Expression of Interest (EoI)
Consultancy Services for Providing Business Assessment & Advisory for at least 15 Start-Ups/SMEs
Introduction
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 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).
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.

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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. The assumption here is that digital skills, combined with target-group-specific digital services, will enable a large proportion of the population to be part of the digital transformation and use these services. To reach the target groups effectively, use leveraging effects and develop user-centric services, stronger cooperation between public and private actors is being promoted. This will contribute to develop and offer services in a systematic and coordinated manner.

At the ecosystem level, there is a rising number of innovators proposing solutions for multiple societal challenges. However, most innovations will not make substantial progress to becoming marketable or producing scalable products or services. The causes are multiple but one of the most important is the lack of competitiveness of the product(s) or service(s).
As part of the mandate to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and the impact of ICTs in Rwanda to promote economic development and sustainable solution development, the Digital Transformation Center intends to involve the local ecosystem to achieve exactly this.
Broadly defined, the voucher system program consists of financial incentives granted to SME’s and/or SMEs with the aim of addressing pre-defined goals.
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 business assessment voucher is a unique and customized package – a mix of various ingredients tailored to the requirements of the business to be competitive on the market. Each Tech start-up and/or SME will receive a tailored package that suits their unique offering.
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 businesses and/or build upon them with the aim of addressing various challenges in their offerings. These Tech start-ups and/or SMEs will be selected in partnership with the DTC and its key partners.
The contractor will guide and advise at least 15 start-ups and/or SMEs over a 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 tech start-ups and/or SMEs to develop competitive and desirable products/services for the local and foreign market by improving their product marketability. The consultant will advise the tech start-ups and/or SMEs on efficient planning, developing, and growth strategy for their businesses.
This will be done through an initial comprehensive business assessment of the tech start-ups and/or SMEs operations to identify the most important needs and provide technical mentorship accordingly.

The services to the tech start-ups and/or SMEs can include, but are not limited to, the following services:
1. Active Sales Process Setup: Support the tech start-ups and/or SMEs to understand and segment their clients, create strategies and processes to reach their customers as well as tracking clients through these processes.
2. Process and Capacity Analysis: Support the tech start-ups and/or SMEs to review the operations process. This can include creating a process map, calculating capacity and lead time for products, identifying bottlenecks and how to remove them, and recommendations on changes in process or equipment.
3. Organization Structure & KPIs Setup: Support the tech start-ups and/or SMEs to review the structure and organizational chart of the company. They will work with the business owner to organize the company’s structure and management. This can include defining reporting structures, job responsibilities and job descriptions, and setting the key goals for the team.
4. Product offering analysis: support the tech start-ups and/or SMEs to conceptualize and understand product feasibility.
5. Commercialization: Support tech start-ups and/or SMEs to complete a comprehensive go-to-market launch or relaunch of their product on 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 tech start-ups and/or SMEs to recognize problems/gaps in their business operations based but not limited to the above-mentioned services.
• Depending on the identified needs, the contractor could:
o 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.
o 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.
o Work with the tech start-ups and/or SMEs to develop a comprehensive implementation plan that fits within the existing timeline and budget. The implementation document should clearly address the work plan, resources, stakeholders, and quality control (M&E) for each tech start-up and/or SME.
o 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 business operations improvement knowledge and processes to the tech start-ups and/or SMEs and GIZ.
• The following reports will be submitted by the contractor:
1.Inception Report: This report shall be given 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.
2.Final Report: 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 tech start-ups and/or SMEs and advise them on ways to solve identified business operations 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 for each start-up and/or SME, 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 business assessment and 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 a period of 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.
Concept
For the bid, the bidder is required to show how the objectives defined in Section 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.

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 section 1). Following this, the bidder presents and justifies the strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Section 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 Section 2 are to be provided. 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 Section 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 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 Section 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 contract (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, 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

Short-term expert pool
Tasks of the team member(s)
• Responsible for identifying all and any business-related challenges/needs of the start-ups
• Responsible to 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 (2.6.1): MSc. in Business Administration, Marketing, IT or another related field.
• Language (2.6.2): Good business language skills in English and Kinyarwanda
• General professional experience (2.6.3): 10 years of professional experience in the supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups.
• Specific professional experience (2.6.4): 5 years in developing and refining tech products.
Soft skills of the team member(s)
In addition to their specialist qualifications, the following skills are required of team member(s):
• 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 Covid-19 government guidelines)

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 (Section 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 Section 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 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:
1. Type and scope: Additional tech start-ups and/or SMEs can be added to the program.
2. Requirements: The option of additional tech start-ups and/or SMEs being added to the program is subject to the overall number of start-ups/SMEs consulted and the performance of the bidder.
The option is exercised in the form of an extension to the contract based on the already offered individual rates.

Submission and Evaluation of Expression of Interests
EoI will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Company or individual profile,
• Relevant experience,
• Company strategies to assure agility, flexibility, and responsiveness,
• Personnel and,
• Financial offer
The consulting firm shall submit written technical and financial proposals. The technical proposal must include but not be limited to:
• A detailed technical approach
• The CVs of relevant consultants
• References to similar assignments
• Company registration certificate
• Tax clearance certificate

The Financial Proposal indicates the contract price, supported by a breakdown of consultancy fee per day + all other costs such us (if needed) daily allowance, accommodation expenses. The cost must be in RWF and VAT excluded.
Please submit electronically your EoI (technical & Financial offer) in 2 separated PDF files to this email: RW_Quotation@giz.de until latest 4th June 2022
Please you must write in your email subject this sentence:
EOI number 83409612 - submission of technical& financial offer,
without this sentence, your offer may not be considered

Hard copies are not allowed this time
List of abbreviations
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
SME Small and Medium Enterprise