Procurement Notices

1) GENERAL BACKGROUND

The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments—through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project? finance—can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development.

By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.

FINTECHS & INNOVATION IN DFS IN RWANDA

In Rwanda, 89% of the population is financially included, with 38% registered for mobile services. However, usage of formal financial services is low: 30% (30 days), and 50% are regarded as thinly served [Finscope 2016]. Moreover, Rwanda still has a double digit (11%) gender gap in account ownership, with women less likely to own accounts. The least active users of digital finance are some of the largest demographic groups: women, youth, rural families and micro and small enterprises.

The growing fintech sector and start-up ecosystem is seen as a strong contributor to driving innovation in the financial sector. To enact the full potential of the start-up ecosystem, there is need for collaboration among various stakeholders to ensure that new and innovative products are developed, given a chance to pilot and can achieve scale and sustainability. One of the main constraints for start-ups to go to market and scale is with navigating the policy and regulatory requirements. To address their needs, UNCDF is proposing a regulatory intervention that will directly support: a) Local start-up incubator and up to 10 FinTech’s that require support to navigate similar regulatory issues; b) Policy makers and Regulators in Rwanda.

To officially launch of the project, UNCDF is organizing a FinTech Innovation competition to identify the FinTech’s currently operating in Rwanda, including nascent and more established FinTech’s, the challenges they face (particularly in navigating the regulatory environment) and what kind of solutions they are currently developing or plan to develop in the future. From the Innovation Competition, 3 FinTech’s with the best solutions on how FinTech’s can contribute to solving financial inclusion challenges for underserved populations. In the near future, a design sprint will be held and these 3 FinTech’s could be invited to test their solutions in one of the refugee camps where UNCDF will be implementing its program to expand access to financial services and digital and financial literacy for refugees.

2) OUTCOME AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Outcomes & Objectives

The objective of the FinTech Challenge Event will be to:

1. Gather information on Rwandan FinTech’s and use this to map the Rwandan FinTech landscape to gain a clearer understanding who the FinTech’s are and what their areas of focus are.
2. Identify the challenges FinTech’s face, particularly those that relate to policies and regulations governing the activities of FinTech’s in Rwanda and assess the type of support to be provided by UNCDF and its partners.
3. Identify the 10 FinTech’s facing similar challenges navigating the regulatory environment to whom UNCDF and partners will provide support to over the coming year.
4. Selection of 3 FinTech’s with the most innovative solutions on how FinTech’s can help improve access to and usage of financial services by underserved populations such as refugees.

Deliverables:

1. Organize, coordinate and host a full-day FinTech Innovation Competition on May 14th  (the morning session will be a closed event with 10 FinTechs invited to a Hackathon and Pitch event and the evening session will be an event at a public venue/hotel in Kigali, Rwanda open to FinTech’s and attendees of the Transform Africa Summit).
2. Draft a detailed agenda and ensure participation of key stakeholders and experts.
3. Facilitate FinTech competition, FinTech selection and administration of prizes.
4. Provide event summary and minutes.
5. Arrange media coverage for the event to increase UNCDF’s visibility around support of the FinTech/Innovation sector in Rwanda.

The event will end with the following:

1. A list of 10 FinTech’s that will be supported through the UNCDF/partner project.
2. A list of challenges that FinTech’s face in navigating the policy/regulatory environment in Rwanda.
3. Selection of 3 FinTech’s with the most innovative solutions to improve access to and usage of financial services by underserved populations in Rwanda such as refugees.

3) DETAILED ACTIVITIES

The FinTech Challenge Event will support the following activities:

4) TIMELINE, LOCATION, BUDGET & EVALUTION of PROPOSALS

TIMELINE:    

The Innovation Competition/ Project launch event shall take place on May 14, 2019 – a full-day event.

LOCATION (S): Hotel or Public Venue in Kigali, Rwanda

BUDGET: Total budget of the event should not exceed USD 12,000 out of which UNCDF shall fund the entire amount plus VAT. The breakdown of the cost should include:

a. 1 Venue for FinTech Challenge event (AM session)

• 14th of May (Tuesday, half day); venue for Hackathon; 50 people.

b. 1 Venue for FinTech Challenge event (PM session)

• 14th of May (Tuesday, half day); Venue for Project Launch; 100 people

c. Food and beverages for AM session for 50 people

• 1 Coffee/tea breaks (including beverages and snacks)
• Buffet Lunch

d. Food and beverages for PM session for 100 people

• Cocktail dinner (Food providers to be contacted)
• 1 Coffee/tea break (including appetizers and beverages)

e. Equipment for presentation for PM session for 100 people

• equipped audio-visual (projector, internet, flipchart, microphones)
• audio-visual team member provided by the location to work during the event
• Chairs and tables

f. Equipment for venue for AM session for 50 people

• Projector for presentations
• Internet
• Coordinator, mentors and judges during the Hackathon and Pitch event
• Chairs & table

g. Experts/mentors/judges (two half-day sessions in two separate locations)

• Selection of FinTech’s
• Administration of prizes

h. Marketing

• Media coverage
• Social Media
• Marketing equipment
• Printing (including tshirts, booklets etc.)

i. Contingency

• Unforeseen events/expenses

CRITERIA FOR CONTRACT AWARD

Highest Combined Score (based on the 70% technical offer and 30% price weight distribution)

Please submit a quotation that includes costs for each of the budget items a-j above. 

Quotations may be submitted on or before 10 May 2019 and via email to the address below: desiderata.kayitaba@uncdf.org using the subject Event organizing services for  UNCDF FinTech Challenge Event 14 May 2019, Kigali, Rwanda