RFP: Funding projects in the focus area of Environment & Sustainability- Waste Management and Tree Plantation: SBIF

Last Date and Time for submission of proposals via post/courier/runner 03rd October 2023

SBI Foundation (SBIF) was incorporated to bring all the CSR activities of State Bank Group under one umbrella and contribute in the efforts made by the State Bank Group to support and uplift the underprivileged sections of society. The focus areas of SBIF are Livelihoods & Entrepreneurship, Education, Environment, Sports, Rural Development, Healthcare, Disability & Inclusion and Women Empowerment.

So far, SBIF has impacted the lives of more than a 20 million beneficiaries through its various CSR initiatives and aims to continue improving the socio-economic wellbeing of the society, particularly of the less fortunate and under-privileged members and enable them to live up to the potential that they all possess.

SBI Foundation’s work through its flagship program, SBIF CONSERW –‘Conservation Through Sustainable Engagements, Restoration and Wildlife Protection’, is geared towards achieving the UN SDG 6 ‘’Clean Water and Sanitation”,

SDG 7 “Affordable and Clean Energy”, SDG 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities”, SDG 13 “Climate Action”, SDG 14 “Life Below Water” and SDG 15 “Life on Land”.

The SBIF CONSERW program works primarily in the following 4 themes:
A. Sustainable Waste Management.
B. Wildlife Protection
C. Renewable Energy
D. Restoration and Conservation of Ecosystems

About the Request for Proposal (RFP)
SBIF intends to engage non-profit organisations registered in India for funding projects in the thematic areas of sustainable waste management and tree plantation. The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to invite potential grantees with a proven track record to implement projects in the thematic areas of

i) Waste Management, and, ii)Tree Plantation during the current financial year FY of 2023-24 and 2024-25. This document provides information to enable the agencies to understand the requirements of SBIF for submitting their “Proposals”.

Invitation for Proposals
SBI Foundation hereby invites proposals seeking funding under SBIF CONSERW: for sustainable waste management and tree plantation. The budget for a proposal should be in the range of Rs.1.00 Cr.to Rs. 4.50 Cr. for a support period ranging from 2 to 3 years. Multiple submissions will be disqualified.

The RFP document, proposal forms, document checklist, grant utilisation format, quarterly reporting format is available on SBI

Foundation’s website: https://www.sbifoundation.in/request-for-proposal.

Agencies are requested to study this RFP document carefully and checking their eligibility with the ‘Document Checklist’ and other criteria mentioned in the RFP before submitting their proposals in response to the call for RFPs. Submission of a proposal in response to this notice shall be deemed to have been done after careful study and examination of this document with full understanding of its terms, conditions and implications. Prospective agencies are requested to check the prequalification criteria before submission of proposal (both Technical and Financial)

Key Events and Dates

Process step Timeline/Details

1. Publication date of the RFP 12th September 2023

2. Last Date for requesting clarifications through email. 22nd September 2023

3. Last Date and Time for submission of proposals via post/courier/runner 03rd October 2023

4. Communication to shortlisted NGOs to make presentations 18th October 2023

5. Tentative date for Presentations to be made by shortlisted NGOs23rd October 2023 – Mid-November 2023

6. Final communication of selection Mid-November 2023 – January 2024

Place of Submission of Proposals (Physical copies)

sbifconserwrfp@sbifoundation.co.in

Soft copies to be sent by 03rd October 2023 with subject line

“SBIF CONSERW RFP NGO NAME”

Only Shortlisted NGOs will be contacted and they shall be required to submit Hard copies at a later date.

Address: SBI Foundation, Shop
no. 35, The Arcade, World Trade
Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai
400005

Instructions to the Agencies

1. Submission of Proposal

a. The agency can only submit one proposal at a time.

b. The agency should submit the proposal if it meets all the criteria mentioned in this RFP. No deviations are allowed. No reference is
entertained, it might also lead to disqualification.

2. Completeness of Response:

a. The agencies are requested to study all instructions, forms, terms, requirements and other information in the RFP document carefully (including proposal format, document checklist, reporting formats etc.).

Submission of proposal shall be deemed to have been done after careful study and examination of the RFP document with full understanding of its implications.

b. The RFP and all the annexures should be downloaded and filled from the link furnished- https://www.sbifoundation.in/request-for-proposal. All completed formats should be sent to the email id sbifconserwrfp@sbifoundation.co.in by 03rd October 2023. The shortlisted NGOs will be requested to submit hard copies at a later date.

c. The response to this RFP should be complete in all respect. Failure to furnish all information required by the RFP documents or submission of a proposal not substantially responsive to the RFP documents in every respect will be at the agency’s risk and may result in rejection of its proposal.

