Tbilisi, Georgia, February 03, 2020
Aim Texas, in collaboration with Leader+, Georgia (Sub-consultant), has been selected for the prestigious role of “Sole Consultant” to deliver consulting services for the Preparation of Feasibility Studies, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design, and Bidding Document Preparation for the Bakuriani, Didi Mitarbi, and Chiatura project (43405-028). This initiative falls under the Urban Services Improvement Investment Program (Tranche 6 – UWSCG/QCBS/01-2019) in Georgia, which is being funded by ADB (LOAN-3441 GEO).
United Water Supply Company of Georgia” (UWSCG) is the “Contracting Authority” in this project. RFP for UWSCG/QCBS/01-2019 is issued on February 03, 2020 within the Terms of Reference (TOR) of this assignment, i.e., the consultancy services contract for Preparation of Feasibility Studies, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design and Preparation of Bidding Documents for Bakuriani, Didi Mitarbi, and Chiatura.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) has been addressed to the following shortlisted consultants:
| Name of the Consultant (Full Name not Acronym) | Type of Association (Lead/JV member or Sub-consultant) | Country of Incorporation | |
| 1 | JV of Dohwa Engineering Co. Ltd | Lead | Republic of Korea |
| Kunhwa Engineering & Consulting Co., Ltd Kunhwa Engineering & Consulting Co., Ltd | JV Partner | Republic of Korea | |
| Ecoproject Ltd | Sub-consultant | Georgia | |
| 2 | Regierungsbaumeister Schlegel GmbH & Co. KG | Lead | Germany |
| 3 | SMEC International Pty | Lead | Australia |
| FCG International Ltd. | JV Partner | Finland | |
| 4 | COWI As | Lead | Denmark |
| Napirdatsva | Sub-consultant | Georgia | |
| 5 | Aim Texas Trading, LLC | Lead | USA |
| Leader+ | Sub-consultant | Georgia | |
| 6 | SETEC Engineering Gesellschaft mbH & Co KG | Lead | Austria |
| H.P. Gauff Ingenieure GmbH & Co.KG | JV Partner | Germany | |
| JBG- and Arch Design Msheni LTD | Sub-consultant | Georgia | |
Project Area
Bakuriani and Didi Mitarbi
Bakuriani town, situated in the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region, serves as a Borough within the Borjomi municipality. Adjacent to Bakuriani lies Didi Mitarbi, a village also located in the Borjomi municipal area, situated east of Bakuriani. Bakuriani occupies the bottom of the Bakuriani structural basin, situated at an elevation ranging from 1640 to 1780 meters above sea level (masl). The town is approximately 190 km away from Tbilisi.
On the other hand, Didi Mitarbi Village is positioned on the northern slope of the Trialeti Mountain, at an elevation ranging from 1460 to 1620 masl. The climate in the region transitions from a moderate sea climate to a moderate continental climate. Winters are cold and snowy, while summers tend to be lengthy. The average annual temperature is 4.3°C, with January experiencing temperatures as low as -6.2°C and August with temperatures averaging -15°C. Annually, the area receives approximately 734 mm of precipitation. The snow cover is quite substantial, with a thickness of around 64 cm, typically present from early December until the end of March. The surroundings of Bakuriani are characterized by coniferous forests. Below, you can find the static population of both settlements presented in the following table.
Static Population in Bakuriani & Didi Mitarbi
| Population – inh. | Total | Urban | Rural | Male % | Female % |
| Borough Bakuriani by 2019 | 1,600 (*) | 1,600 | – | 47.3 | 52.7 |
| Village Didi Mitarbi by 2014 | 54 (**) | – | 54 | 55.6 | 44.4 |
| Total | 1,654 | 1,600 | 54 |
(*) Geostat, 2019. (**) Open source data.
Nonetheless, Bakuriani stands out as one of Georgia’s most sought-after tourist destinations, renowned for its picturesque mountain resort allure, alongside other popular locations such as Gudauri, Svaneti, and Goderdzi. The influx of tourists has a significant impact on Bakuriani’s daily dynamic population. According to data from MoESD (Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development), the winter ski season of 2017-2018 witnessed a notable 15 percent increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous year, 2016-2017. Throughout the 2017/2018 season, a total of 132,704 skiing enthusiasts flocked to Bakuriani, seeking accommodation among the vast array of options offered by over 100 hotels, resorts, apart hotels, and guesthouses, boasting a combined capacity of more than 2,000 overnight stays.
