Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified service provider to conduct an ex-post Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the VC9008 regulation, which pertains to energy efficiency and labelling regulations for household refrigerators, combination fridge-freezers, and freezers in South Africa. The assessment aims to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, environmental impact, socio-economic outcomes, market transformation effects, and implementation challenges associated with the regulation implemented between 2020 and 2025. The findings will support evidence-based policy refinement, regulatory improvements, and strategic decision-making to enhance appliance energy efficiency regulations in the country.

Scope

The scope of the project includes:

• Assessing the impact of the VC9008 regulation on energy consumption and refrigerant-related impacts.
• Analyzing the availability, technology adoption, imports, and consumer purchasing trends related to household refrigeration appliances.
• Evaluating socio-economic impacts, including participation and opportunities for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).
• Assessing levels of regulatory compliance, enforcement effectiveness, and stakeholder awareness.
• Identifying implementation challenges, regulatory gaps, unintended consequences, and opportunities for improvement.
• Developing recommendations for future regulatory enhancements and implementation mechanisms.
• Collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data from 2020-2025, including stakeholder consultations, surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• Preparing detailed reports, including an inception report, data collection report, draft, and final reports, with supporting datasets and documentation.

Technical Requirements

The technical requirements for the tender include:

• Developing a comprehensive project plan and methodology, including stakeholder engagement, data collection tools, timelines, and risk management.
• Collecting and analyzing appliance sales data, performance data, energy efficiency classifications, import/export data, and market trends.
• Conducting stakeholder consultations with manufacturers, importers, retailers, industry associations, testing laboratories, government stakeholders, and consumers.
• Assessing participation opportunities for SMMEs and compliance levels.
• Preparing and submitting detailed reports with findings, analysis, and recommendations.
• Handling all data and information confidentially, ensuring proprietary data remains the property of SANEDI.
• Providing all raw datasets, survey tools, interview records, models, calculations, and supporting documents upon project completion.

Skills Requirements

The skills and qualifications required for the tender include:

• Project Team Leader:
  • Qualification: PhD or Master’s degree in relevant disciplines such as Energy Studies, Environmental Management, Economics, Engineering, Public Policy, or related fields.
  • Experience: Minimum of 5 years in energy policy, energy efficiency, environmental assessment, or regulatory analysis.
• Technical Specialists:
  • Experience: At least 1-5 years in energy/environmental/data analysis, with expertise in relevant fields.
• Reference Letters:
  • At least 3-5 reference letters from different companies, signed by relevant managers, demonstrating successful completion of similar projects.
• Company Experience:
  • At least 2-5 years of experience in conducting Regulatory Impact Assessments or related research projects, with a track record of at least one similar assignment supported by project descriptions.