REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Title: Reach Truck Safety & Operations Training
Consultant
Location: Dorma Distribution Center, Koidu City, Kono
District, Sierra Leone
Issued by: Partners
In Health
Issued Date: March 2, 2026
Proposal Questions
Due Date: March 5, 2026
Submission Due Date: March 11, 2026
Purpose: Solicit competitive, sealed proposals to establish
a contract for reach truck safety and operations training in Koidu City, Sierra
Leone
1. Background Partners In Health (PIH) is seeking proposals
from qualified Training Consultants to conduct a comprehensive Reach Truck
Safety and Operations Training at the Dorma Distribution Center in Kono
District. The consultant will be responsible for the full lifecycle of the
training program, from design to on-site execution. PIH is a global health
organization striving to make healthcare a human right. PIH works to bring
quality care to the most vulnerable populations by investing in long-term health
solutions, infrastructure upgrades, and medical education. In Sierra Leone, PIH
has established long-term relationships with the Ministry of Health and and
other partnersto support the national health system across multiple districts,
from the community to referral hospital level. The creation of the Paul E.
Farmer Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE) at the Koidu Government Hospital is
further demonstration of this strong partnership. Built in partnership with
Build Health International (BHI) and MOH, this state-of-the-art facility is
designed to dramatically expand maternal services and set a new standard for
care. This partnership has also resulted in the construction of the Dorma
Distribution Center, a 38,880 square-foot (approx. 3,500 m²) climate-controlled
warehouse to support the increased volume of items required for patient care.
The Dorma Distribution Centerserves as a critical hub for PIH activities across
Kono District, providing centralized storage for life-saving medicines,
clinical and non-clinical consumables, and equipment. PIH has procured two
Toyota Tora-Max Reach Trucks to support operations in the warehouse and
requires training of staff to ensure safe and efficient warehouse operations.
2. Scope of Work In collaboration with the PIH Sierra Leone
team and facility leadership, the selected consultant will conduct a
comprehensive Reach Truck Safety and Operations Training at the Dorma
Distribution Center in Kono District for the Toyota Tora-Max Reach Trucks. The
consultant will be responsible for the full lifecycle of the training program,
from design to on-site execution including for the following:
1. Designing Training Content:
Develop technical slides, coaching tools, and pre-operational safety checklists
tailored specifically to the Toyota Reach Truck series. Materials must be
designed for a diverse warehouse operations team without experience using reach
trucks and include clear, accessible visual aids for safety protocols.
2. Safety & Stability
Instruction: Facilitate classroom-based modules on incident prevention,
addressing the common causes of industrial accidents such as tip-overs,
pedestrian safety, and the hazards of walking under raised loads.
3. Operational Training:
1. Lead an
on-site, hands-on intensive user training session (number of hours required to
be included in consultant’s proposal) in Koidu, Sierra Leone for eight PIH
employees. This includes hands-on vehicle operation and implementation of
industry safety standards.
2. Lead an
on-site, hands-on intensive training of trainers (TOT) session (number of hours
required to be included in consultant’s proposal) in Koidu, Sierra Leone for
two PIH employees who will have also undergone the user training. This includes
the handover of training and assessment materials, advanced user training, and
facilitator training for both classroom-based and hands-on user training.
4. Evaluation & Certification:
Develop and administer practical and written competency assessments to verify
operator proficiency and TOT proficiency.
5. Establishment of Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs): Draft and formalize actionable reach truck SOPs
for the Dorma warehouse including safety checks, usage, cleaning,
storage/charging. Maintenance activities are out of scope of this contract.
3. Proposed Timeline and Key Dates
The consultant must be available for on-site delivery in
Koidu during the first and second week of April 2026. Estimated Time Period
Anticipated Activities March 18-20, 2026 Contracting & Orientation: Review
of facility as-builts and equipment specs March 23 – March 31, 2026 Design
Phase: Submission of tailored training curricula and draft SOPs April 6 – April
10, 2026 Execution Phase: On-site training and hands-on SOP walkthroughs. April
14, 2026 Finalization: Finalized SOP documentation and training/assessment
materials handover.
4. Evaluation
Criteria Offers will first be evaluated for completeness.
Offers that fail to include all required documentation may be eliminated from
further consideration. Complete proposals will be evaluated based on the
following criteria and ranked:
4.1. Technical Trainer Expertise
(40%): • Proven track record as a professional trainer with the ability to
translate complex technical material into accessible, trainable language for
diverse learners. • Certification in Reach Truck operations (highly preferred/added
advantage).
4.2. Proposed Methodology & SOP
Design (30%): • Quality of the proposed training curriculum, including
timeline, and its alignment with PIH’s clinical warehouse needs. • Demonstrated
capability in establishing formal, actionable Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs).
4.3. Experience in Sector &
Context (15%): • 5+ years of demonstrated experience in coaching warehouse and
logistics personnel. • Experience working in Sierra Leone or similar
resource-constrained environments. • Positive assessment from at least two
references for the same or similar work.
4.4. Cost-Effectiveness (15%): •
Total project budget clarity and transparency regarding travel and
mission-related expenses. PIH reserves the right to request clarifications or
interviews with shortlisted firms as part of the evaluation process. PIH is not
bound, either legally or otherwise, to select the lowest cost offer. Bidder
acknowledges that PIH may award a contract to any bidder of its choice, in
PIH’s sole and absolute discretion. PIH may, in its best interests, elect to
enter into negotiations with any bidder and the winning bidder shall be
confirmed in writing by PIH.
