TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT, DESIGN, AND DEVELOPMENT FOR LEARNING ACADEMY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALSUSAID LOCAL ENTERPRISE SUPPORT PROGRAM (USAID LENS)

LEARNING ACADEMY FOR MICROFUND FOR WOMEN (MFW)

RFP Date of Issuance: May 18, 2015

Due Date for Questions Round 1:

RFP Mod 1 Date of Issuance:

May 25, 2015; Submission of questions or requests for clarification in writing via email to RFP@jordanlens.org by 17:00 Hours local time in Jordan.

June 8, 2015

RFP Mod 2 Date of Issuance: June 12, 2015

Q&A 1 Date of Issuance: June 12, 2015

Due Date for Questions Round 2: June 24, 2015; Submission of questions or requests for clarification in writing via email to RFP@jordanlens.org by 17:00 Hours local time in Jordan.

Q&A 2 Date of Issuance: July 1, 2015

Deadline for Proposals: July 15, 2015; Submission of proposals (including technical proposal, budget and budget narrative) due by 17:00 Hours local time in Jordan via email to RFP@jordanlens.org. Emailed submissions must contain the subject line “USAID LENS – Learning Academy Project.”

1. PURPOSE STATEMENT

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals from prospective subcontractors to support FHI 360’s implementation of the USAID Jordan Local Enterprise Support Project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Award No. AID-278-LA-14-00001.

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The USAID Jordan Local Enterprise Support Project (LENS) is a five-year project that supports small business growth and better economic planning to strengthen Jordanian communities against economic adversity. USAID LENS brings local governments, business owners and key community groups to collaborate together on initiatives that will boost economic development and create jobs in their communities. These initiatives will be focused on supporting the growth of micro and small enterprises (MSE) and inclusive of women, youth and other vulnerable groups.

FHI 360, via the USAID Local Enterprise Support Project (USAID LENS), issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for its Financial Institution Development Grants in August 2014. The objective of this grants RFA was to encourage better MSE access to finance by working with developmental and micro-finance institutions to improve their product and service offerings to firms and individuals, as well as building the capacity of MSEs to borrow. Through this RFA, USAID LENS invited both not-for-profit and for-profit microfinance institutions, registered as legal entities in Jordan, providing access to financial products and services to underserved and vulnerable communities, to propose initiatives that would strengthen institutional capacity, expand outreach, expand the number and types of financial services offered, or generally increase financial inclusion in Jordan. The Jordan Microfund for Women (MFW), was selected as a recipient of this grant, to be provided through technical services to be directly subcontracted by FHI 360.

As such, FHI 360 is seeking a firm to support MFW in identifying training needs, developing a comprehensive specialized “Learning Academy,” and preparing a monitoring and evaluation plan to track progress against results.

FHI 360 is soliciting proposals from qualified and experienced consulting and/or training firms and institutions with a solid implementation methodology and proven training development and delivery experience. This RFP is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested, qualified, and eligible organizations – Jordanian and international – have a fair opportunity to submit proposals for funding.

2. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Program Background

Microfund for Women (MFW) is a non-profit organization registered under the Ministry of Trade and Finance, dedicated to empowering the entrepreneurial poor, especially women, to transform their lives through their own economic activities.

MFW seeks to dismantle the obstacles that prevent women from creating their own success and building better lives for their families by providing collateral-free loans to start or strengthen their own businesses. These businesses, though typically very small, enable borrowers to accumulate assets, create jobs for others and work their way out of poverty.

MFW observes that Jordanian microfinance beneficiaries lack appropriate skills to succeed in the market. At present, the supporting training and capacity building sessions provided to beneficiaries is limited, weak, and lacks gender and inclusion considerations. Comprehensive training and capacity building services would encourage new beneficiaries, sustain established ones, and enable local communities to participate –both socially and economically– in the Jordanian national growth as it will enable microenterprises to

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transition to the small and medium level, and small and medium enterprises to become larger businesses. MFW believes that to achieve real impact in the life of beneficiaries at all levels, microfinance loans should be tied to a set of capacity building programs. For the training center to achieve its ultimate goals, MFW believes a holistic approach is needed that supports both microfinance beneficiaries and MFW staff.

