Environmental and Social Requirements

Added: Jun 03, 2016 5:07 pm AGENCY BACKGROUND
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) was established as an agency of the U.S. government in 1971. OPIC is the U.S. Government's development finance institution. It mobilizes private capital to help address critical development challenges and in doing so, advances U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities. Because OPIC works with the U.S. private sector, it helps U.S. businesses gain footholds in emerging markets, catalyzing revenues, jobs and growth opportunities both at home and abroad. OPIC achieves its mission by providing investors with financing, political risk insurance, and support for private equity investment funds, when commercial funding cannot be obtained elsewhere. OPIC supports a wide range of investments, including extractive industries, agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

OPIC is required by U.S. law (Title IV of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961) to evaluate certain policy issues for every project it supports. OPIC's Office of Investment Policy (OIP) is responsible for insuring that OPIC projects are implemented in a manner consistent with OPIC's statutory requirements related to social and environmental matters which include environmental, health, and safety impacts; impacts on project affected people; labor and working conditions; and human rights.

OFFICE OF INVESTMENT POLICY BACKGROUND
In October 2010, OPIC adopted its Environmental and Social Policy Statement (ESPS), which outlines the environmental and social standards, assessment, and monitoring procedures that OPIC applies to prospective and ongoing investment projects. The ESPS is based in large part on environmental and social impact assessment procedures and guidelines applied by the World Bank Group and other development finance institutions. The OPIC ESPS may be viewed at: http://www.opic.gov/sites/default/files/consolidated_esps.pdf.

OIP reviews proposed projects seeking OPIC support and evaluates the environmental, social and safety aspects of the project to assure they meet OPIC's environmental, social, health and safety requirements as identified in OPIC's ESPS, the 2012 International Finance Corporation (IFC) Environmental and Social Performance Standards, World Bank Group Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, and other international best practices (the "Environmental and Social Requirements"). OIP also monitors project performance to ensure that projects comply with the Environmental and Social Requirements. OPIC anticipates a need of support to ensure OPIC-supported projects meet the Environmental and Social Requirements.

OPIC will utilize the Prospective Contractor Lists established by this solicitation to award IDIQ Task Orders to Contractors to perform services within the specified areas of expertise.

The Prospective Contractor Lists are as follows:

1. Independent Environmental and Social Reviews for Projects
2. Independent Auditing and/or Monitoring Support for Projects
3. Independent Industry- or Sector-Specific Technical Reviews or Other Environmental and Social Support for Projects
4. Policy and Procedure Support

Please see the attached solicitation for more information.