Release Date: 08/10/2026
Closing Date: 09/11/2026 at 17:00 Kigali time (CAT / UTC+2)
TERMS OF REFERENCE Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Recruitment of a Consultancy to Conduct a Digital Market and Digital Skills Gap Assessment across the SAMA Countries (Under the Smart Africa Markets for All (SAMA) Programme, Across the six SAMA countries: Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia) Client / Contracting entity Smart Africa Secretariat 10th Floor, Career Centre Building KG 541 ST, Kigali, Rwanda, P.O. Box: 4913 Tel: +250 788 300 581/+250788822155 Email: tenderenquiries@smartafrica.org | www.smartafrica.org RFP # 157/S.A/SAMA/RFP/10/2026 Programme Smart Africa Markets for All (SAMA) Assignment title Digital Market Gap and Opportunity Analysis and Digital Skills Gap Assessment for the Digital Market, SAMA Interventions 1 and 2 Assignment structure One consultancy awarded as a single package comprising two coordinated components. Bidders must demonstrate distinct technical expertise for each Component and may propose a consortium or specialist team arrangements to ensure adequate depth across both components. A single contract will be awarded for the full assignment. Geographic coverage Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia Languages English and French, with local-language data collection where required Release date 08/10/2026 Closing date 09/11/2026 at 17:00 Kigali time (CAT / UTC+2) Contact Enquiries: tenderenquiries@smartafrica.org | Submissions: procurement@smartafrica.org Table of content 1. Introduction and General Background 1.1 About the Smart Africa Alliance 1.2 About Smart Africa Markets for All (SAMA) Programme 2. Consultancy Purpose and Objectives 2.1 Purpose of this Assignment 2.2. Objectives of the assignment 2.2.1 Specific Objective 3. Scope of the Assignment 3.1 Inception and Integrated research design 3.2 Component 1: Digital Market Gap and Opportunity Analysis (Intervention 1) Work Package 1: Mapping Digital Market Adoption and existing digital solutions Work Package 2: Barriers, Unmet Needs and Opportunity Analysis Work Package 3: Design-Ready Synthesis for Inclusive Innovation 3.3 Component 2: Digital Skills Gap Assessment for the Digital Market (Intervention 2) Work Package 4: Digital Skills and Competency Gap Assessment Work Package 5: Digital Skilling Ecosystem Assessment Work Package 6: Competency Framework and Recommendations 3.4 Baseline Reference Values and MEL Alignment 3.5 Cross-Cutting Requirements 4. Methodology and Sampling 5. Deliverables and Indicative Timeline 6. Duration of the Assignment 7. Reporting and Coordination 8. Profile of the Consultancy Firm and Team 8.1 Institutional Qualifications 8.2 Key Experts 8.3 Minimum Requirements — Key Experts 8.3.1 Team Leader / Principal Investigator 8.3.2 Component 1 Lead — Digital Markets and Inclusive Innovation Expert 8.3.3 Component 2 Lead — Digital Skills, Competency and Curriculum Expert 8.3.4 MEL and Results Measurement Expert 8.3.5 Quantitative Research, Sampling and Data-Analysis Lead 8.3.6 Qualitative and User-Research Specialist 8.3.7 Gender, Disability Inclusion and Safeguarding Expert 8.3.8 Country Research Leads and Field Teams (6 leads) 9. Evaluation Method and Criteria 10. Indicative Payment Schedule 11. Submission Requirements 2 11.2 Technical Proposal 11.3 Financial Proposal 11.4 Submission process 13 . RIGHTS RESERVED 14. ENQUIRIES 15. ANTI-CORRUPTION Annex 1. Proposed baseline indicator matrix Implementation indicators expected to have a zero baseline 3 1. Introduction and General Background 1.1 About the Smart Africa Alliance The Smart Africa Alliance is a bold and innovative commitment from African Heads of State and Government to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent, with the vision of transforming Africa into a Single Digital Market by 2030. Established through its Manifesto, a collaborative effort among African nations, the African Union, the Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union, the private sector, and academic and research institutions, the Alliance was endorsed by African leaders in 2014 and has since garnered the support of 42 African countries representing over one billion people. The Smart Africa Secretariat, headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda, coordinates continental programmes that support digital market integration, policy harmonization, institutional strengthening, and innovation-ecosystem development across Member States, placing information and communications technologies at the core of national and continental socio- economic development. More information: https://smartafrica.org 1.2 About Smart Africa Markets for All (SAMA) Programme Smart Africa Alliance curated the Smart Africa Markets for All (SAMA), an initiative that brings in nexus between digital innovation – entrepreneurship, digital skills and knowledge, and strengthening policy and regulatory environment for digitization of markets while impacting youth with a particular focus on young women. SAMA Programme is a four-year, multi-country initiative supported by the Mastercard Foundation, running from 2026 through 2029. The Program aims to unlock dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for 35,584 young people, with a target of 70% young women, 5% persons with disabilities, and 5% refugees/internally displaced persons, by improving access to digital markets for economically disadvantaged youth, particularly young women small traders. The Programme is implemented across six countries: Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. The program responds to systemic challenges in Africa’s informal economy, where approximately 90% of workers are informal and youth, who make up 75% of the population, face interlinked barriers such as limited digital connectivity, financial exclusion, inadequate market access, and digital skills gaps. SAMA builds on Smart Africa’s existing digital initiatives …
