Rural financial services (RFS)

Added: Jan 26, 2015 4:00 pm Questions & Answers Document

Added: Jan 14, 2015 3:51 pm Please find attached additional information for the Bidder's Conference.

Added: Nov 20, 2014 3:03 pm Modified: Jan 05, 2015 5:04 pmTrack Changes

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Colombia is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an anticipated five-year cost plus fixed-fee contract in the range of USD $20 – $23 Million that will improve inclusive financial intermediation in selected conflictive areas to promote the provision of market-based rural financial services for micro, small and medium size producers and businesses. Through rural financial services, the project intends to reduce the exclusion of certain sectors of the population and improve the conditions for economic growth which are critical in reducing poverty and inequality that are the root causes of the internal conflict. The Mission plans to hold a bidders conference on January 27, 2015
at 8:00 AM at the TRYP Hotel in Bogota, Av. Cll 24 No. 51-41

 The program consists of three main components:

1.         Improved Rural Financial Intermediation

2.         Reduced Barriers to Rural Financial Services

3.         Modernized Financial Environment

By the end of the program, expected results include the following:

·                                  ·        At least 200,000 new clients in marginalized rural areas of Colombia with a total disbursement of at least $500 million in formal financial services.

·                                   ·      Selected financial intermediaries with strengthened capacity.

·                       ·      At least 85% utilization of a USAID Development Credit Authority (DCA) guarantee and similar DCA mechanism developed tailored to Colombian needs in rural marginalized areas.

·                                 ·      At least 10 new or improved financial products or services developed with high potential to be scaled up, including but not limited to value chain finance and insurance.

·                               ·   Knowledge products disseminated with key Colombian financial sector actors including Private Financial Intermediaries (PFIs), government entities and other donors.

           USAID/Colombia will welcome proposals from any offeror, including Local Organizations to achieve the goals for this program. This also includes proposals that reflect alliances or teaming approaches between different types of organizations. USAID expects that Offerors will have equal access to all local organizations needed for this contract, and strongly discourages exclusivity agreements with local organizations.

To qualify as a “local organization” for the purpose of this RFP, an entity must: a) be organized under the laws of the recipient country; b) have its principal place of business in the recipient country; c) be majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent  residents of the recipient country or be managed by a governing body, the  majority of whom are citizens or lawful permanent residents of a recipient country; and d) not be controlled by a foreign entity or by an individual or individuals who  are not citizens or permanent residents of the recipient country. The term “controlled by” means a majority ownership or beneficiary interest as defined  above, or the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to  control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization’s managers or a majority of the organization’s governing body by any means, e.g., ownership, contract, or operation of law. “Foreign entity” means an organization that fails to meet any part of the “local organization” definition. 
 

Local offerors interested in applying to this upcoming RFP are encouraged to review the virtual training program on the public USAID website page on "How to Work with USAID" (http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/get-grant-or-contract/trainings-how-work-usaid). Specifically, the training module “Effectively Responding to USAID Award Solicitations” (http://www.usaidallnet.gov/partner-learning/3/) explains best practices in drafting a response to a solicitation, such as understanding the various parts of a response, developing a time-conscious approach, and becoming familiar with the evaluation process. 

Added: Nov 20, 2014 3:03 pm Modified: Dec 03, 2014 5:49 pmTrack Changes

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Colombia intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) in early January of 2015 for an anticipated five-year cost plus fixed-fee contract in the range of USD $20 – $23 Million that will improve inclusive financial intermediation in selected conflictive areas to promote the provision of market-based rural financial services for micro, small and medium size producers and businesses. Through rural financial services, the project intends to reduce the exclusion of certain sectors of the population and improve the conditions for economic growth which are critical in reducing poverty and inequality that are the root causes of the internal conflict. The Mission plans to hold a bidders conference on the fourth week of January, 2015.

The program consists of three main components:

1.         Improved Rural Financial Intermediation

2.         Reduced Barriers to Rural Financial Services

3.         Modernized Financial Environment

By the end of the program, expected results include the following:

·                                  ·        At least 200,000 new clients in marginalized rural areas of Colombia with a total disbursement of at least $500 million in formal financial services.

·                                   ·      Selected financial intermediaries with strengthened capacity.

·                       ·      At least 85% utilization of a USAID Development Credit Authority (DCA) guarantee and similar DCA mechanism developed tailored to Colombian needs in rural marginalized areas.

·                                 ·      At least 10 new or improved financial products or services developed with high potential to be scaled up, including but not limited to value chain finance and insurance.

