The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the Rural Financial Intermediation Program III (RUFIP- III), and of which a portion of the funding will be utilized towards qualified payments on assignments for short term consultancy and business advisory services.

Association of Ethiopian Micro Finance Institutions (AEMFI)

Request for Expression of Interest (REoI)

Country:                              Ethiopia

Program:                             Rural Financial Intermediation Program III

Abstract:                              To Hire External Short- term consultants  /Business Advisors/ Sector:                                   Individual  Consultancy  Service/ICS

Grant No.

Reference No.

2000003210

IFAD/RUFIPIII/AEMFI/CS/ICS/14/2026/27

1. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the Rural Financial Intermediation Program III (RUFIP- III), and of which a portion of the funding will be utilized towards qualified payments on assignments for short term consultancy and business advisory services.
2. The main objective of the assignment is expected to be completed in six months and with the possibility of extension after signing of the contract to strategic technical support in knowledge management, research, proposal development, technical writing, institutional advisory services, and communication.
3. AEMFI now invites qualified external  short  term consultant  (business  advisor)  indicate their interest in providing the above mentioned services. External short term consultant/Business Advisor/  must  provide  information  demonstrating  that  they  are  qualified  to  perform  the assignments (promotional materials, description of similar assignments undertaken in Ethiopia and/or  other  developing  countries  for  at  least  a  period  of  ten  years’  experience  in  similar conditions, general qualification and experience.
4. The external short term/ Business Advisor shall not have any actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict  of  interest.  An  external  short  term consultant  with  an  actual,  potential  or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the Fund. A external short term consultant are considered to have a conflict of interest if they a) have a relationship that provides them with undue or undisclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, b) participate in more than one EOI under this procurement action, c) have a business or family relationship with a member of the client’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of this expression of interest, (ii) the selection process for this procurement, or (iii) execution of the contract. The external short term consultant has an ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during preparation of the EOI, the selection process or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations1.
5. All  bidders  are  required  to  comply  with  the  Revised  IFAD  Policy  on  Preventing  Fraud  and Corruption  in  its  Activities  and  Operations  (hereinafter,  “IFAD’s  Anticorruption  Policy”)  in competing for, or in executing, the contract.
6. a) If determined that a consultant or any of its personnel or agents, or its sub- consultants, sub-contractors, service providers, suppliers, sub-suppliers and/or any of their personnel or agents, has, directly or indirectly, engaged in any of the prohibited practices defined in IFAD’s Anticorruption Policy or integrity violations such as sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse as established in IFAD’s Policy to Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse2 in competing for, or in executing, the contract, the EOI may be rejected or the contract may be terminated by the clien
7. b) In accordance  with  IFAD’s  Anticorruption  Policy,  the  Fund  has  the  right  to sanction firms and individuals, including by declaring them ineligible, either indefinitely or for a stated period of time, to participate in any IFAD-financed and/or IFAD-managed activity or operat A debarment includes, inter alia, ineligibility to: (i) be awarded or otherwise benefit from any IFAD-financed contract, financially or in any other manner; (ii) be a nominated sub-contractor, consultant, manufacturer, supplier, sub-supplier, agent or service provider of an otherwise eligible firm being awarded an IFAD-financed contract; and (iii) receive the proceeds of any loan or grant provided by the Fund. The Fund also has the right to recognize debarments issued by other international financial institutions in accordance with its Anticorruption Policy.
8. c) They are required to fully cooperate with any investigation conducted by the Fund, including  by  making  personnel  available  for  interviews  and  by  providing  full access to any and all accounts, premises, documents and records (including electronic records) relating to this selection process or the execution of the contract and to have such accounts, premises, records and documents audited and/or inspected by auditors and/or investigators appointed by the Fu
9. d) They should have the ongoing obligation to disclose in their EOI and later in writing as may become relevant: (i) any administrative sanctions, criminal convictions or temporary suspensions of themselves or any of their key personnel or agents for fraud and corruption, and (ii) any commissions or fees paid or to be paid to agents or other parties in connection with this selection process or the execution of the contract. As a minimum, consultants must disclose the name and contact details of the agent or other party and the reason, amount and currency of the commission or fee paid or to be paid. Failure to comply with these disclosure obligations may lead to rejection of the EOI or termination of the contract.
10. e) Bidders    are  required to keep  all  records and  documents,  including electronic records, relating to this selection process available for a minimum of three (3) years after notification of completion of the process or, in case the consultant is awarded the contract, execution of the con
11. The Fund requires that all beneficiaries of IFAD funding or funds administered by IFAD, including the  client,  any  consultants,  implementing  partners,  service  providers  and  suppliers,  observe  the highest standards of integrity during the procurement and execution of such contracts, and commit to combat money laundering and terrorism financing consistent with IFAD’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy.3
12. The followings are Details of EOI evaluation criteria;

8. Interested bidders shall not have any actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest.

Consultants with an actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the Fund. Consultants are considered to have a conflict of interest if they:

1. Have a relationship that provides them with undue or undisclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, or
2. ii. Have a business or family relationship with a member of the client’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of the REOI, (ii) the selection process for this  procurement,  or  (iii)  execution  of  the  contr  Consultants  have  an  ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during preparation of the EOI, the selection process or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations.
3. 9. External short term consultants/Business  Advisors/  will be  selected in  accordance with IFAD’s Project Procurement Handbook. Short listing consultants will be conducted on the basis of an assessment of individual profile, specific and general experience of the consultant, experience and competencie
4. The final selection of the external short term consultant/Business Advisor/ to perform the assignment shall be based on Individual Consultant Selection (ICS) method with only the highest-ranked individual consultant invited to submit a technical and financial offer. Moreover, section shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures set out in IFAD procurement handbook that can be accessed via the IFAD website at www.ifad.org/project-procurement.
5. Applicants shall submit EOIs as per the EoI format. They can take the application format /EoI submission form (EOI-1) from AEMFI office and the Expression of Interest document along with Curriculum Vitae (CV) and all credentials. It should not exceed 15 pages excluding other credentials and testimonies.
6. All pages of  the  EoI  document  should  be  numbered,  dated,  signed,  sealed  and  signed  by  the applicants on all pages. Additional sheets to be attached by the applicant should also be numbered and submitted  as  a  package  with  signed  EoI  letter.  All  costs  associated  with  the  preparation  and submission of EoI shall be covered by the applicant. The applicants could attach more evidential documents.
7. Credential documents required from the applicant includes: Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the applicant, relevant credentials and testimonies, contract copies that show previous similar assignments.

14. Applicants may obtain further information, if required at the address below during working days

(Monday to Friday) from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

15. Submission of EOI  must  be  in  sealed  envelopes,  clearly  marked  “Expression  of  interest  for External Shorter term consultant  submitted to AEMFI under RUFIP III (IFAD financing) for PY7” and delivered to the address given below by 5:00 p.m.,  15 consecutive days after the EOI is publicly advertised in newspaper (i.e. 9 September 2025).
16. The EOIs and  all  documents  shall  be  submitted  in  English.  Late  submission  shall  be  rejected.

Expression of Interests (EOIs) shall be submitted into the tender box prepared for this purpose or deliver on hand to the office on or before the delivery date stated above.

AEMFI reserves the right to accept or reject bid before signing of contract.

Association of Ethiopian  Micro Finance Institutions (AEMFI)

Africa Avenue, Bole Road, In front of Bole Printing Press, Near Peacock Park, P.O. Box

338 Code 1110, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel +251 115 572202/ 0115-572175

Fax: +251 115 572198, email:  info@aemfi-ethiopia.org; aemfiet@gmail.com  ; www.aemfi- ethiopia.org