Objectives of Subcontract

FHI 360 is seeking qualified offerors to: 1) Conduct a Training Needs Assessment of MFW beneficiaries and staff; 2) Design and develop a comprehensive specialized Learning Academy; 3) Prepare and deliver Training of Trainers materials and courses for MFW staff; and 4) Develop a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan that addresses MFW goals and outlines how progress against results and overall impact should be tracked.

The winning Firm will work closely with the MFW Business Development Supervisor and other team members as required. The Firm shall be responsible for successful delivery of the project within 18 months.

Specific Tasks and Deliverables

Phase 1 – Training Needs Assessment (TNA)

MFW Beneficiaries Assessment

Assessing the capacities of MFW beneficiaries will form the foundation for identifying beneficiary training needs and the appropriate training program design, as well as creating a benchmark against which to assess future progress. The Firm is required to adopt a mixed-method approach: quantitative tools will be combined with qualitative tools to yield rich information. The Firm is required to develop a methodology for conducting the assessment, which should be a needs-based segmentation of MFW clients.  The firm should compare needs and approaches against other best practice programs of a similar type.

The TNA should identify training needs segmented by gender, age, governorate, type and size of loan which include: Target group(s) Training scope - topics, skills, competencies Timing (urgency, priority)

The Firm should demonstrate the ability to conduct the assessment, taking into consideration the following values: efficiency, transparency, and accuracy.

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Beneficiaries Assessment Methodology

Data collection tools Data Analysis

Data Source Subjects/Cohort Data Disaggregation

Firm should consider the following data collection tools (when needed): - Interviews- Questionnaires - Observations- Focus Groups- Case Studies

Qualitative and Quantitative

MFW beneficiaries – samples selected by MFW and Firm based on pre-set criteria

- Financial Skills- Management &

Planning- Communications

& Soft skills- Business

Development & Marketing

- Credit

- Gender- Age- Area- Type of loan- Size of loan- Nature of enterprise- Number of loan

cycles

MFW Staff Assessment

Assessing the capacities of MFW staff will form the foundation for identifying staff training needs and the appropriate training program design. The Firm is required to adopt a mixed-method approach: quantitative tools will be combined with qualitative tools to yield rich information. The Firm is required to develop a methodology for conducting the assessment, which should be a needs-based segmentation of MFW staff.  

The TNA should identify training needs segmented by department, years of experience, management level, and governorate. It will also include:

Target group(s) Training scope - topics, skills, competencies Timing (urgency, priority)

The Firm should demonstrate the ability to conduct the assessment taking into consideration the following values: efficiency, transparency, and accuracy.

Staff Assessment Methodology

Data Collection Tools

Data Analysis Data Source Subjects/Cohort Data Disaggregation

Firm should consider the following data collection tools (when needed): - Interviews

Qualitativeand Quantitative

MFW Staff – headquarters & field offices 

- Communication skills- Product Development - Financial

Management - Operations

- Gender- Age- Area- Specialty/area of

expertise

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- Questionnaires - Observations- Focus Groups- Case Studies

Management - Social Performance

Management

- Years of experience in microfinance

- Department- Management Level- Performance- Microfinance basics

and knowledge

Phase II - Development

Training program for MFW beneficiariesThe Firm will design and implement pre- and post-training assessment tests for participants to track improvements in their business and personal skills, behaviors, and knowledge.

Based on the findings and recommendations of Phase I, the Firm will design and develop a training program (30 courses), which should include, but is not limited to, the following topics:

Finance for e n t e rpr ises – basic principles of finance, bookkeeping, budgeting, financial management, basic accounting, income versus expenses, income versus profit, and how to pay back the loan and begin to save money for future expenses;

Management & Planning for enterprises – Basic principles of management, strategies, how to manage an enterprise, how to develop business plans, and people management;

Business Development for enterprises – Basic principles of business development, business assessment tools, how to develop business and organizational plans, how to develop marketing plans, how to network, and how to develop partnerships; theoretical and practical knowledge on market research and competitiveness, how an entrepreneur assesses his/her competitiveness and how this information can be used, strategic and tactical thinking to improve business prospects;

Communications and P er s o n al e n t r epre n e u rs h ip beh a v i o ral and soft s k ills – introduction and development of entrepreneurial competencies, identification of personal entrepreneurial characteristics and their strengths and weaknesses, development of a business idea;

Technology for enterprises – Training that aims to improve microfinance beneficiaries’ understanding of technology concepts and basic skills in technology use with limited resources.

