The Rwanda Development Board (“RDB” or “Grantee”) invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the “Proposal”) from interested U.S. firms that are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to execute a feasibility study (“FS”) for the Grantee that would assess various options for the deployment of smart city solutions at Kigali Innovation City (“KIC”), a planned mixed-use development intended to serve as a hub for the technology industry in Rwanda (“Project”). The submission deadline is May 31, 2022, at 11 a.m. EST. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $800,000 grant to the RDB from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
About the Grantee
The Rwanda Development Board was set up by bringing together all the government agencies responsible for the entire investor experience under one roof. This includes key agencies responsible for business registration, investment promotion, environmental clearances, privatization and specialist agencies which support the priority sectors of ICT and tourism as well as SMEs and human capacity development in the private sector.
Project Background
The Government of Rwanda, through RDB, and Africa50, a pan-African infrastructure investment platform is currently planning KIC, a mixed-use development and technology innovation hub to be situated in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital and largest city. As the economic and financial hub of Rwanda and with a population of over one million, Kigali is particularly well positioned to host KIC and other smart city initiatives. KIC will serve as a hub for the technology industry in Rwanda, and RDB plans for KIC to house the offices of global and local technology companies. KIC is also expected to serve as a model for smart city technology implementation both nationally and regionally.
About the Study
The Study would ensure that KIC is built from the very beginning with smart city principles. Specifically, the Study would assess the technical and commercial viability of developing smart city solutions across six functional areas, including: mobility, energy, water, buildings, facilities management, and community engagement, with the goal to ultimately have an integrated smart city Project at KIC. The selected U.S.- based contractor (“Contractor”) would conduct a situational assessment including a review of the KIC master plan as well as stakeholder interviews to examine the six functional areas and the KIC’s planned overarching ICT infrastructure. Following the situational assessment, the Contractor would undertake technical, regulatory, and legal analyses for the smart city investments and conduct a preliminary environmental and social impact assessment. Utilizing the situational assessment and aforementioned analyses of the six functional areas, the Contractor would develop a roadmap and investment plan to operationalize smart city solutions over a ten-year period. Additionally, the Contractor would conduct a workshop and U.S. supplier demonstration day to build a vision for the smart city concept and to showcase smart city solutions offered by U.S. suppliers. Stakeholders at the workshop would include the Government of Rwanda, the City of Kigali, and potential investors and financiers in the Project.