Selection and Contracting of a PIU Consultant Engineer for the Modernization of Perućica and Pljevlja Substations


Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI)




Agence Française de Développement







MAY 2026

Montenegro

Selection and Contracting of a Project Implementation Unit Consultant Engineer (PIU-CE) for the Modernization of the Perućica and Pljevlja Substations.

CONSULTING SERVICES
Expressions of Interest

The CGES (Crnogorski elektroprenosni sistem) company, Montenegrin Transmission System Operator, has applied for a financing from Agence Française de Développement ("AFD"), and intends to use part of the funds thereof for payments under the following project Modernisation of Pljevlja 2 Substation (400/220/110 kV) and Perućica Substation 220/110 kV.
The Client (CGES) benefits from external technical assistance in the context of this Request for Expressions of Interest.
The Contracting Authority hereby informs potential applicants that the above-mentioned project is expected to benefit from grant funding awarded by the European Commission under the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans (RGF), within the framework of the Western Balkans Investment Framework.
Accordingly, and subject to the confirmation of such financing, the procurement procedure shall be conducted in full compliance with the rules, procedures and requirements applicable to that financing framework, including the eligibility rules set out in Article 8 of the Regulation (EU) 2024/1449.
In particular, participation in this procedure may be restricted to eligible natural and legal persons as defined under the applicable EU rules.
Should such EU financing not be confirmed, the procedure will instead be governed by AFD procurement guidelines and the applicable national public procurement rules, and participation shall not be subject to the aforementioned EU eligibility restrictions.
By submitting an expression of interest, candidates acknowledge and accept that the applicable procurement and eligibility framework will be determined on the basis of the final source of financing.
The selection of candidates to be invited to submit a tender shall only take place once the applicable procurement and eligibility rules have been definitively determined. Prior to such selection, all candidates having submitted an expression of interest shall be duly informed of the procurement and eligibility framework effectively governing the procedure.

Background and Scope of the Services.
The Modernization of Perucica and Pljevlja Substations (MOPPS) project is designed to resolve these bottlenecks for flow of the renewable sources generation.
By refurbishing and upgrading the transformation capacity at Perućica Substation, the project aims to unlock 550 MW of immediate renewable connection capacity, with over 250 MW situated in the Perućica catchment area and 300 MW in the northern region served by Pljevlja.
The equipment in the 220 kV and 110 kV plant in SS 220/110 kV Perućica is envisaged for replacement due to its obsolescence. The development of design of the replacement of complete equipment in the 220 kV and 110 kV plant should be carried out.
The reconstruction of the 110 kV plant should be envisaged with the following bays:
• six overhead line bays;
• one transformer bay - transformer T1;
• bus coupler bay.
The extension by one transformer and one overhead line bay 110 kV each should be envisaged.
The reconstruction of the 220 kV plant should be envisaged with the following bays:
• two overhead line bays ;
• one transformer bay ;
• one bus coupler.
The extension by one 220 kV transformer bay should be envisaged.
A cable connection between the new 110 kV transformer bay and the new 220 kV transformer bay should be envisaged.
The replacement of both 110 kV and 220 kV busbar systems should be envisaged.
A new command and control building should be envisaged.
Relay house in the plant should be envisaged.
A new auxiliary consumption supply system of the substation should be envisaged.
Pljevlja Substation acts as a strategic gateway for the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor, linking the electricity markets of Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Italy (via the HVDC undersea cable). The replacement of the two existing 400/220 kV - 400 MVA autotransformers, which currently ensure a critical transformation interface between Montenegro’s 400 kV and 220 kV transmission networks.
