Service Provider to Implement HARETNA Community Enterprise Component: Organic Waste Management - Saida Area

Background

Funded by AFD – the French Development Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the HARETNA project is implemented by NRC in partnership with COSV, TEC, and RDFL. The project aims to foster economic recovery across three urban neighborhoods in Lebanon while reducing gender inequalities through strengthening social cohesion, improving access to essential services, protecting human rights, and enhancing livelihoods.

As part of its environmental and community development component, the project promotes sustainable waste management practices through a community-driven approach. This includes the establishment and strengthening of community-based service providers responsible for implementing integrated waste management solutions at the neighborhood level. Within this framework, COSV seeks to contract a specialized Organic Waste Management Service Provider to design, implement, and manage household-level organic waste sorting, collection, treatment, and monitoring systems, in close coordination with other project components, including awareness and incentive mechanisms.

Objectives of the Consultancy

The objective of this assignment is to design and implement an efficient, inclusive, and sustainable organic waste management system at the neighborhood level. This includes supporting households in adopting proper waste sorting practices, introducing feasible organic waste treatment solutions, ensuring regular and quality-controlled collection services, and contributing to a circular economy model through compost production and redistribution. The assignment also aims to strengthen community engagement, improve environmental health, and ensure alignment with the project’s broader awareness and incentive systems to maximize behavioral change and long-term sustainability.

Scope of Work

The Service Provider shall be responsible for the following key components:

1. Distribution of Household Sorting Kits

The Service Provider shall procure, supply, and distribute household sorting kits to participating households, including:

• A two- or three-bin system for separating organic waste, recyclables, and residual waste.
• Clear, durable, and user-friendly visual guides illustrating proper sorting practices. This shall be done in collaboration with the service provider handling the awareness sessions.

The distribution process shall be coordinated with COSV, community structures, and Neighborhood Action Groups (NAGs) to ensure effective targeting and coverage. The intervention will initially target approximately 30% of households in each neighborhood, subject to adjustment based on operational capacity and system design.

2. Introduction of Household Organic Waste Treatment Solutions

Where technically and socially feasible, the Service Provider shall introduce decentralized organic waste treatment options, including:

• Composting systems (like compost bins, vermicomposting).
• Small-scale biogas units for pilot households, where applicable.

Participation in such pilots shall be voluntary and based on household interest, technical feasibility, and environmental suitability.

3. Household Training and Capacity Building

Coordinate and with the service provider that is handling the awareness sessions to handle the following:

• Door-to-door awareness and engagement sessions.
• Workshops at community centers.
• Practical demonstrations on proper sorting and contamination reduction.
• Any needed production of materials and guidelines.

4. Organic Waste Collection System

The Service Provider shall design and operate a regular organic waste collection system, including:

• Establishing a weekly (or context-appropriate) collection schedule dedicated to organic waste.
• Ensuring clear communication with households regarding collection days and procedures.
• Conducting visual inspection of sorting quality at the point of collection.

Collection activities shall be aligned with the project’s verification and incentive mechanisms.

5. Monitoring and Performance Tracking

The Service Provider shall conduct regular monitoring of household performance, including:

• Tracking contamination levels in collected organic waste.
• Providing households with feedback, guidance, and corrective measures.
• Documenting progress and challenges to inform continuous improvement.

6. Compost Production and Redistribution

Where composting or treatment systems are implemented, the Service Provider shall:

• Facilitate the production of compost or organic fertilizer.
• Coordinate with the Incentive System Service Provider for redistribution to households.

The modalities (quantities, eligibility, schedule) shall be jointly defined, ensuring transparency and alignment with the project’s incentive framework.

In addition, the Service Provider shall contribute to exploring innovative and sustainable models, such as:

• Generating revenue from compost sales.
• Reinvesting proceeds into locally anchored incentive systems.
• Engaging local shops and businesses to create a circular, community-based economic model.

7. Coordination and Integration

The Service Provider shall work in close coordination with:

• COSV Project Team
• Awareness Service Provider
• Incentive System Service Provider
• Neighborhood Action Groups (NAGs)
• Municipal authorities

This coordination is essential to ensure coherence across all components, particularly between awareness, collection, and incentive mechanisms.

Deliverables

Below are the main required deliverables of the project:

• Inception Report which shall serve as the basis for the preparation of a detailed Action Plan.
• Comprehensive Action Plan.
• Household Sorting Kits and Equipment Supply & Installation Report
• Involved Household Training  Completion Report
• Organic waste management system installed
• Organic Waste Collection, Monitoring, and Performance Reports
• Final report summarizing the whole process, outcomes, lessons learned and challenges.

Eligibility Criteria

• The bidder must be a legally registered company.
• Lebanese firms must provide their legal documents upon request.
• A minimum of three years’ relevant experience; the bidder must demonstrate experience in organic waste management, environmental projects, waste sorting systems, composting, community engagement, or related assignments.
• The bidder must submit a complete technical and financial proposal in accordance with the RFQ instructions once provided.
• The bidder must be able to provide CVs of all proposed key personnel.
• The bidder must submit signed and stamped integrity, security, and undertaking declarations upon request.
• The bidder must comply with anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, ethical, environmental, and social responsibility standards.

Duration: Twelve Months – from July 2026 to June 2027