TENDERS FOR DELIVERY OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES, ANNOUNCED BY MLSP

The Ministry of labor and social policy (MLSP) published a call for participation in the “Child Welfare Reform” Project. The activities on the Project will be carried out in nine Municipalities – Stara Zagora, Targoviste, Bourgas, Plovdiv, Rousse, Shumen, Sliven, Varna and Sofia. There is a newly established Complex for Family and Child Social Services (CFCSS) in each of these Municipalities, where child welfare/protection community-based services will be provided.

The main objective of the Project is the selected for the respective Municipality social services provider to deliver community-based services in CFCSS in order to: assist and support families in the care for their children, enhance family capacity and develop parental skills, hence preventing from child abandonment and institutionalisation.

The selected provider will be required to develop, manage and provide services in areas set for each specific Municipality, among which prevention from child abandonment and child abuse, reintegration and work with children from the specialised residential care institutions, foster care and adoption, prevention and support to children with deviant behaviour, school dropout prevention and street child support.

The expected duration of the assignment is 12 months after signing of contract. All facilities needed for the assignment implementation, including buildings, furniture and equipment, shall be provided by the contractor (MLSP).
Eligible service providers are NGOs and business entities which have been licensed for the provision of social services to children by the State Agency for Child Protection. The key criteria for assessment of candidates which respond to the above condition shall be: track record of relevant past experience, institutional and financial capacity; experience and qualification of the key personnel; quality of proposal. The provider shall be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the Guidelines of the World Bank: “Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers”.

The providers interested in the project should provide information certifying their capacity in delivering the services (brochures, reports/description of similar assignments, track record under similar conditions, appropriate staff skills, etc.). The deadline for submitting the applications for Plovdiv, Rousse and Shumen Municipalities is February 21st, 2005; for Sliven, Varna and Sofia Municipalities – March 7th, 2005; for Stara Zagora, Targoviste and Burgas Municipalities – March 9th, 2005.
For more information you can visit www.bcnl.org/social.