The Firm will develop a training program that is structured in blocks. Each block consists of modules that are tailored and grouped with each other to suit a certain segment of MFW beneficiaries. Required characteristics of the training program:

Should include some off-the-shelf-courses that will be available and offered on demand and some mandatory courses that will be a pre-requisite condition for certain types of loans;

Based on the results and recommendations from Phase I, content of modules should be classified into levels: entry-level, mid-level, and advanced;

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Should be based on practical case studies and examples so participants gain substantive understanding of entrepreneurship and business development and will be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills;

Training materials shall be organized in such a way that each theoretical session is followed with a practical exercise;

The Firm is required to develop a PowerPoint presentation and training program agenda to cover all topics listed above - to be shared in advance for feedback and review by MFW.

Based on Phase I recommendations, training program should include some crash courses that are rapid and intense.

Offerors should demonstrate the ability to use different and various facilitation techniques; develop appropriate participant handouts, templates and tools; and develop follow-up mechanisms, including mentorship, coaching, and networking/linkages opportunities. Firms are encouraged to suggest creative and innovative follow-up mechanisms and tools as part of the proposal.

Design and develop a training program for MFW staff

The Firm will design and implement pre- and post-training assessment tests for participants to track improvements in their business and personal skills, behaviors, and knowledge. Based on the findings and recommendations of Phase I, the Firm will design and

develop a training program (20 courses), which should include, but is not limited to, the following topics:

a. Financial Management – basic principles for successful microfinance, delinquency measurement & control, interest calculation & setting, accounting for MFIs, and financial analysis for MFIs;

b. Operations Management – basic principles of product development, improving operating efficiencies in MFIs, management information system for MFIs, and operational risk management;

c. Social Performance Management (SPM) – how to put a mission into practice, define social objectives, identify, collect and utilize relevant information, and put appropriate systems in place; principles of developing a work plan to introduce SPM to an MFI;

d. Communications and soft s k ills – developing communication skills, competencies, emotional intelligence, and a positive attitude

e. Induction program – overview of microfinance and its history, basic skills required to work in an MFI, nature of microfinance industry, business vs. social approach in microfinance.

The Firm will develop a training program that is structured in blocks. Each block consists of modules that are tailored and grouped with each other to suit a certain segment of MFW staff.

Required characteristics of the training program:

Should include some mandatory courses that will be a pre-requisite condition for certain positions and promotions;

Based on the results and recommendations from Phase I, content of modules should be classified into levels: entry-level, mid-level, and advanced;

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Should be based on practical case studies and examples so participants gain substantive understanding and will be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills;

Training materials shall be organized in such a way that each theoretical session is followed with a practical exercise;

The Firm is required to develop a PowerPoint presentation and training program agenda to cover all topics listed above - to be shared in advance for feedback and review by MFW.

Based on Phase I recommendations, training program should include some crash courses that are rapid and intense.

Offerors should demonstrate the ability to use different and various facilitation techniques; develop appropriate participant handouts, templates and tools; and develop follow-up mechanisms, including mentorship, coaching. Firms are encouraged to suggest creative and innovative follow-up mechanisms and tools as part of the proposal.

Phase III – Training of Trainer (ToT) Programs

The Firm will design, develop, and implement a ToT program for MFW staff. At least 20 MFW members will be selected and trained on delivery of curricula developed under the scope of this project. MFW members should be selected and certified according to pre-set criteria.

Offerors are encouraged to provide a plan to maintain trainer’s availability and sustainability.

The Firm will provide mentoring for MFW members during pilot curriculum delivery phase and develop a Facilitator’s guide that include various facilitation techniques, such as presentations, simulations, role playing, world café, case studies, etc.

Phase IV – Feedback and Evaluation

The Firm will develop a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and curricula, which will include pre-set criteria to assess if the intended outcomes were met. The plan should form a baseline to benchmark future curricula delivery and improvements.

Offerors should demonstrate ability to provide a basis for further program (curricula) development and continuous quality improvement. 

