Consulting services on private and financial sector development in Ghana

Kurze Beschreibung

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana are critical to achieving economic growth and development. MSMEs form the foundation of private economic activity in Ghana, accounting for approximately 70% of GDP. MSMEs employ approximately 85% of the workforce in Ghana. However, unemployment remains one of the country"s major economic challenges. This was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In view of the above, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is supporting the Ghanaian Government to tackle the high rate of unemployment and promote green jobs via the Support to the Private and Financial Sector (PFS) programme. The programme commenced in January 2023 and will run until December 2025. The programme builds on the experience of the previous Programme for Sustainable Economic Development (PSED) and aims to improve the employment situation of MSMEs in five regions of Ghana, i.e., Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo. This tender serves to recruit consultants who will support the implementation of four key outputs of the PFS programme, namely, 1) support for financial services, 2) business development service offering for MSMEs; 3) employment services for job seekers, especially for migrants, internally displaced people and the vulnerable population; 4) promotion of green business opportunities for MSMEs. For the third output the EU is contributing through co-financing.

Beschreibung der Beschaffung

The contractor will be responsible for the management of a pool of national and international experts ("short-term expert pool") which will contribute to the overall strategy and objectives of the PFS programme. The services delivered by the short-term expert pool will be related to the following activities under the four key outputs of the programme: Access to financial services for MSMEs (Output 1) - Provide trainings and capacity development measures at partner financial institutions (banks, MFIs, insurance companies, pension fund trustees etc.) of the project in product development optimization of business processes, market research development, green finance, sales and marketing, digital solutions to increase outreach, etc. - Capacity development for MSMEs in coordination with their trade associations to enable them to manage their businesses well and access financial services - Participatory development of a public-private implementation-oriented action plan of inclusive financial services for women led businesses (Gender Action Plan for Inclusive Finance) and advice on the implementation of selected activities - Knowledge transfer to MSME associations, to strengthen their competence regarding financial management and analysis including the area of sustainable and green financing - Integration of PFI offerings (financial services and complementary BDS offerings) into the new regional networks which will be created in the implementing regions by Output 2 - Advised public stakeholders such as the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana (BoG) and National Insurance Commission (NIC) on improving the regulatory and supervisory framework of innovative financial services for MSMEs Improved business development service offering for MSMEs (Output 2) - Advice on the formation of regional networks to improve the work-sharing cooperation between business development service (BDS) providers (public and private), MSME associations and the Regional Coordination Councils (RCCs) - Advice on adapting the range of services offered by the network partners to the priority demand of MSMEs, through the diversification/specialization of the BDS portfolios and corresponding training/advice for staff. - Advice, review and update strategic plans or documents for the effective and efficient running of regional networks (based on the performance of the networks) - Stimulating MSME demand for the services of regional network members through information and awareness campaigns on the availability and benefits of BDS - Development/provision of temporary subsidies in the range of services offered by the regional networks for combining BDS with financial services. - Mobilizing the Ghanaian diaspora and integrating their regional representatives into the networks - Create a pool of experts (enterprise development) on readiness to deliver speeches, keynotes, presentations, serve as panel members etc. during the MSME trade festivals. Improved employment services for returned migrants and jobseekers (Output 3) - Integration of the regional/local structures of the Department for Employment and Labour Relations (Regional Labor Departments) and other providers of employment services into the regional networks in the five intervention regions - Improvement of the offering of employment services and office infrastructure as well as further advice for the specialist staff of the Public Employment Centers (PECs) active in the networks - Cooperation with the Ghanaian European Center for Jobs, Migration and Development (GEC) in the qualification of selected specialists from the PECs for the initial support of job-seeking returnees and potential migrants - Organization of advice including post-foundation support by service providers in the network of returnees and potential migrants who want to take up wage-dependent, self-employed, or collective employment, through technical and business training, material, or financial start-up packages - Enhance the use of legal pathways for labour migration and mobility and set up models and a Study in Europe Desk within a selected employment service. - Diaspora engagement for the social and economic development in Ghana will be enforced. Green Jobs (Output 4) - Implementation of regional potential analyzes for the implementation of the Green Jobs Strategy of the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations (MELR) - Development of regional program proposals for the broad promotion of environmental and climate protection in the MSME sector - Organization of regional MSME competitions on cleaner production and/or expansion into green business areas in cooperation with relevant business associations - Advice and training for the winners of the competitions, including the provision of matching grants - Implementation of a landscape study and action plan on the promotion of Green and Inclusive Businesses in Ghana - Facilitate Access to Green Finance by building a pipeline of bankable projects through assistance to MSMEs on concrete business proposals, and through collaboration with and support to financial institutions - Policy measures to promote green business opportunities as identified as part of above-mentioned activities The services to be delivered by the contractor will be based on individual requests by the PFS programme specified during the duration of the contract. This strategy follows a results-oriented approach that requires a high level of flexibility. The contractor is therefore expected to adjust the work plan and to react with additional short-term consultants based on what is emerging through the course of the assignment in consultation with GIZ.

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.

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.