Description
The Infrastructure and Urban Development department (PICU) is supporting Kabisa Electric (“Kabisa”), an East African e-mobility company operating in Rwanda and Kenya, with activities across electric vehicle distribution, fleet electrification, public charging infrastructure, and proprietary software (Charge OS and fleet management). Kabisa is preparing a capital raise of approximately USD 50 million, targeting financial close in Q1 2027, to (i) build out a network of high-power charging stations along the Northern Corridor (Mombasa–Nairobi–Kampala–Kigali) and the Central Corridor (Dar es Salaam–Kigali), and (ii) establish EV assembly operations in East Africa, including electric trucks, to lower vehicle costs and stimulate regional demand. To that effect, PICU is looking for a Consultant Firm to provide Technical Assistance for the development and validation of a bankable and replicable Electric Vehicle (EV) corridor infrastructure framework and model.
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The African Development Bank hereby invites Individual Consultants to express their interest in the following assignment: TA for Development and Demonstration of a Bankable and Replicable EV Corridor Infrastructure Model in East Africa — Market Test Case: Kabisa Electric, Northern and Central Corridors – PICU.
Corridor EV infrastructure is a nascent asset class in Africa: first movers such as Kabisa face the challenge that prospective DFI and commercial financiers require transaction documentation, financial analysis, and risk assessment prepared to international appraisal standards before committing capital, while no standardized methodologies or bankability tools yet exist for corridor charging and regional assembly transactions. This Technical Assistance addresses both gaps: it will develop reusable bankability tools and apply them to identify material technical, commercial, financial, regulatory, and institutional gaps in the Kabisa case and prepare Kabisa’s USD 50 million transaction to international appraisal standards as the demonstration case. -Any subsequent preparation of the transaction for a financier’s formal appraisal shall remain subject to that financier’s independent requirements and the sponsor’s responsibility to provide complete and accurate information.
The assignment is advisory and preparatory in nature and does not constitute a mandate to arrange financing or take Kabisa transaction to financial close. The objectives will be achieved by:
• Developing Reusable Bankability Tools: Producing sponsor-agnostic methodologies, templates, and tools for corridor EV infrastructure — covering demand assessment, techno-economic analysis, grid-interconnection and permitting screening, battery lifecycle management, financial structuring, and regulatory readiness — that the Bank can deploy across the GMFA pipeline.
• Establishing the Market and Technical Case: Quantifying addressable electrification demand on the Northern and Central Corridors through 2035 and validating the techno-economic feasibility of the charging network and of regional EV assembly across the full vehicle life cycle — from assembly through vehicle sale and financing to after-sales operations.
• Assessing Mobilizing Local Vehicle Financing: Assessing feasible vehicle-financing products that regional and local financing institutions could offer and support their structuring, including evaluating the potential relevance of risk-sharing or credit enhancement mechanisms. The Consultant shall not negotiate or commit financing on behalf of any party.
• Structuring a Bankable Transaction (Market Test Case): Applying the tools to design the optimal capital structure across Series A equity, project debt, and concessional or credit enhancement instruments, and producing the complete investor documentation package (financial model, investment memorandum, data room) for Kabisa’s transaction to DFI appraisal standards.
• Securing Regulatory and Policy Readiness: Assessing and mitigating regulatory and policy risks across the four corridor countries and defining a sequenced policy engagement roadmap with EAC governments and regulators. |
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▪ This section outlines the activities and deliverables required to be undertaken for this assignment.
Dual-output principle: each workstream shall produce (i) reusable, sponsor-agnostic methodologies, templates, and bankability tools for corridor EV infrastructure that the Bank can deploy across the GMFA pipeline, and (ii) the application of those tools to Kabisa’s transaction as the market test case. Sponsor-specific outputs (e.g., the investment teaser and investment memorandum) shall be derived from, and consistent with, the reusable templates. The consulting firm will be required to perform the following tasks:
1. Corridor Demand and Feasibility Study
▪ Corridor Demand Analysis: Assess freight and passenger vehicle volumes moving on the Northern and Central Corridors today and model the addressable electrification demand through 2035, segmented by vehicle class (with emphasis on heavy freight trucks), route, and customer type. The methodology shall identify data sources, data limitations, base year, assumptions, adoption constraints, and downside scenarios. Demand estimates shall distinguish total market potential from realistically serviceable and financeable demand.
2. Financial Structuring and Bankability
▪ Capital Structure Design: Determine the optimal capital structure across Series A equity, project/asset-level debt, and concessional or first-loss instruments, and assess potentially relevant categories of commercial, development and climate-finance instruments, without prejudging the eligibility, availability, pricing, approval or participation of any specific financier.
3. Regulatory and Policy Readiness
▪ Regulatory Assessment (Desk-Based): Conduct a desk-based review of licensing, tariff, and metering requirements applicable to charging operators in each corridor country (RURA in Rwanda, EPRA in Kenya, and counterparts in Uganda and Tanzania), drawing on published laws, regulations, and secondary sources, and identify gaps that create bankability risk. On-the-ground engagement with regulators is not required under this assignment; regulator engagement will be conducted by Kabisa and the Bank on the basis of the Consultant’s findings.
