Objectives:The objective of this study is to provide technical assistance to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in facilitating private investment in IWT infrastructure development; operations; and services; contributing to climate transition and enhancing the financial viability of IWT services; greening and digitalizing the IWT sector; and enhancing inclusiveness and sustainability. The specific objectives include:* Assessing opportunities and challenges for private sector participation in IWT sector in Bangladesh.* Proposing policy; regulatory; and procedural reforms to attract private investment.* Develop roadmap of transition to environment-friendly operations through greening the IWT sector.* Propose a framework and plan for enhancing the inclusiveness and sustainability of IWT services through digitalization including mechanism to receive feedback and needs of users. * Recommend specific schemes to include women entrepreneurs in the development; operations and management of IWT services.* Provide two PPP investment project options through detailed case assessment using financial analytical models.Scope of Work:The technical advisory service firm will undertake the following tasks:A. Assessment of Opportunities and Challenges in IWT and Private Sector Participation:1) Conduct a comprehensive literature review of existing studies and reports on IWT and private sector participation.2) Perform consultations with key stakeholders; including government officials; private operators; industry experts and women to gather insights and perspectives.3) Conduct field visits to selected IWT corridors and facilities to observe and assess the current state and potential for development.4) Identify the growth potential of IWT and development of infrastructure and services with opportunities for private investment.5) Analyze lessons from global good practices; techno-financial feasibility; and financial modeling for private investment.6) Assess public-financed support to foster private investment.7) Evaluate the Government of Bangladesh's commitment to reform implementation and the sensitization of the private sector to investment opportunities in the IWT sector.8) Assess the present Government control over terminals and lack of facilities management; current services status and vessel operations.9) Identify the regulatory hurdles including current regulations and policies that may impede private sector involvement.10) Identify the technological gaps including outdated vessels and lack of digitalization.11) Identify the opportunities of infrastructure development & management including building; operating; and maintaining terminals and facilities.12) Assess the private investment opportunities in modern; eco-friendly green logistics solutions.13) Based on the above analysis:a) Identify potential cases for public private partnership (PPP) in development and management of different elements of IWT Sector namely waterways; surveys; aids to navigation; ports/terminals/ghats/landing stations; marketing (cargo aggregation; forwarding and distribution) and vessels. b) Provide recommendations for policy; regulatory; and procedural reforms to unleash private investment in the IWT sector. B. Financial & Economic Assessment: 1) For the potential identified cases in A [13 (a)] for at least two cases for each element: a) Create comprehensive financial projections; including revenue sources; cost recovery mechanisms; and profitability scenarios for private investors.b) Assess the impact of key variables on financial viability; and document assumptions related to cost and revenue assessment.c) Prepare cost-benefit analysis; payback period; Financial IRR; and related assessments to evaluate investment opportunities.d) Develop an investment plan for the PPP/ other form of private sector participation model; including expected outcomes and minimum concession agreement duration. 2) Using details of the PPP plans in B (1) for any one example IWT Corridor e.g. Narayanganj-Chattogram: a) Analyze government revenues (taxes; levies; customs duties; guarantee/on-lending margins); impact on government debt; employment generation; regional development; and benefits to affected people.b) Evaluate economic aspects of target markets; including demand projections for a minimum of 10-15 years and alternative options to meet projected demand.c) Review the macroeconomic context of the project to provide an understanding of the economy¡¯s overall performance and outlook; and of how specific macroeconomic factors may affect project performance.d) Determine the economic model considering macroeconomic variables and national economic contributions; including Economic IRR and Economic NPV.e) Suggest the best possible PPP option and provide SWOT and sensitivity analysis for the s