Consultancy: Feasibility study of market and entrepreneurial opportunities of waste- based products

Consultancy Assignment: Feasibility study of market and entrepreneurial opportunities of waste- based products and services

 Proposal Submission Deadline: 16 November 2017 (Extended)

 Send Proposal to: consultancy_nepal@oxfam.org.uk  

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Hiring a consultant for Feasibility study of market and entrepreneurial opportunities of waste- based products and services

Background

Sustainability is one of the priority areas Oxfam looks for in every intervention it makes. Oxfam has  understood that market mapping and analysis is very important for sustainability of any technology or products. Oxfam is working on the field of sanitation and hygiene for a long time. Now, Oxfam is looking to include market as a strong component for sustainability and planning to undertake current market analysis with a view to providing a comprehensive analysis of contemporary waste usage practices and potential market and entrepreneurial opportunities that may arise from waste based products and services. 

Urbanization is increasing in an alarming rate in Nepal putting immense pressure on municipal service. With increase in population, the waste generation has significantly increased. Although, in many municipalities 13% of the municipal budget is allocated yearly for waste management, there is no logical spent under this budget leaving the pile of waste unmanaged. On average, 170 grams (g)/capita/day waste is generated from households, 4 kg from per school, 1.4 kg per office, 5.7 kg per hotel thus contributing to the urban waste. Using these per capita waste generation rates and population in 2011, the Birendranagar Municipality produces approx. 8 ton of  waste every day. Similarly, in Kathmandu valley, 620 tons of  waste is produced every day. According to ADB, in total of 55 municipalities only 17% of the urban households have their waste collected by waste collectors but still the end product quality of the  waste is unmanaged. Out of the total  waste, 66% is organic, 12% is of plastic waste and paper product is of 9%. There is an underlying potential of connecting the waste to the market to build a sustainable business from the waste. The case is similar with the fecal sludge. Fecal sludge is raw or partially digested, a slurry or semisolid, and results from the collection, storage or treatment of combinations of excreta and blackwater, with or without greywater mostly from pit or septic tanks. Example, All 12,029 houses do have toilets in Birendranagar municipality. When septic tanks and pit latrines become full, the sludge that is collected from them is largely discharged untreated into open drains, irrigation fields, open lands, or surface waters. The amount of untreated FS discharged into the open environment poses a serious public health risk. A 5 m3 truck load of FS dumped into the environment is the equivalent of 5,000 people practicing open defecation. However, this fecal sludge can be treated and there is the possibility of linking the end products to the market. There are already some informal businesses carried out in  waste and few fecal sludge treatment unit plants are installed in Nepal. However, many of them have any strong sustainable model. As a result, either the system has eventually collapsed or is in the verge of collapse. Therefore, there is a need to identify if the waste is a sellable business; prospect of the system, and develop a business model.  On that backdrop, Oxfam is implementing this research with an aim to understand current market scenario and in long run develop a viable marketing strategy with a sustainable business model for Waste Management

Objectives of the Assignment

•To perform market mapping in urban areas of Province 6( Surkhet) and Province 5 (Kapilvastu, Dang, Banke and Bardia) to identify market actors contributing in waste collection, transport, dispose and manage the waste output which includes producers, consumers, sellers, traders, middle-men, employee, and partner.

•To map existing supply chains and value chains of waste-based products and services and analyze them to find the gaps that require support and to explore the financial Viability of existing waste/sanitation enterprises

Scope of Services and Tasks and Activities to be completed

Waste for the this research is fecal sludge Waste .The purpose of the research is to assess the various types of municipal waste, current scenario of waste disposal and waste-based product transaction in Nepal and to undertake current market analysis with a view to providing a comprehensive analysis of contemporary waste usage practices and potential market and entrepreneurial opportunities that may arise from waste based products and services. 

The research will conduct a thorough analysis of fecal sludge only, current waste disposal and usage practices in Nepal dealing separately with each specific types of waste (night soil and urine) with emphasis on market and entrepreneurial activity that is related to the collection, disposal of, storage of, use of and/or recycling and up- cycling (value addition activities) of those specific waste products. Current existing value addition activities such as recycling, up-cycling and transaction of waste materials (buying and selling) is of particular interest to the study. The research will also outline the current sociopolitical, economic and cultural contexts within which this activity takes place. The research will document the current political, policy and legislative frameworks on liquid waste management which influence market and entrepreneurial activity in Nepal. 

Activities will include, but may not be limited to, the following: 

Understanding the microenvironment and identification of market actors on Liquid Waste Management 

   Desk Study: 

•Review the existing fecal sludge Management practices and Innovations in the global arena as well as in Nepal and incorporate the best practices in the specific identified areas. 

•Review the existing plans and policies of Nepal Government on Fecal Sludge Management, Sanitation, or local market products that directly links with the concept. 

Industry Analysis

•Identify waste disposal process of community and also map existing liquid waste enterprises and other waste management related service providers in the research area including who collects and where do them dump the waste.

