Providing Technical Assistance on Industrial Decarbonisation, CBAM Readiness, Gender Inclusion, Pilot and Upscaling

India's industrial sector plays a central role in the country's economic growth, while also contributing significantly to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As India advances its climate ambitions, including the target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, industrial decarbonisation and energy efficiency have become key priorities for enabling a sustainable and inclusive transition. In this context, the Indo-German bilateral cooperation between the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), implemented by GIZ, supports industrial decarbonisation through energy efficiency measures. Acting as a service provider and implementing agency for German international cooperation for sustainable development, GIZ works with Indian and German partners on project implementation and delivering effective solutions that contribute to sustainable transformation. The cooperation between the German side and BEE builds on a long-standing partnership in the field of energy efficiency and industrial transformation. Over the years, the collaboration has continuously supported the implementation of the Energy Conservation Act and contributed to a range of initiatives targeting both large industries and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). While significant progress has been achieved, considerable untapped potential for industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation remains, underlining the need for strengthened policy frameworks, innovative market instruments, and scaled implementation approaches. Against this background, the project "Energy Efficiency" supports industrial decarbonisation through four key intervention areas: (a) developing strategies for industrial decarbonisation, including in the context of the Indian Carbon Market; (b) supporting the design and implementation of incentive schemes such as ADEETIE; (c) promoting industrial energy efficiency measures through demonstration projects and awareness campaigns; and (d) advancing gender equality and social inclusion in the industrial transition. Through these interventions, the project aims to strengthen policy frameworks, market mechanisms, institutional capacities, and inclusive approaches for a sustainable industrial transformation. The contractor shall provide technical, advisory and implementation support to strengthen industrial decarbonisation and carbon market preparedness in selected industrial sectors and MSME clusters in India. The assignment shall support the identification, demonstration and scale-up of innovative energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies, strengthen institutional and industrial capacities, improve product-level carbon accounting and monitoring systems, and promote gender-responsive and inclusive approaches within industrial transformation. The services shall be delivered in close coordination with GIZ, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and relevant public and private stakeholders. The assignment is structured into two work packages. The two work packages are combined under a single contract to ensure the integrated implementation of technical decarbonisation measures and gender-responsive approaches. Gender equality and social inclusion are embedded as cross-cutting elements of the project's industrial decarbonisation activities rather than stand-alone interventions. The effective implementation of Work Package B is therefore closely linked to the technical activities under Work Package A, as access to participating industries and MSMEs, stakeholder engagement, and pilot implementation provide the necessary entry points for gender assessments and the development of workplace policies etc. Integrating both work packages under one contract ensures close coordination, coherent implementation, and the systematic incorporation of gender-responsive measures into industrial decarbonisation activities, thereby strengthening both the technical and social sustainability of the interventions. Work Package A: Technical Decarbonisation, Pilots, Upscaling and Knowledge Systems This work package focuses on accelerating industrial decarbonisation and strengthening carbon market and CBAM preparedness across selected sectors and clusters. The contractor shall identify and assess innovative, commercially proven energy efficiency and decarbonisation technologies through technical, economic and commercial analyses. Based on these assessments, the contractor shall develop sector-specific technology deployment roadmaps, outlining implementation pathways, investment requirements, scalability potential and associated risks. The contractor shall support the design and implementation of pilot demonstration projects, including the management of technology subsidy mechanisms, technical assistance during implementation, and evaluation of pilot performance. Based on the lessons learned, the contractor shall develop recommendations and approaches for the replication and scale-up of successful technologies within relevant BEE programmes, including ADEETIE. Furthermore, the contractor shall develop and implement a product-level carbon accounting tool aligned with CBAM requirements and establish an appropriate Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) framework to support transparent emissions accounting and monitoring. The contractor shall also design and deliver capacity-building measures and knowledge products on industrial decarbonisation, ESG, CBAM, carbon markets and related topics for government institutions, industries and other stakeholders. Work Package B: Gender-Disaggregated Data Study and Strengthening of Workplace Policies in MSME Clusters This work package aims to strengthen gender equality and social inclusion within industrial decarbonisation by generating an evidence base on women's participation and supporting the development of gender-responsive workplace policies and institutional practices. The contractor shall conduct a gender-disaggregated baseline assessment across the selected ADEETIE sectors and MSME clusters, collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data on workforce participation, occupational roles, working conditions, career progression and barriers faced by women and other underrepresented groups. Based on the assessment findings, the contractor shall develop practical recommendations and support participating industries in strengthening or developing gender-responsive workplace policies, institutional mechanisms and inclusive human resource practices. The contractor shall facilitate stakeholder consultations, awareness-raising and capacity-building activities to promote gender-responsive industrial transformation and increase organisational capacity to implement inclusive measures. The contractor shall further establish mechanisms to monitor progress and document outcomes related to gender equality and diversity, ensuring that gender-disaggregated data and lessons learned contribute to project monitoring, policy dialogue and the future scaling of inclusive industrial decarbonisation approaches.