Background
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, many of which of whom are in the informal economy, have been battling with perennial issues such as access to credit or financing, access to ready supply of raw materials at stable prices, lack of storage facilities for perishable goods, and fluctuating demand and prices for their goods and services. The COVID-19 pandemic which has affected every facet of the society, has further complicated the challenges MSMEs face – negatively impacting sales, revenues and jobs (see COVID-19 Business Tracker – https://statsghana.gov.gh).
The AfCFTA, which came into force on 1st January 2021, provides an opportunity for MSMEs to recover better, however they are largely unaware. They also face challenges with non-tariff barriers – particularly with land borders but also with air and water as well as accessing markets in other countries on the continent…
Scope of Work
The service provider will undertake the following:
- Conduct the research and synthesis to determine real time information needs differentiated for Micro, Small, and Medium enterprises, and for youth and women led. The research will also determine the nature and functioning of the information gateway as well as the technological connectivity – for instance using sms (short message service) to feed into the gateway and get information through the sms (short message service).
- Conduct research on the traders customs working arrangements, for example, whether a traders and customs association exist, and how or whether the information gateway may be of help with customs arrangements or whether there maybe a pushback. The idea is to consider whether the model of the Parents Teachers Association that has been successful in improving learning outcomes can be applied to the Traders Customs Association to improve transit experience.
- Design and test the prototype for the real time information gateway, including all the functions, maintenance, management.
- Deploy and handover the real time information gateway with a provision to provide management support for the first six months.
Minimum Organizational Requirements
The prospective Service Provider is expected to meet the following minimum requirements:
- It must have at least 5 years of practical experience in research and analytics, preferably have a lot of engagements with the government, private sector, non-for-profit sector and UN agencies.
- Proven knowledge, understanding and experience in policy analysis, working with the relevant institutions working with players in customs related areas – customs, health, standards etc. Access to and engagement with the relevant stakeholders and relevant information sources needed for the project execution.
- Experience working on similar projects with UN or other international organizations is beneficial.
- Capability to deploy strong sensemaking prowess, analytical aptitude, communication, and presentation expertise.
- Must have local presence in Ghana and/or must have worked with local partners in Ghana
HOW TO APPLY
- See the Documents section above for the detailed Annex I-Terms of Reference and Submission Documents.
BID SUBMISSION INSTRUCTION:
- Strictly follow the instructions indicated in the RFP Bid Document uploaded hereto
For detailed information, please refer to Annex I- Terms of Reference (ToR)
Important Note:
A PRE-BID WEBINAR MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THE 24th MAY 2021, 10:00am using the below link:
https://undp.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8YXw4tygTimRLCzSjPCtoA
The Consultant is required to have the above mentioned professional and technical qualifications. Only the applicants who hold these qualifications are advised to submit their respective bid proposals
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:
The following proposals must be prepared as per the prescribed standard format indicated in the respective RFP Bid Document. The Proposals shall be submitted before its deadline on June 7, 2021, via UNDP Ghana Secured mail address: [email protected]
- Technical Proposal in pdf under file name: UNDP.GHA.2021.108.RFP – TP – [insert Name]
- Financial Proposal in pdf under file name: UNDP.GHA.2021.108.RFP – FP – [insert Name]
Please note that these proposals shall be submitted to the designated secured email into two files but in one email unless both Files are Greater than 9MB file size
EMAIL SUBJECT LINE WHILE SUBMITTING PROPOSAL:
While submitting your proposals to [email protected]
Bid Submission Instructions/Notice
Annex I-Terms of Reference
Annex II-Technical Proposal Submission Form
Annex III-Financial Proposal Submission Form
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