GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
HIGHER EDUCATION QUALITY AND INNOVATION PROJECT
EDUCATION SECTOR
GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE
Credit No.7480-KG
Project ID No. P178592
The Kyrgyz Republic has received financing in the amount of US$ 25,000,000.00 equivalent from the World Bank toward the cost of the Higher Education Quality and Innovation Project, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, works, non-consulting services and consulting services to be procured under this project.
The project will include the following components:
Component 1: Strengthen the quality and relevance of research and innovation and teaching programs at selected HEIs. The allocated cost for this component is US$ 19.7 million. Within this goal, the project plans to:
(i) establish COEs for collaboration between researchers in prioritized areas of high relevance to the national economy;
(ii) re-organize academic programs at selected HEIs.
As part of this component, the following goods will be procured: 1) Equipment for laboratories for biochemical research, genetics and molecular biology - KSMA; 2) Equipment for laboratory for pathomorphological research - KSMA; 3) Equipment for laboratory for bioequivalence studies of pharmaceutics - KSMA; 4) Laboratory equipment, IT equipment and software for new and expanded educational programmes at KSMA; 5) Equipment for laboratory for diagnostics of infectious diseases of animals at KNAU; 6) Molecular genetic equipment - KNAU; 7) Equipment for laboratory of histology and immunohistochemistry at KNAU; 8) Equipment for the Department of Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise and Food Safety at KNAU; 9) Laboratory equipment, IT equipment and software for new and expanded educational programmes at KNAU; 10) Ultrasound machine for breast examination at OshSU; 11) MRI machine at OshSU; 12) Laboratory equipment, IT equipment and software for new and expanded educational programmes at OshSU; 13) Hardware, software for laboratory/applied AI for KSTU; 14) Hardware and software for Cyber Security Laboratory at KSTU; 15) Hardware and software for Virtual Laboratory, IoT system and industrial automation at KSTU; 16) IT equipment and software for new and expanded educational programmes at KSTU; 17) Scientific, IT equipment, software for strengthening of educational laboratories at KNU; 18) Laboratory equipment, IT equipment and software for new and expanded educational programmes at KNU and others.
The following consultancy services: 1) Development of new and revision of existing educational programmes at KSMA, existing academic programmes in 10 areas at KSMA, advanced training courses, laboratory accreditation, and etc.; 2) Development of a joint PhD academic programme on Cell Biology and Tumour Biology (5 topics) - OshSU; 3) Development of interdisciplinary academic programmes on AI (Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Big Data Processing) (KTU-KSMA, KTU-KNAU) and International accreditation of laboratories and academic programmes of KSTU, etc.
The following non-consulting services: 1) Training of KSMA specialists in key areas and working trips, exchange of experience of KSMA specialists with international HEIs; 2) Organization and delivery of training and retraining of OshSU personnel in oncology, haematology, etc.; 3) Joint projects on AI and cyber security, educational programmes in new areas, exchange of experience, internships, mobility of students and teachers, mobility of students and teachers with international HEIs - KSTU and others.
Component 2: Build capacity for research and innovation of universities. The estimated cost of this component is US$ 4 million. With the goal of fostering research and innovation, this component will establish an Academic Innovation Fund (AIF). The AIF will be designed to provide grants (up to US$ 200,000 in funding over three years) for research and innovation to any public or private HEIs in all disciplines on a competitive basis. For the management of the AIF, a Technical Group and a Secretariat will be created under the MoES.
This component will procure goods and consulting services as requested by the grantees.
Component 3: Strengthen higher education system governance for quality. For the cost of this component an amount of US$ 0.5 million has been planned. Under this component, the project intends to finance technical assistance, capacity building, and consultation activities for improving the quality assurance and accreditation systems of HEIs. The focus will be on HEIs’ external institutional and program accreditations as well as on their internal self-assessment and quality assurance units.
As part of this component, the following consulting services will be procured: 1) Development and implementation of an outcome-based evaluation system; 2) Development of procedures for assessing teaching based on digital technologies in HEIs, and internal self-assessment processes and systems to ensure the quality of research and teaching in HEIs; 3) Enhancing the university ranking system based on the process of collection, analysis and presentation of quantitative and qualitative data on students, faculty, staff, curricula, research, employment, course offerings and learning outcomes, etc.
Component 4: Support project management, monitoring, and evaluation. With a calculated US$ 0.8 million cost, this component will be financing the operating costs of project implementation: PCU personnel, equipment, supervision, and incremental operating costs of entities responsible for the implementation.
Procurement of contracts financed by the International Development Association will be conducted through the procedures as specified in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (September 2023, 5th edition) (Procurement Regulations), and is open to all eligible firms and individuals as defined in the Procurement Regulations. After project negotiations, the World Bank shall arrange the publication on its external website of the agreed initial procurement plan and all subsequent updates once it has provided a no objection. Specific procurement notices for contracts subject to open international competitive bid (ICB) will be announced, as they become available, on the World Bank’s external website, zakupki.kg and in local media.
Interested eligible firms and individuals who would wish to be on the invitation to tender list in accordance with ICB procedures and interested consultants who would wish to receive a copy of the invitations to bid for consultancy services, or those requiring additional information, should contact at the address below:
Higher Education Quality and Innovation Project
Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic
office 101, Manas ave. 22a, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Phone: +996 (312) 62-34-17
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]