Phase Deliverable

1 Assessment Work Plan: Firm is required to prepare a detailed work plan to be used in the assessment. The work plan will be submitted to USAID LENS and MFW for approval no later than 2 weeks from signing of contract.

Methodology Plan: A written methodology plan design/operational work plan) will be prepared, submitted and discussed with USAID LENS and MFW prior to implementation.

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Final Assessment Report: The Firm will submit a final report that incorporates an executive summary, table of contents, methodology, findings, and recommendations. This will also include the equipment needs for the training academy that will be procured through a separate mechanism. The report will be submitted in English, electronically.

Raw data ownership: Both electronic and hard-copy data files should be transferred to MFW for any data collection used for this assessment at the end of the assignment.

2 Deliver training program contents as detailed in Phase II above. The curricula should be developed in Arabic (hard and soft copy). However, outlines should be in both Arabic and English. Each curriculum should include the following:

1. Outline that describes course objective, target audience, etc.2. Agenda3. Participant handouts & exercises4. Certificate template5. Pre/post training test

3 Deliver ToT program for at least 20 MFW staff members including best practices of curricula delivery with respect to all details mentioned in Phase III. TOT will be delivered in Amman, Jordan.

4 M&E Plan: a detailed M&E plan used to track and evaluate impact of curricula and programs. Should include Key Performance Indicators for each program. Should provide a monitoring and a reporting schedule and any plans for an evaluation of developed materials.

4 M&E Templates: Pre/Post tests, evaluation form, impact surveys to be used by MFW in doing their M&E

4 Final Report: The Firm will submit a final report that incorporates an executive summary, table of contents, methodology, findings, and recommendations. The report will be submitted in English, electronically.

*NOTE: all written deliverables are to be submitted in English unless indicated otherwise.

The project lifespan should not exceed 18 months.

3. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

3.1 Offerors EligibilityThis competition is open to any non-governmental, non-profit or for-profit entity. To be minimally eligible for funding, offerors must comply with the following conditions:

Organizations must be legally registered or otherwise authorized to conduct business in their country or countries of operation.

Organizations must have a DUNS number. Organizations without a DUNS number can register for one at the following website:

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https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations_v1.7.pdf

Organizations must submit their proposal in English.

3.2 Contract TypeFHI 360 anticipates awarding a fixed price subcontract.

3.3 Funding and estimated period of performanceThe mechanism for funding will be a Fixed Price Subcontract. FHI 360 will issue payment(s) based on submission and FHI 360 acceptance of invoices and associated deliverables or measurable project milestones. Once an award is issued, it will include an invoicing schedule as well as a schedule of deliverables/milestones specified in the Scope of Work.

The subcontract is anticipated to commence in late August/early September 2015 and final deliverables are anticipated to be submitted in within 18 months of contract start.

3.4 Proposal Submission DeadlineProposals may be submitted at any time before 17:00 Hours local time in Jordan on the date specified on the cover page of this RFP. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered. Additional opportunities for applying, however, may be made available in the future.

3.5 Submission Method for Questions and ProposalsSubmit Questions and Proposals electronically to RFP@jordanlens.org. All questions and answers will be shared with all interested offerors. Technical proposals and attachments may be submitted in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF. Budgets must be submitted in Microsoft Excel.

The email subject line should read “USAID LENS – Learning Academy Project”. FHI 360 is not receiving paper applications for this RFP.

3.6 Review ProcessBids will be evaluated and ranked by a committee on a best-value basis according to the criteria below. Only service providers able to provide all of the requirements listed above will be considered.

It is anticipated that the award will be made within 8 weeks after the submission deadline, as stated on the cover of this RFP. Final negotiations and award will be managed by FHI 360.

3.7 Proposal ContentsOfferors will develop their proposals based on their understanding of needs, their prior institutional experience and their determination of the approaches that would be feasible and successful within the context provided above. In all cases, offerors shall clearly explain the rationale for the proposed approaches chosen.

