NATURE CONSERVANCY INDIA SOLUTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR THE (BIODIVERSITY STATUS AND
REPEAT ASSESSMENT IN NON-PROTECTED AREAS OF SUNDARBANS)
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Date of Issue of RFP
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27.08.2026
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Last date for seeking clarifications
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03.09.2026
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Date of Pre-Proposal Meeting (Via VC)
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07.09.2026
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Last date for Submission of RFP
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14.09.2026
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INTRODUCTION
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a leading conservation organization working to make a positive impact around the world in more than 80 countries and territories. Founded in 1951, TNC’s mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. With our core values of integrity beyond reproach, respect for people communities and culture, and commitment to diversity we aim at environmental conservation through lasting tangible results.
TNC has been advancing projects in India since 2017 to support India’s efforts to “develop without destruction”. We work closely with the government, research institutions, civil society organizations, private sector and local communities to develop science-based, on-the-ground, scalable solutions for some of the country’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Nature Conservancy India Solutions Private Limited (NCIS) is a Private Limited Company incorporated under The Companies Act, 2013. It is a subsidiary of The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest not-for-profit conservation organisations in the world. NCIS was incorporated with the objective of providing research, consulting, technical support, and advisory services to various stakeholders in and outside India relating to conservation of nature, environment, biodiversity, and climate change.
PURPOSE
The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, spanning 9,630 km² across the borders of West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh. It is the world's largest delta, formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna. A large part of the Sundarbans is recognized as a Ramsar Site, a wetland of international importance, and the protected areas on the Indian side have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The landscape supports exceptional biodiversity, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, saltwater crocodile, Gangetic and Irrawaddy dolphins, fishing cat, and a wide range of resident and migratory birds, alongside globally significant mangrove floral diversity.
Millions of people depend on the Sundarbans for their livelihoods and for protection from storms, cyclones, tidal surges, seawater intrusion, and flooding. The Indian Sundarbans, particularly its non-protected regions, currently face many threats to ecological integrity, including cyclones, rising sea levels, unsustainable agriculture and aquaculture, reduced freshwater supply, erosion, and depletion of fisheries and other natural resources. This degradation has direct consequences for the wildlife and plant communities that depend on the mangrove habitat, as well as for the coastal communities who rely on it.
NCIS aims to restore 60 ha of degraded mangrove habitat in the Indian Sundarbans, in line with the MISHTI initiative of the Government of India, to rehabilitate degraded mangrove ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, secure livelihoods, and improve climate resilience. Under this initiative, there is a need for robust, field-verified biodiversity evidence to:
- Document the flora and fauna present at restoration and reference sites;
- Establish a credible biodiversity status against which restoration outcomes can be measured;
- Track species-level and habitat-level change as restoration progresses; and
- Generate evidence to inform adaptive management, and to support reporting under national and global frameworks (e.g., MISHTI, India's NDCs, Global Mangrove Alliance, and CBD's Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework).
This ToR outlines the scope, methodology, deliverables, and expectations for a biodiversity status and repeat seasonal assessment covering flora, fauna, habitat condition, and invasive species, status across restoration and reference sites in the Sundarbans.
CONTRACT TYPE AND CONTRACT SERVICES
NCIS will entertain under this, RFP Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) completion type contract(s).
BIDS
We welcome bids from bidders for successful implementation of the activities as mentioned in Key Objectives.
NCIS reserves the right to postpone or cancel the bidding process for one or more clusters with no prior notice.
PROJECT LOCATION AND PERIOD FOR PERFORMANCE
Location: Non-protected areas of Sundarbans, West Bengal.
Period: From September 2026 to February 2027 (with two complete profile surveys – Status and repeat seasonal biodiversity assessment).
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL
Last date for submission of proposal is September 14, 2026 at 11:59pm IST.
Technical and Financial Proposals are required in soft copy only. The subject line of the email submission should state ““Proposal for BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT FOR MANGROVE RESTORATION IN THE SUNDARBANS” _ <Name of The Organization>” and will be shared at:
Technical proposal should include the following:
- Key objectives
- Methodology
- Work plan and timeline
- Expected outputs and deliverables
- Experience of similar assignments in Sundarbans
- Profile of team engaged in assignment with their Full Time Equivalent (FTE)
Financial Bid must accompany with the following documents:
- Copy of incorporation documents.
- Copy of registration certificate under income tax and GST (If applicable).
- Copy of last three years audited financial statements with audit report.
- Copy of last three years income tax return.
- Copy of last two GST returns.
- Copy of address proof.
- List of similar project executed with name of client, year of execution, and value.
- In case the bidder is registered with Ministry of Home Affairs , please also share FCRA Registration number and validity.
- Total number of staff (full time, part time and volunteer)
Note: - You are requested to send all financial information in one go to avoid disqualification if any. Bids with incomplete financial and other information as requested in this RFP will be rejected summarily.
Submission of the proposal to any other individual will result in the disqualification of the proposal. Bidder can submit only one bid. Submitting multiple bids under different name will result in automatic disqualification.
For detailed information, please check the complete version of the RFP attached below.