The scope of the services for the PIU-CE consists of four phases:
• Phase 1 – Design Review and Engineering Approval: under the “Design-Build” contract model, the Contractor is responsible for the detailed design, while the PIU-CE must review and approve all designs to ensure compliance with CGES requirements, Montenegrin Construction Law, and applicable EU standards. The full High Voltage (HV) substation design must also be reviewed by an independent licensed entity, and manufacturing of HV equipment can only proceed after formal approval and issuance of the revision commission report. Transformer designs must be jointly reviewed with the manufacturer in accordance with IEC 60529 to verify compliance with technical specifications and substation requirements. The PIU-CE must additionally ensure that outdoor insulation meets the required creepage distances due to lignite dust pollution at Pljevlja, that appropriate flooding and seismic design is undertaken for all new civil works and equipment supports at Perućica and support CGES in implementing and reporting on the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP).
All designs of HV equipment must be reviewed and approved in accordance to EU standards and Montenegro Law for Construction before manufacturing.
• Phase 2 – Procurement Support and Factory Acceptance: during procurement and manufacturing, the PIU-CE will ensure supply chain quality assurance by supervising the production of major equipment, approving technical documentation prior to manufacturing, and attending Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) worldwide alongside CGES representatives. Special attention will be given to reviewing and approving the heavy-lift transport study and route survey for autotransformers destined for Pljevlja and Perućica, considering the challenging mountainous terrain. The PIU-CE will also safeguard procurement integrity, ensuring that goods acquisition and subcontracting comply with the Financing Agreement provisions and FIDIC Yellow Book requirements.
• Phase 3 – Construction Supervision and Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE): the PIU-CE will supervise construction works in energized substations, enforcing strict HSE standards in accordance with Montenegrin Law on Safety and Health at Work. The appointed H&S Expert will act as the Statutory Coordinator for Safety and Health during both planning and execution phases. The PIU-CE will control project phasing and sequencing, chair monthly progress meetings, and issue supervision reports, ensuring legal compliance and schedule adherence. Environmental and social compliance will be monitored through ESMP implementation, including proper management of hazardous waste (e.g., transformer oil, asbestos) and verification of oil containment system integrity.
• Phase 4 – Commissioning and Handover: the PIU-CE will lead Site Acceptance Tests (SAT), ensuring proper integration of protection and control systems with the CGES National Control Centre SCADA and witnessing commissioning tests of all HV equipment, with particular attention to autotransformer-controlled switching parameterization and field testing. The PIU-CE will also provide training to CGES personnel to ensure effective operation of new digital and condition monitoring systems. During handover, the PIU-CE will manage documentation transfer to secure warranty enforceability under Montenegrin law, assist in claims assessment, and support potential Dispute Avoidance Board (DAB) proceedings to minimize risks of latent defect disputes.
Throughout the assignment, the PIU-CE will prepare and submit key contractual and technical documents according to the approved schedule, including the Inception Report, Quarterly Progress Reports, Design Review Reports, Monthly Supervision Reports, and the final Project Completion Report.
To address the multidisciplinary nature of the PIU support, five Key Experts are considered. Experience in the western Balkans and especially experience with Montenegrin power transmission regulations would be a key advantage.
Key Expert profiles:
• Key Expert 1: Team Leader (Project Manager)
• Key Expert 2: Civil Engineer
• Key Expert 3: Electrical / Substation Engineer: HV Equipment Engineer
• Key Expert 4: Senior Procurement and Claim Expert (FIDIC Expert)
• Key Expert 5: Health and Safety Manager

