Call for Expressions of Interest

1. GENERAL CONDITIONS

1.1 Requester: As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. It provides viable, forward-looking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. GIZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, is announcing the following:

1.2 Profile: The GIZ Programme “Circular Urban Development - Kosovo4Green” is co-financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Switzerland, and it is implemented by GIZ. It supports central government and municipalities in modernizing waste management by establishing integrated solutions and introducing circular economy approaches. Additionally, it supports the alignment of urban development with the EU Cohesion Policy and ensures cross-sectoral coordination under the new climate law for effective climate policy implementation.

1.3 Subject:  As part of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) signed between the Republic of Kosovo and the EU, Kosovo is required to align its national legislation with the EU acquis, including chapter 27 ‘Environment and Climate Change’. Therefore, the Kosovo4Green project aims to support the improvement of the legal, institutional and planning frameworks that comply with EU directives, in the areas of urban planning and integrated waste management, supporting the implementation of climate-sensitive urban development, including inter-municipal, integrated waste management at local level.

In addition, the project, in line with the country strategy in particular for orientation towards EU Acquis, directly contributes to EU's "Green Agenda for the Western Balkans" (2020) goals by promoting the climate action, circular economy and biodiversity as three of its five pillars.

The main implementing partner of the project is the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure (hereinafter ‘MESPI’), the central authority responsible for designing policies and legislation in waste management, urban planning, and climate change. MESPI also oversees the overall implementation and enforcement of Kosovo’s strategic and legal framework in these sectors.

MESPI is undertaking a comprehensive review and potential reform of its spatial planning legislative framework. Kosovo’s spatial planning legislation, primarily governed by Law No. 04/L-174 (adopted in 2013) and its subsequent sub-acts, has evolved over time. The 2013 reform introduced new instruments in spatial planning, such as the Municipal Zoning Map (MZM) - a technical document that designates land use and regulates development. While the law remains relevant, implementation challenges persist, including inter-institutional coordination, municipal capacity constraints, enforcement mechanisms, and overall operational coherence. To address these issues, MESPI, through its internal structures, has initiated the revision of both primary and secondary legislation to enhance spatial planning instruments and implementation mechanisms. Following an Ex-post Evaluation, MESPI identified the need to amend and supplement the Administrative Instruction no. 08/2017 on Spatial Planning Technical Norms (AI-SPTN) - a codified and normative regulatory framework for spatial planning, land use management, and land development in Kosovo. As a result, MESPI, with support from GIZ Kosovo, will lead the revision process of the AI on SPTN. The expected role under this call will be to support the project team during the implementation of this revision process.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility for this call is extended to entities registered in Albania. To participate, entities must fulfil the following criteria: 

Established Legal Presence: Active legal presence in Albania. 

Financial Capability: Average annual turnover of at least 15,000 EUR over the last three financial years. 

Workforce Capacity: Consistent workforce of an average of at least 1 employee, incl. managers, over the preceding three financial years. 

Proven Expertise: 2 Reference projects in Western Balkans in the technical field spatial/urban planning, legislation, policy reforms

Documents to be submitted:

1) Proof of company’s/expert’s legal status (registration and/or certification documentation, status), company’s details (name, postal address), date of incorporation within their initial response.

2) Companies/experts must submit at least two (2) reference projects related to spatial/urban planning legislation or policy reforms in the Western Balkans. These projects should demonstrate experience in the technical field of spatial and urban planning, urban planning legislation and policy reforms.

If we receive more than (e.g.) 5 requests to participate, we will make a selection on the basis of the criteria laid out below and invite only from the 5 tenderers with the highest scores.

We reserve the right to cancel the contract award procedure if we receive fewer than three requests to participate.

Your expressions of interest will be ranked by the technical experience as weighting in below, the maximum number of candidates is 5:

1. Expertise in spatial planning legislation and municipal planning instruments, including familiarity with relevant technical standards – 35%

2. Proven capacity to draft, review, and revise spatial and urban planning documents – 25%

3. Experience in stakeholder engagement and data collection for planning processes – 20%

All legal entities interested in the application should ask for an application form.

Registered companies and entities interested in the application process should ask for application form via e-mail address: giz-albanien@giz.de not later than 13.08.2025, with the subject text as following: 

Contract ref. 83494679 request for application form

A set of documents to be filled in will be sent to all interested companies. 

Please submit the expression of interest and requested documents, no later than 15.08.2025 to: AL_inquiry@giz.de, via e-mails with the respective text: “Application for prequalification:ref nr 83494679 “Support to Revision of the Administrative Instruction on Spatial Planning Technical Norms in Kosovo".

After the due date for submitting the application, the process of prequalification will follow.

The submitted applications will be evaluated, and only prequalified candidates will be invited to answer to the bid.

Only shortlisted companies will be notified for further application procedures!