▪ Trade and Fiscal Analysis: Analyze duty, tax, and local-content rules governing EV assembly and the cross-border movement of vehicles and equipment within the EAC. Material tax, customs, and local-content conclusions shall identify the applicable legal source and effective date and shall flag matters requiring country-specific legal or tax advice.
▪ Risk Register: Compile a transaction risk register (regulatory, market, construction, counterparty, foreign exchange) with a mitigation and allocation plan acceptable to prospective lenders. For each risk include description; cause; consequence; likelihood; impact; owner; mitigation; residual risk; timing; and information required for closure.
▪ Policy Engagement Roadmap: Identify the policy and regulatory actions that would materially improve project economics and define how these should be sequenced with EAC governments and regulators relative to transaction milestones.
4. Project Management and Knowledge
▪ Project Management: Manage the assignment, coordinate stakeholders (Kabisa, the Bank, prospective co-investors), run all workstreams in parallel from inception, and provide brief written progress updates every two weeks.
▪ Workshops: Conduct a kick-off workshop (which may be held virtually) and a final workshop with Kabisa, the Bank, and prospective co-investors. No midterm workshop is required; a midterm progress call shall be held instead. |
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The assignment is delivered in two phases:
Phase 1 (Weeks 1–6) produces the minimum viable Investor Outreach Package — investment teaser, v1 financial model, preliminary feasibility brief, capital structure options, and funder engagement plan — enabling Kabisa to begin presenting the opportunity to prospective funders immediately.
Phase 2 (Weeks 7–13) produces the full Due Diligence Package and consolidates the reusable Corridor EV Infrastructure Bankability Toolkit. The phasing is detailed in the ToR. |
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| D. Duration and Timetable for the Assignment | |
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a) The Consultant Firm will be hired on a 4 – month contract from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027.
The Consultant Firm will receive a deliverable-based percentage payment, following satisfactory performance review of the tasks executed.
The Terms of Reference outlines the works required to be completed within a period of 3 months and a level of effort not exceeding 13 man-months. The firm is expected to submit the following deliverables:
Phase 1 – Inception report and Investor Outreach Package (Weeks 1 to 6)
Phase 2 – Corridor Demand and Feasibility Study (Weeks 7 to 13)
Phase 2 – Financial Structuring and Bankability (Weeks 7 to 13)
Phase 4 – Regulatory and Policy Readiness (Weeks 7 to 13)
Project Management and Transaction Support (Both Phases) |
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| E. Bank Contribution and Institutional Arrangement | |
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The Infrastructure Non-Sovereign Operations Division (PICU.4) will be responsible for management of the assignment, and in this regard actively oversee the consultant’s plan execution, ensure stakeholder collaboration, monitor regulatory compliance, manage resources, track performance and time management, and address challenges to ensure successful implementation. The final approval of the deliverables shall be by the Bank, in consultation with Kabisa as the beneficiary of the Technical Assistance.
The Bank shall designate a Coordinator from the Infrastructure Non-Sovereign Operations Division (PICU.4) who shall be the contact person responsible for the management of the assignment.
The Bank will not provide any facility to the Consultant (e.g., office space, telephone, transport, etc.). The Bank will give professional support to the project through the Infrastructure Non-Sovereign Operations Division (PICU.4), as required, for project implementation purposes.
Kabisa will provide the Consultant with access to relevant company data, operating information, existing studies and models, and staff, subject to appropriate confidentiality arrangements.
Kabisa is responsible for site selection and shall provide its prioritized site pipeline (15–25 sites) and respond to the Consultant’s data request checklist within one (1) week of the kick-off workshop. Timely provision of these inputs by Kabisa is a condition for the Consultant meeting the 3-month delivery schedule.
Confidentiality & Ownership
All information shared during the proposal process and the assignment, including Kabisa’s commercial, financial, and technical data, will be treated as confidential and used solely for the purposes of the assignment and the evaluation of proposals. Sponsor-agnostic outputs under the Corridor EV Infrastructure Bankability Toolkit, prepared without Kabisa commercial data, may be used and disseminated by the Bank in support of the GMFA pipeline. |
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The place of duty for this assignment is office of the Consultant. Meetings and workshops between the Consultant, Kabisa and the Bank will be held virtually. |
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| G. Essential Specialized Skills/Knowledge/Competencies | |
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The consulting team shall comprise four (4) key experts (KEs). To ensure a holistic approach within a lean team, the experts must together integrate technical (corridor demand, charging infrastructure, and assembly economics) and transactional (structuring, modeling, and regulatory) expertise into a cohesive framework spanning the entire value chain from infrastructure development to financial close. Desk-based regulatory and policy analysis shall be covered by the Market, Corridor Demand and Regulatory Analyst with support from the Team Lead; the firm may draw on short-term specialist input where required within the overall level of effort.
KE 1 - Project Manager / Transaction Lead
• Educational Background: Master’s degree in finance, economics, engineering, or business administration.
• Experience: Minimum 10 years managing complex, multi-stakeholder infrastructure or corporate finance transactions, with demonstrated experience leading the preparation, structuring or appraisal of complex infrastructure or corporate-finance transactions involving development and commercial financiers, including proven ability to lead a USD 50M+ raise involving DFIs through to financial close.
• Specialized Expertise: Strong understanding of blended finance, DFI investment processes (AfDB, IFC), African infrastructure ecosystems, and structuring government and regulator engagement.
• Leadership Skills: Experienced in coordinating diverse teams and engaging governments, private sector actors, and development partners. Fluency in English required, French an advantage.
KE 2 - E-Mobility and Charging Infrastructure Specialist
• Educational Background: Master’s degree in electrical engineering, energy systems, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum 8 years in charging infrastructure, EV technologies, or power systems, including desk-based techno-economic assessment of charging networks in emerging markets.
• Specialized Expertise: High-power charging technologies, load profiling, charging network cost modeling, grid-interconnection and permitting processes, battery technologies and lifecycle management, tariff analysis, and knowledge of EV technologies including electric trucks.
KE 3 - Market, Corridor Demand and Regulatory Analyst
• Educational Background: Master’s degree in transport economics, market research, public policy, supply chain management, or engineering.
• Experience: Minimum 8 years in transport demand modeling, market analysis, and desk-based regulatory review, preferably covering East African freight corridors, logistics, and energy or transport regulation.
• Specialized Expertise: Freight flow analysis, fleet operator economics, EV adoption modeling, vehicle sales and after-sales market economics, EAC/AfCFTA trade and duty frameworks, and licensing and tariff regimes for charging operators (RURA, EPRA, and counterparts in Uganda and Tanzania).
KE 4 - Financial Analyst and Investment Specialist
• Educational Background: Master’s degree in finance, economics, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum 7 years in project finance and investment analysis for infrastructure or green industrial projects, with proven success preparing transactions appraised by DFIs.
• Specialized Expertise: Financial modeling to DFI appraisal standards, SPV and security structuring, blended finance instruments, vehicle asset financing structures with local commercial banks (asset finance, leasing, portfolio guarantees), and preparation of investment memoranda and data rooms.
Integrated Team Competencies
• Holistic Transaction Approach: The team must ensure seamless integration of technical feasibility, financial structuring, and regulatory analysis into 1 investment-ready package.
• Local Contextual Knowledge: Strong understanding of the four corridor countries’ (Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania) energy, transport, regulatory, and financing ecosystems.
Eligibility Required
The firm must be registered in an AFDB Member country. |
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The Infrastructure Non-Sovereign Operations Division (PICU.4), invites Consulting Firms to indicate their interest in providing the above-described services. Interested eligible consulting firms or associations of consulting firms shall provide information on their qualifications and experience demonstrating their ability to provide the services (documentation, references to similar services, experience in comparable assignments, availability of qualified staff, etc.). Additional information: The expressions of interest, to be submitted in SAP Fieldglass, should follow the following format: - Details of the firm or consortium (including nationality of the firm(s), registration certificate, and contact person(s)) - Expression of Interest detailing the firm’s strengths, expertise, approach and any other relevant information - Experience with similar advisory assignments and proven experience in e-mobility projects. - CVs of Key Staff members and - Any additional documents or information the firm believes are relevant Any submission outside Fieldglass will be rejected. The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a shortlist and the selection procedure shall be in conformity with the Bank’s Rules and Procedure for the Use of Consultants which are available on the Bank website https://http://www.afdb.org. Please note that interest expressed by a consulting firm or consortium does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include it in the shortlist. Following the submission of Expressions of Interest, six (6) firms will be shortlisted based on the following criteria, with a minimum qualifying score of 70 points: Criteria Score General qualification and experience in the area of expertise required for this assignment 30 Similar experience 30 Availability of skills within the personnel of the consulting firm during the period planned for the execution of the contract. 30 Experience with MDBs and DFIs 10 Total 100 The six (6) shortlisted firms will receive a Request for Proposal and will be invited to submit full technical and financial proposals on which they will be evaluated for selection. The selection method to be adopted during RFP stage is Quality and Cost Based Selection Method (QCBS) The six (6) shortlisted firms will receive a Request for Proposal and will be invited to submit full technical and financial proposals on which they will be evaluated for selection. Consultants should be registered on the Bank’s SAP Fieldglass Database. This can be done by following this link: https://afdb1.fcp.eu.fieldglass.cloud.sap/. Requests for Clarification: Any requests for clarification regarding this EOI or the application process should be submitted in writing by email to Mr Hassen Ben Ayed (h.benayed@afdb.org ) and Mr Komlan Agbedjinou (k.agbedjinou@afdb.org ) with copy to Mr Alex Rugamba (a.rugamba@afdb.org ). Requests must be sent no later than 3 days before the deadline. Responses to clarification requests will be provided within a reasonable timeframe and will be shared with all applicants. |
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Consultancy Input Days
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