5. Procurement Process and Schedule
This document serves as a request for proposals and in no
way binds PIH to make any award. PIH may choose to award a contract for all or
parts of the activities listed in this RFP, in its sole and absolute
discretion. The anticipated procurement process and schedule are outlined
below. PIH reserves the right to reject any and all offers received, and to
negotiate separately with any and all competing bidders without explanation and
in its sole and absolute discretion. PIH is not responsible for any costs occurred
in the preparation, submission, or negotiation of any offers. PIH reserves the
right to modify the RFP, modify the Project, modify the procurement schedule,
alter the selection process, or amend the specifications related to this RFP.
PIH reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time until signing of
contract. Milestone Anticipated Date RFP issued March 2, 2026 Deadline for
questions from proposers March 5, 2026 Proposal submission deadline (Offers
must be submitted by this deadline. Offers received after the deadline may not
be considered) March 11, 2026 Target period for consultant selection and
contract award March 18, 2026 Questions and requests for clarification
regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to: freetownprocurement@pih.org
Responses will be circulated to all bidders who submitted questions or requests
for clarification. Responses will also be posted in the same locations as the
original RFP.
6. Contracting
If awarded the project, supplier will be asked to agree to:
a. Terms and Conditions
• Supplier
certifies that it has reviewed and agrees to be bound by PIH’s standard
purchase order terms and conditions, and where procurements are made by PIH’s
affiliates outside the United States, Supplier further agrees to comply with
any applicable local purchase order terms or agreements, provided that such
terms shall not be less protective of PIH or its affiliates than the standard
terms
b. Contract
• PIH’s Standard Contract will be used as the vehicle
to contract for services if a bid is successful.
• Contract payment terms will be agreed upon during
contract negotiation.
c. Insurance
• Provision of insurance for the safety and security of
its staff during the course of the contract.
d. Ethical Certifications
• Acknowledgement and agreement to abide by PIH’s Code
of Conduct
• Supplier will be required to sign contractual provisions
certifying compliance with applicable laws, regulations and restrictions
surrounding the following: o Health, safety, and security o Ethical labor
practices (no child labor, fair wages) o Sexual exploitation, abuse,
harassment, and safeguarding o Anti-bribery and anti-corruption
7. Proposal Submission Requirements
Please submit proposals in accordance with the following
requirements. Any award issued as a result of this RFP will be subject to all
the terms of this tender and subsequent contracts. Offers must remain valid for
at least 30 days after the submission deadline.
1. Cover letter on official
organization letterhead signed by an individual with signatory authority.
2. Organization’s valid business
registration, tax registration, applicable trade licenses, and code of conduct.
3. Certifications (see section 9
below)
1. Certification
of Supplier signed by an individual with organizational signatory authority
2. Conflict of
interest certification signed by an individual with organizational signatory
authority.
4. Technical Proposal: Resume/C.V.,
certifications, and a brief methodology (1–2 pages) detailing your approach to
training and SOP development.
5. Financial Proposal: Budget
narrative describing project and cost assumptions, and total costing and
itemized budget, including daily rates and estimated travel expenses,required
for completion of scope of work.
6. At least two references for the
same or similar work.
8. Submission Format
Proposals shall be submitted electronically no later than
March 11, 2026, by email to: freetownprocurement@pih.org. Proposal documents
shall be provided in PDF format.
9. Certifications
Certification Of Supplier Supplier represents and warrants
that
(a) Supplier is duly organized,
legally existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction where
it was organized;
(b) Supplier is duly qualified to
conduct business in the jurisdiction where the Project Site is located;
(c) Supplier is financially solvent
and possesses sufficient experience, license, authority, personnel and working
capital to complete the work required in this RFP;
(d) Supplier has the ability to
enter into a valid legal contract with PIH and submit a valid and binding offer
to PIH in response to this RFP, the offer meets all technical and financial
requirements described in this RFP
(e) the Cost Proposal provided for
herein includes adequate compensation for the timely performance of the work,
in compliance with the law. Supplier represents and warrants that Supplier
shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations, restrictions and
requirements of all governmental authorities in performing the Services.
Supplier shall not:
(a) undertake any activity or
employment;
(b) have any significant
undisclosed financial or other interests; or
(c) accept any contributions, if it
would reasonably appear that such actions could compromise Supplier’s
professional judgment or prevent Supplier from serving the best interests of
PIH and the Project.
Name:______________________________ Position:
____________________________ Signature: ___________________________
Date:_____________
Conflict of Interest Supplier represents and warrants that:
(a) no contractual or other
commitment or covenant exists that would prevent or limit Supplier’s full
performance of Supplier’s duties and responsibilities if their offer is
successful;
(b) none of Supplier’s employees,
agents, officers, managers, or directors (“Supplier Personnel”) have a
financial or other interest in any public or private entity or agency that is
directly or indirectly involved in the work contemplated in this RFP or that
would stand to improperly gain, or give the appearance of an improper gain or
influence from this work;
(c) Supplier will perform regular
due diligence to ensure that no conflict of interest exists between Supplier
Personnel and parties contemplated in this RFP and will immediately notify PIH
if a Conflict of Interest is discovered.
☐Supplier has no conflicts to declare
☐Supplier declares the following
conflicts: _____________________________________________
Name:______________________________ Position:
____________________________ Signature: ___________________________
Date:____________
