Notice for Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Consultant Service

Scope of Work (SoW) for Consultancy Service: Feasibility Study for CSEB Brick Enterprise Development and Resilient Housing Promotion in Kanchanpur District

1. Background

Nepal National Social Welfare Association (NNSWA), established in 1990 and registered in 1994, is a leading NGO headquartered in Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur. Operating across Sudur Paschim Province, NNSWA is dedicated to promoting social justice and inclusive development. The organization primarily focuses on empowering the 3D communities Dalits (discriminated by caste), persons with disabilities, and deprived populations including freed Kamaiyas/Kamlaharis, displaced groups, women, children, PLHIVs, and those affected by leprosy.Its thematic areas include education and awareness, health and nutrition, disaster preparedness, livelihood promotion, economic empowerment, rights advocacy, capacity building, and research. Through collaboration with local governments and development partners, NNSWA works to build resilient communities and foster equity for Nepal’s most vulnerable groups.

The Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (ZCRA), supported by the Z Zurich Foundation, aims to enhance community resilience to climate hazards. In Nepal, Mercy Corps and Practical Action, through their implementing partner NNSWA, are focusing on floods and heatwaves in Sudurpaschim, Lumbini, and Madesh provinces.

This project seeks to explore the feasibility of establishing a sustainable, community-owned enterprise to produce Compressed Stabilized Earth Bricks (CSEB). The aim is for this enterprise to advance climate-resilient construction, specifically for housing, within the community and potentially for a wider market. While the project will support the establishment and capacity building of the enterprise, it will not directly fund the construction of houses. The enterprise will serve as a local resource for resilient building materials and a source of income generation.

A specialized consultancy service is required to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study to assess the viability and sustainability of this proposed CSEB enterprise and its role in promoting resilient housing.

2. Objective of the Consultancy

The primary objective of this assignment is to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study for the establishment of a community-owned enterprise to produce CSEB bricks and its promotion for reconstruction of flood impacted community in the Pattarkhalla community, Kanchanpur District. The study will assess the technical, economic, social, environmental, and institutional viability of such an enterprise, focusing on its potential for:

• Producing high-quality CSEB bricks at a reasonable and competitive rate.
• Developing sustainable income generation for appropriate community members
• Providing affordable and resilient building material for climate-vulnerableand flood affected communities.
• Achieving market viability and financial sustainability of enterprise.
• Community and municipal acceptance of CSEB for reconstruction adhering to the building codes

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

3.1. Technical Feasibility Assessment:

3.1.1. Raw Material Assessment:

• Identify potential sources of suitable soil (earth), Stone dustand sand for CSEB production within or near the Pattarkhalla community.
• Conduct preliminary geological/soil analysis not limited to liquefaction (e.g., visual inspection, hand-tests, basic laboratory tests if necessary) to determine suitability, clay content, and organic matter.
• Assess the availability, quality, and accessibility of sand and stabilizers (e.g., cement, lime) required for CSEB production.
• Identify necessary permits and environmental considerations for raw material extraction.

3.1.2. Technology and Production Process:

• Identify appropriate CSEB brick making technologies (e.g., manual presses, semi-mechanized presses), scalability, suitable for a community-level enterprise, considering local capacity and resource availability.
• Assess the space and infrastructure requirements for a production unit (e.g., covered area for mixing, curing, storage).
• Evaluate quality control measures to ensure the production of durable and structurally sound bricks.
• Evaluate the maintenance requirements and cost analysis for maintenance.

3.1.3. Climatic Resilience Design Considerations:

• Identify specific flood and heat-related risks in Pattarkhalla.
• Review existing resilient housing designs and standards (e.g., plinth height, ventilation) applicable to CSEB construction in a flood/heat-prone context in Nepal.
• Provide basic guidance on how CSEB bricks can contribute to resilientconstruction, acknowledging that the project does not fund house construction directly.
• Propose resilient housing prototypes and sample designs integrating CSEB features.

3.2. Economic and Financial Feasibility Assessment:

3.2.1. Costing Analysis:

• Estimate the capital investment required for establishing the CSEB enterprise (e.g., equipment purchase, site preparation, initial raw materials, training).
• Estimate the operational costs per brick (e.g., raw materials, labor, energy, maintenance).
• Conduct a comparative cost analysis of CSEB bricks versus conventional building materials (e.g., fired bricks, concrete blocks, mud houses) for housing construction in the local market.

3.2.2. Market Assessment and Demand Analysis:

• Assess the current and projected demand for building materials in Pattarkhalla and surrounding areas (Krishnapur, Dodhara Chandani,Bhimdatta and potentially wider Kanchanpur district).
• Identify key potential customer segments: individual households (including vulnerable families), local government projects, public buildings, NGOs, private builders.
• Analyze the willingness to pay for CSEB bricks, considering quality, resilience benefits, and affordability.
• Evaluate the competitive landscape: identify existing suppliers, their pricing, quality, and market share.
• Analyze what factors could influence demand and what actions could stimulate uptake of CSEB in the area

3.2.3. Income generationand Employment Impact:

• Estimate the number of direct and indirect income generation opportunities the enterprise can create for community members (e.g., raw material collection, brick production, sales, construction skills).
• Assess potential for alternative income generation through the enterprise.

3.3. Social and Community Acceptance Assessment:

3.3.1. Community Consultation meetings:

• Gauge community perceptions, willingness to adopt, and acceptance of CSEB technology.
• Understand existing housing preferences, cultural considerations, and traditional building practices.

