RFI_USAID_Burma_RITA.pdf

Issuance Date: November 20, 2019 Response Due Date and Time: December 20, 2019, at 8:00 a.m. Burma Local Time.

Subject: RFI_USAID_Burma_RITA

Request for Information on USAID’s Responsible Investment and Trade Activity

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Burma is in the process of designing a new activity to promote inclusive economic growth through facilitation of responsible investment and trade. Subject to availability of funds, it is anticipated that this activity will be implemented over a period of five years. To that end, USAID requests comments and information about interests, capabilities, and market information related to the attached document contained in this file and the set of specific questions included therein to inform the design.

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for planning purposes and is published in accordance with FAR Part 10 and FAR 15.201(e).

This RFI is open for comments from any interested US and Non-US Organizations. This is not a solicitation or a call for proposals. Any proposals submitted in response to this request will not be considered.

Please do not submit applications, proposals, resumes or promotional materials, as they will be discarded.

The submission shall be written in English with each page numbered consecutively.

Responses to this RFI should be submitted to USAID via email to burmaoaa@usaid.gov with subject line “RFI - USAID’s Responsible Investment and Trade Activity”, no later than the date and time stated above. Only electronic submissions will be accepted.

All information provided will become the property of USAID and will not be returned. USAID reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for its purposes, including, but not limited to, potentially sharing that information with third parties. Proprietary information must not be sent. The issuance of this request will not restrict the Government's ultimate approach, if any. Respondents are advised that USAID is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information, answer questions or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. Any information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary and USAID does not plan to post responses to SAM.gov. Not responding to this request does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if any is issued.

Thank you for your assistance and interest..

Sincerely, /s/ Adam Walsh Contracting Officer USAID/Burma

Request for Information on USAID’s Responsible Investment and Trade Activity

(RFI_USAID_Burma_RITA)

Background:

The lack of accountability in Burma’s economy creates a variety of problems for the country. Firms violate social and environmental standards with no repercussions. Taxes are evaded. Opaque firms support the operations of armed groups. USAID seeks to increase the share of the economy run by responsible, accountable, and transparent firms.

USAID is looking for strategies to promote investment by firms committed to responsible business. A variety of barriers put responsible businesses at a competitive disadvantage. While Burma has made significant improvements in easing restrictions on doing business, there remains persistent regulatory and procedural impediments, as well as information and coordination issues within the marketplace.

Additionally, responsible businesses lack quality information about the business opportunities in Burma and how to enter the market.

USAID believes that various types of trade play a role in improving transparency and responsible business practices. By increasing interconnectedness with U.S. and regional businesses, local businesses are exposed to high quality corporate governance of their partners’ home jurisdictions. Such connections also have the power to undercut and disentangle competing forms of economic and political behavior that restrict competition, prevent the sharing of knowledge, and inhibit the flow of capital.

In its efforts to support Burma’s transformation to a more accountable economy, USAID is designing a new activity to facilitate fair and responsible trade and investment between Burma, the U.S., and its regional partners. The activity is envisioned to work directly with the private sector to facilitate deals and business partnerships, strengthen regional economic integration, and improve business transparency and competitiveness. The activity may work across multiple sectors, such as agriculture, as well as in energy and Information Communications Technology (ICT). It may assist Burma’s private sector to engage with government in finding practical solutions to constraints to investment and trade.

The new activity will contribute to the implementation of the U.S. Government's Indo-Pacific Vision and USAID's Private Sector Engagement Policy. To this end, the activity may utilize innovative financing mechanisms and grants under contract to encourage co-investment by the private sector to substantially leverage private sector resources and identify specific areas of engagement. Specific areas of engagement may include:

● Promotion of transparent and responsible business practices;

● Conducting trade and investment fairs;

● Transaction support;

● Business opportunities assessments;

● Business environment analyses;

● Technical assistance on digital systems interoperability (e.g. payment systems);

● Support to corporate boards for training;

● Promotion of civil society organizations (CSOs) for media monitoring and reporting on corporate relationships

● Accounting capacity building;

● Micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) capacity training;

● Entrepreneurship training and events; and

● Other support to be identified and co-designed with the private sector.

USAID acknowledges there are many other development activities working throughout Burma in support of the private sector and in facilitating trade and investment. With this in mind, responses to the questions below should also consider how a new activity can best coordinate with other donors.

Questions:

USAID is requesting information on the potential new Responsible Investment and Trade Activity, which will be implemented over a period of five years. The objectives of the activity are proposed as follows:

1. Increase fair and responsible investment and trade between Burma and the U.S. and regional partners.

2. Increase the transparency and adherence to responsible practices of private-sector firms in Burma.

3. Support initiatives in marginalized parts of the country to promote investment and trade.

Respondents are asked to provide input on some or all of the questions.

1. What technical approaches should USAID consider to achieve the activity’s objectives?

2. What are the core needs of the private sector that, when addressed by an activity such as this, can unlock additional trade and investment? Are there differences in needs between small, medium, and large businesses? What types of facilitation can be provided by an activity such as this that will address these needs?

3. How should USAID structure its activity to best support the private sector and achieve its objectives?

4. How should USAID engage with like-minded private sector firms in Burma to achieve the objectives of the activity?

5. How should USAID best engage with US and regional businesses/investors to achieve the objectives of the activity?

6. What entities currently exist that work to facilitate trade and investment in Burma? What are the gaps that USAID can fill to achieve its objectives?

7. What opportunities are there to work with CSOs and other entities to achieve the objectives of the activity?

8. What sectors (value chains within agriculture and other sectors) and geographic areas would benefit most from this type of activity?

9. What are the most appropriate methods for providing these types of services?

10. What are the risks associated with this type of activity? How can these be mitigated over the course of implementation?

- End of RFI_USAID_Burma_RITA -