3. Agency Inquiries/Clarifications:

a. The agency shall send their queries at sbifconserwrfp@sbifoundation.co.in with a subject line ‘SBIF CONSERW- RFP Queries, before 22nd September 2023. Queries received after the aforesaid due date will not be responded/acted upon.

b. Queries on telephone, Social media or any other medium will NOT be entertained.

4. SBIF’s right to terminate the process:

a. SBIF may terminate the RFP process at any time and without assigning any reason thereof.

b. SBIF reserves the right to amend/edit/add/delete any clause. However, this will be informed to all and will become part of the RFP.

c. During the RFP process, if any information is found false/ fraudulent/mala fide, then SBIF shall reject the proposal and if necessary, initiate appropriate action.

5. Language of Proposal:

a. Proposals should be submitted in English language only.

6. Documents (Scan) to be submitted and Pre-qualification criteria:

a. The Agency should be a non-profit organization/trust/society registered in India.

Documents to be submitted: Certificate of Incorporation/ Registration, tax-exempt status under 12 AA, Section 80(G) and/or 35 A (C) and/or FCRA of the Indian Income Tax Act, 1965. Approval for registration of entities for undertaking CSR activities (CSR-I) from Registrar of Companies, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.

b. Performance track-record:

i. Sustainable Waste Management: The NGO applying in the thematic area of Sustainable Waste Management shall comply
with the following:

Must have at least 3 years of experience in implementing CSR projects in the thematic area of waste management.
Must have experience of setting up and operating atleast one operational Material Recovery Facility (MRF)
Must have managed a minimum of 1,000 tons of waste so far.
Must have a dedicated waste management team.
Must have existing offtake and recycling partners.

ii. Tree Plantation: The NGOs applying in the thematic area of Tree Plantation should have:

Minimum 5 years of experience in implementing CSR projects in the thematic area of Tree Plantation.
Planted more than 5 lakh trees so far.
Maintained mortality rate of 65% and above in past projects.
A dedicated team for tree plantation projects, comprising of environmentalists, botanists, biologists etc.

c. Any Sub-letting, sub-contracting and/or outsourcing of the activities shall not be allowed. Documents to be submitted: Copies of previous project completion and work experience details.

d. A self-declaration (on the letter head) that the Grantee does not discriminate based on race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, citizenship, veteran or marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

e. The Agency should not have been blacklisted by any Government Agency/PSU/Central/State agency or under a declaration of ineligibility for fraudulent or corrupt practices. Documents to be submitted:

Declaration from the current authorized signatory of the company.

The agency must also submit the following documents (Scan) with the proposal

Copy of the RFP shall be submitted with authorized signature and official seal on each and every page of the RFP by the agency.
Audited Annual financials should be submitted as per the proposal format
Self-attested copy of Registration Certificate, tax-exempt status under 12

A, Section 80(G), PAN Card, IT Returns for last 3 consecutive financialyears, Audited Financial Statements for last 3 consecutive financial years, Annual reports of activities for last 3 consecutive financial years and Memorandum of Association/ Trust Deed/ Rules and Regulations/Bye-Laws.

The agency must also submit the remaining documents and policies (Scan) as mentioned in the document checklist

7. Evaluation Process:

a. SBI Foundation will shortlist the proposals based on its internal Shortlisting criteria. SBI Foundation will shortlist the proposals based on the Shortlistingcriteria as mentioned on Page No. 13 of the RFP titled ‘Selection Criteria for RFP’.

b. The Internal Committee of SBI Foundation shall evaluate the shortlistedproposals based on the parameters defined on Page No. 13 titled ‘Selection Criteria for RFP’ of the RFP and submit its recommendation to the Competent Authority whose decision shall be final in all aspects.