Proposals should include submission of a technical proposal with attachments and a cost proposal. The Technical proposal should be no more than 20 pages (the 20-page limit does

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not include attachments). Proposals must remain valid for at least three (3) months. The format should include the following:

Part A: Technical Proposal

1. Organizational Information:o Organization’s legal nameo Contact nameo Contact person’s positiono E-mail addresso Telephone numbero Link to public websiteo One page organization overview – include year of establishment, brief history,

products/services offered and how they relate to MFW Learning Academy requirements

2. Capability Statement/Past Performance References: Not to exceed three pages – Offerors are required to provide three completed or current project profiles where the Offeror has delivered or is delivering similar services. Please describe how the profiled projects demonstrate past performance related to the Learning Academy Project. Particular attention will be paid to those performed in Jordan and the Middle East. Also include contact information for client references associated with these projects: company or organization, name, phone number and email.

3. Technical Approach: Should be no more than 20 pages – including proposed implementation plan detailing all project activities for the duration of the project with corresponding timelines and resources.

The Offeror should ensure the project lifespan does not exceed 18 months.

4. Staffing: Names, CVs (not to exceed four pages), 2-3 sentence bios for potential field team leaders and essential personnel (including their experience on this type of work) and percentage of staff time of principals and managers on this activity. Please provide two references for each of the proposed staff. Included contact information.

The Offeror must provide CV’s for the following key resources (one person may fulfill more than one of the following roles): A dedicated project manager who will be responsible for the maintenance of

project plan and the delivery of project reporting. He/she will be the chief point-of-contact for this project for updates and issues. He/she will liaise with the MFW designated project manager.

Technical team lead, who will manage the technical aspects of the MFW Learning Academy design and development tasks and deliverables

Trainers and specialists who will draft and train developed curricula

Part B: Cost Proposal

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1. Detailed cost proposal for implementing each of the tasks and broken-down by deliverable that includes the following:

a. Proposed staff, rates, number of days needed to accomplish the workb. Transportation and logistics costsc. Equipment costsd. Costs of workshops, trainings, meeting sessions with MFW staff and

related materials/supplies

2. The detailed cost proposal (Annex A) should be accompanied with a budget narrative (Annex B), and supporting documentation that clearly describe how the budgeted amounts are calculated.

a. A brief narrative explanation and justification for each line item must be included in a separate section entitled “budget narrative” and include data to support actual costs and/or methodologies to support cost estimates. The budget narrative serves as justification for each cost included in a budget; should be presented in such a way as to be easily referenced from the budget; and should provide sufficient information so that FHI 360 may review a proposed budget for reasonableness. All projected costs must be in accordance with the organization’s standard practices and policies.

b. Budgets must be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate reasonableness and completeness. Offerors including budget information determined to be unreasonable, incomplete, unnecessary for the completion of the proposed project, or based on a methodology that is not adequately supported may be deemed unacceptable.

c. Budgets should be submitted in USD if offeror is based outside of Jordan; for offerors based in Jordan, budgets should be submitted in Jordanian Dinar (JOD) with USD equivalent.

d. Please indicate the inclusion/exclusion of any applicable taxes such as VAT.e. Please include a signed biodata form for any proposed staff named in the

budget. See Annex C for FHI 360 template.f. If indirect costs are proposed, offeror must provide a copy of current NICRA.

If the offeror is using an allocation methodology to direct charge operational costs, a detailed explanation must be included within the budget narrative.

Important Note: While FHI 360 anticipates awarding a fixed-price subcontract, the cost proposal template provided (Annex A) is a cost-detailed budget based on the deliverables. A cost-detailed budget is required to sufficiently demonstrate cost reasonableness and completeness.

Part C: Attachments

1. Certifications (Annex E); Certifications are required by FHI 360 and USAID and must be signed by the authorized official, dated and included in the proposal. Recipients will be required to comply with the content of the certifications as part of the contractual agreement when/if funding is approved.

2. Registration certificate for the organization.

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Part D: Special Considerations

Offerors should demonstrate awareness of gender, inclusion, and disability considerations in all parts of the project.

USAID LENS and MFW have the ownership and the copy rights of the training package (training material, case studies, power point presentation, etc.) and will be the only authorized party responsible for producing, rewriting or copying any material developed for this program. All developed material should be submitted in soft copies and branded according to USAID regulations.

3.8 Evaluation CriteriaBids will be evaluated and ranked by a committee on a best-value basis according to the criteria below. Only service providers able to provide all of the requirements listed above will be considered. A concept note may be requested from shortlisted firms in order to make a final decision.

