10009293-Development of inclusive financial services and products

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Iraq faces a persistent gap between its people and the financial system. Banks have long leaned on large state-owned institutions, credit has flowed mainly to established borrowers, and micro and small businesses along with women entrepreneurs and displaced communities have been largely left out. ProDIGI project, full name Promoting Employment in the Digital and Green Economy in Iraq, is trying to change that in a practical, grounded way. ProDIGI is a multi-donor initiative commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the European Union, and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The project covers central and southern Iraq as well as the Kurdistan Region, with a focus on areas where joblessness, displacement, and limited access to services overlap. Within the project, Output 3 targets the financial inclusion side of the challenge. The starting point is a clear-eyed look at what the sector lacks: financial service providers that are capable, willing, and equipped to design products that fit the people they are supposed to serve. Banks and microfinance institutions in Iraq today mostly offer standardised products with high collateral requirements and limited digital capabilities. Reaching women led small businesses, rural communities, or young entrepreneurs running green or tech ventures requires a different kind of product, and often a different kind of institution. To bridge that gap, the project works directly with Iraqi financial service providers: banks, microfinance institutions, digital payment companies, fintechs, and government lending programmes. The approach combines needs assessments, hands-on advisory services, staff training, product design support, and pilot testing. The goal is not to deliver a finished product from outside, but to build the knowledge and process capacity within each institution so that change remains after the project ends. By the close of the assignment, at least three new or significantly adapted financial products must be in place, and these products must be actively reaching real users at a minimum of 950 individuals and 50 companies. The work also emphasises gender equality: women-led businesses are a priority target group, and all capacity-building activities must include a meaningful share of women participants. The broader context matters too. Iraq's Central Bank launched the national financial inclusion strategy that encourages digital payments, SME lending, and consumer protection improvements. ProDIGI project aligns directly with those priorities, making it both a practical intervention at the level of individual institutions and a contribution to the country's wider financial sector development. The selected firm will work directly with three to five financial service providers (FSPs) operating in Iraq. These may include commercial banks, microfinance institutions, digital payment providers, fintechs, and government lending schemes. GIZ will have pre-selected up to two FSPs before the contract starts, so work can begin without delay. The remaining FSPs will be selected by the contractor and GIZ jointly, based on agreed criteria.

Deadline

Deadline 2026-10-20

Wer?

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Wie?

Wo?

• Darmstadt › Main-Taunus-Kreis
• Köln › Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt

Geschichte der Beschaffung

Datum	Dokument
2026-09-17	Auftragsbekanntmachung

Auftragsbekanntmachung (2026-09-17)
Objekt
Umfang der Beschaffung
Titel: 10009293-Development of inclusive financial services and products
Referenznummer: 10009293
Kurze Beschreibung:

Kurze Beschreibung

Iraq faces a persistent gap between its people and the financial system.
Banks have long leaned on large state-owned institutions, credit has flowed
mainly to established borrowers, and micro and small businesses along with
women entrepreneurs and displaced communities have been largely left out.
ProDIGI project, full name Promoting Employment in the Digital and Green
Economy in Iraq, is trying to change that in a practical, grounded way.
ProDIGI is a multi-donor initiative commissioned by the German Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by
the European Union, and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The project covers central and
southern Iraq as well as the Kurdistan Region, with a focus on areas where
joblessness, displacement, and limited access to services overlap.
Within the project, Output 3 targets the financial inclusion side of the
challenge. The starting point is a clear-eyed look at what the sector lacks:
financial service providers that are capable, willing, and equipped to design
products that fit the people they are supposed to serve. Banks and
microfinance institutions in Iraq today mostly offer standardised products with
high collateral requirements and limited digital capabilities. Reaching women
led small businesses, rural communities, or young entrepreneurs running
green or tech ventures requires a different kind of product, and often a
different kind of institution.
To bridge that gap, the project works directly with Iraqi financial service
providers: banks, microfinance institutions, digital payment companies,
fintechs, and government lending programmes. The approach combines
needs assessments, hands-on advisory services, staff training, product
design support, and pilot testing. The goal is not to deliver a finished product
from outside, but to build the knowledge and process capacity within each
institution so that change remains after the project ends.
By the close of the assignment, at least three new or significantly adapted
financial products must be in place, and these products must be actively
reaching real users at a minimum of 950 individuals and 50 companies. The
work also emphasises gender equality: women-led businesses are a priority
target group, and all capacity-building activities must include a meaningful
share of women participants.
The broader context matters too. Iraq's Central Bank launched the national
financial inclusion strategy that encourages digital payments, SME lending,
and consumer protection improvements. ProDIGI project aligns directly with
those priorities, making it both a practical intervention at the level of individual
institutions and a contribution to the country's wider financial sector
development.
The selected firm will work directly with three to five financial service providers
(FSPs) operating in Iraq. These may include commercial banks, microfinance
institutions, digital payment providers, fintechs, and government lending
schemes. GIZ will have pre-selected up to two FSPs before the contract
starts, so work can begin without delay. The remaining FSPs will be selected
by the contractor and GIZ jointly, based on agreed criteria.