Other experts:
• Substation Automation & Protection Engineer
• Electrical / Substation Design
• Geotechnical Engineer
• Environmental and Social Manager
• Site Supervision Manager
• Licenced experts for the review of design, according to Montenegro’s Law.
• Licenced experts for the supervision of the Works, according to Montenegro’s Law.
• Commissioning Expert
• Contract Management Specialist

CVs are not requested at this stage.
Services are expected to start in January 2027 and have an approximate total duration of Forty-five months.
The CGES hereby invites Applicants to show their interest in delivering the Services described above.
This Request for Expressions of Interest is open to:

 Consulting firms q Individual consultants

q NGOs  Joint Venture between consulting firm(s)

Eligibility criteria to AFD financing are specified in sub-clause 1.3 of the "Procurement Guidelines for AFD Financed Contracts in Foreign Countries", available online on AFD’s website: http://www.afd.fr.
The Applicant shall submit only one application, either in its own name or as a member of a Joint Venture (JV). If an Applicant (including any of the JV members) submits or participates in more than one application, those applications shall be all rejected. However, the same Subconsultant may participate in several applications.
If the Applicant is a JV, the expression of interest shall include:
 a copy of the JV Agreement entered into by all members,
or
 a letter of intent to execute a JV Agreement, signed by all members together with a copy of the Agreement proposal,
In the absence of this document, the other members will be considered as Subconsultants.
Experiences and qualifications of Subconsultants are not taken into account in the evaluation of the applications.
Interested Applicants must provide information evidencing that they are qualified and experienced to perform those Services. For that purpose, documented evidence of recent and similar services shall be submitted. A maximum of 15 past experiences shall be presented by Applicants. Determination of the similarity of the experiences will be based on their respective relevance relative to the services to be performed, as described above.
Interested Applicants must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) written in English Language and shall provide the following information:
(i) Cover Letter: comprising the firm's name, address, contact person, telephone, and email. If applicable, mention the association for this project with a letter of authorization to sign the EOI.
(ii) Presentation of the firm’s main activities, year of establishment, number of permanent staff and part-timers, fields of expertise, yearly turnover for the previous 3 years (2022-2025) and client references (name, address, telephone number, email address of client), presentation max. 3 pages per firm, without brochures), as well as the list of its ongoing projects (including the name of experts mobilized). In case of an association, it must include clear statements regarding the nature and type of the association as well as the competence and responsibilities of each association member.
(iii) Statements and Declarations:
o Declaration of Association – presenting the intended contractual arrangement between the joint venture members and/or sub- consultants, nominating the lead consultant and including letters of intent of participating (in case of sub-contractors a fax copy of such letter of intent is sufficient) as described above, with regards to JV arrangements. In case of a Joint Venture (JV), all members of the JV will be evaluated jointly for the purpose of short listing and shall be jointly and severally liable for the assignment and shall sign the contract in case award is made to that JV group.
o Statement of Integrity signed following the template presented in Appendix 1.
(iv) List of Project References:
References on assignments of a similar size and nature whose completion date is not older than 10 years (from submission date of the REOI) must be provided in order to satisfy at least one of the criteria below:
o Criterion 1 - HV Substation Works Supervision: successful completion of contracts for the supervision of construction, of substations with equipment rated with a voltage level of 220kV and 400kV.
o Criterion 2 - Refurbishment of HV Energized Substations: experience in supervising projects of expansion and refurbishment in HV (>= 110 kV) energized substations;
o Criterion 3 – International Financial Institutions (IFI) Financed Projects in Western Balkans: demonstrated experience in projects financed by IFI (e.g. World Bank, EBRD, KfW, AFD) in the power transmission sector and the countries of the Western Balkans, including in Montenegro.
The reference description shall include: (a) the value of consulting services and value of supervised works; (b) the location; (c) the number of staff involved in the contract; (d) name of the Client; (e) name of partners for contract execution and share of services; (f) source of financing; (g) type of services provided; (h) contract commencement and completion dates; and (i) brief description of the contract. A maximum of 15 past experiences shall be presented by Applicants.
The matrix presented below will be used in the evaluation of the EOI to identify the criteria met by each past experience of the Applicant.

For each experience submitted by the Applicant, check the boxes of the criteria which are met by the experience (e.g.: « √ »).

Name of the Applicant:

Criterion 1
HV Substation Works Supervision: successful completion of contracts for the supervision of construction of substations with equipment rated at a voltage level of 220kV and 400kV. Criterion 2
Refurbishment of HV Energized Substations: experience in supervising projects of expansion and refurbishment in HV (>= 110 kV) energized substations. Criterion 3
International Financial Institutions (IFI) Financed Projects in Western Balkans: demonstrated experience in projects financed by IFI (e.g. World Bank, EBRD, KfW, AFD) in the power transmission sector and the countries of the Western Balkans, including in Montenegro.
[Experience A]
Experience B
…
Total

The selection of Applicants to be shortlisted shall follow the rules as defined herebelow:
• The Applicant must have at least one experience in each criterion; otherwise the application will be disqualified.
• The ranking of Applicants is based on the greatest number of relevant experiences for each criterion (boxes checked).
• The same experience may be accounted for more than one criterion. For instance, one project including two 400kV substations, in the context of a refurbishment, funded by AFD will result in one respective experience for criterion 1, 2 and 3.
• For a Joint Venture, the experiences of all members will be added together for a combined total.


Among the submitted applications, CGES will shortlist a maximum of six (6) Applicants, to whom the Request for Proposals to carry out the Services shall be sent.

Expressions of Interest must be sent only by email to the address below no later than [20.07.2026.], at [15:00] Montenegro local time. Expressions of Interest received after this deadline will not be considered.
[email protected]

Expressions of Interest submitted electronically should be in the form of non-editable files (PDF type), maximum size of 10 MB.

The Client shall confirm within 24 hours the receipt of each Expression of Interest file received at the aforementioned email address. In the absence of such confirmation received from the Client within 24 hours after sending its Expression of Interest file, the Applicant is invited to request receipt confirmation of its Expression of Interest file from the Client.

Interested Applicants may obtain clarifications by writing to the email addresses below, no later than 5 working days before the deadline for receipt of Expressions of Interest:
[email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]

The Client will respond to requests for clarification in writing, publishing the responses on the same media as the initial publication of the Request for Expressions of Interest, without identifying the entity which made the request for clarifications.



