Consultancy services for governance assessment for Wat…

What is being bought

Water Sector Trust Fund (WaterFund) invites proposals from eligible consulting firms for a governance assessment, to be selected by Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) and contracted as a lump-sum contract. The location of the services and the contract value are not stated in the reviewed pages; proposals are delivered to WaterFund's office at CIC Plaza 1, Mara Road, Nairobi.

What could disqualify you

Any failure to provide or demonstrate a mandatory requirement listed in the Data Sheet makes the proposal non-responsive, and it will not go on to technical evaluation. D1 p.21
Any proposal or modification received after the deadline is declared late, rejected and returned unopened. Standard rule D1 p.12
Consultants or any of their members proven to be involved in corrupt, coercive, obstructive, collusive or fraudulent practices are automatically disqualified. Standard rule D1 p.8
Firms or individuals debarred from public procurement are ineligible to be awarded a contract or benefit from one during the debarment period. Public officers, their close relatives and firms they control cannot tender. Standard rule D1 p.8
A consultant that submits or takes part in more than one proposal has all such proposals disqualified and rejected, unless the Data Sheet allows otherwise. The Data Sheet says key experts may not appear in more than one proposal. Standard rule D1 p.9
If a key expert was not available at submission or was included without confirmation, the proposal is disqualified. Standard rule D1 p.10

Key facts

Closing: Tue 20 Oct 2026, 10:00 am
Proposals must reach WaterFund at the address above by 10:00 a.m. East African Time on 20 October 2026. The portal and Data Sheet agree on this date and time. No addenda were reviewed. P
Bid / tender security: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D1
Tender fee: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D1
Site visit: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D1
Pre-bid meeting: Optional
No pre-proposal conference will be held. D1 p.19
Reserved for: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D1
Contract value: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D1
Tender opening: Technical proposals open in public at WaterFund Board Room, 1st Floor, Mara Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi, on 20 October 2026 at 10:00 a.m. East African Time. Online attendance is not offered. Financial proposals open later, after notice of at least five business days. D1 p.21
Tender validity: Proposals must remain valid for 126 days after the proposal submission deadline. D1 p.20

Who can apply

Open to all eligible and qualified consulting firms and individual consultants meeting the requirements of the RFP and Terms of Reference. Consultants may be from all countries and categories unless the Data Sheet says otherwise. Joint ventures are permitted; the Data Sheet sets the maximum JV members as N/A. Standard rule D1 p.8

Application checklist

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

Required from every bidder

Required only in some situations

If bidding as a joint venture: the full JV name must be used, listing all members with the lead member first. A copy of the letter of intent to form the JV, or the JV agreement, signed by every member, must be attached. Standard rule D1 p.5

Experience, licences and financial capacity

Technical

Team leader: advanced degree (Masters) in law, at least 9 years post-admission legal practice experience, registered member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya, current LSK practicing certificate, good standing with LSK, and accreditation as a Governance Assessor. D1 p.49
Legal Officer I: undergraduate law degree, at least 4 years post-admission legal practice, current practicing certificate and LSK good standing. D1 p.49
Legal Officer II: undergraduate law degree, at least 2 years post-admission legal practice, current practicing certificate and LSK good standing. D1 p.49
Only the three named key staff (team leader and two legal officers) will be evaluated; other technical staff may be engaged but are not evaluated. Any firm not meeting the mandatory criteria is disqualified. D1 p.49
Technical scoring: specific experience of the firm relevant to the assignment is worth 10 points, and technical approach and methodology is worth 25 points. The Data Sheet lists further criteria; the minimum technical score is not stated in the reviewed pages. D1 p.21

How and where to submit

Proposals must be submitted in hard copy (physical). The Data Sheet says consultants do not have the option of electronic submission. D1 p.20
Deliver to: The Chief Executive Officer, Water Sector Trust Fund, 1st Floor, CIC Plaza 1, Mara Road, P. O. Box 49699-00100, Nairobi. D1 p.21
Copies: Technical Proposal one (1) original and two (2) copies. Financial Proposal one (1) original, placed in a separate sealed envelope. D1 p.20
Deliver in a single sealed envelope, package or container bearing the name and reference number of the assignment, addressed to WaterFund, with the warning DO NOT OPEN BEFORE the opening date and time. Inside, separate sealed envelopes for technical and financial proposals. Unsealed or wrongly marked envelopes are not accepted. Standard rule D1 p.12
Clarification requests must be in writing or by standard electronic means to info@waterfund.go.ke or supplychain@waterfund.go.ke, no later than 7 days before the submission deadline. D1 p.20

Lots and categories

No lots stated in the reviewed pages. Not stated D1

What the addenda changed

No addenda were provided with the material reviewed. Not stated D1

Not covered in the documents we reviewed

Bid security amount, form and validity (not in reviewed pages)
Tender fee or whether any fee applies
Contract value or budget for the assignment
Site visit requirement
Minimum technical score in Data Sheet ITC 22.2
Full technical scoring table and financial evaluation formula
Any addenda or clarifications issued after 6 October 2026
Location/duration of the services and scope in Terms of Reference pages not reviewed
Pages 2-4, 6-7, 11, 15, 18-19 detail, 22-23, 26-28, 30-48, 52-85 not reviewed; may contain forms, insurance and payment terms
Whether reservation to a special group applies (Data Sheet ITC 6.7 content)
Exact wording of the Data Sheet line on submission address for ITC 20.1 (blank in reviewed copy)

Terms explained

RFP: Request for Proposals: a procurement method where consultants submit technical and financial proposals for a service.
QCBS: Quality and Cost Based Selection: proposals are scored on technical quality and price together.
TDS / Data Sheet: Tender Data Sheet: the section giving tender-specific values that override the general instructions.
JV: Joint venture: several firms bidding together as one proposal, with a lead member.
Key Experts: Named professional staff whose CVs and availability are evaluated, and who must be available for the contract.
CR13: Company search report from the Registrar of Companies showing directors and shareholders, which must be issued within the last 6 months.
Tax compliance certificate: Certificate from KRA confirming tax obligations are up to date.
Responsive: A proposal that meets all mandatory requirements and the RFP terms, so it can proceed to scoring.
PPRA: Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, which maintains the debarment list and enforces the procurement law.
Lump-sum contract: A contract for a fixed total price for the whole assignment.
Power of attorney: Written authority letting a named person sign the proposal for the firm, commissioned before a commissioner of oaths, notary or advocate.

Consultancy services for governance assessment for Water Sector Trust Fund (RFP WSTF/GA/RFP/01/2026-2027)