tender security of Kshs 100,000.00 from a reputable bank or an insurance company approved by the Insurance Regulatory Authority, valid for 180 days after the date of opening of the technical proposal. Also a Tender-Securing Declaration Form is required. D1 p.16

Tender fee

Non-refundable fee of Kshs 1,000 for the complete tender document, payable in cash or bankers cheque to Council of Governors. Review of the document is free before purchase. D1 p.3

Site visit

Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D1 p.13

Pre-bid meeting

Optional
No pre-proposal conference will be held. D1 p.13

Reserved for

Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated P

Contract value

Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D1 p.1

Tender opening

Technical proposals are opened immediately after the closing deadline in the 11th floor boardroom, Council of Governors Secretariat, in the presence of attending representatives. Financial proposals are opened later, in public, on a date notified to qualifying firms. D1 p.3

Tender validity

Proposals must remain valid for 180 days after the proposal submission deadline. D1 p.15

Who can apply

• The invitation is addressed to interested consulting firms. Procuring entity employees, committee members, board members and their spouses and children are not eligible to participate. D1 p.3
• To qualify for contract award a tenderer must have the necessary qualifications, capability, experience, services, equipment and facilities; legal capacity to contract; must not be insolvent, in receivership, bankrupt or being wound up; and must not be debarred from public procurement. D1 p.12

Application checklist

Tick items off as you prepare. Your ticks stay on this device only.

Required from every bidder

• Certificate of registration or incorporation. D1 p.16
• Valid Tax Compliance Certificate from Kenya Revenue Authority. D1 p.16
• Statutory obligation evidence: tax compliance, and a CR12 form showing shareholders or a list of directors, or a sworn affidavit of directors, or a Power of Attorney for sole proprietors. D1 p.16
• Last three years audited accounts (2023, 2024 and 2025), audited by a current ICPAK-listed auditor, plus a bank statement for 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026. D1 p.16
• Proof of payment for the bid document: Council of Governors miscellaneous receipt of Kes.1,000 or a cheque of similar amount addressed to Council Of Governors. D1 p.16
• Original tender security (see bid_security section). D1 p.14
• Power of Attorney to sign the proposal. D1 p.14
• Technical Proposal Submission Form, Organization and Experience, Comments on Terms of Reference, Methodology and Work Plan, Work Schedule, Team Composition and Key Experts Input, and Self-Declaration Forms. D1 p.14
• Tender-Securing Declaration Form, completed as a separate form in the first inner envelope. D1 p.14
• Financial Proposal in a separate envelope: Financial Proposal Submission Form, Summary of Costs and Breakdown of Remuneration. D1 p.14
• Signed CVs of proposed professional staff and the authorized representative, one CV per position. D1 p.7

Experience, licences and financial capacity

Technical

• Registered consulting company with at least ten (10) years relevant experience. D1 p.16
• Demonstrated experience of at least eight (8) years in successful execution of similar assignments, and specific experience working with the devolved system of governance and donor funded programmes. D1 p.16
• Specific experience of the firm in three similar assignments in the last five years, with reference letters, scored at 7 marks. D1 p.24
• Team Leader (Governance/Devolution Expert): Masters degree in a relevant field, minimum 15 years of professional experience with 7 years in governance, development or social sciences evaluation. D1 p.17
• Devolution Specialist: Masters degree or higher, at least 10 years of relevant experience including substantial experience in evaluation, governance, devolution or institutional strengthening. D1 p.17
• PFM/Financial specialist: MBA, MA or M.Sc in accounting, finance or related field, registered with ICPAK, at least 5 years general finance experience and 5 years specific public financial management experience. D1 p.18
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Data Specialist: Masters degree in a relevant field and at least 8 years of M&E, research and data analysis experience. D1 p.18
• Research and enumerators: relevant qualifications, experience in questionnaires and focus groups, familiarity with county contexts, Kiswahili and local language capability, and standardized training before field deployment. At least three research officers and enumerators are scored. D1 p.19
• Statistician/Data Analyst and Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist roles with stated qualifications, experience, Kiswahili/local language ability and safeguarding training are also required. D1 p.20
• The firm should demonstrate at least ten (10) years of governance and devolution assessment experience, large-scale donor-funded programme evaluation, county government experience, mixed-method evaluation and multi-county studies. D1 p.53
• Technical scoring: methodology and work plan 20 marks; criteria (I) and (II) 70 marks; key personnel 50 marks; total 100 points. Minimum technical score 70%. D1 p.21