Appendix 1 to the The Request for Expressions of Interest
(To be submitted with the application, signed and unaltered)
Statement of Integrity, Eligibility and Environmental and Social Responsibility


Reference name of the Bid/Proposal/Contract signed (the “Contract”)
To: (the “Contracting Authority”)

1. We recognize and accept that Agence Française de Développement (“AFD”) only finances the projects of the Contracting Authority subject to its own conditions, as set out in the Financing Agreement that directly or indirectly binds it to the Contracting Authority. The Contracting Authority retains exclusive responsibility for the preparation and implementation of the procurement process and performance of the Contract. Consequently, no legal relationship exists between AFD and our company, our joint venture, and our subcontractors. The Contracting Authority may also mean the Client, Employer or Purchaser, as the case may be, for the procurement of works, goods, plants, equipment, consulting services , or non-consulting services.
2. We hereby certify that neither we, nor any person acting on our behalf, nor any of the members of our joint venture, nor any of our subcontractors, are in any of the following situations:
2.1 Being bankrupt, wound up or ceasing our activities, having our activities administered by the courts, having entered into receivership, or being in any analogous situation arising from any similar procedure;
2.2 Having been, within the past five years, subject to a final administrative sanction, a final conviction issued by a competent authority, or any other non-court resolution having notably an extinctive effect on public action, either (i) in the country where we are constituted, (ii) in the country of performance of the Contract, (iii) in the context of the procurement or performance of an AFD-financed Contract, (iv) pronounced by a European Union institution, or (v) pronounced by a competent authority in France, for:
a) Prohibited Practices, as defined in Article 6.1 below, or for any other offence committed in the context of the procurement or performance of a Contract (in the event of such sanction, conviction or non-court resolution, we may attach additional information to this Statement of Integrity, such as a compliance program, showing that we (or the person acting on our behalf, the member of our joint venture, or our subcontractor) consider that this sanction, judgement or non-court resolution is not relevant in the context of the Contract, where applicable);
b) Participation in a criminal organization, terrorist offences or offences related to terrorist activities, child labor, or other offences related to human trafficking;
c) Having created an entity in a different jurisdiction (i) with the the intention of avoiding tax or social obligations, or any other legal obligation applicable in the jurisdiction of its registered office, central administration or principal place of business, or (ii) for being an entity created with the intention of avoiding such obligations;
2.3 Having been subject within the past five years to a Contract termination fully settled against us for significant or persistent breach of our contractual obligations during the performance of the Contract, unless this termination was challenged and dispute resolution is still pending or has not confirmed a full settlement against us;
2.4 Having been declared ineligible by one of the multilateral development banks signatories to the Mutual Recognition Agreement of 9 April 2010 (in the event of such ineligibility, we may attach additional information to this Statement of Integrity showing that we consider that such ineligibility is not relevant in the context of the Contract, where applicable);
2.5 Not having fulfilled our fiscal obligations relating to the payments of our taxes or social contributions in accordance with the legal provisions of our country of incorporation or of the country of the Contracting Authority;
2.6 Having created falsified documents or committed misrepresentation when providing the information requested by the Contracting Authority in the context of the procurement and award process for this Contract.
3. We hereby certify that neither we, nor any party acting on our behalf , nor any members of our joint venture, nor any of our subcontractors, nor any of our direct or indirect shareholders, nor any of our subsidiaries acting with our knowledge or consent:
a. Are directly or indirectly subject to, controlled by a person or an entity subject to, or acting in the name or on behalf of a person or entity subject to individual sanctions measures adopted by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France;
b. Are directly or indirectly subject to, controlled by a person or an entity subject to, or acting in the name or on behalf of a person or entity subject to sectoral sanctions measures adopted by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France;
c. Are ineligible for the implementation of the Project owing to any other international sanctions measures pronounced by the United Nations, the European Union or France.
4. We hereby certify that neither we, nor any party acting on our behalf,2 nor any of the members of our joint venture, nor any of our subcontractors, are [nor have been (in the case of refinancing for a Contract already awarded)] in any of the following situations of conflict of interest:
4.1 Being a shareholder controlling the Contracting Authority or a subsidiary controlled by the Contracting Authority, unless the resulting conflict of interest has been brought to the attention of AFD and resolved to its satisfaction.
4.2 Having business or family relations with a member of the Contracting Authority’s services involved in the procurement process or the supervision of the resulting Contract, unless the resulting conflict of interest has been brought to the attention of AFD and resolved to its satisfaction;
4.3 Controlling or being controlled by another applicant, bidder or consultant, or being under common with another applicant, bidder or consultant, receiving subsidies from another applicant, bidder or consultant, or granting subsidies to another applicant, bidder or consultant, directly or indirectly, having the same legal representative as another applicant, bidder or consultant, maintaining direct or indirect contacts with another applicant, bidder or consultant allowing us to (i) have given and/or give access to information contained in our respective applications, bids or proposals likely to distort competition (ii) influence them, or (iii) influence the decisions of the Contracting Authority;