Selection will be based on the following weighted categories:

Evaluation Criteria Points

Technical Approach- Comprehensiveness of proposed approach. Clarity and appropriateness

of proposed technical approach. - Implementation plan and proposed timeline are realistic and include all

proposed elements of the activity.

50 points

Corporate Capabilities and Past Performance- The extent to which the organization and any local partners has

successfully performed similar work in the past.- The proposed management structure is reasonable and sufficient to

implement this work.- Proposed staff person(s) who will be responsible for implementation

have the relevant skills and past experience to successfully complete the assignment.

20 points

Cost Proposal - Reasonableness of proposed budget based on scope of activities being

proposed- Summary budget, detailed budget, and budget narrative included - Signed FHI 360 biodata forms included- Budget should be submitted in USD if offeror is based outside of Jordan;

for offerors based in Jordan, budget should be submitted in Jordanian Dinar (JOD) with USD equivalent.

- Follows budget template (see Annex A), indicates inclusion/exclusion of any applicable taxes. Total price will be evaluated by FHI 360. In

30 points

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evaluating the proposed budget, FHI 360’s concerns include determining whether:

o Proposed price reflects a clear understanding of the requirements stated in this RFP, and is consistent with the various elements of the Offeror’s proposal.

o Proposed price is reasonable in comparison with proposed prices received in response to the solicitation.

o Proposed price is reasonable in comparison with prices with FHI 360’s independent cost estimate.

Unrealistically low or high proposed prices, initially or subsequently, may be grounds for eliminating a proposal from competition either on the basis that the Offeror does not understand the requirement or the Offeror has provided an unrealistic proposal.

TOTAL 100 points

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Offerors are responsible for review of the terms and conditions described below and in the award budget template attached. If relevant, particular attention should be paid to clauses regarding USAID geographic code, marking and branding requirements and equipment and commodity purchases.

4.1 Source of Funding and Geographic CodeAny award issued under this RFP will be financed by USAID funding and will be subject to U.S. Government and USAID regulations. The authorized USAID geographic code for this RFP and any resulting award is Code 937 (the United States, the recipient country, and developing countries other than advanced developing countries1, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source). If offerors fall outside of the authorized geographic code, a waiver will need to be requested from USAID. . All commodities and services supplied under any subcontract resulting from this RFP must meet this geographic code in accordance with the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 22 CFR §228.

4.2 Withdrawal of proposalsOfferors may withdraw proposals by written notice via email received at any time before award. Proposals may be withdrawn in person by a vendor or his/her authorized representative, if the representative’s identity is made known and the representative signs a receipt for the proposal before award.

1 For USAID’s list of developing countries, please see http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1876/310maa.pdf

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4.3 Right to Select/RejectFHI 360 reserves the right to select and negotiate with those firms/individuals it determines, in its sole discretion, to be qualified for competitive proposals and to terminate negotiations without incurring any liability. FHI 360 also reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received without explanation.

4.4 Due Diligence ProcessAny selected firm will be required to complete a Financial Pre-Award Assessment in order for FHI 360 to ascertain that the organization has the capacity to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of the proposed award. As part of the Pre-Award Assessment process the firm will also be requested to submit a financial audit report from the previous fiscal year. In addition, payroll records and other financial information may be requested to support budgeted costs.

4.5 Client Prior ApprovalThe selected offeror will be subject to funding agency approval before a subcontract can be awarded. Therefore, organizations are reminded that there may be delays for this process to be completed. In addition, should such approval not be given, this subcontract cannot be awarded.

4.6 Disclaimer1. Offerors will not be reimbursed for the cost incurred in preparation and submission

of a proposal. All preparation and submission costs are at the Offeror’s expense2. This RFP represents only a definition of requirements. It is merely an invitation for

submission of proposals and does not legally obligate FHI 360 to accept any of the submitted proposals in whole or in part, nor is FHI 360 obligated to select the lowest priced proposal.

3. FHI 360 reserves the right to negotiate with any or all firms, both with respect to price, cost and/or scope of services.

4. FHI 360 reserves the right to independently negotiate with any offeror, or to make an award without conducting discussion based solely on the written proposals if it decides it is in its best interest to do so. FHI 360 reserves the right to fund any or none of the proposals received.

