RFI TB LEAP 1.20.2022.pdf

SOLICITATION TYPE: SOURCES SOUGHT/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

ISSUANCE DATE: JANUARY 20, 2022

DUE DATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2022; 5:00 PM ET (Washington, DC)

SUBJECT: EMPLOYER OF RECORD SERVICES FOR LONG-TERM

EXCEPTIONAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT (LEAP)

The U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington Bureau for Global Health (GH) is designing a new 5-year activity, the Long-term Exceptional Technical Advisors Project (LEAP). The intervention of this project is to hire and embed technical expert advisors/consultants within Ministries of Health and other relevant entities around the world. By directly embedding the technical expertise within the national programs and government entities, LEAP will provide long-term, sustainable mentoring and capacity building for program staff, empower host governments to lead and manage key aspects of their infectious disease portfolios, and improve coordination between USAID and the host government. We aim to learn more about the interest and capabilities of local entities (including consortiums) that can provide Employer of Record services across a multitude of countries. This RFI is open to all organizations that meet the following criteria in at least one of the countries listed in the annex;

1) Is legally organized under the laws of a country that is receiving assistance from USAID;

2) Has its principal place of business or operations in a country receiving assistance from USAID;

3) Is majority-owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of a country receiving assistance from USAID; and

4) Is managed by a governing body, the majority of whom are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the country receiving assistance from USAID.

The two goals of this RFI are to:

1. Obtain information regarding interest in USAID’s anticipated requirements; and

2. Obtain answers and comments on the Questions to inform the procurement process.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP). In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI shall not be portrayed as proposals and will not be accepted by the U.S. Government (USG) to form a binding agreement. This

RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the USG to issue any solicitation or ultimately any award based on this RFI, or to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. USAID reserves the right to modify the scope and scale of the RFI.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.209(c), the following clause is incorporated into this RFI: “FAR 52.215-3 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION OR SOLICITATION FOR PLANNING

PURPOSES (OCT 1997)”

Background:

The LEAP project focuses on two critical technical areas that are currently lacking in many country government infectious disease (ID) programs. The first is to directly embed Technical Advisors/Consultants within the government to empower host governments in leading and managing key aspects of their infectious disease portfolios. The second is to fill key gaps in technical leadership and oversight within the disease programs. The project will be a direct partnership between host country governments, and USAID, as these Advisors/Consultants will be embedded in Ministries of Health (MoH) and other relevant local entities. The Advisors/Consultants will be providing direct technical assistance (TA) to the national ID programs through mentoring and training. Some illustrative examples of the types of TA LEAP Advisors/Consultants could provide include training on drug procurements, developing national strategic plans, drafting national guidelines and policies, and data collection.

Description of Services:

USAID/GH is seeking expressions of interest for cost effective solutions to hiring professional personnel in the countries listed in Annex A. USAID/GH is interested in understanding the landscape of local entities that have demonstrated expertise in providing payroll and employer of record services for professional personnel in foreign countries. It is not necessary to be physically present in each country, however, it is critical that companies have the legal foundation to hire staff and provide employer of record services across a multitude of countries (a regional approach). Interested companies should, at a minimum, meet the following requirements and be willing to act in the following capacities while complying with applicable U.S. and foreign laws:

● Extensive familiarity with the varied labor requirements applicable for work in multiple countries noted within Annex A

● Potential applicants propose to work to include employment, benefits, payroll, insurance, tax, and other laws, including filing and processing all local labor requirements.

● Familiarity/history working with US Government or United Nations agencies

● Extensive experience and familiarity with recruitment, on-boarding, payroll, benefits, insurance, local taxes, including filing and processing all local labor requirements for both consultants and employees as needed in multiple countries (within a region) and in compliance with all applicable laws.

● Provide for Visa sponsorship where the employee is not a citizen of the country of hire.

● Procure IT equipment (e.g., computers and required computer software, printers, etc.) for the technical experts, if needed and in accordance with USG acquisition guidelines.

● Possess demonstrated financial viability to perform all required services.

USAID/GH presently estimates that it may require these services in the listed countries for up to 200 individuals across 55 countries. The actual numbers may vary. See Annex A for the list of countries.

Submission Instructions:

Interested parties must prepare their submission in English and address the information requested below.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lADeJ_TVEahGau0B-fI528ffOvPjIQlj/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105502414527262158233&rtpof=true&sd=true

Submissions must not exceed two (2) pages (not including the cover page). Submissions must use only

8.5 inch by 11-inch paper, single-spaced pages for all narrative documents and each page numbered consecutively. Interested parties must use Times New Roman font 11 or a similar size typeset and be provided in MS Word or PDF format.

In responding to this request for information, interested parties should provide the following information:

1. Cover page with company name, Point of Contact name, title, telephone number, physical address and email (not included in 2-page limit)

2. A brief description of your company’s experience in providing the services described above with a specific focus on services provided directly to the US Government (or prime contractors) or United Nations agencies.

3. Please elaborate on your company’s experience providing said services in/across multiple countries.

4. Please indicate whether you have a DUNS number and are registered in the U.S. System for Award Management (Note DUNS number and SAM registration is not required for submission of this RFI).

5. Do you have any additional observations regarding the description of services or comments for USAID to consider in planning for this procurement?

Responses to this RFI are due at the date stated above and must be sent to tbleap@usaid.gov. All interested parties are welcome and encouraged to submit responses. Submission via email is required;

phone calls or hard copy delivery will not be accepted. Interested parties will receive only an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response but will not receive individualized feedback or suggestions.

USAID is not seeking technical or cost proposals at this time. Please do not submit a full proposal as these will not be reviewed and will be discarded. Please do not include any additional attachments such as applications or resumes with your submission as they too will be discarded. Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary and USAID will NOT reimburse respondents for the preparation of information submitted in response to this RFI. Submissions in response to this RFI will NOT be returned and respondents will NOT be notified of the results of the review. Respondents may however receive a confirmation of receipt of the response. By responding to this RFI, there will be no advantage or disadvantage to any entity in any subsequent procurement. This RFI does NOT restrict the

Government's approach on future solicitations.

Contact Information: If you have difficulty accessing this announcement electronically, please email tbleap@usaid.gov.