Art des Vertrags: Dienstleistungen
Produkte/Dienstleistungen: Unternehmens- und Managementberatung 📦
Beschreibung
Interne Kennung: 10009293
Diese Auftragsvergabe ist auch für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) geeignet ✅
Beschreibung der Beschaffung:

The assignment is structured around three work packages. The first covers the selection and appraisal of partner FSPs. The contractor will conduct an institutional diagnostic for each FSP, reviewing their current product offering, business model, lending processes, digital infrastructure, client outreach capacity, and staff skills. Based on that analysis, a cooperation agreement will be signed with each FSP, along with a detailed work plan laying out what the collaboration will achieve and by when. This phase should be completed within the first three months. The second work package is where the core technical work happens. The contractor will support FSPs in designing or adapting financial products that genuinely respond to the needs of target groups, particularly women-led businesses, rural borrowers, and MSME clients who currently lack access to suitable financing. The process follows a structured product development methodology: from prototype design, through pilot testing, to assessment and refinement, and finally roll-out. Alongside the product work, the contractor will help FSPs develop marketing materials and outreach strategies, adjust internal procedures and manuals, and train front-line staff such as loan officers and branch managers. At least three financial product prototypes must be developed by the fifth to seventh month, piloted by month eight, and formally adopted with updated manuals by month ten. The third work package covers cross-cutting contributions: occasional training inputs for financial sector stakeholders such as the Central Bank of Iraq and sector associations; support for GIZ's monitoring and evaluation activities; and at least three public communication outputs, case studies, blog posts, fact sheets, or similar, documenting the work done with each FSP.

Beschreibung der Beschaffung

The assignment is structured around three work packages.
The first covers the selection and appraisal of partner FSPs. The contractor
will conduct an institutional diagnostic for each FSP, reviewing their current
product offering, business model, lending processes, digital infrastructure,
client outreach capacity, and staff skills. Based on that analysis, a cooperation
agreement will be signed with each FSP, along with a detailed work plan
laying out what the collaboration will achieve and by when. This phase should
be completed within the first three months.

The second work package is where the core technical work happens. The
contractor will support FSPs in designing or adapting financial products that
genuinely respond to the needs of target groups, particularly women-led
businesses, rural borrowers, and MSME clients who currently lack access to
suitable financing. The process follows a structured product development
methodology: from prototype design, through pilot testing, to assessment and
refinement, and finally roll-out. Alongside the product work, the contractor will
help FSPs develop marketing materials and outreach strategies, adjust
internal procedures and manuals, and train front-line staff such as loan
officers and branch managers. At least three financial product prototypes
must be developed by the fifth to seventh month, piloted by month eight, and
formally adopted with updated manuals by month ten.
The third work package covers cross-cutting contributions: occasional training
inputs for financial sector stakeholders such as the Central Bank of Iraq and
sector associations; support for GIZ's monitoring and evaluation activities; and
at least three public communication outputs, case studies, blog posts, fact
sheets, or similar, documenting the work done with each FSP.

