As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. It provides viable, forward-looking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. GIZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, is announcing as following:

Call for expressions of interest

The Kosovo4Green project addresses the significant urbanization challenges that Kosovo has been facing in recent decades, driven by factors such as post-conflict migration, lack of proper planning, and institutional capacity gaps. One of the major issues in Kosovo is uncontrolled urban sprawl and illegal constructions, even in hazard-prone areas. Informal settlements have further contributed to the loss of open and green urban spaces.
The objective of the project is to support the Kosovo government and municipalities in improving the spatial planning management system to ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of spatial planning laws and documents. An important focus of the project is the development of climate-sensitive urban planning strategies that enhance the resilience and sustainability of municipalities.

In an effort to promote climate-resilient urban development and strengthen municipal planning capacities, the Kosovo4Green project invites qualified urban planning and design firms to submit an Expression of Interest for the development of Public Space Masterplans for the Municipalities of Prizren and Gjakova (Lot 1) and Gjilan (Lot 2). These masterplans will serve as a strategic framework to enhance public spaces through climate-adaptive solutions and sustainable urban design approaches. The final masterplans will not only benefit these municipalities but will also serve as model approaches for broader urban resilience efforts in Kosovo.

Scope of work

The Masterplans will cover the urban areas of Prizren and Gjakova (Lot 1) and Gjilan (Lot 2), including all major categories of public open space such as: streets and sidewalks, squares and plazas, parks and green areas, waterfronts, marketplaces, and other communal outdoor spaces.

The Public Space Masterplan will cover urban areas within Prizren, Gjakova (Lot 1) and Gjilan (Lot 2), with a focus on spaces lacking adequate public infrastructure or facing accessibility and safety challenges. It will include city-wide strategies and area-specific interventions, addressing key zones such as downtown, residential areas, and heritage quarters. The Masterplan will prioritize five key themes—accessibility, sustainability, women’s safety, cultural integration, and heritage preservation—integrating them into every aspect of analysis and design. Measures will include accessibility audits, universal design checklists, environmentally sustainable materials, gender-inclusive spatial layouts, and heritage impact assessments for proposals near historic sites. To ensure quality and relevance, the consultant team will review international best practices and case studies, aligning the Masterplan with global guidelines and national standards such as accessibility codes and heritage regulations, while adapting them to the local cultural, social, and regulatory context. The final deliverable will be two comprehensive Public Space Masterplan documents, including a vision and planning framework for public spaces, design proposals (conceptual layouts and guidelines) for improvement of existing spaces and creation of new ones, policy and regulatory recommendations, and an implementation roadmap (phasing, responsibilities, cost estimates). Additional outputs include maps, diagrams, and a prioritized list of projects or interventions.

The checklist below provides further details on the conditions and expectations of the Kosovo4Green project. Based on responses to this call for expression of interest, Kosovo4Green will pre-qualify firms that will subsequently receive a Request for Information (RFI) to submit their detailed offers, including technical and financial specifications. A response to the RFI does not necessarily imply that the firms will receive the Kosovo4Green Request to develop Public Spaces Masterplans for municipalities of Prizren and Gjakova (Lot 1) and/or Gjilan (Lot 2).

Based on the evaluation of the offers, Kosovo4Green will award a service contract to the selected firm.

Please note that all correspondence and dealings with Kosovo4Green must be in the English language.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

1. Proof of company’s legal status (registration and/or certification documentation, status), company details (name, postal address), date of incorporation within their initial response.
2. Average annual turnover for the last three fiscal years, at least 50,000 Euros/annually. Proven by official documents like: Tax administration confirmation and audit reports.
3. Evidence that your average number of employees and managers over the last three calendar years is at least 5 persons. Proven by official documents such as Tax Administration list.
4. Companies should submit at least two (2) references of similar documents specifically on urban planning, in the last 36 months.
5. Companies should submit at least two (2) references projects in Kosovo, in the last 36 months.

If we receive more than (e.g.) 5 requests to participate per lot, we will make a selection on the basis of the criteria laid out below and invite only from the 5 tenderers with the highest scores per lot. We reserve the right to cancel the contract award procedure if we receive fewer than three requests to participate.

Your expressions of interest will be ranked by the technical experience as weighting in below, the maximum number of candidates is 5:

1. Experience in Spatial Planning and Urban Development - 40%.
2. Experience in Urban Design – 30%.
3. Experience in Data Collection and Community Engagement – 30%.

Interested Companies are invited to submit expression of interest in English language.

Interested companies are invited to submit their electronic application in English language. The deadline for submitting the application is 20.06.2025 until 15:00h, via email at: [email protected], titled/labelled as: 83489454 - Development of Public Space Masterplans”.

Each bidder is free to submit for one or more lots. Please make it clear in your bid for which lot you are submitting your request to participate (self-declaration). In a first step, please only submit your request to participate (self-declaration of eligibility) by 20th of June 2025 in English stating the lot.

Only shortlisted companies will be notified for further application procedures!