Assignment Description:
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “EBRD” or the “Bank”) is launching the Women in Business (“WiB”) Programme (the “Programme”) in Kazakhstan to:
• Support women-led Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (“Women-led SMEs”) in accessing finance for their sustainable growth;
• Develop sustainable credit mechanisms targeted to women-led SMEs through technical assistance to financial intermediaries in Kazakhstan; and
• Support Women-led SMEs in accessing know-how, non-financial business development services and networking opportunities.
EBRD financing package will be provided to Partner Financial Institutions (“PFIs”) and will be combined with a credit enhancement mechanism in the form of first loss risk cover and a technical cooperation (“TC”) package for PFIs, with links to the EBRD’s Small Business Support (“SBS”) Programme specifically targeting women-led SMEs.
The 2011 Global Partnership Financial Inclusion (“GPFI”) shows a global unfunded credit gap of over USD 300 billion per annum for by women-led SMEs to sustain and grow their businesses. The financing gap, in particular, is a major obstacle to the development of start-ups, as well as to the transition of women-led SMEs from micro and small to medium-sized businesses. Lack of adequate finance (caused by short term financing, excessive collateralization, etc.), coupled with specific behavioural attitudes and limited access to know-how, curb the growth potential of women-led SMEs, de-facto constraining them to the micro and small segments of SMEs and often in low value-added, low productivity sectors. According to the EBRD's Strategic Gender Initiative (“SGI”), mid to large gender gaps in terms of “employment and firm ownership” and “access to finance” are identified in Kazakhstan.
The Programme is structured to narrow the above mentioned gaps and address the mismatch through an integrated approach to both credit supply side (“PFIs”) and credit demand side (“women-led SMEs”).
The Bank now wishes to engage a consultant (the “Consultant”) to provide assistance to Kazakh PFIs by strengthening their capacities to effectively reach out to women-led SMEs, conducting baseline studies (where needed), ensuring synergy between the Programme components, and support general Programme management functions (the “Assignment”).
The selected Consultant is expected to provide the following services:
Component 1: Dedicated Women in Business Financing: Support women-led SMEs in accessing finance for their sustainable growth:
(a) Undertake specific market assessments and baselines assessments (where needed) at the PFI (portfolio, product, organizational and process reviews). Both supply and demand factors influencing women-led SMEs’ access to finance should be analysed and aimed at providing recommendations how PFIs can improve their delivery of financial and non-financial products and services to women-led SMEs and fulfilling research requirements. Programme impact will be monitored and measured against the baselines;
(b) Assist with the Bank’ policy dialogue activities with local and regional authorities.
Component 2: Technical Co-operation component: Develop sustainable credit mechanisms to enable PFIs to develop and deliver financial products and services tailored to women-led SMEs – Institutional capacity building:
(a) Provide and implement comprehensive institutional capacity building measures tailored to the needs of PFIs taking into consideration the results of the baseline and market assessments and international best practices (including integration of APS/MIS elements);
(b) Provide bank staff training to specifically address the target group needs;
(c) Develop, test and deliver new products specific and tailed to the target group;
(d) Assist PFIs in marketing and outreach to the target group;
(e) Provide general Programme management support functions including risk sharing claims and administration functions.
Component 3: WiB Small Business Support (“SBS”) component: Support to women-led SMEs in accessing know-how, non-financial business development services and networking opportunities:
(a) Facilitate WiB activities jointly with PFIs and the Programme’s SBS component for women-led SMEs during which it will provide referral services to women-led SMEs and implement other measures to ensure synergies between the Programme components;
(b) Organize a number of information-sharing, dissemination and marketing and outreach activities through a series of Women in Business seminars designed to improve women’s access to financial information and PFIs first-hand understanding of this segment’s client base.
The outcome of the Assignment is expected to be promotion of women entrepreneurship by improving women entrepreneurs’ access to finance and know-how and promoting a strong WiB SME sector in the country.
Status of Selection Process: Interested firms or groups of firms are hereby invited to submit their expressions of interest.
Assignment Start Date and Duration: The Assignment is expected to start in November 2015 and has an estimated overall duration of 36 months. The Assignment may be extended beyond the current scope subject to the availability of funding, the performance of the selected Consultant and the specific needs of the Bank.
Cost Estimate for the Assignment: USD 1,470,000 (exclusive of VAT). Subject to availability of funding, the performance of the selected Consultant and the specific needs of the Bank, the Assignment may be extended beyond the current scope. The Consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the special status of the Bank as an IFI and state this to the Bank in their response to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest. To the extent that a Consultant incurs input VAT on goods and services purchased in connection with the provision of services (e.g. VAT on airline ticket) which is not otherwise recoverable by the consultant from the local tax authority, the gross cost to the consultant of such expenses shall be treated as a reimbursable expense.
Funding Source: The expected source of funding for the Assignment is the Kazakhstan Women in Business Technical Cooperation Programme.
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.
Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant will be a firm or group of firms with experience in:
- implementing SME lending schemes at commercial banks in emerging markets and similar operating environments;
- conducting baseline portfolio and institutional analysis in financial institutions assessment;
- delivering technical assistance to commercial banks to improve their capacity to target the women-led SME segment
- implementing multi-faceted TC projects of similar size, complexity and duration;
- working particularly with women-led SMEs through banks and directly;
- conducting policy dialogue on activities relevant to the implementation of the Programme.
Experience of the banking and SME sector across the CIS region will be advantage but not an absolute requirement.
It is desirable that the Consultant has an office presence in Kazakhstan. Certain tasks (e.g., surveys) may be outsourced (sub-contracted) to other firms. However, the Consultant will remain ultimately responsible for all activities and outputs under the Assignment.
It is expected that the Consultant's team will comprise the following minimum key experts:
Key Expert 1: Project Manager with experience of:
- successfully managing the implementation of SME lending schemes at commercial banks in emerging markets and similar operating environments, including in managing multi country/complex programmes;
- negotiating with third parties including banks, associations, ministries, regulatory authorities and other stakeholders on behalf of International Financial Institutions; and
- working on women entrepreneurship and women’s access to finance;
Relevant language skills will constitute an advantage.
Key Expert 2: Senior Women in Business Financing Expert(s), with experience of:
- working as a gender specialist in emerging markets and in similar operating environments, in particular in gender institutional development in the financial sector/commercial banks.
- conducting gender analysis of banks’ portfolio, institutional strategies, business models and delivery mechanisms to reach out to women-led SMEs;
- the challenges that women-led SMEs find in accessing finance in emerging markets and similar operating environments; - conducting qualitative research and gender institutional analysis; and
- negotiating with a wide range of stakeholders, including associations, ministries, regulatory authorities and other stakeholders.
Relevant language skills will constitute an advantage.
Key Expert 3: Senior Communications and Marketing Manager(s) with experience of:
- implementing marketing and sales in commercial banks;
- advising commercial banks on the factors contributing to successful product development or refinement based on market forces and strategic goals.
- It is envisaged that the expert(s) would be local, with a lead expert acting as overall co-ordinator of the marketing program, and liaising closely with local banking experts.
- Relevant language skills will constitute an advantage.
Key Expert 4: Senior Banking Experts with experience of:
- implementing SME lending schemes at commercial banks in emerging markets and similar operating environments, including in implementing multi country/complex programmes;
- Experience of working in commercial banks in CIS region will constitute an advantage.
Relevant language skills will constitute an advantage.
Key Expert 5: Senior IT Expert & MIS Specialist with experience of:
- helping commercial banks in emerging markets and similar operating environments in implementing SME lending schemes, including in multi country/complex programmes;
Experience of working on gender-related projects would constitute an advantage;
Relevant language skills will constitute an advantage.
Submission Requirements: In order to determine the capability and experience of consulting firms, the information submitted should include the following:
a) Brief overview of the firm/group of firms including company profile, organization and staffing.
b) Details of required experience of firm or group of firms and related assignments undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contract value, contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided, assignment budget, percentage carried out by consultant in case of association of firms or subcontracting, main activities, objectives;
c) CVs of key experts who could carry out the Assignment detailing qualifications, experience in similar assignments, particularly assignments undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided, assignment budget, main activities, objectives.
d) Completed Consultant Declaration Form and Contact Sheet, the template for which is available from the following web-link: http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc.
The above information should not exceed 20 pages, excluding CVs and Consultant Declaration Form and Contact Sheet.
The complete expression of interest (including CVs and Contact Sheet) shall be one file (pdf or Word), not exceeding 4MB, to be uploaded to eSelection. The EBRD reserves the right to reject applications of firms submitting more than one file. Only if the permissible file size is exceeded, the Consultant may split the expression of interest into further files.
Expressions of interest shall be submitted in English through eSelection and not directly to the contact person given below, to reach the Bank not later than the closing date for submissions indicated above.
Bank Contact Person:
Ms Georgia Vasiliadis
Principal Advisor, Technical Cooperation Team
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: +44 20 7338 7750
Fax: +44 20 7338 7451
E-mail: vasiliag@ebrd.com
(Submissions should be sent through eSelection and NOT to this email address)
Notes:
1. Following this invitation for Expression of Interest, a short list of qualified consultants will be formally invited to submit proposals. Consultant selection and contracting will be subject to availability of funding.
2. Evaluation of the Expressions of Interest will be based on the following criteria and their respective weightings:
a) Firm’s experience in implementing SME lending schemes at commercial banks in emerging markets and similar operating environments, including in managing multi-country/complex programmes and the development and marketing of financial products - 25%
b) Firm’s experience in working with women-led SMEs through banks and directly, and delivering technical assistance to commercial banks to improve their capacity to target the women-led SME segment – 25%
c) Firm’s experience working in CIS region or similar environments – 10%
d) CVs of key experts with relevant experience as per the key expert descriptions give above. Language skills from CIS region will constitute an advantage – 40%
