About the Trust:

The University of Chicago Trust (the Trust) is a charitable trust in India, established in 2008 by alumnus of The University of Chicago. The objectives of the UChicago Trust are to provide opportunities for grants to support educational programs, research programs and activities for the betterment of India.

About EPIC India:

India faces the dual challenge of rapidly improving living standards—through sustained economic growth and expanded access to reliable and affordable energy—while simultaneously reducing pollution for a cleaner and healthier environment. EPIC India researchers work hand-in-hand with government and industry partners to identify innovative ideas, pilot them on the ground, and rigorously measure outcomes.

Background:

Uttar Pradesh is one of India’s largest and most industrially diverse states and faces significant air pollution challenges associated with industrial activity across multiple sectors and clusters. The state has expressed interest in exploring market-based approaches to emissions reduction, including an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), to achieve cost-effective and measurable reductions in industrial air pollution.

India has already demonstrated the potential of emissions markets through the world’s first particulate matter (PM) Emissions Trading Scheme in Surat, which achieved 20 – 30% reductions in particulate emissions while improving compliance and reducing compliance costs by 11%. Uttar Pradesh is being assessed for the development of an emissions market in collaboration with the Emissions Market Accelerator (EMA). This RFP represents the foundational scoping phase to identify priority pollutants and sectors, assess monitoring and data systems, and determine the institutional and industrial readiness required for subsequent ETS design.

The scoping study will establish the evidence base for assessing the feasibility and design of an emissions market in Uttar Pradesh. Given the state’s industrial scale and its location within the Indo-Gangetic Plain, improved industrial emissions management can contribute to broader air-quality objectives in the region. The study will provide the foundation for subsequent phases, including monitoring strengthening, cap setting, allocation design, stakeholder engagement, institutional arrangements, and legal and regulatory preparation.

About the Consultancy work:

The objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive four-month Scoping Study to assess the technical, institutional, industrial, data, and monitoring readiness for an ETS in Uttar Pradesh. The study will:

• Identify priority pollutants and sectors for ETS coverage
• Evaluate regulatory and industrial data systems, including CEMS integrity
• Assess industry readiness for ETS
• Document sector-wise emissions, fuel usage, APCD infrastructure, monitoring capacity, and data gaps
• Build consensus among key regulatory and industry stakeholders

The consultancy firm will be responsible for conducting the scoping study required to assess the feasibility and readiness for an ETS in Uttar Pradesh.

Scope of work:

The selected agency will undertake activities under these defined core workstreams, each mapped to specific deliverables.

1. Regulatory data collection and Digitization

• Retrieve emissions data for all pollutants that is monitored by the CEMS device, production, fuel and compliance data from industries under 17 highly polluting category industries. (Include concentration, flow, temperature, production, fuel use, operating status, calibration periods, maintenance, shutdowns and status flags, where available)
• Collect and Digitize consent-to-operate (CTO) records, manual stack emissions monitoring data, CEMS installation data, Boiler passing certificates, CEMS calibration certificates and historical emissions.
• Collect Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD) details installed at the site.
• Standardise and clean the datasets with documented QA/QC protocols.
• Deliverables associated with this responsibility:

Deliverable 1 — Consolidated database of >=90% available regulatory data. The data shall be submitted in an organized manner over drive along with scanned / digitised copies and photographs taken on site. All data shall be consolidated in a proper format for further process of market design.

2. Industry Field visits and Surveys

• Conduct industry visits to map monitoring practices, abatement technologies, production processes, emissions sources, CEMS functioning and calibration (covering sampling location, analyser technology, zero/span checks, calibration and audit records, normalization parameters, data transmission, downtime, and maintenance).
• Proper geotagged coordinates of that particular industry.
• Stacks connected to the abatement technologies.
• Cross-validate field observations with regulatory datasets.
• Photographs to be taken on site for validation of CEMS installation as per CPCB guidelines.
• Deliverables associated with this responsibility:

Deliverable 2— Field data covering >= 200 industries, Regular updates with the EPIC staff for data quality.

3. Industry readiness Assessment

• Assess coverage, reliability and calibration practices of existing CEMS installations as per CPCB and UPPCB guidelines.
• Identify any gaps or maintenance issues
• Conduct workshops with the industries
• Evaluate industry preparedness for ETS participation
• Collect data on fuel inputs, emissions factors, monitoring equipment, process specifics.
• Deliverables associated with this responsibility:

Deliverable 3 — Industry readiness assessment

4. Stakeholder Consultation Report

• Conduct consultation with regional offices, Industrial partners and EPIC India staff.
• Documentation of workshops and bilateral meetings with industries and facilitate consultations and document areas concern and unresolved issues.
• Document stakeholder feedback, concerns and consensus areas
• Deliverables associated with this responsibility:

Deliverable 4 — Stakeholder consultation summary

5. Pollutant and Sector prioritization and final report

• Develop transparent criteria for pollutant and sector selection based on monitoring feasibility, abatement potential, industry readiness and CEMS connectivity.
• Prepare the Uttar Pradesh’s ETS Scoping Report with recommended pollutant and sector, coverage boundary, institutional roles, regulatory pathway, risks and phased next steps
• Deliverables associated with this responsibility:

Deliverable 5 — Final Scoping Report

Deliverables: The consultancy will have Five key deliverables:

Expected Timeframe:  December 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027

Indicative Payment Timeline

Intellectual Property Rights: All items produced from this project will be owned by the University of Chicago Trust.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

• The selection committee will evaluate the proposals based upon their written technical proposals.
• Each proposal will be evaluated first on the merits of the technical proposal. Those proposals that reflect sufficient quality in technical approach, work plan, staffing and management plan and organizational experience will advance to the cost proposal review.
• University of Chicago Trust’s EPIC India program reserves the right to conduct discussions or can ask the offerors for a presentation if determined necessary by EPIC India Program.
• The University of Chicago Trust (UCT)’s EPIC Program reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal, in whole or in part, and to reject all proposals, at any stage of the process. EPIC Program may do so without assigning any reason and without incurring any liability to any bidder.

Selection Process:

• Round 1: Submission of technical proposals only. Only those agencies who are shortlisted in round-1 for technical proposal presentation will be taken forward for the next round.
• Round 2: In-person/Virtual interactions with shortlisted agencies to assess fitment to the assignment.

Round 3: The financial proposals of only technically qualified agencies will be obtained for review and finalization of the agency.

 Technical Evaluation Criteria for shortlisting the proposals.

The agencies scoring at least or more than 75 marks out of 100 in the technical round will be shortlisted for presentation.

HOW TO APPLY 

Only Technical Proposals are invited from the interested agency/firms for the above assignment. The last date for receiving the proposals is 25^th October 2026  [do not copy anyone from UCT].

Kindly submit your technical proposal with the following subject line:

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL – Scoping Study, UP- 2026

Proposals must be submitted at npremchandani@uchicagotrust.org before the deadline.

Submission terms:  

• All agencies are advised to thoroughly review the SoW before applying.
• ONLY Technical proposals are to be submitted at this stage. Financial proposals shall only be asked for the qualified agencies as per above criterion.
• Applications with financials will be disqualified.
• Incomplete applications or deviations from the prescribed process will result in automatic rejection.
• Proposals received after the prescribed deadline will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted agencies will be contacted and may be requested for face-to-face/online interaction/presentation.

 For queries, please contact:

Ms. Neha Premchandani at npremchandani@uchicagotrust.org

Last Date to Apply: October 25, 2026.