1. BACKGROUND

Water.org is an international non-profit charitable organization based in the US.  It has field or country offices in 13 countries which includes Indonesia.  Water.org is focused on promoting wide access to water and sanitation services, especially toward poor households, or Base of Pyramid (BoP) households. Water.org works with partner organizations in various countries including microfinance organizations and water utilities. The purpose is to help these institutions promote water and sanitation loans or water connection financing services (in the case of water utilities) to BoP households.

Since 2016, Water.org Indonesia has been collaborating with drinking water utility (PDAM) and wastewater utility (PD PAL) in Indonesia to implement the WaterConnect program. Currently, Water.org has collaborated with 30 PDAMs in Java and 2 PD PALs in Jakarta and City of Bekasi to offer water financing products to improve access to drinking water and wastewater management for the community, especially low-income communities.

PDAM City of Bekasi (Tirta Patriot) is at a critical juncture following the 2025 transfer of water supply assets from PDAM Bekasi Regency/District (Tirta Bhagasasi). These legacy systems suffer from significant technical debt, including underperforming water treatment plants and high Non-Revenue Water (NRW) of around 70%. Addressing these issues is compounded by a gap in internal human resource capacity and financial resources. The complexity of large-scale rehabilitation and “source-to-tap” modernization requires specialized skill sets—particularly in pressure management and financial structuring—that currently exceed internal capacities.

Aligned with the newly elected Mayor’s vision, PDAM is mandated to aggressively expand service coverage from 20% to 46%. The 2025 Business Plan outlines a roadmap requiring an investment of approximately >USD 100 million (IDR 2 trillion) over the next five years. However, a significant funding gap exists:

• Local banks might be hesitant to cover the full project portfolio, citing concerns over PDAM’s current financial capacity to service such large-scale debt alongside existing operational costs.

• Given these limitations, certain complex expansion/improvement projects must transition toward third-party investors. This necessitates professional vetting to ensure commercial terms protect PDAM’s long-term interests.

Without external expert support, PDAM will be forced into following concerns:

• PDAM will only implement low-risk, operational, and maintenance (O&M) projects, leaving the high-impact ex-Regency system improvements stalled.

• Lacking comprehensive “source-to-tap” analysis, investments may suffer from slow household connection rates and poor cost recovery, like the Jatisari system’s challenges.

• The Mayor’s 46% coverage target will remain unattainable, resulting in stagnant revenue and continued water insecurity for the community.

To bridge these gaps, we propose a targeted intervention to rehabilitate and expand the water supply systems transferred from the Bekasi Regency. The focus will be on:

1. System Rehabilitation & NRW Reduction: Conducting baseline assessments and implementing strategic upgrades to treatment plants and distribution networks to recover “lost” water and improve service quality in 3 systems (Rawalumbu, Rawatembaga, and Telukbuyung zone)

1. Technical & Commercial Advisory: Providing expert vetting of investor proposals to ensure technical feasibility for the systems, environmental compliance, and commercial terms that align with PDAM’s long-term financial capacity.

1. Implementation Monitoring: Ensuring that investment execution translates into measurable performance improvements and sustainable revenue growth.

In FY26, PDAM City of Bekasi will gradually begin improving the assets received from PDAM District of Bekasi. This improvement will begin with improvements to the production units in Rawalumbu, Rawa Tembaga, and Teluk Buyung. The production capacity, reservoir capacity, and pumping system must be evaluated and redesigned so that these production units can produce water at least at their original design capacity or even be increased to the optimum level with sufficient reservoir capacity and a reliable distribution pumping system.

To implement this project, PDAM City of Bekasi has requested assistance from Water.org and Water.org is willing to support the project, which involves evaluating and redesigning the production units in Rawalumbu, Rawa Tembaga, and Teluk Buyung so that they can produce water at least at their original design capacity or even be increased to the optimum level with sufficient reservoir capacity and a reliable distribution pumping system.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

Water.org intends to engage a consulting firm as consultants with previous experience of working with PDAMs. Previous experience of assessing development work around water and sanitation would be an advantage. The selected consultant will be engaged to provide services on “Technical Assistance in the form of evaluation and redesign production unit, including water supply system of Rawalumbu. Rawa Tembaga, and Teluk Buyung” to support PDAM City of Bekasi to prepare the project.

The report at least consists of:

• Baseline system performance or service quality, especially pressure, service hours, water quality, average consumption of domestic customers, and NRW.
• Demand analysis
• Results of the evaluation and redesign of the production unit, especially production capacity, reservoir capacity, and distribution pumping system.
• Recommended production unit design, including cost required.

To achieve this goal, the consultant must make a design that refers to current regulations.

Assignment Summary

The Consultant will assist Water.org Indonesia to prepare a Technical Assistance in the form of evaluation and redesign production unit of Rawalumbu. Rawa Tembaga, and Teluk Buyung of PDAM City of Bekasi so that PDAM City of Bekasi can produce water at least at their original design capacity or even be increased to the optimum level with sufficient reservoir capacity and a reliable distribution pumping system.

3. SCHEDULE

Detailed schedule is as follows:

A. Preparation (by Water.org): April 2026

B. Activities of Technical Assistance (by consultant):  May – September 2026)

C. Monitoring Evaluation (by Water.org): May – September 2026

D. Assisting PDAM in Preparing Performance – Based Cooperation Guidelines

4. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Water.org aims to hire a consultant to work with Water.org Indonesia to implement the Project as described in the scope of work outlined above. The proposal should include a technical and financial proposal well as a project timeline, please refer to the timeline section for additional information. Applicants may be consulting firms with a designated team leader.  Applicants, at least Team Leader and Expert, must exhibit the following qualifications:

• Understanding of TOR.
• Demonstrated experience with PDAM and familiarity with the PDAM business process.
• Experts with at least 10 years of experience in the water supply system, particularly in designing of WSS project.
• Team Leader has experience carrying out design of WSS project at least 3 projects.
• The Consultant Team consists at least Team Leader, Water Supply System experts, Finance experts in the water supply sector.
• Attach Team Member experience, only experiences related preparing in Water Supply System Development.
• Having knowledge and experience on mitigation and adaptation to climate change is value-added.

5. BUDGET

The budget proposal must be submitted by the Consultant, and approval of the final budget is fixed and cannot be negotiated. All budgets will be provided in IDR. Budget notes are encouraged.

The consultant must provide budget information in the attached format, or with any other format that specifies the details of the same. All components of the tax should be included in the budget. The Consultant will be responsible for paying all the taxes.

A sample of payment terms is by following:

• First tranche – 30% of the contract price – upon signing of the contract.
• Second tranche – 40% of the contract price – upon submission of the draft report of BP
• Third tranche – 30% of the contact price – upon submission of the final report of BP

6. SUBMISSION PROPOSAL

Full proposals must be sent to emailed to Jaya Saputra, Senior Partnership Accounts Manager Water.org Indonesia, at email address jsaputra@water.org with “Technical Assistance PDAM City of Bekasi” in the subject line. Proposal submission deadline is April 27^th, 2026, Jakarta Time Zone. Proposals will be examined in turn. Proposal must be submitted in English.