Expression of Interest (EOI)

Empowering Rwanda's Bike Mechanics: Developing Skills, Building Careers, and Strengthening the Cycling Industry.

Reference Number: 83475538

Publication date: 28.10.2024 

Introduction 

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZ’s portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development; Good Governance; Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development; Digitalization and Digital Economy; and regional projects in the Great Lakes Region.

List of abbreviations

AG Commissioning party

AN Contractor

AVB General Terms and Conditions of Contract for supplying services and work

FK Expert

FKT Expert days

KZFK Short-term expert

ToRs Terms of reference

Context

Africa offers increasingly attractive prospects for companies and investors. A young population, the growing availability of labour and skilled workers and promising sales markets make Africa a continent full of diversity and potential. To harness this potential and invest in Africa successfully, specific solutions are needed to overcome existing obstacles to investment: An industrial estate might need better transport connections or workers might need practical training and further education.

There are many factors that can deter European and international private businesses from investing more in African countries – and hence from creating urgently needed decent jobs there. Decent employment opportunities are scarce in Africa: the population is growing, and 25 million new jobs are needed every year. There is a need for investment in order to offer people prospects in the form of employment.

Under the Invest for Jobs brand, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has put together a package of measures to support German, European and African companies engaging in Africa. The Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" – the official title – offers comprehensive advice, contacts and financial support through its implementing organisations to overcome investment barriers. The development objective is to work together with companies to create up to 100,000 good jobs and to improve working conditions and social protection in its eight African partner countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia. The Special Initiative is making a targeted contribution to shaping the socio-ecological transformation of the private sector in line with a just transition, and to creating more and better jobs for women.

Rwanda has been actively promoting cycling both as a sport and as a sustainable mode of transportation. This surge in cycling popularity has increased the demand for bicycle maintenance and repair services across the country. Also, the bike tourism in Rwanda is growing steadily. The increasing complexity of bicycles, from simple single-speed bikes to modern e-bikes and sports bicycles, requires well-trained mechanics. To date, there is no formal training for bicycle mechanics at TVET level in Rwanda. “Instead, [most of the mechanics] are either self-taught, learned on the job from other mechanics, or rely on tutorials from websites such as YouTube.” (USAID report 2023 Rwanda-Bicycle-Market-System-Report-Revised-March-31-2023.pdf (worldbicyclerelief.org), p. 43)

The upcoming Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Championship in Rwanda in 2025 offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the local bicycle industry while improving the employability of young people through targeted training measures in the field of bike mechanics in a long-term perspective.

A new project supported by the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" seeks to address these challenges by developing a training and qualification program for bike mechanics in Rwanda. To attract international bike companies and to support the growing bike tourism in Rwanda, the training program will be aligned with German bike maintenance standards. It will target individuals already working in the field, particularly those in informal settings. Formalizing the skills of bike mechanics and providing access to modern tools and techniques, the project aims to improve the quality of bike maintenance services across Rwanda, boost employability, and lay the groundwork for a sustainable bicycle repair industry. To ensure compatibility with international standards and thus, to foster the international employability of the participants, GIZ aims at partnering up with German bike companies (i.e. bike manufacturers, bike parts and bike tools manufacturer, bike shops). These companies will not only contribute their knowledge and experience regarding bike repairs but will also offer internships or other work opportunities to a selected number of skilled workers from Rwanda in Germany.

The services described in these ToR are part of this project and focus on conducting trainings for bike mechanics in Rwanda.

The general objectives of the project are

• to develop a curriculum that can – at a later stage – be integrated into the Rwandan TVET system and lead to the “recognition of prior learning”. This would provide the trainees with the possibility to get an official certificate, and thus, formalize their knowledge.
• to increase the employability of Rwandan bike mechanics and ensure the availability of solid bike repair and maintenance services across the country.
• to offer job and training opportunities to interested Rwandan bike mechanics at German companies.

The specific objectives to be achieved by the described services are

• to develop a curriculum for the training program that is oriented both towards the Rwandan TVET system and the German curriculum for bike mechanics.
• to identify and train 60 young talents on the basis of that curriculum in three different Rwandan regions.
• To give recommendations on the local market potential in general (esp. demand for bike services and employment opportunities) as well as upscaling potential for this specific approach

In the framework of the project, trainings are to be held at three locations throughout Rwanda in a first step. The trainings will enable the participants to acquire profound knowledge and skills in bike mechanics. The aim is to reach those talented people who are already repairing bikes at the selected locations. A total of three workshops will be held, each training course will address approximately 20 young people and will last 5 days in total (i.e. basic trainings). The training content is oriented towards the German curriculum for bike mechanics but will focus on local conditions and requirements regarding the available tools, materials, and bikes. It is also oriented towards the requirements regarding later “recognition of prior learning” set by the Rwanda TVET Board. This will provide the participants with the opportunity to proof their skills and find a good employment in the bike sector in Rwanda. At the same time, involving German companies in the development of the curriculum, will ensure the compatibility with international best practices in bike mechanics and thus, increase participants’ employability at the global and German job market. The German companies are to provide their know-how and to support with technical material for the trainings as well as tool kits for the participants. They will be identified and selected by a third project partner and are to be involved in the listed processes and activities by the service provider.

