REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES)

Consultancy Services to Develop the National Railway Transport Policy in Uganda

Sector: Transport
Grant No.: 21001550042178
Procurement Reference No.: URC/AfDB/CONS/2024-25/0018

1. The Government of Uganda (GOU) has received financing from the African Development Fund (ADF) towards the cost of the EAC-Railway Rehabilitation Support Project (Refurbishment of Kampala-Malaba MGR), and intends to apply part of the agreed amount for this Grant to payments under the contract for Consultancy Services to Develop the National Railway Transport Policy in Uganda for the Uganda Railways Corporation. The overall objective is to develop a safe, efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable railway transport system that facilitates the seamless movement of goods and passengers within Uganda and across the Greater East African region, enhances national competitiveness and regional trade, promotes modal shift from road to rail, and improves the quality, reliability, and security of railway operations.

2. The Consultancy Services shall include but not limited to the following:
   i. Development of a comprehensive National Railway Transport Policy for Uganda to guide the revitalization, modernization, regulation, and sustainable development of the railway sub-sector. The Consultant will undertake a detailed situation analysis of the existing railway network, institutional and regulatory frameworks, operational performance, and investment gaps, and benchmark Uganda’s railway system against regional and international best practices.
   ii. Carrying out extensive stakeholder consultations with government MDA’s, private sector actors, development partners, and communities to ensure an inclusive and participatory policy formulation process. The Consultant will prepare a policy framework addressing key areas such as infrastructure development, safety and security, economic and financial viability, service delivery, operational efficiency, environmental sustainability, interoperability, accessibility, funding mechanisms, and regulatory oversight, while promoting modal shift from road to rail.
   iii. Drafting, reviewing, validating, and finalizing the National Railway Transport Policy, supported by a costed implementation framework, and building institutional capacity within URC and related agencies. The final output will be an implementable, forward-looking policy aligned with Uganda Vision 2040, NDP IV, and regional integration objectives, to reposition rail as a backbone of Uganda’s transport system.

3. The assignment will be executed over a period of thirteen (13) months.

4. The Government of Uganda (GOU) Uganda Railways Corporation now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing these services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.). Consultants may constitute joint ventures to enhance their chances of qualification.

5. Eligibility criteria, establishment of the short-list, and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the African Development Bank’s “Procurement Policy for Bank Group Funded Operations” approved October 2015, which is available on the Bank’s website at http://www.atdb.org.

6. The shortlisting criteria will include:
   i. Preliminary examination to determine the eligibility of the consulting firms / JVs
   ii. Detailed evaluation to assess the competency of the consulting firms / JVs against the criteria derived from the Request for Expression of Interest including:

   • Nature of the firm (Organization Structure and Profile).

   • Experience of the firm in undertaking similar assignments.

   • Experience of the firm working in similar geographical area/conditions.

7. Expressions of interest in English in one (1) original and two (2) copies must be delivered to the address below on or before at 11:00 a.m. on 12th March 2028 with the envelope or packaging clearly marked “Expression of Interest for ‘Consultancy Services to Develop the National Railway Transport Policy in Uganda’”

8. Expressions of interest will be opened in the presence of the applicants’ representative who choose to attend at the address below on 12th March, 2028 at 11:30 am

Uganda Railways Corporation
Room 10, First Floor, URC Headquarters’ Building
Plot 57, Nasser Road,
P.O Box 7150, Kampala, Uganda
Tel: 0312 219 100
Email: afdbproc@urc.go.ug