| Overview : The ready-made garment (RMG) manufacturing sector is an important driver to Bangladesh’s economy and has been a driving force in creating employment and lifting millions out of extreme poverty. The RMG sector in Bangladesh provides employment for 3.3 million people across 4,600 garment factories, of which 1.5 million are women. However, the industry constitutes various sustainability challenges across Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) aspects affecting the decency of work and livelihoods of millions of people employed in the sector limiting its competitiveness and potential for further investment. The industry faces additional challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and trends towards automation and Industry 4.0 impacts with potential of affecting millions of jobs and the livelihoods for people employed in the sector. Digital services can improve livelihoods for the garment sector both from the perspective of improving livelihoods of worker, preparing them for the digital transformation as a result of automation and Industry 4.0 and improve overall ESG sustainability aspects. Yet currently there are market constraints for digital services to be implemented in the sector. As RMG manufacturing remains a strategic part of industrialization and growth plans of the Government of Bangladesh beyond 2021, this pilot project, under UNCDF’s ‘Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Era’ strategy, will bring digitally-enabled business models and solutions to selected RMG manufacturers and their employees, particularly women, to ensure that use of digital solutions impacts lives of worker families in Bangladesh and RMG sector overall sustainability to increase competitiveness and attraction of further investment. UNCDF is therefore seeking services to conduct a market assessment for a pilot for improving sustainability of the RMG manufacturing sector through digital solutions in Dhaka, for a period of 45 days commencing in March 2021 per requirements set forth in this Terms of Reference (TOR). The study will follow international guidelines on gender mainstreaming from the United Nations Development Group, as well as be guided by Do No Harm principles. Please see attached detailed TOR. DEADLINE REVISED TO 1 APRIL 2021 | 