Zusätzliche Informationen: #Besonders auch geeignet für:other-sme#
Zusätzliche Produkte/Dienstleistungen:

Beratungsdienste im Bereich Wirtschaftsförderung 📦

Veranstaltung von Seminaren 📦

Ziel der strategischen Auftragsvergabe: Verringerung der Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt
See the tender documents.
Konzept zur Verringerung der Umweltauswirkungen: Der Schutz und Wiederherstellung der Biodiversität und der Ökosysteme
Gefördertes soziales Ziel: Gleichstellung von ethnischen Gruppen
Postanschrift: GIZ Office Baghdad Arsat, Al-Karrada Alsharquia Albashjaa, Section 925, Street 32 Baghdad IRAK
Postleitzahl: 0000
Stadt: Baghdad
Land: Irak 🇮🇶
Dauer
Datum des Beginns: 2027-01-26 📅
Datum des Endes: 2028-12-31 📅
Beschreibung
Maximale Verlängerungen: 2
Weitere Informationen zur Verlängerung:

GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

Informationen über Optionen
Optionen ✅
Beschreibung der Optionen:

Titel
Los-Identifikationsnummer: LOT-0001

Verfahren
Art des Verfahrens
Offenes Verfahren ✅
Rechtsgrundlage: Richtlinie 2014/24/EU
Administrative Informationen
Frist für den Eingang von Angeboten oder Teilnahmeanträgen: 2026-10-20 12:00:00 📅
Sprachen, in denen Angebote oder Teilnahmeanträge eingereicht werden können: Englisch 🗣️
Mindestzeitraum, in dem der Bieter das Angebot aufrechterhalten muss: 192 Tage
Bedingungen für die Einreichung eines Angebots
Die Bieter können mehrere Angebote einreichen
Elektronische Rechnungsstellung: Erforderlich
Die elektronische Bestellung wird verwendet ✅
Elektronische Zahlung wird verwendet ✅
Frist für die Anforderung zusätzlicher Informationen: 2026-10-12 23:59:59 📅
Zusätzliche Informationen:

GIZ asks the applicant or bidder to submit, complete or correct documents, within the framework laid down by law.

Der Vertrag enthält Bedingungen zur Vertragsausführung ✅

Rechtliche, wirtschaftliche, finanzielle und technische Informationen
Bedingungen für die Teilnahme
Eignungskriterium: Andere wirtschaftliche oder finanzielle Anforderungen
Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Regeln und Kriterien:

EN-A1: Principles for the execution of orders (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): The eligibility criteria are not from the same category as stipulated above, as there is no suitable category. 1. Self-declaration: name of company and address, tax ID, registration and commercial register number or equivalent register in accordance with the legal provisions of the country of origin. 2. No grounds for exclusion pursuant to § 123, § 124 GWB, § 22 LkSG, EU-Russia sanctions. 3. Declaration of bidding consortium and/or declaration of subcontractors (if applicable)

Eignungskriterium: Referenzen zu bestimmten Dienstleistungen
Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Regeln und Kriterien:

EN-B1: Technical and professional ability (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): 1. The technical assessment is only based on reference projects with a minimum commission value of 200000 EUR (net). 2. At least 3 reference projects in the technical field development or adaptation of digital financial services and/or FinTech offered by financial service providers AND at least 1 reference project in the technical field development or adaptation of MSME or green financial services offered by financial service providers of which at least 4 reference projects in in the middle east and north Africa in the last 36 months (deadline: date of publication of invitation to tender).

Eignungskriterium: Durchschnittlicher Jahresumsatz
Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Regeln und Kriterien:

EN-C1: Economic and financial standing (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): Average annual turnover for the last three years (last-but-four financial year can be included in case of tenders held within 6 months of end of last financial year), at least: 1000000 EUR (net).

EN-C2: Economic and financial standing (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): Average number of employees and managers in the last three calendar years, at least 10 persons.

Bedingungen für den Vertrag
Bedingungen für die Vertragserfüllung:

The execution conditions result from the information given in the contract notice and the tender documents.