Following the basic training, a limited number of participants (approximately 20) will be offered the opportunity to attend an additional 20 days of intensive training. In addition to the basic training, the intensive training also enables participants to set up their own company and aim for an international career.

The involvement of German companies and the orientation of the training content towards German curriculum will provide interested selected participants with the opportunity to do an internship or a formal dual training program in Germany. Against the background of a skills shortage of bike mechanics in Germany, German companies involved in the project will be motivated to offer and/or support training or job opportunities for selected participants in Germany. For the participants this will hold personal development opportunities abroad. In case they return to Rwanda, they will be able to share their experience and skills with others (Triple Win approach of migration).

The overall project (i.e. the third project partner) will also serve to assess the average level of technical skills for bike mechanics in Rwanda. On that basis, it will develop recommendations on how to establish a national training regulation for bike mechanics in Rwanda and present them to the Rwanda TVET board.

Tasks to be performed by the contractor

The contractor is responsible for providing the following services:

Conduct basic trainings in three regions in Rwanda

• Identification of three locations that are suitable for organising the trainings (criteria: demand for skilled bike mechanics in this area, suitable workshops where trainings can be held, large enough number of interested participants, support by local stakeholders, etc.) in consultation with GIZ
• Involvement of local stakeholders (e.g. training institutions, local bike shops, administrative structures, politicians)
• Approach and pre-selection of participants (20 participants on average per location)
• Development of a curriculum and respective training material (in English and Kinyarwanda)
• The basic trainings shall cover the following topics:
• Quality maintenance of bikes (including bearings, breaks, wheel truing, and tire maintenance)
• Understanding of most important tools for bike mechanics and their use
• Repair of the most common problems, including local (home grown) solutions
• Basic economics and management practices of a bike shop, including invoicing
• Overview of modern cycling components, including hydraulic breaks, electronic gears, suspension system and carbon frames
• Maintenance and repair of modern cycling components
• Introduction to modern workshops and Standard Operating Procedures
• Electric bike maintenance and repairs
• Rwandan tax system and accounting requirements
• Principles of setting up a business (legal context)
• Developing a business from a rural workshop to a modern shop
• Procurement and purchasing of bicycles and bicycle components
• Marketing principles
• Implementation of five trainings at three different locations, each lasting 5 days

 Conduct intensive training

• Approaching and pre-selecting well-qualified participants
• Development of a curriculum and respective training material (in English and Kinyarwanda)
• The intensive training shall cover the topics of the basic training in greater detail and shall ensure the compatibility with working requirements/conditions abroad (e.g. in Germany). In addition, it shall cover topics such as:
• Legal requirements in Rwanda to open up one’s own business in the bike sector
• Strategies (business plan) on how to open up one’s own business in the bike sector
• In-depth management skills (such as leadership skills, accounting, …)
• Introduction to the German/European labour market
• Realisation of intensive training in Kigali (tbd) (20 days; approx. 20 participants)
• Final report with recommendations on future curriculum development

Future scaling-up and market potentials

Besides, the contractor shall gather information on the current and future demand of skilled bike mechanics as well as concrete job creation potential and improvement of labour conditions in Rwanda – allowing for the future planning of trainings and curricula development. The contractor shall assess the number of bike mechanics required, the level of skills required, as well as the availabilty of spare parts, tools and bikes on the local market. On that basis, the contractor shall develop recommendations on the future up-scaling of the pilot project and present them to GIZ (and potentially to Rwandan partners).

The contractor provides 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. To conduct the trainings and give the participants the opportunity to practice the newly acquired skills, the contractor needs to have access to the latest tools, expendable items as well as bikes for training purposes. The contractor reports regularly to GIZ in accordance with the current AVB of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

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

Period of assignment: from 01.12.2024 until 28.02.2025.

Concept

In the tender, the tenderer is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the tenderer must describe the project management system for service provision.

Note: The numbers in parentheses correspond to the lines of the technical assessment grid.

Technical-methodological concept

Strategy (1.1): The tenderer is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the tenderer presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2).

The tenderer is required to present the actors relevant for the services (i.e. local stakeholders in the regions, German companies, relevant TVET infrastructure in Rwanda) for which it is responsible and describe the cooperation (1.2) with them.

The tenderer is required to describe the key processes for the services for which it is responsible and create an operational plan or schedule (1.4.1) that describes how the services according to Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) are to be provided. In particular, the tenderer is required to describe the necessary work steps in accordance with Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) (1.4.2).

The tenderer is required to describe its contribution to knowledge management for the partner (1.5.1) and GIZ and to promote scaling-up effects (1.5.2) under learning and innovation.

Further requirements (1.7)

• Consideration of gender aspects in participant selection (target: approx. 25% female participation)
• Inclusion of people with disabilities, as far as compatible with the training
• Sustainable design of trainings (e.g., use of environmentally friendly materials)

Personnel concept

The tenderer is required to provide personnel who are suited to filling the positions described, on the basis of their CVs (see Chapter 6), the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications.

