Expression of Interest (EOI)Consultancy services for providing product development services/vouchers for at least 15 start-ups/SMEs
Cosoft: 83421398

Background
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. GIZ has worked in Rwanda for over 30 years. The primary objectives between the Government of Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region and the Federal Republic of Germany are poverty reduction and promotion of sustainable development. To achieve these objectives, GIZ Rwanda is active in the sectors of Decentralization and Good Governance, Economic Development and Employment Promotion, Energy and ICT (Information and Communications Technology), Natural Resources, Peace and Security and Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Context
The GIZ project "Digital Solutions for Sustainable Development" (DSSD) has a mandate to advise Rwandan institutions on the implementation of the Smart Rwanda Master Plan (2016-2020) and its priority projects. The project also aims to promote the development of digital solutions in collaboration with sector ministries, local and international private companies, research institutions and civil society.

The Digital Solutions for Sustainable Development project entered a new phase in 2021. In addition to digital solutions that are being developed together with the Rwandan partner authorities, one of the project objectives is designed to develop initiatives to promote digital participation in collaboration between public and private stakeholders. One of these initiatives entails the distribution of vouchers to qualified SMEs and startups to access services from local providers. Broadly defined, a voucher grants access to a service a tech start-up and/or SME is in need of to address his pre-defined challenges.

In this context, the voucher system is meant to assess the individual needs of tech start-ups, and SMEs in the digital sector, as well as the provision of consulting services by incentivizing the adoption of innovation and new technologies, services, or skills.

The product development voucher is a unique and customized package – a mix of various ingredients tailored to the requirements of the product to be competitive on the market. Each tech start-up will receive a tailored package that suits their unique product’s needs.

The contractor will work closely with the Digital Transformation Center (DTC) and its key partners to support identified tech start-ups and/or SMEs in identifying any gaps in their products/services and operations and/or build upon them.

The contractor will guide and advise at least 15 start-ups and/or SMEs over a fixed period starting from contract signing to October 2023. However, the contractor will work with each start-up/SME for a period of up to 5 working days only under this assignment.

Tasks to be performed by the contractor
The objective of this assignment is identifying a consultancy that can support innovators develop competitive and desirable products/services for the local and foreign market by improving their product marketability. Using key product performance measurements, move the product(s) or service(s) from a minimum viable market to at least a minimum marketable product.

This will be done through providing technical mentorship, supporting tech start-ups to get subsidized technical services through the DTC and connect the tech start-ups to the relevant technical networks.

The services to the tech start-ups include, but are not limited to, the following product development services.

Design thinking: Support the innovators to identify the key customer pain points and by using agile approaches, develop a realistic product development/improvement plan to get the product to the next level. This will include cognitive, strategic, and functional processes for developing new concepts.
Technical mentorship: Support the start-ups to understand the best practices as well as connect them with relevant networks in the industry to improve their product marketability.
Front-end innovation: Support the start-ups to scope out the concept of their products and determine whether to invest further time and resources.
Product offering analysis: support the start-ups to conceptualize and understand product feasibility.
Commercialization: Support start-ups to complete a comprehensive go-to-market launch of the product to the market

The contractor is responsible for providing the following services:

Work package 1: Customized consulting services
The contractor will work closely with the identified start-ups and/or SMEs to identify problems/gaps in their products/services’ operations based but not limited to the above-mentioned services.
Depending on the identified needs, the contractor could:
Suggest/propose additional related services and work closely with the tech start-ups and/or SMEs to improve their operations and set up performance/progress tracking mechanisms to add value to their business and operations.
Make recommendations ranging from but not limited to add-on product suggestions to idea screening to concept testing, by leveraging their expertise to improve their business offering.
Understand their product in relation to their customers/market, create a comprehensive long-term product development plan, and create a process for improving, and tracking key performance indicators to guide product/service growth. This methodology should be shared and agreed upon with the start-up.
Any other service that is requested and falls under the competency of the bidder.

Work package 2: Product Progress Tracking & Reporting

The consulting firm should develop a comprehensive plan to ensure the efficient handover of the product development improvement knowledge and processes to the tech start-ups and/or SMEs and GIZ.
The following reports will be submitted by the contractor:

Inception Report: This report shall be handed in 1 working day after the commencement of each assignment following an assessment of the start-up/SME detailing but not limited to the approach and methodology, proposed work plan for undertaking the assignment, and implementation timeline scheduling of the assignment.

