THAILAND: MKCF BRIDGING THE FINANCING GAP: PLASTICS CIRCULARITY INFRASTRUCTURE

Please note that the deadline is based on Korean Standard Time Zone (KST, UTC+9)

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Mekong-Republic of Korea (ROK) Cooperation on Bridging the Financing Gap for Plastics Circularity Infrastructure through Bankable Projects, Policy, and Knowledge Sharing (the “MKCPC” or the “Program”) is a 2.5-year, USD 1 million regional project aimed at developing a functional market for recycled plastic waste that would result in the financing of plastic waste management infrastructure at scale, enhancing the readiness of the sector and contributing to plastics circularity in the Mekong region, with an initial focus on Thailand. The program seeks to achieve this objective through the following three interventions (i.e., outputs):

Problem statement and Thailand plastic waste overview

The Mekong region has undergone remarkable economic growth in the past 30 years, driven by industrialization of supply chains to rapid urbanization as middle-income countries with more people living in cities. Urban households typically adopt lifestyles that involve greater consumption of goods and services compared to residents in rural areas. These factors result in a sharp increase in the generation of waste over the years from to roughly 55M tons per year.

Proper management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the key challenges facing governments in the region, including Thailand, whereby the majority of municipal solid waste are disposed of in open (unregulated) dumpsites and unsanitary landfills. Specifically, in 2023, Thailand generated about 27 million tons of MSW. Only 34% of which were reused, while the rest were either properly disposed of or mishandled (i.e., waste that is inadequately disposed of and not formally managed).

Plastics poses a serious transboundary issue given its decomposing timeframe of hundreds of years. In Thailand, recycling plastics is yet to be implemented in a systematic manner at scale throughout the country. Coupled with a high rate of mismanaged waste, this means most plastics end up in dumpsites, landfills, or as riverine debris in the Mekong River. In Thailand, the top three usage of plastic resins are packaging products (41%), electrical and electronic appliances (16%), and construction (15%) as of 2020.

In 2023, 3.03 million tons of waste were single-use plastics (SUPs), constituting c. 11% of the total MSW generated. Out of this, only about 25% of SUP waste gets sorted and recycled. Single-use plastics remained the dominant pollutant, encompassing items like food bags, handle bags, and thin plastic film.

OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

To achieve Output 1, this assignment involves identifying a bankable investment pipeline of plastic waste projects that could benefit from GGGI support through technical assistance and/or external financing from investors, banks, or other financial institutions via corporate or project finance structures.

The investment pipeline scope includes waste collection hubs, transfer stations, material recovery facilities, and plastic recycling plants nationwide. Waste collection, including sites for pre-treatment or pre-sorting, can reduce strain on existing facilities and, when equipped with modern compactors, improve collection and transport logistics while reducing operational costs and truck-related GHG emissions.

This assignment aligns closely with Thailand's National Solid Waste Management Master Plan (2016-2021), the Thailand Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management (2018-2030), and the new Action Plan on Plastic Waste Management Phase II (2023-2027).

The consultant shall perform the following tasks:

1. Longlist of investment pipeline opportunities (minimum 10 projects). The consultant shall conduct an initial screening of potential developers through two complementary methods:

a) Desktop research: Leverage plastic material flow analysis to identify provinces and sites with the highest potential. Developers active in these areas shall then be screened against technical and financial track records, reliability of feedstock supply, amongst other criteria (to co-developed with GGGI).

b) Request for expression of interest (REOI): Conduct outreach through industry associations and networks to identify additional bankable opportunities and verify developer credibility and scalability.

2. Shortlist of pipeline opportunities (maximum 5 projects). The consultant shall assess the longlisted projects and recommend up to five based on technical, operational, and financial criteria, project maturity, including permitting progress, developer experience, and level of stakeholder buy-in.

The consultant will collect data through literature reviews, government statistics compilation, financial databases (such as Corpus/DBD warehouse), stakeholder consultations, and key informant interviews with relevant industry associations and partners via the consultant's or GGGI's networks. GGGI will provide key data points, requirements, and due diligence questions during assignment implementation.

DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

This project is expected to be completed within a period of four (4) months by 16 January 2026. The submissions of phased deliverables shall be based on the following timeline and payment schedules for a total of USD 8,000.

Deliverables

Description / Scope of deliverables

Due date

Payment

1. Inception report

15 Days after contract signing

10%

2. Draft pipeline report #1 (longlist)

2.5 months after the first deliverable

40%

3. Draft pipeline report #2 (shortlist)

2.5 months after the first deliverable

30%

4. Final report

Final report to reflect any comments and feedback from GGGI team on the shortlist (draft 2) report.

1.5 months after the second deliverable

20%

All reports and outputs must be in English, in accordance with GGGI’s formatting requirements, and submitted in electronic formats along with complete sets of raw data, research materials, interview notes, as well as any other supporting schedules (if any).

Travel arrangements

The Consultant is responsible for all travel expenses, unless GGGI requests the travel and agrees otherwise in writing on a case-by-case basis.

Reporting Arrangements

The Consultant’s work progress will be monitored primarily through periodic review meetings, the precise schedule of which is to be determined based on consultation with the Consultant. The Consultant is deemed to demonstrate the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

The Consultant’s work progress will be monitored primarily through periodic virtual review meetings, the precise schedule of which is to be determined based on consultation with the Consultant. The Consulting pays all travel related expenses.

EXPERTISE REQUIRED

The Consultant is, at least, required to meet the following qualifications.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Interested consultants shall submit following documentations:

Date to close is Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered Application. Cover Letter, and CV must be sent in English. A consortium, or a firm may not be engaged for the individual consultant assignment.