81274914-Consultant pool for project scoping missions of the "Alliances for Trade Facilitation" Programme

Kurze Beschreibung

In 2013 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) concluded negotiations on the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). By signing the TFA, Germany and other donor countries have committed to support developing countries in the implementation of the agreement. For this purpose, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has commissioned the GIZ global programme "Alliances for Trade Facilitation" (hereinafter "A4TF" programme) on carrying out trade facilitation projects in developing and emerging markets in cooperation with businesses, associations and chambers of industry and commerce, as well as relevant ministries and border agencies. The goal is to streamline and lower the costs of customs and other trade-related processes within the framework of the WTO TFA. Following the entry into force of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in 2019, BMZ has committed to support African countries in the implementation of this agreement. The AfCFTA contains trade facilitation measures tailored to the African context and aims to make import, export and transit procedures between countries more efficient. The advantage of the AfCFTA trade facilitation measures is that they are based on continentally harmonized rules and consider local context for application. Therefore, the A4TF programme has extended its regional and technical scope for projects in African countries from the implementation of the TFA to the TF-related annexes of the AfCFTA.
At the core of the A4TF programme is a public-private partnership. It is vital to cooperate with the private sector and leverage the extensive expertise of companies if measures are to be successfully put into practice. Global efforts to mobilise the business community have so far often been fragmented, and awareness of trade facilitation measures remains weak. The A4TF programme is working with and on behalf of two multi-stakeholder partnerships, (1) Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, and (2) German Alliance for Trade Facilitation. The same approach is applied in countries where projects are designed and implemented.
The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF) is a public-private partnership for trade-led growth, supporting governments in developing and least-developed countries in implementing the World Trade Organization"s Trade Facilitation Agreement. Alliance projects cut through red tape and end costly delays at borders by bringing together governments and businesses of all sizes as equal partners to deliver targeted trade reforms. The Global Alliance is led by the Center for International Private Enterprise, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the World Economic Forum, in cooperation with GIZ. It is funded by the governments of the United States, Canada, Germany, and Denmark. More information on www.tradefacilitation.org.
The global level is complemented by the German Alliance for Trade Facilitation. The German Alliance is a public private partnership with the aim at making international trade faster and simpler. In its numerous trade facilitation projects, the Alliance engages where business and government interests match. It creates opportunities for economic development in emerging and developing countries. is funded by the German government. The Secretariat of the Alliance is hosted by GIZ. More information on www.tradefacilitation.de/en/
Across both Alliances, the A4TF programme has completed and currently implements trade facilitation reform projects in twenty-three countries: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Côte d"Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Nigeria, North-Macedonia, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia and Ukraine.

Beschreibung der Beschaffung

The objective of the assignment is to support the GIZ team in preparing and assessing the trade facilitation situation in selected countries as well as evaluating options for trade facilitation projects with topics provided by Global/ German Alliance idea competitions.
During the scoping assignments the mission team will meet with key trade facilitation stakeholders from the government and the private sector in the respective countries to explore the feasibility and the focus of a potential project idea.
The objective of the scoping missions is to collect the issues and priorities from the perspectives of public and private sector stakeholders, and identify the issue/ topic where government and business priorities match.
This sets the stage for planning a public-private trade facilitation project on a specific quick win / high impact trade facilitation topic that will measurably improve the efficiency of specific trade and customs procedures in the selected country (time and cost reduction).
The tasks for each project scoping mission encompass:
1. Preparation and facilitation of project scoping, design and preparation in the respective country. This includes but is not limited to:
a. Preparation of all scoping missions to the respective country, including logistics, analytical framework and planning
b. Participation in all scoping missions to the respective country as mission leader and/ or facilitator
c. Identify, contact and brief - in close collaboration with GIZ - public and private key stakeholders for the missions. Development and review of each scoping mission schedule in close collaboration with GIZ.
d. Together with GIZ, facilitate and lead discussions with key trade facilitation stakeholders in respective country from different Ministries, Customs, other border agencies, international and local companies, sector associations, donors and other relevant actors to get an overview of the trade facilitation landscape in the respective country and on opportunities for cooperation.
e. Contribute to all meetings and workshops within the scoping missions, e.g. development of workshop concepts, technical advice on specific TF issues.
f. Comment on and revise mission and project documents (e.g. to ensure factual correctness and their technical quality) as required.
g. Draft minutes of all meetings and compile a concise debriefing document for all stakeholders after each mission.
h. Draft a project concept note/ proposal, and preliminary work plan, budget plan, etc.
2. Providing general technical backstopping on trade facilitation issues and the implementation of WTO TFA and/or AfCFTA TF provisions to the GIZ teams as required during scoping and project preparation. This includes in particular:
a. Participation in (virtual) technical discussions with (potential) project partners and stakeholders and provide technical expertise, for example general support in trade facilitation and analytical inputs as required.
b. Commenting on the quality of selected project deliverables as required.
As the projects are in different stages of conceptualization, different approaches are required depending on scope, thematic focus, stakeholders and whether the project is in an upscaling process. Project working language is English or French. When necessary, translation and simultaneous interpretation to local language will be arranged through the local GIZ offices.
For more details, please refer to the terms of reference.

Beschreibung der Verlängerungen

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.

Beschreibung der Optionen

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.

Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Bedingungen

1. Trading name and address, commercial register number.
2. Eligibility declaration that no grounds for exclusion in Section 123, 124 of the German Act Against Restraints of Competition (GWB) apply.
3. Eligibility declaration subcontractors if applicable.
4. Association clause if applicable.

Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Auswahlkriterien

1. 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: 900.000 EUR
2. Average number of employees and managers in the last three calendar years, at least 15 persons

Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Auswahlkriterien

1. The technical assessment is only based on reference projects with a minimum commission value of 100.000 EUR.
2. At least 3 reference projects in the technical field trade facilitation,
2 reference projects in managing short-term expert pools,
and at least 3 reference projects in Africa in the last 3 years.

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.