Expression of Interest (EOI) at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance.

Applications are invited for:

Title: Request for Expression of Interest (EOI) - Treatment and Disposal of Solid and Liquid Medical and Laboratory Waste

Background
USAID awarded the Global Health Supply Chain Program - Procurement and Supply Management project (GHSC-PSM) to Chemonics International Inc., a parent company of SAll Associates Ltd/Gte, as the lead contractor. The project provides direct procurement and supply chain management support to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), Population and Reproductive Health, and Maternal and Child Health. The overarching goal of this global project is to ensure uninterrupted supplies of health commodities in support of United States Government (USG)-funded public health initiatives around the world, including Nigeria. GHSC-PSM endeavors to supply lifesaving pharmaceutical and medical supplies and simultaneously build the capacity of government organizations and agencies, as well as health care facilities in addition to the provision of technical assistance such as waste disposal of unusable pharmaceutical products (UPP) and unusable medical products (UMP) which can be harmful if not disposed of properly.

UPP generally comprises of drugs and medicines that can no longer be used due to expiration, withdrawal, recall, damage, contamination, or for other reasons. Improperly managed and disposed UPP is subject to pilferage or scavenging from landfills followed by misuse or diversion to black or grey market resale. It can also readily cause environmental problems including contamination of local water supply sources. The UPP comprises of a varying mixture of opened loose items and boxed/packaged items that are comparable to those sold at a typical pharmacy. Primary UPP constituents include disposed tablets and capsules, or pills, as well as related inner and outer packaging materials including glass and plastic bottles and vials, blister packs, boxes, ointment dispensing tubes and the like.

UMP generally comprises of disposed, unused products or items that were intended for use in the diagnostics, treatment, or care of patients or in laboratory analysis work. Examples of UMP include disposed glass and plastic laboratory ware, empty tubes and vials, syringes, packaging materials, liquid waste and personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, gowns and the like. Improperly managed and disposed UMP is subject to pilferage or scavenging from landfills followed by misuse or diversion to black or grey market resale and may also lead to noncompliance with environmental health guidelines. UMP comprises of a varying mixture of opened loose items, boxed/packaged items and liquid waste.

Chemonics is facilitating the collection and disposal of UPP and UMP. The product waste will undergo high temperature incineration at a site which adheres to the GHSC-PSM Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP), and is in line with internationally accepted standards for UPP and UMP waste disposal, including the European Community regulations on high temperature incineration of hazardous wastes, the World Health Organization (WHO) handling, storage and transportation of health-care waste guidelines, and the WHO best practices for incineration.

SAll Associates Ltd/Gte/GHSC-PSM seeks to partner with licensed waste management companies with technical expertise, and a waste treatment facility to professionally treat and dispose solid and liquid waste using high temperature incineration with flue gas emissions control. The facility must treat and dispose waste in accordance with Nigeria extant laws/international best practices on waste management avoiding harm to the public and the environment.

Note: That this is NOT a request for proposals. GHSC-PSM is seeking to identify and pre-select organizations to receive the RFP based on the criteria outlined below.

Purpose
The purpose of the EOI is to identify interested licensed waste management companies who operate a thermal waste treatment facility and would like to work with GHSC-PSM to provide solid and liquid waste treatment and disposal services. This includes the handling, transportation, treatment, and disposal through high temperature incineration in accordance with applicable international guidelines and local regulations.

Pre-qualification Criteria
Companies and organizations interested in receiving a copy of the RFP shall submit the following documents and information outlined below. GHSC-PSM will select pre-qualified vendors based on the documentation submitted who will be invited to take part in training sessions (pre-offeror's conference) where they will be instructed on the requirements of the scope of work, the cost implications, and guidance on how they could become eligible offerors when an RFP is release.

Requested documentation:

• Summary profile of company or organization, including the type [e.g. non-governmental, public voluntary, faith-based organization, limited liability, etc.): core area of specialization of the organization or company, ownership, contact person and details. (one page)
• Summary of current key high-level employees, and a concise resume of employees with proven competency level to manage a similar transportation service (similar to transportation and delivery of temperature sensitive biohazard clinical samples and return of reports to designated facilities).
• Company/Organization's summary description of past performance/technical expertise and experience of at least one-two years' providing waste disposal and treatment services
• Detailed proof (include pictures) of ownership or documented evidence of access to appropriate waste treatment facility and equipment (agreement, MOU or any kind of formal arrangement). Details of type of treatment technology used and a brief description of the treatment process applied for solid waste as well as for liquid waste.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling, transportation, treatment and disposal of solid and liquid waste material in an environmentally friendly manner. SOPs can include but not limited to:
  • Guidelines for hazard mitigation Reception and documentation of waste
  • Measuring Weighing and storage of waste Treatment and disposal of waste
  • Analysis of flue gas and any resultant residue
• If these SOPs do not exist or need to be updated, please submit proof of being able to develop (SOP or procedures) within 30 days upon selection for award. (Please note, copies of SOPs will be required prior to signing the subcontract. No subcontract will be signed without these documents.)
• Proof of business registration in Nigeria, and relevant license with regulatory organizations for staff
• Last one-two year(s) (depends on years of existence) audited financial statements.

Application Closing Date
23rd March, 2023.

Submission of Documents
Please submit expression of interest via email to: PSMNigeriaTLPQuotes@ghsc-psm.org

Please Note

• The selected vendor(s) will implement and follow World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines on waste management.
• The EOI must align with requested documentation.
• This is NOT a request for proposals (RFP).
• Responses to this call for expressions of interest are not binding on GHSC-PSM and do not obligate GHSC-PSM to issue a solicitation, nor does it commit GHSC-PSM to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of comments or EOI.
• Should GHSC-PSM issue an RFP, only organizations that meet the criteria outlined above and as presented in responses to this EOI will be considered.

Procurement Steps

• Activity Issuance of EOI - 9 March 2022
• Final date to express interest (EOI) - 23 March 2022
• Evaluation of EOI - 24 - 25 March 2022
• RFP release date - 1 April 2022
• Final date for questions about RFP - 6 April 2022
• RFP Pre-Offeror Virtual Conference - 7 April 2022
• Answers to Questions (in writing) - 8 April 2022
• Final date for Submission of proposals - 15 April 2022
• Evaluation of proposals/ Assessments /Negotiations - 18 April - 30 May 2022
• Estimated date for Award of subcontracts - 30 June 2022.