•List out the potential products from fecal waste in research area 

•Identify production and market activities of these enterprises/product including pricing, marketing strategies, target clients, delivery mechanisms& channels.

•Identify and map key influencers and enablers for market behavior of liquid waste enterprises

•Identify existing market trends and responses specific of liquid waste service providers/actors to their target clientele concerns, behaviors and practices

•Analyze and map political, economic, social, technological, environment and legal factors that affect, contribute, and influence development, service delivery, and up take of liquid waste management services and products.

oPolitical - local regulations and operational and management trends

oEconomic - key players, price range, market types (institutional, informal, formal, government) and location

oEnvironmental – people’s attitude towards the environment, climate, geographical location, waste disposal

oSocial –, perceptions towards waste to value products (recycled),waste disposal practices

oTechnology- impacts of new technology on waste management and disposal, availability, waste disposal/management technologies at household, communities, businesses

•Identify external risks, including awareness and mitigation of climate and environmental risks mechanisms of liquid waste enterprises.

•Identify market reach and size of existing liquid waste management enterprises.

•Identify barriers and constraints in reaching target consumers

•For existing businesses/enterprises, analysis of:

oOperations, including logistics, storage and technology, production and processing 

oSupply, including procurement, inbound logistics, sourcing from suppliers, producer oversight and training, financial services to suppliers 

oMarket, including clients and markets (including size), market related risks, outbound logistics, marketing strategies 

oFinancials, including performance, financial management, investment (and source) 

oIdentification of most significant cost drivers

oRelations with enablers, such as capacity builders and NGOs, service 

Expected Deliverables

Reporting Line Manager

This work is to be delivered to the  PHE - WaSH Innovation, Oxfam in Nepal and overseen by the.

Scope outputs will be signed off by  PHE - WaSH Innovation and  Team Leader - Economic Empowerment and Private Sector Development to ensure full delivery and timeliness.

Duration: 

The estimated input of the consultant is 80 days from the Orientation on research output.

Detail Budget breakdown

  All costs are inclusive of VAT.

Terms of Payment

1. Payment Schedule: Professional fees will be released following the payment schedule stated below: 

 a. 30 % on presentation of data-gathering tools 

b. 50 % on upon submission of draft report 

c. 20% after signing off of final report from Oxfam Hiring Manager 

Documents for submission

•Technical and Financial proposal with the updated CVs of the lead consultants

•VAT registration certificate 

•Tax clearance certificate of FY 2073/74 or extension letter

•Company registration certificate (if applying through company/firm)

Qualification

•Minimum 6 years of experience in conducting consumer behavior analysis and market researches 

•Added value for experience in Consumer Behavior Analysis and Market Research in WASH 

•Should have existing and experienced market research team with

•Master Degree in Business or Statistics with 3-year experience in data analysis or financial analysis or monitoring and evaluation 

•A business analyst with at least Master’s Degree in Business and at least 5 years of experience in business plan  development in government organization or INGOs

Confidentiality / Non disclosure

All material issued in connection with this ToR shall remain the property of Oxfam and shall be used only for the purpose of this procurement exercise. All information provided shall be either returned to Oxfam or securely destroyed by unsuccessful applicants at the conclusion of the procurement exercise.

During the performance of the assignment or at any time after expiry or termination of the Agreement, the Consultant shall not disclose to any person or otherwise make use of any confidential information which s/he has obtained or may in the course of this agreement relating to partner organization/Oxfam, the respondents or otherwise.

The consultant will be required to sign a non disclosure / confidentiality agreement as part of their undertaking of this work. 

Intellectual property, Copyright, and Ownership of all prepared information

The Consultant shall retain all rights to pre-existing (background) intellectual property or materials used by the Consultant in the delivery of this study. All arising intellectual property, ideas, materials, processes or processes formed in contemplation, course of, or as result of this study shall be passed to Oxfam without restriction.

The Consult shall warrant that all arising Intellectual Property, materials and/or products produced in pursuit of this study shall be original, and shall not infringe on any third party’s claim. All technical or business information, in whatever medium or format, originated, collated or prepared by or for the Consultant in contemplation, course of, or as result of this assignment shall be transferred to Oxfam without restriction on completion and shall not be used by the Consultant for any other purpose without express written permission of Oxfam’s Head of Programme Funding.

Copyright of all arising documents, data, information or reports produced by the Consultant under this agreement shall belong to Oxfam and will be passed to Oxfam without restriction. Such documents, data, information and reports shall not be used by the Consultant for any other purpose other than in conjunction with this assignment, without the express written permission of Oxfam’s Head of Programme Funding.

 Response 

The Consulting VAT Registered Individual/Firm should submit a proposal to Oxfam by 16 November 2017 via mail to consultancy_nepal@oxfam.org.uk, clearly mentioning the title of assignment in their email subject line.