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Request for Proposal – Terms of Reference for consultancy services to create a business management application and train SMEs on the platform – March 2023
Job Title: Request for Proposal – Terms of Reference for consultancy services to create a business management application and train SMEs on the platform – March 2023
Closing date: 31/03/2023
1. About AECF
AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a leading non-profit development organisation that supports innovative enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors with the aim of reducing rural poverty, promoting resilient communities and creating jobs.
We catalyze the private sector by surfacing and commercializing new ideas, business models and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resilience to the effects of climate change. We finance high risk businesses that struggle to access commercial funding; we are committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go.
To date, we have supported over 400 businesses in 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacted more than 30 million lives, and created over 27,000 direct jobs,
2. About the Finance for Inclusive Growth Somalia
Funded by European Union, Finance for Inclusive Growth in Somalia (FIG – Somalia) is a pilot programme component under the European Union’s Inclusive Local and Economic Development (ILED) programme, whose objective is to contribute to stability in Somalia by extending state authority and services, promoting local reconciliation and peacebuilding, creating inclusive economic opportunities, and protecting the most vulnerable.
The specific objectives of the FIG Somalia programme are:
Both Partner two financial intermediaries have so far provided Shariah-compliant financing to over 4,000 clients in Banadir (Mogadishu), Jubaland (Kismayo), Southwest State (Afgoye), Galmudug (Dhusamareeb & Adado), Hirshabelle (Beledwayne & Balcad), Puntland (Bossaso, Garowe &Galkaio), and Somaliland (Hargeisa, Borama, Gabilay, Wajale, Berbera, Bur’o, Erigavo, Las’anod and Buhodle).
2.1 Activity Background:
Access to finance for small-scale businesses owned by Women, Youth and producer groups has been an issue in Somalia. Financial institutions consider small businesses as being too risks because of ;
a) Lack of business data (Inventory control, balance sheet, profit, and loss information)
b) Most small business are not formally registered.
c) Lack of business management capacity, owner Identification and grantor or collateral.
3. Scope of Work
FIG programme Somalia seeks to find a sustainable solution for business information management for these small business with the goal of enhancing their capacity, mainly Women, youth, and producer groups. As such we are looking at a BDS firm to create or further develop an existing simplified online Business bookkeeping mobile platform and test it among existing client in the FIG programme partner MFIs and the Somali Micro-Finance Association (SOMMA) members. The ultimate goal is support the local SMEs to increase efficiency and have a transaction history to ease financing by MFIs.
3.1 Responsibilities:
3.2 Deliverables
4. Duration of Services
The assignment should be completed by September 2023.
5. Reporting
The BDS will be accountable to the FIG programme team and shall submit monthly assignment reports.
6. Qualifications
The selected BDS firm should meet or exceed the following minimum qualifications:
7. Proposal Submission
Interested and qualified BDS firms are invited to submit their proposal(s) comprising the following:
8. Pricing
Dependent on the contracting mechanism, AECF is obliged by the Kenyan tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees as well as ensure VAT, at 16%, is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position with regard to provisions of Kenya tax legislation when developing their proposals.
9. Evaluation criteria
An evaluation committee will be formed by the AECF and shall include employees. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. The vendor should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated. The AECF may request and receive clarification from any vendor when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the vendors to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such an event, the evaluation committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating proposals.
In deciding the final selection of qualified bidders, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30%, and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored. The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are identified in the table below.
Evaluation Criteria | Marks |
Legality Registered and allowed to operate in Somalia | 10 |
Understanding of the Terms of Reference | 10 |
Methodology and work – plan for performing the assignment | 25 |
Demonstration of experience in similar work | 25 |
Financial proposal; clarity, relevance, reality to market of value/ value for money of cost for the assignment (inclusive of any applicable tax). | 30 |
TOTAL SCORE | 100 |
10. Application details
The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates based on merit without regard to race, gender, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
11. Disclaimer
AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.