Cybersecurity Maturity Assessment — Digital West Bank & Gaza Project

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES - FIRMS SELECTION) Palestine Digital West Bank & Gaza Project (P174355) Grant number: (TF0B5236) Assignment Title: Top of Form Cybersecurity Maturity Assessment Bottom of Form Reference No.: GZ-MTIT-581833-CS-QCBS The Palestinian Liberation Organization has received a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) for USD 20 million for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to finance the Digital West Bank & Gaza Project (the Project). The Project will seek to produce concrete and tangible results for the Palestinians by enhancing access to high-speed broadband services and increasing access to selected e-services for citizens and businesses. The Project will focus on key points to unleash digital transformation in the Palestinian territories, addressing some of the bilateral challenges that prevent digital transformation from achieving its full potential. It will strengthen the Palestinian territories' digital resilience and the PA's ability to respond to shocks such as COVID-19. Cybersecurity in Palestine operates within a complex and evolving landscape, marked by a growing digital presence alongside the challenges inherent in a developing governance structure and ongoing political complexities. Recognizing the increasing reliance on digital infrastructure and the corresponding rise in cyber threats, the Palestinian cabinet, in November 2022, made a significant decision regarding the establishment of an Cybersecurity Authority, and assigned a government team the responsibility for leading its establishment. These efforts culminated in the enactment of the Cybersecurity Law by Decree-Law No. (8) of 2026, establishing the National Cybersecurity Authority as the competent national body responsible for governing and overseeing cybersecurity in Palestine. The cybersecurity institutional framework relevant to this assignment includes the Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Economy (MTDE), which holds primary responsibility for digital infrastructure, ICT policy, and coordination of government networks, and the National Cybersecurity Authority (“NCA”), which has been established by Cybersecurity Law Decree-Law No. (8) in 2026 and is in the process of being operationalized. The firm will work primarily under the direction of MTDE, through the Project Management Unit (“PMU”) and will coordinate with other relevant government institutions as required, including the NCA. The objective of this consulting service is as follows: The Project is seeking the services of a qualified firm to conduct a thorough cybersecurity maturity assessment targeting six Ministries/Departments/Agencies (MDAs) of the Government of Palestine, namely; Ministry of Interior (MoI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Economy (MTDE), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Justice (MoJ), and Palestinian Land Authority (PLA) which will jointly be referred to as “the MDAs”. The objective of the assessment is to review the cybersecurity posture of the MDAs and provide actionable recommendations to strengthen their overall cybersecurity maturity and enable them to proficiently manage cybersecurity risks. The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following link https://tinyurl.com/PMUCybersecurity The Ministry of Telecom and Digital Economy (MTDE) now invite eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria of the firm is: core business and years in business; relevant experience with references; and technical and managerial capability of the firm. Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” dated November 2020 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) procurement method set out in the Procurement Regulations. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours: Sunday – Thursday (09:00 AM – 01:00 PM) (Local Time GMT +2) Ahmad Khatib - Procurement Specialist e-mail: akhatib@mtde.gov.ps Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by e-mail) by December 12 , 2026, 12: 00 PM Palestine Local time Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Economy Attn: Ahmad Khatib - Procurement Specialist Postal code: P6140389 Al-Bireh – Al-Mobadeen St. Tel: +970-2-2943333 ext 344 Mobile: +970-562-660-106 E-mail: akhatib@mtde.gov.ps Dr. Abdulrazak Natsheh Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy