Provision of Consultancy services for engaging a business development services (BDS) Provider to support training, capacity building, mentoring to women’s groups and enterprises, and TOT facilitation

THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

PRIME MINISTER’S S OFFICE

REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

ADVANCING GENDER EQUALITY IN TANZANIA (PAMOJA)

IDA CREDIT NO. 75160

TENDER NO. 56/2025/2026/C/11

FOR

THE PROVISION OF ENGAGE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (BD) PROVIDER TO SUPPORT

TRAINING, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND MENTORING TO WOMEN’S GROUPS AND ENTERPRISES, AND TRAINING OF TRAINERS (TOT) FACILITATION

RE – ADVERTISMENT

FOR

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

1. This request for expression of interest follows the General Procurement Notice for this Project that appeared in the United Nations Development Business (UNDB) No: OP00371989 of 5th August 2025
2. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has received a credit from the International Development

Association (IDA) for the cost of Advancing Gender Equality in Tanzania (PAMOJA), and implemented by the

Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), as one of the projects implementing agencies, through a Project Implementation Team (PIT). Part of the proceeds from the credit will be used to cover eligible contract payments for engaging a Business Development Service (BDS) provider to support training, capacity building, and mentoring for women’s groups and enterprises in the targeted councils across 10 regions in Mainland Tanzania.

1. PMO-RALG will hire a consultant to support training, capacity building, and mentoring for women’s groups and enterprises.

1. The overall objective of the assignment is to support the PAMOJA project teams (at the national, regional, and local levels) to develop and implement a capacity building program for women-led CMGs in the targeted councils and deliver BDS training/mentoring to female micro entrepreneurs who are members of CMGs. The approach to the assignment will have a strong outcomes orientation: in particular, to strengthen the capacity of CMGs and their members to be economically viable and sustainable, as well as become ready for PAMOJA financing under Component 1.2.

1. The specific objectives of the assignment include: (1) Conduct a rapid but robust needs assessment and baseline diagnostics (within the first 2 months of contract signing) and segmentation of CMGs to customize training and support pathways, including readiness assessments for PAMOJA CMG financing (under Component 1.2) and eventual formal finance. (2) Design a comprehensive, outcome-oriented (and context appropriate and segmented) capacity building program for CMGs – informed by the diagnostic and aligned with PAMOJA CMG financing requirements - that includes emphasis on: group leadership/management and governance, financial literacy and planning, savings and lending practices, group digitization, group performance, and transparency/accountability. (3) Design and operationalize a BDS training and support package tailored to rural women enterprises (NMEs), covering key skills including developing climate-sensitive business plans, cash flow management, marketing, digital skills, quality standards, and market access. (4) Develop standardized curricula, tools, and training materials suitable for rural, gender-oriented contexts in Tanzania. (5) Design and implement a train-the-trainer (ToT) and on-going support model (including curricula and training tools) to build the capacity of LGA staff and DIT teams, community agents/facilitators, and regional/national teams for sustained and quality delivery. (6) Design and roll out a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system and process to track outcomes and enable adaptive management, working closely with national and regional teams. (7) Develop a methodology and quality assurance framework for high-quality training, mentoring, and ongoing coaching of CMGs and their members. (8) Provide hands-on technical support to PMO-RALG and LGAs during implementation, including coaching, quality assurance, and problem-solving; and (9) Any other tasks assigned by the Client in relation to this assignment.
2. The consultant will be responsible for, but not be limited to the following tasks: (a) Inception and Work Planning; (b) Needs Assessment, Baseline Diagnostics and Program Design; (c) Development of Training Materials; (d) Train-the-Trainer (ToT) and Delivery Support – Pilot and Validation Stage; (e) Monitoring, Learning, and Adaptation (f) Program refinement/adaptation and preparation for scale-up (g) Assignment completion and Program continuity. The assignment will be implemented over a 24-30-month period in two phases. Phase 1 will focus on preparation, piloting and validation, and Phase 2 will incorporate pilot learnings for a full program across all districts
3. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website: https://www.tamisemi.go.tz or can be obtained at https://tamisemi.go.tz/announcement/473. All requests for clarification should be sent through the office email: dpmu@tamisemi.go.tz, and the Client will respond to the requested clarifications. The Consultants would be responsible for ensuring that any addenda available on the website are also downloaded and incorporated
4. The Permanent Secretary, PMO-RALG, now invites eligible consulting firms to indicate their interest in providing the above services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services. The interested consultant should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services. The short-listing criteria are: (a) Designing and implementing CMG/VSLA programs at scale in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a strong preference for programmatic experience in Tanzania; information to be provided should include the name of the assignments, the names and full contact addresses of the clients, the contract value (in equivalent US dollars), the period (month/year) of execution of the assignments, and the role played in the assignments (Lead or JV partner); b) Minimum 10 years’ experience in CMG/VSLA, financial inclusion, or livelihoods programs; c) Designing and supporting implementation of large-scale, government-led programs; d) Experience with women’s economic empowerment and gender transformative approaches as plus e) Designing delivering Train-the-Trainer program, particularly in rural contexts; f) Knowledge and expertise in climate resilient business planning in rural contexts; g) Financial inclusion and linkages to formal finance; familiarity with Tanzanian regulatory environment (BoT, KYC, agent banking). The firm's technical and managerial capability (Provide only the organizational structure, the general qualifications, the field of expertise, and the number of key personnel. Do not provide staff CVs. Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but they should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a Joint Venture (JV) and/or a Sub-Consultant. In the case of a joint venture, all partners shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. Therefore, each member of the JV shall independently meet the minimum requirements of the evaluation criteria. The experience, technical, & managerial capability of the sub-consultant shall not be evaluated to enhance the qualification of the Lead Firm or JV. Consultants shall not use the Affiliate Member's Managerial, Technical or Experience Capabilities to enhance their qualifications.

Note that: Consultants shall not be hired for any assignment that would conflict with their prior or current obligations to other clients, or that may place them in a position of being unable to carry out the assignment in the best interests of the Borrower. Without limitation on the generality of the foregoing, Consultants shall not be hired under the circumstances set forth below:

• Conflict between consulting activities and procurement of goods, works, or non-consulting services: A firm that has been engaged by the Borrower to provide goods, works, or non-consulting services for a project shall be disqualified from providing consulting services resulting from or directly related to those goods, works, or non-consulting services.
• Conflict among consulting assignments: Neither consultants (including their personnel and subconsultants) nor any of their affiliates shall be hired for any assignment that, by its nature, may conflict with another assignment of the consultants.
• Relationship with Borrower's staff: Consultants that have a close business or family relationship with a professional staff of the Borrower who are directly or indirectly involved in any part of: (i) the preparation of the Terms of Reference for the assignment, (ii) the selection process for such assignment, or (iii) the supervision of the contract, may not be awarded a contract."

1. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the

World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers”, Fifth Edition, September 2023 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

1. A consulting firm will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
2. Expression of Interest marked: “EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR THE PROVISION OF ENGAGING

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (BDS) PROVIDER TO SUPPORT TRAINING, CAPACITY BUILDING,

AND MENTORING TO WOMEN’S GROUPS AND ENTERPRISES” should be delivered either in person, by mail or by email in a written form to the Secretary, Ministerial Tender Board, Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), CDA Road, Sokoine House, Wing A, Second Floor, Office of the Procurement Management Unit (PMU), Room No. 133, P.O. Box 1923, 41185 Dodoma, Tanzanian or before Monday May 11th at 10:00 hours local time.

PERMANENT SECRETARY

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE

REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT,

Government City, Mtumba

P.O. Box 1923, 41185 Dodoma, Tanzania

Tel: 026-2321607/ 2322853/ 2322848

Fax:026-2322116/2322146 dpmu@tamisemi.go.tz