8. Grant Terms and Schedule:

a. Grant will be released on a quarterly/half yearly basis on satisfactory performance by the agency and submission of quarterly reports (activity and financial utilisation) duly signed by the authorized signatory and duly certified by the auditors of the successful agency. Brief monthly update on activities conducted would also be required to be submitted.

b. All terms regarding to the grant will be in accordance to the amendment to the Companies act 2013, with effect from 22nd January 2021 and any further enactments by the government shall be binding on all the stake holders.

c. Any unutilised disbursement lying with the agency at the end of the Financial Year i.e. on 31st March of the preceding year shall be promptly intimated and refunded to SBI Foundation, not later than 30 days from the closure of the Financial Year i.e. on or before 10th April.

d. A separate bank account (preferably a savings bank account) in State Bank of India for the purpose of this grant and proof of the same should be furnished to SBI Foundation. All receipts and payments related to the said project must be routed through this account.

e. SBIF will release the grant, subject to verification of the reports submitted by the successful agency and subsequent approval by the Competent Authority, on submission of invoice and all other supporting documents being in order.

f. A grant agreement/MoU will be executed between SBIF and grantee with details of additional terms and conditions. The Project will be executed as per the terms and conditions of the grant letter or MoU and shall be binding on the Agency.

9. Penalty
a. SBIF shall be at liberty to impose penalties, including cancellation of awarded grant, if the agency indulges in fraudulent activities,
malpractices and male fides. In case of the said situation, SBIF shall blacklist the implementing agency in its books and shall share the
information with Ministry of Corporate Affairs for further course of action.

10.Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Selected agencies will have to sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement (Annexure) with SBIF.

11.Transfer of RFP

The RFP document is not transferable.

12. Proposal Preparation Costs

The agency shall submit proposal at its own cost and SBIF shall not be held responsible for any cost incurred by the agency. Submission of proposal does not entitle the agency to claim any cost and rights over SBIF and SBIF shall be at liberty to cancel any or all proposals without giving any notice. All materials submitted by the agencies shall be the absolute property of SBIF and no copyright/patent, etc. shall be entertained by SBIF.

13.SBIF’s right to terminate the process

SBIF may terminate the RFP process at any time and without assigning any reason thereof. SBIF reserves the right to amend/edit/add/delete any clause of this Proposal Document. However, this will be informed to all and will become part of the RFP.

14.Submission of Proposals

The proposal submission shall comprise of the duly filled in proposal format uploaded on the website, along with all the annexures as mentioned in the document checklist uploaded on website.

15.Late Proposals

Any proposals received by SBIF after the deadline for submission of proposal shall be declared late and will be rejected and returned unopened to the agency at the discretion of SBIF.

16.Disclaimer:

i. The information contained in this RFP document or information provided subsequently to implementing agencies whether verbally or in documentary form/email by or on behalf of SBI Foundation is subject to the terms and conditions set out in this RFP document.

ii. This RFP is not an offer by SBI Foundation, but an invitation to receive responses from the eligible implementing agencies

iii. The purpose of this RFP is to provide the implementing agencies with information to assist preparation of their proposals. This RFP does not claim to contain all the information each implementing agency may require. Each implementing agency should conduct its own investigations and analysis and should check the accuracy, reliability and completeness of the information contained in this RFP and where necessary obtain independent advices/clarifications. SBI Foundation may in its absolute discretion, but without
being under any obligation to do so, update, amend or supplement the information in this RFP.

iv. The SBI Foundation, its employees and advisors make no representation or warranty and shall have no liability to any person, including any Applicant under any law, statute, rules or regulations or tort, principles of restitution or unjust enrichment or otherwise for any loss, damages, cost or expense which may arise from or be incurred or suffered on account of anything contained in this

RFP or otherwise, including the accuracy, adequacy, correctness, completeness or reliability of the RFP and any assessment, assumption, statement or information contained therein or deemed to form or arising in any way for participation in this process.

v. The SBI Foundation also accepts no liability of any nature whether resulting from negligence or otherwise, howsoever caused arising from reliance of any implementing agency upon the statements contained in this RFP.

vi. The issue of this RFP does not imply that SBI Foundation is bound to select an implementing agency or engage an agency and SBI Foundation reserves the right to reject all or any of the implementing agencies or proposal without assigning any reason whatsoever.

vii. The implementing agency is expected to examine all instructions, forms, terms and specifications in the RFP Document. Failure to furnish all information required by the RFP or to submit a proposal not substantially responsive to RFP in all respect will be at the implementing agency’s risk and may result in rejection of the proposal.

17.Modification and Withdrawal of Proposals:

i. The implementing agency may modify or withdraw its proposal after the proposal submission, provided that written notice of the modification, including substitution or withdrawal of the proposal, is received by SBI Foundation, prior to the deadline prescribed for submission of proposals.

ii. No modification in the proposal shall be allowed, after the deadline for submission of proposal.

SBIF shall award the contract to the selected/identified agency at the Quality & Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method. Allocation of marks will be done by assigning weightage to Technical proposals (80%) and Financial Proposal (20%).

Scope of Work
The proposed project under SBIF CONSERW should be in one of the below listed thematic areas of

a) Sustainable Waste Management; b) Tree Plantation.

Under each thematic area, the project must align with the below-mentioned framework.

1. Thematic Area: End-to-End Waste Management NGOs can apply for both Dry waste management and Wet waste management or
one of the two based on their expertise.

Framework:

Public-private partnership model for effective waste management encompassing processes like segregation at source, collection, aggregation, categorizing, treatment, recycling, upcycling etc.
Collaboration with local municipal bodies for provision of land and capital requirements.
Information Education Communication (IEC) activities for behavioural change for end-to-end sustainable waste management practice
Deployment of advanced waste collection systems.
Establishment and operation of material recovery facilities (MRF).
End use of dry waste through partnership with offtake and recycling organizations.
Realtime dashboard for incoming and outgoing waste material.
Baseline and endline studies for assessing improvement in the rate of segregation.
Preferred project locations: Pan India
Partner organizations applying for a project under above mentioned theme are expected to propose a comprehensive range of activities that align with the project objectives.

2. Thematic Area: Tree Plantation

Sub Thematic Area:

(Project may include one or more of the respective sub-thematic areas)

Agroforestry: Integrated tree plantation with agricultural practices to provide economic benefits and sustainable land use.
Biodiversity Conservation: Planting trees in areas with high biodiversity value to preserve threatened species and ecosystems.
Mini Forests: Creating mini forests in partnership with state governments.
Community-Based Plantation: Engaging local communities in tree plantation activities to foster ownership and environmental stewardship.
Preferred project locations: Pan India
We encourage the applicant organizations to propose unique sustainable plantation methodologies, that align with the overall objective of the theme.

Selection Criteria for Agencies

The evaluation of the agencies shall be done by the competent authority on following parameters:

A. Project Proposal

1. Alignment with ‘SBIF CONSERW’ framework.
2. Clear and concise detailing of the proposed solution, implementation plan and outcomes.
3. Innovation in the project.
4. Risk-mitigation measures.
5. Comprehensiveness of the Log frame & Project timelines.
6. Project Monitoring & Evaluation Process.
7. Proportion of admin and overheads costs, in comparison to the total project budget.
8. Project exit strategy & sustainability of the solution.

B. Experience
1. The NGO should have a minimum 3 years of existence on the date of publication of this RFP.
2. The NGO should have a minimum of 3 years of overall work experience in case of Waste Management and 5 years of experience in case of Tree Plantation proposals and should have a presence in the proposed state.
3. The NGOs having demonstrated capability to improve measurable outcomes to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the intervention will be preferred.
4. The agency must have an in-house team for project implementation, with more than 5 permanent employees.
5. The NGO must have completed at least 3 assignments/projects of a similar nature funded by a Public sector/Govt. Organizations/Central/State government authority/ Foundations.

C. The Agency shall be rejected if:
1. Annual cumulative revenue of the organisation for the last 3 financial years is less than Rs. 5.00 Crores.
2. It has political or religious associations.
3. It fails to furnish the due diligence documents mentioned in Annexure II.
4. The number of board members is less than 3.
5. The number of permanent employees is less than 5.
6. The individual donors are among the top 3 donors.

Guidelines for Proposal

The Proposal should comprise of the following:

1. The proposals must be direct, concise, and complete. All information not directly relevant to this RFP should be omitted. The implementation plan should be mentioned in a step-by-step approach, Log frame with means of verification and Work plan with clear timelines should be part of the proposal. SBIF will evaluate the agency’s proposal based upon its clarity and the directness of its response to the requirements of the project as outlined in this RFP.

2. Prices shall be quoted entirely in Indian Rupees. The price quoted would be inclusive of all taxes, duties, charges, and levies as applicable. The detailed financials have to be submitted including cost breakups.

3. The proposed projects that work with and are supported by the government will be preferred.

4. The proposed interventions should be sustainable and scalable and can be replicated across geographies and demographics.

5. The NGOs having demonstrated capability to improve measurable outcomes to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the intervention will be preferred.

6. Projects should be inclusive in nature, targeting beneficiaries from all strata and groups of the society

Link to access the annexure documents: LINK

Please download, fill in the details and share the annexure documents along with your proposals to sbifconserwrfp@sbifoundation.co.in

For any queries, please write to us at sbifconserwrfp@sbifoundation.co.in