Liberia - Develop national sulfur fuel standards and the capacity to enforce mandatory vehicle inspection - LR-24-004

Overview

This project responds to the request by Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop national sulfur fuel standards and to build capacity for enforcing mandatory vehicle inspections. The project will deliver a mandatory vehicle inspection program, the implementation of a vehicle labeling system to register SLCP emissions, and the establishment of a national sulfur fuel standard for heavy-duty vehicles and engines.  

The outputs of this project will contribute to enhancing fuel efficiency, reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), and aligning with Liberia's National Transport Policy and the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI). Additionally, it should build upon the ongoing projects funded by the CCAC such as Liberia’s national methane roadmap and the development of a waste sector strategy that reduces emissions of black carbon from open burning.

More information on Liberia's efforts to address short-lived climate pollutants is available on their Partner Page.  

Who to involve

• Ministry of Transport (MOT)  
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  
• Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI)  
• Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA)  
• Ministry of Justice (MoJ)  
• Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME)  
• Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC)  
• Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA).  

Expected results

Project applicants are expected to deliver a project plan that will deliver the following outputs and outcomes:

Outcome 1: Liberian government endorses a mandatory vehicle inspection programme by the end of the project or soon after.  

Indicator: Number of action plans, roadmaps, strategies, or other future plans with SLCP targets or mitigation measures formally adopted, endorsed and/or implemented.  

Output 1.1:  A review of institutional arrangements and national regulations and standards  

Output 1.2: An integrated greenhouse gas (GHG) and short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) inventory of heavy-duty vehicles and engines and emissions.  

Output 1.3: A roadmap showing how clear emission reduction targets for the transport sector will be met by 2030.  

Output 1.4: A proposal for the development of a national vehicle inspection programme, including implementation and enforcement mechanisms, costs, and potential funding sources.  

Output 1.5: Recommendations for implementing the ECOWAS EURO IV standards for heavy-duty vehicles and eventually for moving to EURO VI  

Output 1.6: National workshop with relevant government departments and agencies to disseminate the key findings of the project.  

Output 1.7: Deliver training to sub-national authorities on the inspection of vehicles for catalytic converters, filters, and servicing records, the use of emission reduction technologies, and the health and climate benefits of cleaner technologies.  

Outcome 2: The Government of Liberia endorses a vehicle labeling system to register the level of SLCP emissions from the transport sector by the end of the project or soon after.  

Indicator: Number of action plans, roadmaps, strategies, or other future plans with SLCP targets or mitigation measures formally adopted, endorsed and/or implemented.  

Output 2.1: Deliver a vehicle labeling system to register the level of CO2 and SLCP emissions from the transport sector.  

Output 2.2: Deliver an electronic registration system or digitize the registry to make retrieval of vehicle data relatively faster and more efficient.   

Outcome 3: The Liberian Government endorses a national sulfur fuel standard for heavy-duty vehicles and engines with increased capacity to implement the national sulfur fuel standard for heavy-duty vehicles and engines by project completion or soon after.  

Indicator: Number of action plans, roadmaps, strategies, or other future plans with SLCP targets or mitigation measures formally adopted, endorsed and/or implemented.  

Output 3.1: Deliver a national sulfur fuel standard for heavy-duty vehicles and engines.  

Output 3.2: Deliver training to national authorities on emission testing in fuel and heavy-duty vehicles and engines.  

Output 3.3: Deliver training to national authorities to enhance capacity to implement the national sulfur fuel standard for heavy-duty vehicles and engines by the end of the project.  

APPLICATION PROCESs

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for consideration, project proposals must meet the following requirements:

• Complete and submitted before the deadline
• Submitted by a non-governmental organization (NGO), intergovernmental organization (IGO), or other not-for-profit entity. 
• Requested funding is within the estimated budget amount, or includes a clear justification for additional expenses 
• Project duration is less than 24 months
• Budget criteria are met and spending caps on expenses are respected. 
• Please note that entities will be required to provide the last three (3) audited financial statements to be eligible for CCAC funding. These statements may be provided along with the application for funding or at the request of the CCAC Secretariat during the evaluation process.

For-profit entities may only participate in the project as stakeholders, co-funders, or end users. Applicants are encouraged to include for-profit entities in the development of the project proposal and/or during project implementation if their ownership of the proposed solution is key to the project’s success.  

How to apply

Eligible applicants are invited to apply using the Application Form and Excel Budget Form. Specific instructions on completing these forms are available in both documents.

Applicants may choose to follow the cost range proposed above OR propose a different budget supported by a clear justification. However, applicants should note that cost efficiency will play a significant role in the selection process.

The completed Application Form and Excel Budget Form should be submitted to secretariat [at] ccacoalition.org.

Evaluation criteria

Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

• Presents a clear plan to achieve the required outcomes during the lifetime of the project or soon after
• Includes a plan or activities to enable the scaling up of, replication of, or sustained use of project results over time
• Sets out a clear approach for enabling or contributing to SLCP emissions reductions and resulting co-benefits
• Involves relevant stakeholders 
• Approach is grounded in a strong understanding of relevant risks
• Complements other relevant initiatives, funding mechanisms, and existing policy processes
• Applicant demonstrates necessary capacity and experience to perform the work
• A realistic, cost-effective, and clearly justified budget and approach is proposed
• Project meets the minimum requirements for the OECD DAC gender equality marker Score 1
   
  Selection process
• A preliminary review of proposals submitted by the deadline will be conducted by members of the CCAC Secretariat, Funding Task Team, and Board, in consultation with relevant CCAC Partners. 
• Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present their proposals in further detail and to respond to follow-up questions about their application.
• Successful applicants will be invited to develop a Project Implementation Plan and Detailed Budget in consultation with the CCAC Secretariat and relevant CCAC Partners.
• The selection process may take up to 6 months after the closing date of the call for proposals. Due to the high volume of requests, the CCAC will not respond to requests for updates or feedback during this time.

NOTE: DUE DILIGENCE 

In addition to eligibility criteria outlined above, qualified UNEP/CCAC implementers* must meet the following criteria: 

• Have adequate financial resources to perform the contract and meet all existing commitments (financial health)
• Be able to provide proof of registration, proof of not-for-profit status and audited financial statements for the last three completed fiscal years 
• Have a record of satisfactory performance with UNEP/CCAC, when applicable; and  - Not have been suspended or debarred by UNEP/CCAC or another UN agency. UNEP/CCAC also considers entities included in the Security Council Resolution Lists to be ineligible for UNEP/CCAC agreements.
  * (inter)governmental entities/ United Nations are exempt from this requirement

Procurement

As a general rule, Implementation Agreements allow for incidental procurement only, and as such, total costs in the following categories must fall below a certain threshold*:

• Contractual Services
• Equipment, Vehicles and Furniture
• Operating and other Direct costs

• Supplies, Commodities and Materials

  
  *Agreements of $200,000 and below: up to $20,000 or 15% of total budget, whichever is lower.

  *Agreements of above $200,000: up to $40,000 or 15%. * United Nations agencies are exempt from this requirement