4.4 Being engaged for a consulting services mission which, by its nature, is or may be in conflict with the mission envisaged for the Contracting Authority;
4.5 Having prepared ourselves, being or having been associated with a natural or legal person who has prepared, specifications, terms of reference or other documents that have been used for the procurement process in question, and that contain provisions likely to favor an application, bid or proposal;
4.6 Having or having had access to, having prepared ourselves, being or having been associated with a natural or legal person who has or has had access to or prepared, specifications, plans, calculations, studies, or other documents that have not been communicated to all the applicants, bidders or consultants in the context of the present procurement procedure, and which thereby confer us an unfair competitive advantage;
4.7 In the case of a procurement procedure for works, plants, equipment or goods, having been selected ourselves or proposed to be selected (or any of our subsidiary companies having been or being proposed to be selected) to carry out supervision or inspection of the services in the context of this Contract.
5. If we are a state-owned entity or a public enterprise, to participate in a competitive procurement process, we certify that we have legal and financial autonomy and that we operate under commercial laws and regulations.
6. In the context of the procurement and performance of the Contract:
6.1 Neither we, nor any party acting on our behalf,2 nor any members of our joint venture, nor any of our subcontractors, have committed or shall commit a Prohibited Practice as defined in the document entitled “AFD Group’s Policy to Prevent and Combat Prohibited Practices” available on AFD’s Website. https://www.afd.fr/fr
6.2 Neither we, nor or any party acting on our behalf,2 nor any members of our joint venture, nor any of our subcontractors, shall acquire or provide [have acquired or provided (in the case of refinancing for a Contract already awarded)] in sectors subject to an embargo by the United Nations, the European Union or France.
7. We hereby undertake to, and we undertake to ensure that any party acting on our behalf,2 any members of our joint venture, and any of our subcontractors undertake to:
7.1 Comply with the environmental standards recognized by the international community, including the international conventions for the protection of the environment and, in particular, take all reasonable steps to avoid or limit negative effects on vegetation, biodiversity, soils, groundwater and surface water, and on persons and property resulting from pollution, noise, vibration, traffic and other effects resulting from our activities, in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable in the country of performance of the Contract.
7.2 Implement measures to mitigate environmental and social risks when they are indicated in the environmental and social management plan provided by the Contracting Authority, and ensure that the emissions, surface discharge and effluents produced by our activities respect the limits, specifications or requirements applicable to the Contract.
7.3 Respect the rights of workers related to wages, working hours, rest periods and vacations, overtime, minimum age, regular payments, compensation and benefits, in accordance with the standards recognized by the international community, including the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable in the country of performance of the Contract; indicate these elements in a document annexed to the employment contracts of our employees and made available to the Contracting Authority; and respect and facilitate the rights of workers to organize themselves and set up a complaints management mechanism for direct or indirect workers.
7.4 Implement practices for non-discrimination and equal opportunities, and ensure the prohibition of child labor and forced labor.
7.5 Keep a record for each member of the local staff recording the hours worked by each person, the type of work, the wages paid and the training undertaken, and ensure that these records are available at all times to be inspected by the Contracting Authority and the authorized representatives of the government, in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable to the protection of personal data in the country of performance of the Contract.
8. We, any party acting on our behalf,2 the members of our joint venture, our subcontractors, our direct or indirect shareholders, and our subsidiaries, authorize AFD to conduct investigations and, in particular, inspect the documents and accounting records relating to the procurement and performance of the Contract, including, but not limited to, our internal processes and rules related to the respect of international sanctions pronounced by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France, and to have them verified auditors appointed by AFD.
9. We declare that we have paid, or that we shall pay, the commissions, benefits, fees, gratuities or charges relating to the procurement procedure or the performance of the Contract to the following third party/parties (for example, an intermediary/agent)(*):
Name of beneficiary Contact details Purpose Amount (indicate the currency)
_________________ _________________ _________________ ________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ ________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ ________________
(*): If no amount has been paid or is to be paid, indicate “None”.
10. We undertake to promptly inform the Contracting Authority, which shall inform AFD, of any change of circumstance regarding the sections above, including in case of any sanctions or embargo measures adopted by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France, after we have signed the present Statement.


Name: In the capacity of:
Duly empowered to sign in the name and on behalf of:
Signature:
Dated: