| Overview : BACKGROUND / RATIONALE Markets play an instrumental role in the day to day lives of all citizens including the poor. They and the private sector companies and entrepreneurs involved in them, are the engine of growth, generate jobs and incomes and provide goods, services and solutions for poor women and men, and thereby have the potential to increase choices and opportunities. In most countries, markets are also central in determining whether growth occurs and whether it is inclusive or not. . . . OBJECTIVES OF THE SERVICE / WORK This assignment seeks to assess the feasibility of establishing an African Inclusive Markets Excellence Center, prepare a business plan including the value proposition and service offer for the Center, the organisational set up, governance and financing structures, as well as partnership and resource mobilization strategies necessary for the success and sustainability of the Center. The assignment will require the study of relevant Centers in order to examine the configuration, structures and profiles of similar Centers that exist (e.g. Africa Minerals Development Center, Statistical Institute, Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development, the Global Development Center, etc.). This is for the purpose of identifying best practice, lessons learnt examples and possible adaptation and emulation by the AIMEC. The assignment should also highlight possible challenges that the Centre is likely to meet during its establishment, and where available, highlight possible mitigation measures which have worked well in other centre establishment and sustainable management and maintenance examples. SCOPE OF THE SERVICE / WORK The tasks of the Assignment are the following: - Undertake a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), Assessment of the External and Internal Environment (PESTLE), Stakeholders expectations, cost-benefit, risk analysis and identify the value addition of creating the Center as well as the comparative advantage of such continental centre;
. . . EXPECTED OUTPUTS / DELIVERABLES The deliverables to be achieved by the Consultancy firm/Consultant(s) for the successful completion of the assignment include the following: 1. One week after a briefing meeting - Deliverable 1: Inception report including the implementation plan to be submitted to UNDP/AUC
2. Two months after the beginning of the assignment - Deliverable 2: A draft report feasibility study and business plan for the AIMEC
3. Internal validation to take place beginning of February 4. Two weeks after internal validation meeting - Deliverable 3: Updated draft of the feasibility study and business plan to be validated externally
5. Two weeks after the external validation meeting. All documents are to be considered and discussed during a validation workshop planned for end of February 2016 and upon which, having taken cognizance of the outcomes and feedback from the validation exercise, the Consultants should submit the following: - Deliverable 4: Revised and final feasibility study and business plan. This should have taken into consideration comments of the validation workshop.
BID SUBMISSION INSTRUCTION: - Strictly follow the instructions indicated in the RFP Proposal Submission Form uploaded hereto
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 application deadline October 20, 2015 via UNDP Ethiopia Secured mail address: procurement.et@undp.org - Technical Proposal in pdf under file name: RSC-RFP-2015-03 – TP - [insert Company Name]
- Financial Proposal in pdf under file name:: RSC-RFP-2015-03 – FP - [insert Company 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: | 