Bedingungen für die Teilnahme
Ausschlussgrund:

Beteiligung an einer kriminellen Vereinigung

Betrug

Der Zahlungsunfähigkeit vergleichbare Lage gemäß nationaler Rechtsvorschriften

+ 19 weitere

Direkte oder indirekte Beteiligung an der Vorbereitung des Vergabeverfahrens

Einstellung der gewerblichen Tätigkeit

Geldwäsche oder Terrorismusfinanzierung

Interessenkonflikt aufgrund seiner Teilnahme an dem Vergabeverfahren

Kinderarbeit und andere Formen des Menschenhandels

Korruption

Schwerwiegendes berufliches Fehlverhalten

Terroristische Straftaten oder Straftaten im Zusammenhang mit terroristischen Aktivitäten

Täuschung, Zurückhaltung von Informationen, Unfähigkeit zur Vorlage erforderlicher Unterlagen oder Erlangung vertraulicher Informationen zu dem Verfahren

Vereinbarungen mit anderen Wirtschaftsteilnehmern zur Verzerrung des Wettbewerbs

Verstoß gegen arbeitsrechtliche Verpflichtungen

Verstoß gegen die in den rein innerstaatlichen Ausschlussgründen verankerten Verpflichtungen

Verstoß gegen die Verpflichtung zur Entrichtung von Sozialversicherungsbeiträgen

Verstoß gegen die Verpflichtung zur Entrichtung von Steuern

Verstoß gegen sozialrechtliche Verpflichtungen

Verstoß gegen umweltrechtliche Verpflichtungen

Verwaltung der Vermögenswerte durch einen Insolvenzverwalter

Vorzeitige Beendigung, Schadensersatz oder andere vergleichbare Sanktionen

Zahlungsunfähigkeit

Öffentlicher Auftraggeber
Name und Adressen
Name: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Nationale Registrierungsnummer: 993-80072-52
Postanschrift: Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1 - 5
Postleitzahl: 65760
Postort: Eschborn
Region: Main-Taunus-Kreis 🏙️
Land: Deutschland 🇩🇪
E-Mail: zuhal.uysal@giz.de 📧
Telefon: +49 6196791481 📞
Fax: +49 6196791115 📠
URL: https://www.giz.de 🌏
Art des öffentlichen Auftraggebers
Einrichtung des öffentlichen Rechts
Haupttätigkeit
Allgemeine öffentliche Verwaltung
Kommunikation
Dokumente URL: https://ausschreibungen.giz.de/Satellite/notice/CXTRYY6DYRR1XNS3/documents 🌏
Teilnahme-URL: https://ausschreibungen.giz.de/Satellite/notice/CXTRYY6DYRR1XNS3 🌏
URL des Beschaffungsinstruments: https://ausschreibungen.giz.de/Satellite/notice/CXTRYY6DYRR1XNS3 🌏
Elektronische Einreichung: Erforderlich

Ergänzende Informationen
Zusätzliche Informationen

#Bekanntmachungs-ID: CXTRYY6DYRR1XNS3# All communication takes place in English via communication tool in the project area of the procurement portal.

Körper überprüfen
Name: Vergabekammern des Bundes
Nationale Registrierungsnummer: 022894990
Postanschrift: Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 16
Postleitzahl: 53113
Postort: Bonn
Region: Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt 🏙️
Land: Deutschland 🇩🇪
E-Mail: vk@bundeskartellamt.bund.de 📧
Telefon: +49 2289499-0 📞
Verfahren zur Überprüfung
Genaue Informationen über Fristen für Überprüfungsverfahren:

According to Article 160, Section 3 of the German Act Against Restraint of Competition (GWB), application for review is not permissible insofar as 1. the applicant has identified the claimed infringement of the procurement rules before submitting the application for review and has not submitted a complaint to the contracting authority within a period of 10 calendar days; the expiry of the period pursuant to Article 134, Section 2 remains unaffected, 2. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that are evident in the tender notice are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for the application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, specified in the tender notice. 3. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that first become evident in the tender documents are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, 4. more than 15 calendar days have expired since receipt of notification from the contracting authority that it is unwilling to redress the complaint. Sentence 1 does not apply in the case of an application to determine the invalidity of the contract in accordance with Article 135, Section 1 (2). Article 134, Section 1, Sentence 2 remains unaffected.

Informationen über elektronische Arbeitsabläufe
Die elektronische Rechnungsstellung wird akzeptiert
Bekanntmachungsangaben
Bevorzugtes Datum der Veröffentlichung: 2026-09-17+02:00 📅
Quelle: OJS 2026/S 181-645816 (2026-09-17)

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