Background Information:
The Small Business Support team (“SBS”) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “EBRD” or the "Bank") support economic transition, by both achieving enterprise change in viable micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and developing sustainable infrastructures of business advisory services in the countries of operations of the EBRD.
SBS activities include assisting individual enterprises to engage with local consultants on narrowly-based, specific projects with a rapid payback. Additionally, market development activities are carried out, including training programmes for local consultants, in order to improve competitiveness, professionalism and supply of services in terms of quality and quantity.
Assignment Description:
In order to ensure consistency in delivery, the EBRD developed a detailed curriculum and training materials for each of the following core training programmes (the “Training Programmes”):
1. Starting a Consulting Business;
2. Management Consulting Essentials;
3. Managing a Consulting Business;
4. Marketing and Selling Consulting Services;
5. Business Diagnostics;
6. Project Management for Consulting.
Each Training Programme will be delivered to an audience of attendees drawn from local consultancy firms or individuals operating, or intending to start, their own consultancy business. The Training Programmes will be delivered in the form of courses across the Bank's countries of operations with individual training events lasting 2 - 5 days for each course.
The curriculum for each Training Programme provides a precise description of the composition and structure of each module, as well as an overview of the skills/knowledge which will be transferred to the participants at each stage of each Training Programme. The related training materials include all materials necessary for the delivery of the relevant Training Programme, including among other presentations, exercises, case-studies.
In order to deliver the Training Programmes the Bank is now seeking to engage a number of individual trainers who will be responsible for providing one or more of the Training Programmes in one or more of the Bank’s countries of operations. The selected consultants (the “Selected Consultants”) will be expected to deliver the Training Programmes using the provided curriculum and training materials, which will remain the property of the EBRD. Prior to the start of each Training Programme the Selected Consultants will be required to perform a local needs assessment and customise the training materials, with any modifications agreed with the Bank in advance of delivery of the Training Programme courses.
Each of the Selected Consultants will be engaged by the Bank under a non-exclusive Framework Agreement, and a Call-Off Notice will be issued under the corresponding Framework Agreement for each individual training events. The Bank is not under any obligation to issue any Call-Off Notice(s) for assignment(s) under the Framework Agreement and may also select consultants outside the scope of the Framework Agreements for services required for the Programme in line with the EBRD’s Procurement Policies & Rules.
Prior to delivering the first training event under each of the Training Programmes the Selected Consultants will be invited by the Bank to a train-the-trainer style training event, where the materials and methodologies will be explained and demonstrated in detail. The Selected Consultants will bear all costs associated with attending these training sessions.
As part of the delivery of this assignment it is likely that the Selected Consultants will need to incorporate the input of local partner organisations such as business associations/chambers of commerce/etc into the training materials. Where possible appropriate partner organisations will be suggested by the EBRD, but Selected Consultants, with the Bank’s approval, could utilise their own business contacts in this regard.
Status of Selection Process: Interested individual experts or firms interested to nominate an expert are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
Assignment Start Date and Duration: The assignment is expected to start in February 2016. The Selected Consultants will be engaged by the Bank under non-exclusive Framework Agreements, each with an initial duration of three (3) years. The Framework Agreements may then be extended for a further two (2) years, subject to the satisfactory performance of the Selected Consultants and the needs of the Bank.
Maximum Cost Estimate for the Assignment: The maximum estimated budget available for each of the Framework Agreements is EUR 350,000.00 exclusive of VAT. The budget for each Call-Off Notice under a Framework Agreement will be determined on a case by case basis.
Each Selected Consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the Bank's special status as an IFI and state this to the Bank in their response to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest. To the extent that the Selected 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 Selected Consultant from the local tax authority, the gross cost to the Selected Consultant of such expenses shall be treated as a reimbursable expense.
Funding Source: This assignment is funded by the Technical Cooperation Programme managed by the EBRD Selection and contracting will be subject to the availability of funding.
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.
Consultant Profile: Individual services are required. The Selected Consultants will be individuals, with the following experience:
1. Previous project experience in the delivery of consulting services to SMEs
2. Previous experience in conducting training courses in an interactive manner using contemporary training techniques
3. Previous project experience in the delivery of bespoke training programmes for individual consultants or consulting firms
4. Previous experience of delivering any, or ideally all, of the above in relation to the EBRD's countries of operation, or similar business environments
5. Ability to deliver the Training Programmes in the language of the country of delivery is a plus.
Submission Requirements: In order to determine the capability and experience of consultants seeking to be selected for this Assignment, the information submitted should include the following:
1. Individual trainer CV/profile (max. 2-3 pages)
2. Confirmation of which of the above training programmes, in what countries/regions, the applicant feels best placed to deliver
3. Details of previous project experience or similar 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 (if different from duration), main activities, objectives
4. Completed Consultant Declaration 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
Failure to submit the signed Consultant Declaration may result in the applicant being disqualified from the selection process for this assignment.
The above information should not exceed 10 pages excluding CVs and contact sheet.
Consulting firms (proposing individuals) and individuals may apply. Consulting firms nominating an individual expert shall submit one complete individual Expression of Interest for each expert via eSelection. Single applications for a number of experts containing various CVs may result in rejection of such application and all concerned experts.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through eSelection, to reach the Bank not later than the closing date indicated above. The complete expression of interest (including CVs and Contact Sheet) shall be one file (pdf or Word) to be uploaded to eSelection. The EBRD reserves the right to reject applications of applicants submitting more than one file. Only if the permissible file size is exceeded, the applicant may split the expression of interest into further files.
Bank Contact Person:
Marina Matushina
Technical Cooperation
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 442073386577
E-mail: MatushiM@ebrd.com (Expressions of Interest should be sent through eSelection and NOT to this email address)
Notes
1. Following an evaluation of all expressions of interest the Bank may, at its sole discretion, invite a number of applicants to interview. The date and format of these interviews will be communicated to the applicants in advance. The EBRD will not reimburse any costs associated with travel to/from these interviews.
2. The selection criteria are:
· Previous project experience in the delivery of consulting services to SMEs – 20%
· Previous experience in conducting training courses in an interactive manner using contemporary training techniques - 20%
· Previous project experience in the delivery of bespoke training programmes for individual consultants or consulting firms – 25%
· Previous experience of delivering any, or ideally all, of the above in relation to the EBRD's countries of operations, or similar business environments (ability to deliver courses in local language is a plus) – 10%
· Performance at interview – 25%