The report should also clearly indicate the intervention logic and propose any relevant modifications going forward.

Final Reports: This report will elaborate all activities undertaken during the assignment execution. These reports shall: cover the entire process, provide a full account of all aspects of the services’ implementation for the period covered, include the results achieved, and include any relevant reports, publications and updates related to the services offered.

Expected Deliverables
The contractor is responsible for providing the following services:

Deliverable 1: Work packages. The contractor will work closely with the start-ups and/or SMEs and advise them on ways to solve identified product/service challenges based on the described work packages.

Deliverable 2: Track the progress of each solution in the program as well as produce a final detailed report at the completion of the assignment that includes all achieved milestones, challenges faced, and mitigation strategies used and recommendation that can guide future similar assignments.

The consultant will ensure that the required work packages and reports are timely submitted and adjusted accordingly as per respective feedback received from all different stakeholders involved.

Certain milestones, as laid out in the table below, are to be achieved by certain dates during the contract term:

Milestone


Deadline/person responsible
Start of the Project and Initial Assessment of the start-up/SME and implementation strategy in form of an inception report.


T0+ 1 days, contractor
Customized product development advisory of the Start-up/SME as described in work package 1 & 2


T0 + 4 days, contractor, short term expert pool
Submit Final report detailing achieved milestones, challenges & mitigation strategies to the Start-up/SME and GIZ


T0 + 5 days, contractor
The selected consultant will carry out this assignment in a period starting from contract signing to end of October 2023. However, the contractor will work with each start-up/SME for up to 5 working days and will be invoicing work/services executed progressively. i.e., after consulting for each start-up/SME.

The selected consultant and all its team members must be locally based and must carry out the project locally.

Period of assignment: From contract signing (projected November 2022) until 31.10.2023.

Concept
For the bid, the bidder is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2 are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further specific method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the bidder must describe the management for the service provision. This should also include a contingency concept if the timeline of the development of the system changes due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and any unforeseeable setbacks.

Technical-methodological concept

Strategy: The bidder is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1). Following this, the bidder presents and justifies the strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Chapter 2).

The bidder is required to present the actors relevant for the services for which it is responsible and describe the cooperation with them.

The bidder is required to present and explain its approach to steering the measures with the project partners and its contribution to the results-based monitoring system.

The bidder is required to describe the key processes for the services for which it is responsible and create a schedule that describes how the services according to Chapter 2 are to be provided. In particular, the bidder is required to describe the necessary work steps and, if applicable, take account of the milestones and contributions of other actors in accordance with Chapter 2.

The bidder is required to describe its contribution to knowledge management for the partner and GIZ and promote scaling-up effects (learning and innovation).

Project management of the contractor
The contractor is responsible for selecting, preparing, and steering the experts (national, short, and long term) assigned to perform the advisory tasks.
The contractor makes available equipment and supplies (consumables) and assumes the associated operating and administrative costs.
The contractor manages costs and expenditures, accounting processes and invoicing in line with the requirements of GIZ.
The contractor reports regularly to GIZ in accordance with the AVB of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH from 2018
In addition to the reports required by GIZ in accordance with AVB, the contractor submits the following reports:

Inception report
Contributions to reports to GIZ’s commissioning party

The bidder is required to draw up a personnel assignment plan with explanatory notes that lists all the experts proposed in the bid; the plan includes information on assignment dates (duration and expert days) and locations of the individual members of the team complete with the allocation of work steps as set out in the schedule.

Details about backstopping
The bidder is required to describe its backstopping concept. The following services are part of the standard backstopping package, which (like ancillary personnel costs) must be factored into the fee schedules of the staff listed in the bid in accordance with section 5.4 of the AVB:

Service-delivery control
Managing adaptations to changing conditions
Ensuring the flow of information between GIZ and field staff
Contractor’s responsibility for seconded personnel
Process-oriented technical-conceptual steering of the consultancy inputs
Securing the administrative conclusion of the project
Ensuring compliance with reporting requirements
Providing specialist support for the on-site team by staff at company headquarters
Sharing the lessons learned by the contractor and leveraging the value of lessons learned on site

Personnel concept
The bidder is required to provide personnel who are suited to filling the positions described, based on their CVs (see Chapter 7), the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications.

The below specified qualifications represent the requirements to reach the maximum number of points.

