Consultancy services to conduct a time release study

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND PUBLIC WORKS SOUTHERN AFRICA TRADE AND CONNECTIVITY PROJECT (P164847) REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION) NAME OF PROJECT: SOUTHERN AFRICA TRADE AND CONNECTIVITY PROJECT (P164847) Credit No: 6870-MW Grant No: D804-MW Assignment Title: PROCUREMENT OF CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO CARRY OUT A TIME RELEASE STUDY “PLUS” (TRS+) Reference No .: MW-MTPW-548706-CS-QCBS Date of issue: 19th May, 2026 BACKGROUND 1) The Government of Malawi (GoM) has obtained a credit and grant from the International Development Association (IDA) under the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (Project) to support efforts to reduce trade costs and time, increase access to improved infrastructure, and increase value chain development in targeted corridors of Malawi and Mozambique, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. 2) The consulting services (“the Services”) include the time release study “plus” (TRS+) to Provide statistically robust and comparable measurements of the time taken by Malawi and Mozambique to process the defined scope of administrative processes, building on the findings of previous Time Release Studies, and covering both end-to-end processing times and disaggregated sub-processing times. Analyse customs and border procedures and controls governing the cross-border movement of goods, including LPCO processes, with a view to identifying operational bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Formulate evidence-based, targeted and actionable recommendations aligned with international best practices to reduce costs and improve efficiency, and maintain regulatory compliance. Assess progress in implementing recommendations from previous TRS/TRS+ studies conducted in Malawi and Mozambique, identifying areas of improvement, stagnation, or regression. Build the technical capacity of the TRS Working Group to independently design and implement similar studies in the future, ensuring active participation