BDS to SMEs

Source: World Bank — Ethiopia: SME Finance Project

                                                                       REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

                                                                      CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION

COUNTRY:                             Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

NAME OF PROJECT:            Ethiopia Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Finance  Project

Credit No.:                              5793-ET

Assignment Title:                   Business Development Services to Small and Medium Enterprises in Ethiopia.

Reference No.:                        MOI/SMEFP/C-01/16

This request for expressions of interest (EOI) follows the general procurement notice for this project that appeared in UN Development Business Online No. OP00042290 on May 8, 2017.

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of  Small and Medium Enterprises Finance Project  and it intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include "Business Development Services for SMEs"

The Objectives of the Assignment

The overall objective of this assignment is enhancement of the Competencies, Performance and Competitiveness of the SMEs in Ethiopia. 

Specific objectives include:

• To assist in the development of performance and productivity of participating firms,
• To bring about positive behavioural and attitudinal change of the employer and employee in the firm,
• To facilitate transformational growth of SMEs to the next level,
• To enable them contribute to the national economy and poverty reduction, and
• To draw best practices/ lessons from implementation of this project and utilize as an input for similar projects.

The Scope of the assignment

The consultant is expected to perform the following activities .

1. Undertake desk review/research and scoping visits to understand the situation on the ground,
2. Determine how many of the enterprises (Small/ Medium) are supposed to be trained in which area, organize the expressed needs in terms % of the approached enterprises (indicating their growth level – Small/ Medium),
3. Identify all the elements (types/ areas) of Business Management skill components (prevalent to country situation) and prepare training packages and modules,
4. Assess the current Business Management skill training provision mechanisms and identify strengths & weaknesses and draw best practices to integrate with the current system of training delivery ,
5. Assess and incorporate international best practices in developing training manual & modules, designing and provision of BDS (Business Management skill training, entrepreneurship training, business consulting/coaching/mentoring, Value chain management, for SMEs, and incorporate best practices for the current assignment,
6. Design the provision of BDS in general and the  training part in particular, in consistent with the growth level ( Small/ Medium) of the enterprises,
7. Design training curriculum which will focus on developing the knowledge and skills that SMEs require to effectively and efficiently manage their businesses. Particular focus areas shall be;
   • Business Planning/ Strategic planning,
   • Financial/ Accounting Management,
   • Asset/ Resource Management,
   • Marketing management,(including, how to participate and  be successful in bidding and tendering process)
   • Procurement,
   • Human resources management,
   • Value chain management, etc.
8. Identify rules and regulations that have impact on the SMEs, prepare package and organize awareness training workshops for the SMEFP target SMEs,
9. Prepare training manuals on all the identified training areas,
10. Design/organize training modules corresponding to the nature/ growth level of the firms (Small/ Medium),
11. Invite/ facilitate discussions with role model Enterprises willing to share their business knowledge, skills and experience,
12. Following the SMEFP client registration guidelines, process the registration and issue project ID numbers and cards to any SMEs that want to participate in BDS but do not have SMEFP IDs,
13. Provide monthly reports, including at minimum, a list of each client approached to participate in BDS, the SMEFP ID number of the client, whether they participated, whether they completed, and the date they participated,
14. Coordinate with the project’s impact evaluation, led by EDRI and the World Bank, to integrate impact evaluations into the delivery of business development services,
15. Advertise and market business development services to potential clients, through the SMEFP project implementation unit, as well as the regional and woreda SME Development Agencies/ offices,
16. Provide high-quality business development services to 912 SMEs which are participating in the SME Finance Project. Participating SMEs will be spread across major cities in Ethiopia (exact locations to be determined)

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT: The overall assignment is expected to begin in one month after the contract signing and goes through five years.

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Finance Project at the Federal Small and Medium Manufacturing Industry Development Agency (FeSMMIDA) invites eligible Consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services.  Interested consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

The short-listing criteria are:

• Core business & Year in business;
• Relevant Experience in the field of assignment;
• Technical and Managerial capabilities, and;
•  General qualifications and number of key staff.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by World Bank Borrowers dated (January 2011 and revised July 2014) (‘Consultants Guidelines”), setting forth Bank’s Policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of joint venture or sub consultancy to enhance their qualifications.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the QCBS (Quality and Cost Based Selection) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 8:30 am to 12:00 am and 1:30 pm -5:30 pm local time, Monday through Friday.

Expression of interest must be delivered in written form to the address below in person or by mail or by e-mail by May 09, 2018 5:00 pm.

Address:  

The Federal Small and Medium Manufacturing Industry Development Agency (FeSMMIDA),

Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Finance Project

Around Mexico Square, in front of Wabe Shebelle Hotel

Building Block A, Purchasing and Finance Directorate, Ground Floor, Room number 7

Attention:  W/o Yemenzework Giraffe , SME Finance  Project Coordinator

City/country: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

P.O. Box 1463 Addis Ababa ,Ethiopia

Telephone:  +251-11-551-11-22+251-911-911-33-90-57,+251-911-48-03-41

Fax: +251-11-551-84-35         

E-mail: wesenuadefris@gmail.com, Copy to: amabdu46@yahoo.com