Financial

• Average annual turnover and total assets of at least Kshs 30 million, shown in the last three years of audited accounts. D1 p.16
• Prices must be net inclusive of all taxes where applicable, in Kenya Shillings, and must remain valid for 180 days from the closing date. D1 p.3
• Local taxes must be shown as a separate amount in the financial proposal. The financial proposal must state local costs in Kenya Shillings. D1 p.8
• Financial scoring: lowest price gets 100 points, others are scored Sf = 100 x Fm/F. Weights: technical 0.7 and financial 0.3; combined score S = St x T + Sf x P. D1 p.22

How and where to submit

• Physical sealed envelopes only. Deposit in the tender box at the Council of Governors Secretariat, 2nd floor, Delta Corner, off Waiyaki Way, or post to The Chief Executive Officer, Council of Governors, P.O. Box 40401-00100, Nairobi. D1 p.3
• Electronic submission is not allowed. The portal lists written (physical/hard copy) submission. D1 p.15
• Submit one (1) original and one (1) copy of the technical and financial proposals, each marked ORIGINAL or COPY. D1 p.15
• Original and all copies of the technical and financial proposals go in a sealed envelope marked TECHNICAL & FINANCIAL PROPOSAL; both go in an outer sealed envelope marked DO NOT OPEN, EXCEPT IN PRESENCE OF THE OPENING COMMITTEE. D1 p.8
• Proposals must be delivered to the submission address by the stated date and time. Address per the data sheet: The Council of Governors, Delta Corner House, 2nd Floor, Westlands, P.O. Box 40401-00100, Nairobi, or the tender box at Delta Corner. D1 p.15

Lots and categories

• No lots are stated in the material reviewed. Not stated D1 p.1

Not covered in the documents we reviewed

• Addenda (A1, A2...) were not provided. Confirm there are no changes to dates, forms or requirements.
• Appendix A terms of reference, including duration, expert-days and start location, were not provided in the reviewed pages.
• Contract value or budget was not stated.
• Financial proposal opening date and time: to be communicated after technical evaluation.
• Expected date and address for contract negotiations: to be communicated later (Data Sheet 2.9).
• Whether the Kshs 30 million turnover and total assets requirement must be met as a combined figure or separately is unclear.
• Bank statement details and certificate formats were not reviewed.
• Standard forms and BOQ tables (pages not reviewed) may contain additional forms or conditions.
• Clarification of the submission address and the 3-day versus 7-day clarification cutoff.
• Whether a site visit applies: not stated.

Terms explained

TDS (Tender Data Sheet)

The section of the tender document with tender-specific values such as deadlines, forms and amounts. It overrides the general instructions.

ITC (Information to Consultants)

The standard rules for preparing and submitting consultancy proposals.

QCBS

Quality and Cost Based Selection. Proposals are scored on technical quality and price, then combined.

Tender security

A bank guarantee or insurance bond that protects the buyer if a bidder withdraws or refuses to sign. Here Kshs 100,000 and valid 180 days.

Tender-Securing Declaration

A signed form in which the bidder agrees to suspension from tendering if it withdraws or fails to sign the contract.

Responsive

A proposal that meets all mandatory requirements and terms of reference. A non-responsive proposal is rejected.

Key experts

Named professional staff whose CVs and availability are evaluated. They cannot be substituted freely.

AGPO

Access to Government Procurement Opportunities for youth, women and persons with disabilities. None is stated for this tender.

ICPAK

Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya. Some staff must be registered members.

CR12

Company form listing shareholders and directors, required as proof of ownership.

Standstill period

A 14-day waiting period after award notice before contract signing, during which complaints may be made.

Joint venture (JV)

A temporary grouping of firms bidding together. Here only one member is allowed.