procurement notice

EBRD Register of Consultants for the Direct Investment Facility (DIF) and Direct Lending Facility (DLF)

The EBRD’s Direct Investment Facility ("DIF") is a EUR 75 million programme for the purpose of making direct equity-type investments in local medium-sized private sector enterprises in a number of the EBRD’s countries of operation but principally the Early Transition Countries(ETCs). The ETCs are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The investments can range between EUR 500,000 and EUR 6 million. There are no pre-determined sectoral or industrial allocations or limitations.

The EBRD's Direct Lending Facility ("DLF") is a EUR 70 million loan programme intended to supplement other financing available in local markets to local medium-sized private sector enterprises in the ETCs. DLF financing is designed to provide medium- or long-term loans in the range of EUR 0.5 million to EUR 4 million. There are no pre-determined sectoral or industrial allocations or limitations.

Typically a DIF or DLF project will progress through due diligence, approval, monitoring and in the case of DIF investments, exit. DIF and DLF draw on external expert services to carry out due diligence on projects and to provide targeted project development assistance to investee companies. To facilitate this, the EBRD maintains a register (the “Register”) of consultants interested in carrying out DIF and DLF assignments in a variety of sectors, which will be used to identify those experts with experience relevant to the needs of a particular project. Terms of reference will be send to those firms/individuals deemed to have expertise appropriate for the project under consideration. Consultants will be expected to submit brief proposals within five working days in response to assignment-specific terms of reference, including updated CVs and budget estimates, to enable the EBRD to reach a decision. It is essential that expert services are provided in a timely, cost efficient manner.

Services required

Assignments will be required in a variety of sectors and industries. Typical assignments would include the following:

• Financial, market and technical due diligence on potential enterprises to be financed under the DIF and/or DLF;

• Advisory services to enterprises receiving equity and/or loan financing from EBRD under these programmes.

Assignments include:

a) Assessment of business plans, business projects, profitability, marketing strategy including the competitive environment;

b) Assessment of capital investment programmes including equipment; analysis of productivity and potential productivity gains through investment; advice on product ranges advice on rationalisation of products and production; procurement advice; advice and assistance on marketing and distribution;

c) Financial analysis and appraisal; assistance in the design of financing strategies; corporate structuring; investment strategies and instruments; analysis of management structure and capacity; business rationalisation planning; preparation of business plans; advice on raising capital and the development of exit strategies;

d) Preparation and evaluation of accounts; restatement of accounts into IFRS/ IAS; audits and valuations;

e) Assisting the company management in business plan preparation and strategy development; implementation of management information systems (MIS); corporate governance; reporting;

f) Conducting legal due diligence, draft and review of project documents, related to the prospective investment; analysis of legal environment; preparation of legal opinions; assistance in clarification and/or rectification of legal issues; and assistance in negotiation of investment and exit arrangements and documentation related thereto;

g) Environmental audits; assessment of compliance with applicable environmental standards and development of environmental compliance programs; development of environmental action plans.

How to register

Interested firms and individuals wishing to register should complete the attached forms and e-mail them to Georgia Vasiliadis at vasiliag@ebrd.com.

Please note the following:

All firms and individuals must return the following documents:
• registration form  (0.2Mb)
• staffing schedule  (0.1Mb)
• CV  (0.1Mb)

Failure to complete all three forms will result in rejection of a firm’s or individual’s application.

CVs should be detailed and include full descriptions of responsibilities carried out, not just a job title.

Law firms are also required to register as EBRD Outside Counsel (http://www.ebrd.com/oppor/procure/opps/consult/law.htm).

Firms and individuals responding to this invitation are asked not to contact DIF, DLF, or the EBRD generally and to restrict their communication initially to the introductory e-mail referred to above or brief questions about the registration procedure. These should be addressed in the first instance to Georgia Vasiliadis.

General

Consulting firms and individuals may express interest in registering and may be registered at any time. There is no deadline for submission of registration forms.

The EBRD reserves the right to modify and withdraw the registration system described above for any reason and without prior notice. Registered firms and individuals will be promptly advised, however, of any such modification or withdrawal and of the system (if any) to be introduced to replace the current procedure.