RFP_007_2026_Natl Firm implement scale collection & proces Agric. plastiic waste

The selected firm will be responsible for the following tasks:

Task 1: Baseline verification and operational planning

•     Conduct a desk review of key project documents, the project safeguards instruments (ESMF/SES screening and the standalone ESMPs) and national policy on agrochemical and plastic waste management.

•     Establish a quantified plastic waste baseline and produce a waste flow mapping report (by plastic type, crop, district/province, source, seasonality and POPs-HHP/contamination risk), confirming the recoverable volume underpinning the 1,200-ton target.

•     Develop a detailed, costed operational plan converting the 1,200-ton target into monthly collection volumes, collection points, transport routes, storage/aggregation sites, equipment needs and assigned responsibilities.

Task 2: BAT/BEP procedures and safeguards

•     Finalize and apply field ready BAT/BEP standard operating procedures for segregation, triple rinsing, PPE use, temporary storage, transport, shredding/compacting, recycling/disposal and emergency/spill response.

•     Operationalize the project safeguards through the standalone Pollution Prevention and Management Plan, Occupational Health and Safety Plan and Waste Management Plan, with monitoring of compliance.

•     Prepare and apply a waste classification protocol distinguishing contaminated pesticide containers, potentially contaminated agricultural plastics, recyclable non-hazardous plastics, non-recyclable residues and hazardous residues. Contaminated pesticide containers shall not be recycled into products that may create human, animal or environmental exposure risks.

•     Ensure that all storage and aggregation sites used under the assignment meet minimum standards consistent with the ESMP and Occupational Health and Safety Plan and with the project’s identified flooding and accidental-release risks. Sites shall be: covered and secured; flood-safe and not located near waterways; clearly labelled; separated by waste category; equipped with spill kits and fire-safety equipment; access-controlled; inspected regularly; and compliant with the ESMP and OHS Plan.

Task 3: Collection, processing and traceability

•     Implement collection, sorting, storage, transport and processing operations to recover and recycle and/or safely dispose of the targeted 1,200 tons of plastic waste.

•     Establish and operate a traceability and monitoring system (waste tracking forms, weight tickets, geo tagged and dated photographs, handover and recycling/disposal certificates and sex disaggregated participation records) aligned to the project results framework and reporting.

•     Apply a verified counting rule for the 1,200-ton target: plastic waste shall be counted only when it has been collected, weighed using calibrated scales or weighbridge records, classified, safely stored/transported, and either transferred to an approved recycler/off-taker or disposed of through an approved environmentally sound pathway. Waste held in temporary storage without a verified final destination shall not count as fully processed.

•     Identify and secure an approved, environmentally sound disposal route for the non-recyclable and hazardous (POPs/HHP contaminated) residual fraction, including chain of custody documentation and final-disposal certificates from licensed facilities, recognising that compliant national hazardous-waste treatment capacity is limited and that any transboundary movement shall comply with the Basel Convention.

Task 4: Business model operationalization and value chain agreements

•     Develop, field-test and operationalize at least two business models (for example, a cooperative aggregation model and a private recycler/off-taker model), with cost–benefit and break-even analysis based on actual operations.

•     Negotiate and secure at least three (3) signed partnership/off-take agreements (MoUs/service agreements) with agrochemical companies, plastic recyclers, hazardous-waste handlers, local authorities and CSOs/cooperatives, including at least one binding off-take arrangement for recovered material.

Task 5: Capacity strengthening and institutional handover

•     Confirm the operational readiness of the implementing CSO/cooperative (governance, financial management, operations, safeguards and ability to manage funds and equipment) and deliver targeted, hands-on capacity strengthening to close gaps.

•     Mentor the CSO/cooperative and participating farmers throughout implementation, and prepare a structured handover so operations continue beyond the assignment.

Task 6: National replication, sustainability and knowledge sharing

•     Consolidate a sustainability, exit and scale-up strategy, including replication guidelines and a national scale-up roadmap, and secure at least one signed custodianship/handover arrangement before final acceptance.

•     Conduct a plastic reduction and alternatives assessment, consistent with the project document’s requirement to assess alternatives for different crops under Output 3.1.3, identifying feasible reusable, recyclable, lower-risk or biodegradable alternatives for banana and other target crops, with cost comparison, farmer acceptance, supplier availability, environmental risks and recommendations for scale-up.

•     Document best practices, challenges and lessons learned for the project’s knowledge platforms, and organize at least one knowledge-sharing/learning event for stakeholders and beneficiaries.

Cross cutting requirement

 Standards and Compliance: The firm shall comply with all applicable Lao PDR laws and regulations, the UNDP Social and Environmental Standards (SES), the FARM ESMF/SES screening, the standalone ESMPs, the Pollution Prevention and Management Plan, the Occupational Health and Safety Plan, the Waste Management Plan, the project Labour Management Procedure, and relevant international good practice for POPs/HHP-contaminated waste, including the IFC/World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines and the Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions. The firm shall operate within, and inform workers and communities of, the project Grievance Redress Mechanism. Where requirements differ, the stricter standard shall apply.

 Incident Reporting and Stop-Work: Any spill, exposure incident, injury, fire, theft, uncontrolled release, illegal dumping or community complaint shall be reported to UNDP and DOA within 24 hours, with a corrective action report submitted within 72 hours. Serious incidents shall trigger immediate suspension of the affected activity until corrective measures are approved by UNDP.

 Gender and Social Inclusion: Gender equality and social inclusion shall be mainstreamed across all tasks, consistent with the project’s Gender Action Plan. This includes sex-disaggregated data and targets for participation, deliberate outreach to women and ethnic-minority groups in the pilot and target areas, attention to occupational health and safety for all workers, and reporting against gender and social-inclusion indicators in each output.