Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2025-05-22
Buyer: Up-Scaling Portfolio Management
Country: DE
Region: DEA22
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated with prior call for competition
CPV classification: 66171000
Estimated value: 1500000 EUR
Submission deadline: 2025-07-01
Award criteria: quality, price

Technical requirements: Petition for review on grounds of alleged violations of procurement law are inadmissable according to Sec. 160 para. 3, sentence 1, No 4 of the Federal Act against Restraints of Competition (Gesetz gegen  Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen - GWB) if more than 15 calendar days have passed since the economic operator has received a notification by the contracting authority that it will not remedy the economic operator's objection.
DEG under its "Up-scaling Programme" finances early-stage SMEs to scale innovative business models with high development impact. The funding is repayable once the companies reach predefined success criteria, such as a certain revenue, gross profit or amount of new funding raised. The programme is part of the "Partners in Transformation" initiative by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Since 2013, it has invested approximately EUR 55 million in 88 innovative young businesses.   Since 2024 the active investment phase of the Up-scaling Programme has come to an end. This means, no new companies are financed but the existing portfolio still has to be actively monitored. In 2025, DEG has entrusted DEG Impulse with the management of the remaining Up-Scaling Programme on behalf of DEG. At the beginning of 2026, the portfolio will consist of approx. 50 companies, with two-thirds based in Sub-Saharan Africa and the remainder in South and Southeast Asia, Mexico and Peru.  The agreements with these portfolio companies and their obligation to repay usually extends over a period of five years and has been occasionally extended. The number of portfolio companies will decrease each year by on average 12 companies per year as the monitoring phase for the investments ends and final reports are being prepared.       DEG Impulse intends to hire a consultant to support the management of the Up-Scaling Progamme. The consultant will conduct a proactive portfolio monitoring with the key goal to ensure maximum repayment of the approx. EUR 24,5 million in outstanding commitments at the beginning of 2026. The role also involves ensuring the programme"s positive impact on the companies and the wider start-up ecosystem, supporting the growth of portfolio companies, and exploring potential follow-on financing opportunities with DEG or the broader DFI ecosystem.
Services can be provided at the consultant"s office, using the DEG Impulse IT infrastructure, as well as at the DEG Impulse offices in Cologne.
a) (on request of DEG Impulse gGmbH) Proof of the bidder's incorporation and/or registration, as prescribed in its country of origin, on one of the professional or trade registers or provision of a certificate or an oath that is engaged in the profession in question in a specific place and a given business name b) (on request of DEG Impulse gGmbH) Proof of payment of the bidder's taxes according to the legal provisions of its country of origin c) (on request of DEG Impulse gGmbH) Proof of payment of the bidder's social security contributions according to the legal provisions of its country of origin d) Declaration of the bidder that reasons for exclusion from participation as described in Sec. 123, 124 GWB do not exist.  Apart from this information the bidder has to hand in the following with the request to participate: - Signed Standard Form Russia Sanctions - Signed NDA
a) (On request of DEG Impulse gGmbH) Statement of the company's overall turnover of the last three financial years available b) Proof of a current professional liability insurance for all types of liability claims. The proof of the economic and financial standing and the technical  nd professional ability can be provided also by sub-contractors/"suitability lender". In this case the bidder has to submit the "formal commitment". Insofar as the bidder relies on the capacities of a third company to fulfill the economic and financial standing criteria ("suitability lending" pursuant to Section 47 para. 3 VgV), DEG Impulse gGmbH requires joint liability of the bidder and the third company for the execution of the contract in accordance with the aforementioned standard. A corresponding declaration by the third company on the assumption of joint liability must be attached to the application to participate. Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: b) Coverage amount of at least 500,000 EUR, 2-fold maximized.

Eligibility requirements: a) (on request of DEG Impulse gGmbH) Proof of the bidder's incorporation and/or registration, as prescribed in its country of origin, on one of the professional or trade registers or provision of a certificate or an oath that is engaged in the profession in question in a specific place and a given business name b) (on request of DEG Impulse gGmbH) Proof of payment of the bidder's taxes according to the legal provisions of its country of origin c) (on request of DEG Impulse gGmbH) Proof of payment of the bidder's social security contributions according to the legal provisions of its country of origin d) Declaration of the bidder that reasons for exclusion from participation as described in Sec. 123, 124 GWB do not exist.  Apart from this information the bidder has to hand in the following with the request to participate: - Signed Standard Form Russia Sanctions - Signed NDA
a) (On request of DEG Impulse gGmbH) Statement of the company's overall turnover of the last three financial years available b) Proof of a current professional liability insurance for all types of liability claims. The proof of the economic and financial standing and the technical  nd professional ability can be provided also by sub-contractors/"suitability lender". In this case the bidder has to submit the "formal commitment". Insofar as the bidder relies on the capacities of a third company to fulfill the economic and financial standing criteria ("suitability lending" pursuant to Section 47 para. 3 VgV), DEG Impulse gGmbH requires joint liability of the bidder and the third company for the execution of the contract in accordance with the aforementioned standard. A corresponding declaration by the third company on the assumption of joint liability must be attached to the application to participate. Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: b) Coverage amount of at least 500,000 EUR, 2-fold maximized.
References and track record  DEG will rate the applicant"s references concerning similar services in the last five years. The references shall show experience in implementing the scope of work as described in the ToR, particularly they shall show:  (1) Extensive work experience in development finance and impact investing in emerging markets; (2) Experience with blended finance instruments such as repayable grants and with implementing donor-funded programs; (3) Experience in working with European Development Finance Institutions (EDFIs) and knowledge of their administrative processes; (4) Extensive multi-sectoral knowledge and experience in the economic and business landscape as well as the (impact) investing and Ventures Capital scene in Africa as well as Latin America and Asia; (5) Excellent skills in assessing and validating financial models and financial statements of early-stage businesses;  At least two references have to be presented. The prerequisites (1)-(5) must each be fulfilled at least once; it is not necessary that all prerequisites (1)-(5) are fulfilled within one reference.    The description of each reference has to include the following information:  - Name and address of the client - (if possible) Client"s contact person with phone number and email-address - Rendered services - Time of performance - (If possible) Letter of reference by the respective client or proof by other means, e.g. respective reports or websites (The presence of a letter of reference or a proof by other means are not an exclusion criterion.)
Indication of the applicant's experience working in the impact investing/entrepreneurship support eco-system.  Minimum level of standards required: Minimum of 10 years of experience.
Number of the applicant's manpower dedicated to the implementation of blended finance instruments for development finance instruments and donors.  Minimum level of standards required: Minimum number of 3 persons.
Missing documents can be requested subsequently in accordance with Section 56 VgV; excluded is the subsequent request for performance-related documents relating to the economic evaluation of the tenders on the basis of the award criteria (Section 56 (3) sentence 1 VgV).
see Terms of Reference and Framework Agreement
Quality of the bidders approach to deliver the tendered services, as demonstrated by the quality of the bidders approach in the offer.
Price according to the daily rate.
Organisation, qualification and experience of the bidders envisaged team