About CLASP

CLASP serves at the epicenter of collaborative, ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change and in the global movement for clean energy access, through appliance efficiency. Our mission is to improve the energy and environmental performance of the appliances & equipment we use every day, accelerating our transition to a more sustainable world. We work hand-in-hand with governments, experts, industry, consumers, donor organizations and others to propel policies and markets toward the highest quality, lowest resource-intensive appliances possible.

CLASP has worked in more than 100 countries since inception in 1999. CLASP is headquartered in Washington, DC, with teams in China, Europe and the United Kingdom, India, Indonesia, and Kenya. We are mission-driven and committed to a culture of diversity, transparency, collaboration, and impactful work. See our Team Page to learn more about us.

Introduction

The government of Zimbabwe is developing solar product regulations to enforce standards for a range of solar products. The regulations prohibit the trade, import, and manufacture of solar products that do not conform to standards listed in the regulation’s schedules.

VeraSol supported the government of Zimbabwe in adoption the IEC quality standards for pico-PV and solar home system kits (IEC 62257-9-5 and IEC 62257-9-8) as well as the development of draft regulations to enforce the standards. To enable strong enforcement of the off-grid solar regulation at customs, CLASP will support Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) to develop and operationalize a solar product registration system (PRS). The product registration system would require importers and local manufacturers of the solar products to register products that they intend to import, manufacture and trade in Zimbabwe. The PRS will support the enforcement of the Electricity (Solar Products) Regulations through port of entry verification (and pre-export approvals) and facilitate the identification of non-compliant solar products during market surveillance activities.

CLASP is seeking a contractor to support the development, operationalization, and maintenance of the online software and components necessary for the solar product registration system.

Timeline

Contract Timeframe: May 2024 – July 2025

Deadline for Expression of Interest: 17 May 2024 at 23:59 ET

Deadline for Questions: 14 May 2024 at 23:59 ET

All questions must be addressed in English to Agnes Oloo at aoloo@clasp.ngo. We request all inquiries be made to this e-mail address and not by phone.

Scope of Work

• Providing guidance on the design, hosting, management, and maintenance of the proposed solar product registration system. This includes options and costs for hosting the system, and for provision of longer-term maintenance support.
• Development and staging of a prototype solar product registration system and accompanying user guide based on the system description and functionality provided above. The prototype should be ready for preliminary testing and demonstration.
• Finalizing the solar product registration system and the user guide. This will be based on incorporating inputs collected from a consultation workshop to present and discuss the prototype, incorporating necessary updates to address software bugs and the needs identified during a practical testing phase.
• Providing on-demand support to the regulator (as relates to the functioning of the registration system) over a 6–7-month period during the roll out of the product registration.

Features of the Solar Product Registration System

Download a summary that describes features that the database is expected to contain and support.

Key Qualifications

The software developer will be an organization with in-depth knowledge and experience in developing, operationalizing, and maintaining software systems with similar functionality as the described product registration system.

Applicants should demonstrate a minimum of 3 assignments of similar nature and complexity implemented in the last three years.

Applicants should provide (i) links to enable CLASP to view these previous assignments, (ii) references from the clients they developed these systems for (confirming that the work was satisfactorily delivered) and (iii) contact details of the clients to facilitate verification of the references.

CLASP’s team will serve as the intermediary between the software developer and the regulator and key stakeholders. It is therefore anticipated that the work will be undertaken remotely, and travel will not be required.

Submittal

The procurement process is comprised of two steps: submission of expressions of interest, then submission of proposals that will be evaluated to determine to whom the contract will be awarded.

1. Expression of Interest (EOI)

Organizations interested in this assignment are hereby invited to submit an EOI for the purpose of being considered.

For initial assessment of the qualifications and competence of the organization, the information submitted should include the following:

• Organization’s profile and experience

1. Description of the Organization’s in-depth knowledge and experience in developing, operationalizing, and maintaining software systems with similar functionality as the described product registration system.
2. Link to Organization’s website
3. Description of at least 3 assignments of similar nature and complexity implemented in the last three years.
4. Links to enable CLASP to view these previous assignments
5. References from the clients they developed these systems for (confirming that the work was satisfactorily delivered)

1. Contact details of the clients to facilitate verification of the references.

• Approximate cost estimate for the Organization to complete the full scope of work. The cost estimate can be expressed as a range.
• Confirmation that the Organization will be capable of completing the assignment according to the timeline described above.

The EOI shall be submitted in English in one PDF file by email to CLASP at aoloo@clasp.ngo. Questions may also be addressed to the same email address.

2. Proposal (not required at this stage)

Directly after the deadline for submission of EOIs, CLASP will review submissions and contact qualified organizations to request full proposals, which shall include the following:

• Detailed methodology and work plan to implement the tasks described and realize the project deliverables within the timelines envisioned in section 4 above.
• Team composition – a brief description of the key team members, their qualifications and relevant experience.
• Financial proposal – detailed budget including remuneration and other costs required for the assignment.
• CVs of key team members (included in the annex)

***

CLASP looks forward to reviewing your responses and would like to thank you in advance for your participation in this Request for Proposals. CLASP will notify all respondents who submit proposals when a decision has been made.

CLASP is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. CLASP’s goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. CLASP complies with all federal, state and local employment law in the countries we operate and is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, disability, political affiliation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, genetic information, military or protected veteran status, credit information or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law.

Each person is evaluated based on personal skill and merit. CLASP’s policy regarding equal employment opportunity applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, job assignments, promotions, working conditions, scheduling, benefits, wage and salary administration, disciplinary action, termination, and social, educational and recreational programs.