Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698060894353.pdf (Georgia)
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CONSULTING SERVICES GEORGIA Third Regional Development Project (RDP III) – P150696 Loan No.

8494-GE Business start-up/expansion advisory service to the Tourism Small and Micro Entrepreneurs (SMEs) Reference No: IBRD/RDPIII/CS/CQS/21-2017 MDF implements various regional and municipal development projects, including the Third Regional Development Project (RDP 3) financed by the World Bank Group and the Government of Georgia (GoG).
The aim of the RDP 3 is to stimulate economic growth in Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions through provision of enabling environment for increased tourist visitation and private investment.

Arrangement of public tourist infrastructure in the areas adjacent to the cultural heritage monuments or tourist circuits is a type of activity supported by RDP 3.
MDF, in the capacity of Employer seeks consultant services for the development of Business start-up/expansion advisory service to the Tourism Small and Micro Entrepreneurs in framework of State Program “Produce in Georgia”.
The Consultant will be directly responsible to identify, design and implement a capacity-building program for existing and potential beneficiaries of the state program “Produce in Georgia”: “Micro and Small Entrepreneurship Support Project”, implemented by LEPL Entrepreneurship Development Agency.

The technical assistance will be provided to the beneficiaries in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region.
The technical assistance will build capacity of project beneficiaries through training, coaching, individual consultations and marketing linkages.

The Consultant is free to propose different combination of capacity building mechanisms, but such shall be well justified.

It is expected, that the Consultant uses internationally accepted study materials and/or methodologies that have been successfully used for capacity building of micro and small entrepreneurs in rural areas.
The mentioned materials and methodologies shall be adapted so that they are applicable to the actual state of entrepreneurial skills and the level of readiness present in rural Georgia and preferably in target regions.

The beneficiaries of MSES program are already offered a standard package trainings and consultations.

It is important that the efforts of the MSES TA components and that of the present project are in synergy, complementing each other rather than duplicating.
In this regard, it is expected that the capacity building events offered by the Consultant be streamlined towards achieving particular outcomes of the project: - Improvement of visibility of beneficiary business or quality of products/services offered by the beneficiary - business Increase in price or in number of products/services offered.

The consultant is expected to closely coordinate with LEPL Enterprise Georgia on all steps and aspects of the program development.
The Agency’s role may include, but not limited to, the following inputs: - Participation in selection process of the consultant; review and analysis of provided documentation, in line with taking part in all related activities; - Supervision of activities (to avoid overlapping with the activities of existing implementing agencies’ activities in framework of “Produce in Georgia” Micro and Small Entrepreneurship Support State Program); - Review, analysis and providing no objection to the reports submitted by the Consultant.
The selected Consultant should complete the following tasks under the direct supervision of the MDF and in partnership with LEPL Enterprise Georgia: Task 1: Provide comprehensive assessment of tourism value chain in target region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti (putting a special emphasis on Dusheti, Mtskheta and Stephantsminda municipalities), based on the findings of MSES program, to expand the process of gap analysis via putting a special emphasis on targeted economic sectors.
Identify additional demand and availability of skills throughout the whole value chain, identify market opportunities that could be further developed or matched within the present project.

The results of the given task will be an addition to findings of the first several rounds of Micro and Small Entrepreneurship Support program.
Task 2: Develop/adopt a strategy to be used for capacity building of the beneficiaries based on the proposed and approved methodology; Task 3: Implement a capacity building strategy to benefit at least 120 micro and small entrepreneurs.

Task 4: Evaluate results of the actions and elaborate recommendations for further improvement.

The duration of the assignment is 18 months.


The Municipal Development Fund of Georgia (MDF) as an Implementing Agency now invites eligible consulting firms ("Consultants") to express their interest in providing the Services.

Interested Consultants should provide information/evidences demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

The shortlisting criteria are: 1.


The consultant shall have experience in small and micro business capacity building projects.

Weighted score for evaluation is 50%.

2.

Local experience of similar contracts.

Weighted score for evaluation is 30%.

3.

The consultant shall have at least of 5 years General experience.

Weighted score for evaluation is 20%.

Note: 1.


The MDF reserves it’s right to request certificates of satisfaction issued by the employers, verify submitted references and use obtained information for evaluation purposes.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers - January 2011, revised July, 2014.
("Consultant Guidelines"), setting forth the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms (Please take into account that form of association acceptable for the World Bank is either sub-consultancy or Joint-Venture and submission must clearly indicate the nature of the association.

The experience of sub-consultants will not be taken into account while evaluating the corporate experience of the consultant).
Experience in the projects relevant to the assignment should be submitted in the Form N1 uploaded at MDF website on the following link: http://mdf.org.ge/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Form-for-References.pdf The consultants are strongly recommended to limit their Expression of Interest to 30 pages.

Company brochures may be included as an Annex, and will not be affected by the limit of 30 pages.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Selection Based on the Consultants’ Qualifications (CQS) method set out in Section III of the Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers - January 2011, revised July, 2014.

The Terms of Reference of the assignment is available as Annex.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 09:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. at Procurement Unit of MDF, Phone number: +99532 2437001, extension 444 Ms. Eka Ezugbaia, Procurement Consultant.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in English in a written form to the address below (in person, by mail, or by e-mail) by March 5, 2018, at 17:00.
Municipal Development Fund of Georgia Attn: Mr. Galaktion Buadze, Executive Director of MDF 150 David Agmashenebeli Av., 0112, Tbilisi, Georgia Tel.

: +99532 2437001 or/02/03 E-mail: procurement@mdf.org.ge