Konservasi Indonesia is a national foundation established to support sustainable development in the country. We are the main partner of Conservation International in Indonesia.

We envision a healthy and prosperous Indonesia where biodiversity is valued and preserved. With offices and project sites across Indonesia, we promote a sustainable landscape-seascape approach and establish partnerships with multiple stakeholders across sectors and jurisdictions to deliver lasting impacts for people and nature in Indonesia.

As we are constantly expanding, we are currently looking Consultant to fill the following Terms below:

Title: Consultant for Developing Sustainable Financing Mechanism for BTFE Protection and Restoration project

RFP No: KI-001/XI/2024

Date of Issuance: 04 Nov 2024

1. Background

The Batang Toru Forest Ecosystem (BTFE) in North Sumatra, Indonesia and covers over 240,000 hectares of forest in three districts, namely: South Tapanuli, North Tapanuli and Central Tapanuli. These areas known as the last frontier of intact forest in North Sumatra province, the area is home to globally and locally significant biodiversity, including the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan and other mammals such as Sumatran tiger and pangolin. The area also contains valuable resources such as minerals, energy and agroforestry products such as coffee, rubber, benzoin, bananas and cocoa, which support the well-being and livelihoods of local communities of 300.911[1] people in 196 villages in the region.

In addition, the ecosystem provides critical freshwater resources that support smallholder agriculture throughout the Tapanuli region, including agroforestry in unplanned areas and palm oil plantations in the lowlands. A 2021 study by Conservation International (CI) found that water from BTFE helps maintain water levels in lowland peatlands, which is critical to minimising the risk of peatland fires and preventing the release of carbon.

The governance of the BTFE is complex and needs some improvement in several aspects such as coordination and implementation. As a result, some parts of the forest have become fragmented, reducing habitat for endangered wildlife and undermining vital ecosystem services. Building on our long-standing presence and strong relationships with key stakeholders, Konservasi Indonesia (KI) has facilitated a multi-stakeholder collaboration to improve BTFE conservation. This collaboration, led by the provincial government’s development planning agency (BAPPEDA) in North Sumatra province and now it has been working to develop an integrated management plan for BTFE. The first draft of the Integrated Management Plan has been developed and consulted with partners of BTFE initiative. Through this project, KI along with partners and local stakeholders aim to protect and restore critical forests and habitats in the BTFE areas by supporting the adoption and long-term financing of the BTFE Integrated Management Plan, and by building the capacity of key stakeholders to ensure effective implementation, management and monitoring of the BTFE.

2. Project Overview

The consultant will be based in Medan/Jakarta and will play a key role in identifying the long-term financial sustainability of the Batang Toru Forest Ecosystem (BTFE) project. The position requires a highly qualified professional with expertise in sustainable public and private finance, environmental economics, and stakeholder engagement. The consultant will be responsible for exploring and designing a robust financing mechanism to ensure ongoing support for conservation and restoration activities within the BTFE areas.

The primary objective of the consultancy is to establish a robust and adaptable financing mechanism that can secure long-term funding for the conservation and management of the Batang Toru Forest Ecosystem (BTFE). This will be focusing on identifying the appropriate mechanism such as public service agency/ Badan Layanan Umum Daerah (BLUD), cooperative, business entity, etc. needed to manage potential revenue streams from various source of funding such as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs, environmental grants/loans, banks, philanthropy, technical assistance, carbon credit, biodiversity credit, commodity value added and certification, green bonds, investments, as well as other financial instruments.

This work is critical to ensuring that the BTFE project has the financial resources and institutional support necessary to protect and restore the ecosystem for years to come.

3. Terms of Reference, Deliverables and Deliverables Schedule (This may be included here or as an attachment to the RFP, particularly if the terms of reference is quite long (See Attachment 2))
4. Submission Details
5. Deadline. Proposals must be received no later than 15 November 2024 at 16.00 Jakarta Time. Late submissions will not be accepted. Proposals must be submitted via email to [email protected] cc to: [email protected] and [email protected]. All proposals are to be submitted following the guidelines listed in this RFP.
6. Validity of bid. 120 days from the submission deadline
7. Clarifications. Questions may be submitted to [email protected] cc to: [email protected] and [email protected] by the specified date and time in the timeline below. The subject of the email must contain the RFP number and title of the RFP. KI will respond in writing to submitted clarifications by the date specified in the timeline below. Responses to questions that may be of common interest to all bidders will be posted to the KI website and/or communicated via email.
8. Amendments. At any time prior to the deadline for submission of proposals, KI may, for any reason, modify the RFP documents by amendment which will be posted to the KI website and/or communicated via email.

