The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), in collaboration with FSD Ethiopia, invites qualified consultants-individuals or firms-to submit proposals to develop Ethiopia's first National Interest-Free Financing Strategy (NIFFS).

Call for Proposals - Consultancy to Develop Ethiopia's National Interest- Free Finance Strategy (NIFFS)

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), in collaboration with FSD Ethiopia, invites qualified consultants-individuals or firms-to submit proposals to develop Ethiopia's first National Interest-Free Financing Strategy (NIFFS). The NIFFS will serve as a comprehensive blueprint for the structured, inclusive, and Shariah- compliant development of Ethiopia's growing Interest-Free Finance (IFF) sector across banking and insurance.

This consultancy will support the creation of a comprehensive, forward-looking, and inclusive national strategy to guide the sustainable growth of Interest-Free Finance (IFF) in Ethiopia-including Interest-Free Banking (IFB) and Takaful (Islamic insurance) instruments.

Scope of Work Includes:

• National IFF ecosystem diagnosis and benchmarking with global peers
• Stakeholder engagement across sectors and regions
• Strategic scenario development (e.g., hybrid vs. fully dual models)
• Business model design and gender-inclusive product innovation
• Legal and regulatory framework analysis
• Shariah governance standards and institutional coordination
• Finalization of the strategy with an implementation roadmap and M&E tools

Consultancy Duration: 4 to 6 months

Submission Deadline: June 30, 2025

Submit Proposals to: bids@fsdethiopia.org 

Email Subject: "RFP - National Interest-Free Finance Strategy (NIFFS) for Ethiopia" Who Should Apply:

• Individuals or firms with demonstrated experience (10+ years) in Islamic or Interest-Free Finance policy, regulation, or strategy
• Experts in financial inclusion, Shariah-compliant systems, and regulatory reform Teams with gender, regional, and social inclusion expertise
• Strong understanding of emerging market financial systems-experience in Ethiopia is highly preferred

The full Terms of Reference (TOR) are available upon request at bids@fsdethiopia.org.

FSD Ethiopia encourages proposals from women-led firms, local experts, and teams that reflect Ethiopia's regional and religious diversity.