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

Team leader (TL)

Tasks of the team leader

• 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 as well as planning of the trainings
• Regular reporting in accordance with deadlines
• Development of the curricula

Qualifications of the team leader

• Education/training (2.1.1): university degree in Business Management, Tourism, or other related areas
• Language (2.1.2): C1-level language proficiency in English
• Language (2.1.2.): B1-level language proficiency in Kinyarwanda
• General professional experience (2.1.3): 5 years of professional experience in the bike sector(e.g. maintenance, bike shop, bike tourism)
• Leadership/management experience (2.1.5): 2 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a company
• Regional experience (2.1.6): 2 years of experience in projects in Rwanda; 5 years of experience (education or work) in Europe
• Development cooperation (DC) experience (2.1.7): 2 years of experience in DC projects

Senior trainer

Tasks of senior trainer

• Conducting basic and intensive trainings as outlined in the curricula

Qualifications of senior trainer

• Education/training (2.2.1): proven technical skills in bike mechanics (internationally accepted certification)
• General professional experience (2.1.3): 3 years of experience as a bike mechanic in formal employment
• Language (2.2.2): C1-level language proficiencyin Kinyarwanda
• Language (2.2.2): A2-level language proficiencyin English
• Other (2.2.8): Basic IT skills

Junior trainer

Tasks of senior trainer

• Assisting in conducting basic and intensive trainings as outlined in the curricula

Qualifications of junior trainer

• Education/training (2.2.1): proven technical skills in bike mechanics (internationally accepted certification)
• General professional experience (2.1.3): 2 years of experience as a bike mechanic (of which at least 1 year in formal employment)
• Language (2.2.2): C1-level language proficiencyin Kinyarwanda
• Language (2.2.2): A2-level language proficiencyin English
• Other (2.2.8): Basic IT skills

Soft skills of team members

In addition to their specialist qualifications, the following qualifications are required of team members:

• Team skills
• Initiative
• Communication skills
• Socio-cultural skills
• Intercultural skills, as cooperation with German / international partners
• Efficient, partner- and client-focused working methods

Costing requirements

Assignment of personnel and travel expenses

Per-diem and overnight accommodation allowances are reimbursed as a lump sum up to the maximum amounts permissible under tax law for each country as set out in the country table in the circular from the German Federal Ministry of Finance on travel expense remuneration (downloadable at https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de).

Accommodation costs which exceed this up to a reasonable amount and the cost of flights and other main forms of transport can be reimbursed against evidence.

All business travel must be agreed in advance by the officer responsible for the project.

Sustainability aspects for travel

GIZ would like to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂ emissions) caused by travel. When preparing your tender, please incorporate options for reducing emissions, such as selecting the lowest-emission booking class (economy) and using means of transport, airlines and flight routes with a higher CO₂ efficiency. For short distances, travel by train (second class) or e-mobility should be the preferred option.

If they cannot be avoided, CO₂ emissions caused by air travel should be offset. GIZ specifies a budget for this, through which the carbon offsets can be settled against evidence.

There are many different providers in the market for emissions certificates, and they have different climate impact ambitions. The Development and Climate Alliance (German only) has published a list of standards (German only). GIZ recommends using the standards specified there.

Specification of inputs

Workshops, events and trainings

The contractor implements the following training courses:

• 3 basic trainings (duration: 5 days each; number of participants: approx. 20)
• 1 intensive training (duration: 20 days; number of participants: approx. 20)

The tenderer shall select appropriate locations for the trainings (i.e. bike workshops). The costs for renting these premises are reimbursable. Travel expenses of the participants of the intensive training are to be covered by the tenderer and are reimbursable as well.

Requirements on the format of the tender

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

The complete tender must not exceed 10 pages (excluding CVs). If one of the maximum page lengths is exceeded, the content appearing after the cut-off point will not be included in the assessment. External content (e.g. links to websites) will also not be considered.

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 each. They must clearly show the position and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long. The CVs shall be submitted in English.

Please calculate your financial tender based exactly on the parameters specified in Chapter 5 Quantitative requirements. The contractor is not contractually entitled to use up the days, trips, workshops or budgets in full. The number of days, trips and workshops and the budgets will be contractually agreed as maximum limits. The specifications for pricing are defined in the price schedule.

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

Technical Proposal:

• A cover letter expressing your interest in this assignment
• Technical Proposal (attached template for technical proposal MUST be used)
• Company registration certificate (RDB)
• VAT-Registration Certificate
• Latest tax clearance certificate
• Up to date CVs of proposed experts  

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

Your EoI has to be submitted in 2 separated emails to RW_Quotation@giz.de until 10/11/2024

• The technical offer has to be submitted in PDF format and as attachment to the email with the subject: Technical offer 83475538
• The financial offer has to be submitted in PDF format and the price must be in Rwandan Francs and VAT excluded (if applicable) and as attachment to the email with the subject: Financial offer 83475538

If the emails exceed the default email size of 30MB, offers can be exceptionally submitted through https://filetransfer.giz.de/ 

Offers submitted through any other sharing platform, as google documents or similar will not be considered.

Offers submitted in hard copy will not be considered.

GIZ reserves all rights.

Annex:

• Technical Proposal template
• Technical assessment grid