5. Minimum Requirements

The successful applicant must demonstrate strong professional competency and hold relevant academic credentials with extensive experience in designing and implementing sustainable financing mechanisms with public and private entities. Specifically, the applicant should meet the following requirements:

• A master’s degree in finance, agroforestry, environmental and economic development, public administration, business management. An advanced degree (master’s or equivalent) will be an advantage.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience related to public and private finance, investment, and financial modelling.
• Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector companies, financial institutions, firms, NGOs, and local communities.
• Proven track record of building and managing partnerships that secure long-term funding and institutional support.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills to ensure stakeholder alignment and collaboration.
• Understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks related to establishing public service agencies, cooperatives or business entity and other sustainable finance structure, in Indonesia.
• Understanding of conservation practices, ecosystem services, and natural resource management, particularly in the context of forest ecosystems.
• Familiar with biodiversity conservation programs, habitat restoration activities, and community-based natural resource management.
• Proficiency in English and Bahasa Indonesia
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear and concise reports, presentations, and documentation.

6. Proposal Documents to Include

a. Signed cover page on bidder’s letterhead with the bidder’s contact information.

b. Signed Representation of Transparency, Integrity, Environmental and Social Responsibility (Attachment 1)

c. Technical Proposal.

i. Corporate Capabilities, Experience, Past Performance, and 3 client references. Please include descriptions of similar projects or assignments and at least three client references.

ii. Qualifications of Key Personnel. Please attach CVs that demonstrate how the team proposed meets the minimum requirements listed in section 5 (Minimum Requirements).

iii.  Technical Approach, Methodology and Detailed Work Plan. The Technical Proposal should describe in detail how the bidder intends to carry out the requirements described in the Terms of Reference (indicate Section 3 or Attachment 2). (Add specific requirements needed in the Technical Proposal here. Include page limit if appropriate)

d. Financial Proposal. Offerors shall use the cost proposal template (Attachment 3).

7. Evaluation Criteria In evaluating proposals, KI will seek the best value for money considering the merits of the technical and costs proposals. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

(The evaluation table below is a sample only. Add to or adjust the Evaluation Criteria below and associated scoring to fit the assignment. Adjust the scoring to match your needs. It should be as detailed as needed to ensure the best proposal is selected. It may include for example, evaluation of individual personnel qualifications, specialized knowledge, etc.

Proposals will be evaluated ONLY against the Evaluation Criteria in the RFP (no other evaluation criteria may be considered for selection).

8. Proposal Timeline (Please add other solicitation events to this timeline if applicable such as interviews or demos).

9. Resulting Award KI anticipates entering into an agreement with the selected bidder by November 2024. Any resulting agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of KI’s Services Agreement. A model form of agreement can be provided upon request. This RFP does not obligate KI to execute a contract, nor does it commit KI to pay any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of the proposals. Furthermore, KI reserves the right to reject any and all offers, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of KI. KI will, in its sole discretion, select the winning proposal and is not obligated to share individual evaluation results.

10. Confidentiality All proprietary information provided by the bidder shall be treated as confidential and will not be shared with potential or actual applicants during the solicitation process. This includes but is not limited to price quotations, cost proposals and technical proposals. KI may, but is not obliged to, post procurement awards on its public website after the solicitation process has concluded, and the contract has been awarded. KI’s evaluation results are confidential and applicant scoring will not be shared among bidders.

11. Code of Ethics All Offerors are expected to exercise the highest standards of conduct in preparing, submitting and if selected, eventually carrying out the specified work in accordance with KI’s Code of Ethics [for GCF-funded projects only, add: “and the Green Climate Fund’s Policy on Prohibited Practices”]. Konservasi Indonesia’s reputation derives from our commitment to our values: Integrity, Respect, Courage, Optimism, Passion and Teamwork. KI’s Code of Ethics (the “Code”) provides guidance to KI employees, service providers, experts, interns, and volunteers in living KI’s core values, and outlines minimum standards for ethical conduct which all parties must adhere to. Any violation of the Code of Ethics, as well as concerns regarding the integrity of the procurement process and documents should be reported to KI via its Ethics Hotline at www.ci.ethicspoint.com.

12. Attachments:

Attachment 1: Representation of Transparency, Integrity, Environmental and Social Responsibility

Attachment 2: Terms of Reference

Attachment 3: Cost Proposal Template