Bidder

Tasks of the Bidder
Overall responsibility for the advisory packages of the contractor (quality and deadlines)
Coordinating and ensuring communication with GIZ, partners and others involved in the project
Personnel management, in particular; identifying the need for short-term assignments within the available budget, as well as planning and steering assignments and supporting all experts
Regular reporting in accordance with deadlines.

Qualifications of the bidder
Education/training (2.1.1): MSc. in Business Administration, IT, Computer Science, Marketing, or another related field.
Language (2.1.2): Good business language skills in English and Kinyarwanda
General professional experience (2.1.3): 10 years of professional experience in the supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups.
Specific professional experience (2.1.4): 5 years in developing and refining tech products.
Leadership/management experience (2.1.5): 5 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a company
Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.1.7): 2 years of experience in DC projects.

Short-term expert pool

Tasks of team member(s)
Responsible for identifying all and any technical related product challenges/needs of the start-ups
Responsible and attend to any other technical activity, procedure, or monitoring tasks that may come up during this assignment.

Qualifications of the team member(s)

Education/training (2.2.1): Bachelor’s in IT, Computer Science, or another related field
Language (2.2.2): Good business language skills in English and Kinyarwanda
General professional experience (2.2.3): 5 years’ experience in international product development methodologies.
Specific professional experience (2.2.4): Experience in developing and refining tech products.
Regional experience (2.2.6): 5 years’ experience conducting projects of a similar nature in the region.
Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.2.7): 2 years of experience in DC projects

Soft skills of team member(s)
In addition to their specialist qualifications, the following qualifications are required of team members:

Team skills
Initiative
Communication skills
Sociocultural competence
Efficient, partner- and client-focused working methods
Interdisciplinary thinking

Costing requirements
Assignment of personnel
Short term expert pool: On-site assignment in Kigali, Rwanda for 5 expert days

The bidder should calculate their price bid based on the work packages in Section 2 for only one start-up/SME.

Inputs of GIZ or other actors

GIZ and/or other actors are expected to make the following available:

2 possible workstations at the Digital Transformation Center (depending on availability of space based on other activities in the space)

Requirements on the format of the bid
The structure of the bid must correspond to the structure of the TORs. In particular, the detailed structure of the concept (Chapter 3) is to be organised in accordance with the positively weighted criteria in the assessment grid (not with zero). It must be legible (font size 11 or larger) and clearly formulated. The bid is drawn up in English.

The complete bid shall not exceed 10 pages (excluding CVs).
The CVs of the personnel proposed in accordance with Chapter 4 of the TORs must be submitted using the format specified in the terms and conditions for application. The CVs shall not exceed 4 pages. The CVs must clearly show the position and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long.

If one of the maximum page lengths is exceeded, the content appearing after the cut-off point will not be included in the assessment.

Please calculate your price bid based exactly on the aforementioned costing requirements. In the contract the contractor has no claim to fully exhaust the days/travel/workshops/ budgets. The number of days/travel/workshops and the budget amount shall be agreed in the contract as ‘up to’ amounts. The specifications for pricing are defined in the price schedule.

Option
After the tasks put out to tender have been completed, important elements of these tasks can be continued or extended within the framework of a follow-on assignment. Individual points:

Type and scope: Additional start-ups can be added to the program.
Requirements: The option of additional start-ups being added to the program is subject to the number of applications made to the program.

The option is exercised in the form of an extension to the contract based on the already offered individual rates.

Submission of offer
The Expression of Interest should contain the following:

Technical Proposal:
Technical proposal with a brief description of why you would be considered as the most suitable for the assignment, relevant expertise, and a detailed, clear methodology, on how will be your approach to complete the assignment CVs of the experts proposed in accordance with the terms of reference.
Company registration certificate (RDB)
VAT registration certificate (if available)
Latest tax clearance certificate (if available)
Proof of successful completion of related assignments.

Financial Proposal: indicates the all-inclusive total contract price, supported by a breakdown of all costs. The costs must be in RWF and VAT excluded.

Please submit electronically your EoI (technical & Financial offer) in 2 separated emails and should be in PDF files to this email: RW_Quotation@giz.de until latest 13th October 2022.

Please you must write on each email subject this sentence: 83421398-Technical/financial offer, without this sentence, your offer may not be considered
Hard copies are not allowed this time

GIZ reserves all rights

List of abbreviations
AVB General Terms and Conditions of Contract (AVB) for supplying services and work 2020
BMZ German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
DSSD Digital Solutions for Sustainable Development
SDG Sustainable Development Goals
TOR Terms of Reference
DTC Digital Transformation Center