·                               ·   Knowledge products disseminated with key Colombian financial sector actors including Private Financial Intermediaries (PFIs), government entities and other donors.

           USAID/Colombia will welcome proposals from any offeror, including Local Organizations to achieve the goals for this program. This also includes proposals that reflect alliances or teaming approaches between different types of organizations. USAID expects that Offerors will have equal access to all local organizations needed for this contract, and strongly discourages exclusivity agreements with local organizations.

To qualify as a “local organization” for the purpose of this RFP, an entity must: a) be organized under the laws of the recipient country; b) have its principal place of business in the recipient country; c) be majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent  residents of the recipient country or be managed by a governing body, the  majority of whom are citizens or lawful permanent residents of a recipient country; and d) not be controlled by a foreign entity or by an individual or individuals who  are not citizens or permanent residents of the recipient country. The term “controlled by” means a majority ownership or beneficiary interest as defined  above, or the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to  control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization’s managers or a majority of the organization’s governing body by any means, e.g., ownership, contract, or operation of law. “Foreign entity” means an organization that fails to meet any part of the “local organization” definition. 
 

Local offerors interested in applying to this upcoming RFP are encouraged to review the virtual training program on the public USAID website page on "How to Work with USAID" (http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/get-grant-or-contract/trainings-how-work-usaid). Specifically, the training module “Effectively Responding to USAID Award Solicitations” (http://www.usaidallnet.gov/partner-learning/3/) explains best practices in drafting a response to a solicitation, such as understanding the various parts of a response, developing a time-conscious approach, and becoming familiar with the evaluation process.  Spanish versions of these documents will be included in the Mission's website.

Added: Nov 20, 2014 3:03 pm

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Colombia intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) on or about the end of the first quarter of FY 2015 (December) for an anticipated five-year cost plus fixed-fee contract in the range of USD $20 – $23 Million that will improve inclusive financial intermediation in selected conflictive areas to promote the provision of market-based rural financial services for micro, small and medium size producers and businesses. Through rural financial services, the project intends to reduce the exclusion of certain sectors of the population and improve the conditions for economic growth which are critical in reducing poverty and inequality that are the root causes of the internal conflict.

The program consists of three main components:

1.         Improved Rural Financial Intermediation

2.         Reduced Barriers to Rural Financial Services

3.         Modernized Financial Environment

By the end of the program, expected results include the following:

·                                  ·        At least 200,000 new clients in marginalized rural areas of Colombia with a total disbursement of at least $500 million in formal financial services.

·                                   ·      Selected financial intermediaries with strengthened capacity.

·                       ·      At least 85% utilization of a USAID Development Credit Authority (DCA) guarantee and similar DCA mechanism developed tailored to Colombian needs in rural marginalized areas.

·                                 ·      At least 10 new or improved financial products or services developed with high potential to be scaled up, including but not limited to value chain finance and insurance.

·                               ·   Knowledge products disseminated with key Colombian financial sector actors including Private Financial Intermediaries (PFIs), government entities and other donors.

USAID/Colombia will welcome proposals from any offeror, including Local Organizations to achieve the goals for this program. This also includes proposals that reflect alliances or teaming approaches between different types of organizations. USAID expects that Offerors will have equal access to all local organizations needed for this contract, and strongly discourages exclusivity agreements with local organizations.

To qualify as a “local organization” for the purpose of this RFP, an entity must: a) be organized under the laws of the recipient country; b) have its principal place of business in the recipient country; c) be majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent  residents of the recipient country or be managed by a governing body, the  majority of whom are citizens or lawful permanent residents of a recipient country; and d) not be controlled by a foreign entity or by an individual or individuals who  are not citizens or permanent residents of the recipient country. The term “controlled by” means a majority ownership or beneficiary interest as defined  above, or the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to  control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization’s managers or a majority of the organization’s governing body by any means, e.g., ownership, contract, or operation of law. “Foreign entity” means an organization that fails to meet any part of the “local organization” definition. 
 

Local offerors interested in applying to this upcoming RFP are encouraged to review the virtual training program on the public USAID website page on "How to Work with USAID" (http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/get-grant-or-contract/trainings-how-work-usaid). Specifically, the training module “Effectively Responding to USAID Award Solicitations” (http://www.usaidallnet.gov/partner-learning/3/) explains best practices in drafting a response to a solicitation, such as understanding the various parts of a response, developing a time-conscious approach, and becoming familiar with the evaluation process.