3.3.2. Enterprise Ownership Model:

• Explore and recommend viable community-owned enterprise models (e.g., cooperative, self-help group, community-based organization) that align with local social structures and ensure equitable benefits.
• Assess existing community capacities for enterprise management and governance.
• Document community-level capacity development needs for enterprise management.

3.3.3. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Analysis:

• Analyze how the enterprise can promote GESI principles in terms of participation, employment, and access to resilient housing materials.

3.4. Institutional and Partnership Assessment:

3.4.1. Local Government Support:

• Assess the level of political will and potential support from Krishnapur and Dodhara Chandani Municipalities (e.g., seed money, technical assistance, policy endorsement).
• Explore pathways for partnership with local government for scaling out resilience practices and promoting CSEB.
• Identify policy or institutional barriers and opportunities in using CSEB in municipal building approvals.

3.4.2. Private Sector Engagement:

• Identify potential linkages with local private sector actors (e.g., hardware shops, construction companies) for raw material supply, equipment maintenance, or market distribution.

3.4.3. Linkages with CRC Objectives:

• Demonstrate how the CSEB enterprise contributes to ZCRA Phase 3 objectives, particularly in building ex-ante resilience, promoting resilient income generation, and influencing local DRR/CCA finance.

4. Deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for submitting the following deliverables:

• Inception Report: Detailing the consultant's understanding of the SoW, proposed methodology, work plan, and timeline.
• Draft Feasibility Study Report: A comprehensive report covering all aspects outlined in Section 3, including findings, analysis, conclusions, and preliminary recommendations. This draft will be submitted for review and feedback.
• Presentation of Findings: A presentation of key findings and recommendations to the ZCRA partners (Mercy Corps, NNSWA, and potentially other stakeholders).
• Final Feasibility Study Report: A revised and finalized report incorporating feedback, including:
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction and Background
  • Methodology
  • Detailed Findings for each assessment area (Technical, Economic/Financial, Social, Environmental/Regulatory, Institutional)
  • Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies
  • Clear Conclusions and Recommendations regarding the viability and sustainability of the CSEB enterprise.
  • Proposed Business Model for the enterprise.
  • GESI considerations integrated throughout.
  • Appendices (e.g., survey tools, list of interviewees, lab results if applicable).
  • Summary report in Nepali and English languages (target audience- community and municipality)

5. Timeline

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 4 weeks from the contract signing date. A detailed work plan with specific deadlines for each delivery will be agreed upon during the inception phase. Tentative timeline for the assignment:

1. Week 1: Inception report
2. Week 2-3: Field visit and draft report
3. Week 4: Report Review and finalization

6. Qualifications of the Consultant

The ideal consultant/consultancy firm should possess:

• Extensive experience (minimum 5 years) in conducting feasibility studies for enterprise development, particularly in the construction or alternative building materials sector, in Nepal or similar contexts.
• Demonstrated expertise in earth-based construction technologies, specifically CSEB bricks.
• Strong understanding of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and resilient housing principles.
• Proven experience in market assessment, financial analysis, and business model development for community-based enterprises.
• Experience in social research methods, community engagement, and GESI analysis.
• Familiarity with the socio-economic and cultural context of rural Nepal.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills in English and Nepali languages.

7. Reporting and Management

The consultant will report directly to Project Coordinator – CRC, NNSWA and will work closely with Province Coordinator, DRR and CCA Specialist, Mercy Corps and CRC team for logistical support and community access. Regular progress updates will be expected.

8. Partner Resource Sharing

We highly value collaborative partnerships and welcome contributions that can strengthen this feasibility study. If the consulting firm is able and willing to contribute resources towards this endeavor, we kindly request you to explicitly detail the nature of these contributions. Please specify under which specific headings or aspects of the Scope of Work (e.g., technical expertise, specific equipment, in-kind contributions, partial cost-sharing for certain analyses, specialized lab testing, travel expenses) these resources would be provided, along with an indication of their value or extent.

9. Consultancy firms or individual are required to submit the following documents:

• Letter of interest
• Technical proposal, which includes objectives and methods with detailed timeline.
• CVs of professional personnel proposed for this project
• One-page financial proposal covering all major costs
• Copy of company registration certificate (not applies for Individual consultant)
• Copy of Citizenship Certificate for Individual Consultant
• Copy of PAN/VAT registration certificate
• Sample of similar previous production

Interested candidates/firms/companies are requested to submit all required documents as mentioned above to the NNSWA Head Office, Kanchanpur, during office hours, or via email at nnswaprocurement2020@gmail.com no later than 15th November 2025. Proposals must be submitted in separate technical and financial sealed envelopes/folders.

10. Administrative and Financial Management

• The consultant will be contracted by NNSWA under the terms and conditions agreed upon in the consultancy agreement
• The consultant shall be responsible for maintaining accurate records of workdays, deliverables, and field activities
• Payments will be made upon submission and approval of deliverables as per the agreed schedule
• Any applicable taxes will be deducted at source in accordance with prevailing government regulations
• The consultant is expected to work independently while maintaining close communication with NNSWA and Mercy Crops Nepal throughout the assignment period

For more details:

National Nepal Social Welfare Association (NNSWA),

Head Office Bhimdatta Municipality Mahendranagar Kanchanpur, Nepal,

Phone (Head Office): 099-522182,

Mobile No: 9849029674

Email: nnswaprocurement2020@gmail.com

Website: www.nnswa.org.np