USAID PROCUREMENT INFORMATION BULLETIN
PIB NO: 15.042 for the export of legal artisanal gold from DR Congo
DATE: 7/7/2015
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Office of Acquisition Assistance Washington, D.C. 20523
Commodity Division (202) 567-4709
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Cooperating Country: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Authority: Contract No. AID-OAA-I-12-00032; TO AID-660-TO-14-00002
Authorized Geographic Code: 937
Requester: Tetra Tech ARD
159 Bank Street, Suite 300
Burlington, VT 05401
Contact: Jonathan Ellermann, Jonathan.Ellermann@tetratech.com
Copy to Catherine Picard, Catherine.Picard@tetratech.com; Virginia Spell, Virginia.spell@tetratech.com
RFP No.: 1854-002 Request for Proposal – Exporting Legal Artisanal Gold from Matete in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Deadline for questions: 4:00PM ET, Wednesday, July 17, 2015
Response Deadline: 4:00PM ET, Monday, July 31, 2015
Description:
On July 1st 2014, USAID/East Africa awarded Tetra Tech the Capacity Building for Responsible Minerals Trade (CBRMT) program. The CBRMT project goal is to strengthen the capacity of the DRC and regional institutions to transparently regulate and control a critical mass of the trade in strategic minerals in eastern DRC in order to transform the region’s mineral wealth into economic growth and development.
CBRMT is designed to reinforce and scale up traceability and due diligence systems for tin, tantalum, and tungsten (the 3Ts) and gold. This includes supporting efforts by multiple actors to legalize and formalize artisanal mining, improve traceability and certification systems, and perform due diligence that is compliant with the International Conference of Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Regional Certification Mechanism and OECD Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.
CBRMT’s technical approach is premised on supporting legal and policy reforms to enhance regional harmonization and a conflict-free artisanal minerals trade, building the groundwork for secure land and mineral resource rights, scaling of existing and alternative schemes for traceability and certification for tin, tantalum and tungsten (3Ts) and gold, and building the capacity of stakeholders throughout the 3T and gold supply chain to understand, implement and benefit from a responsible minerals trade. Specific overtures and actions will be taken to differentiate the roles, benefits, impacts, and risks attributed to men, women, and youth in the ASM sector. The project will also strengthen private sector confidence in the region’s minerals trade and build greater linkages between large-scale and artisanal mining to strengthen future private sector investments in legal, transparent, and conflict free mineral supply chains. Our approach includes campaigns, training, and technical assistance activities to improve the awareness and capacity of stakeholders to support and implement due diligence, traceability, and certification systems.
Implementing partners will support the CBRMT program by successfully piloting a model of chain of custody and due diligence for gold in the Eastern DRC province of Maniema. Implementing partners should establish the necessary conditions and actively increase confidence among downstream stakeholders to responsibly source ASM gold from the DRC. Critical to this objective is the need to facilitate information sharing at the local level, harmonize communication to international stakeholders, and actively promote the improvement of supply chain conditions. Any system piloted must be economically sustainable and must meet market expectations.
An electronic copy of the RFP may be requested by email from Jonathan.Ellermann@tetratech.com. Phone requests will not be honored.