5. FHI 360 has no contractual obligations with any firms based upon issuance of this RFP. It is not an offer to contract. Only the execution of a written contract shall obligate FHI 360 in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in such contract.

6. FHI 360 reserves the right to disqualify any offer based on offeror failure to follow solicitation instructions.

7. FHI 360 may choose to award only part of the activities in the solicitation, or issue multiple award based on the solicitation activities.

8. FHI 360 reserves the right to waive minor proposal deficiencies that can be corrected prior to award determination to promote competition.

9. FHI 360 reserves the right to check applicant’s donor reference

4.7 Request for Proposal Firm GuaranteeAll information submitted in connection with this RFP will be valid for three (3) months from the RFP due date. This includes, but is not limited to, cost, pricing, terms and

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conditions, service levels, and all other information. If your firm is awarded the contract, all information in the RFP and negotiation process is contractually binding.

4.8 Offer VerificationFHI 360 may contact offerors to confirm contact person, address, bid amount and to confirm that the bid was submitted for this solicitation.

4.9 False Statements in OfferOfferors must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and its attachments. Failure to submit correct, complete and accurate information shall lead to automatic disqualification.

4.10 Conflict of InterestOfferors must provide disclosure of any past, present or future relationships with any parties associated with the issuance, review or management of this solicitation and anticipated award. Failure to provide full and open disclosure may result in FHI 360 having to re-evaluate selection of a potential offeror.

4.11 Reserved RightsAll RFP responses become the property of FHI 360 and FHI 360 reserves the right in its solediscretion to:

o Disqualify any offer based on offeror failure to follow solicitation instructions;o Waive any deviations by offerors from the requirements of this solicitation that in

FHI 360's opinion are considered not to be material defects requiring rejection or disqualification; or where such a waiver will promote increased competition;

o Extend the time for submission of all RFP responses after notification to all offerors;o Terminate or modify the RFP process at any time and re-issue the RFP to whomever

FHI 360 deems appropriate;o Issue an award based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion;o Award only part of the activities in the solicitation or issue multiple awards based

on solicitation activities.o FHI 360 will not compensate offerors for preparation of their response to this RFP.o Issuing this RFP is not a guarantee that FHI 360 will award a subcontract.o FHI 360 may choose to award a subcontract to more than one offeror for specific

parts of the activities in the RFP.

4.12 Certification of Independent Price Determination The offeror certifies that—

(1) The prices in this offer have been arrived at independently, without, for the purpose of restricting competition, any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other offeror, including but not limited to subsidiaries or other entities in which offeror has any ownership or other interests,

(2) or any competitor relating to (i) those prices, (ii) the intention to submit an offer, or (iii) the methods or factors used to calculate the prices offered;

(3) The prices in this offer have not been and will not be knowingly disclosed by the offeror, directly or indirectly, to any other offeror, including but not limited to subsidiaries or other entities in which offeror has any ownership or other interests, or any competitor before bid opening (in the

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(4) case of a sealed bid solicitation) or contract award (in the case of a negotiated or competitive solicitation) unless otherwise required by law; and

(5) No attempt has been made or will be made by the offeror to induce any other concern or individual to submit or not to submit an offer for the purpose of restricting competition or influencing the competitive environment.

(a) Each signature on the offer is considered to be a certification by the signatory that the signatory—

(1) Is the person in the offeror's organization responsible for determining the prices being offered in this bid or proposal, and that the signatory has not participated and will not participate in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above; or

(2) (i) Has been authorized, in writing, to act as agent for the principals of the offeror in certifying that those principals have not participated, and will not participate in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above;

(ii) As an authorized agent, does certify that the principals of the offeror have not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above; and

(iii) As an agent, has not personally participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above.

(b) Offeror understands and agrees that -- (1) violation of this certification will result in immediate disqualification from this

solicitation without recourse and may result in disqualification from future solicitations; and

(2) discovery of any violation after award to the offeror will result in the termination of the award for default.

ATTACHMENTSAnnex A – Budget Template Annex B – Budget NarrativeAnnex C – BiodataAnnex D – Terms and ConditionsAnnex E – Certifications

----- END OF RFP ----

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