REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTANT SERVICES – SELECTION OF FIRMS)

 

Uzbekistan

STRENGTHENING OF ECONOMIC RESILIENCE OF VULNERABLE ENTERPRISES (SERVE)

Sector: Finance to MSMEs/Economic Empowerment

CONSULTING SERVICES - COMPONENT B. BUSINESS ENGINEERING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

Mode of Financing: ISFD Loan

Financing No. UZB-1037

Contract №SERVE/QCBS/BET-01

 

The Republic of Uzbekistan has received a financing from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) toward the cost of the STRENGTHENING OF ECONOMIC RESILIENCE OF VULNERABLE ENTERPRISES (SERVE) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consultant services. 

The objective of appointing the Consulting Company (The business engineering team (B.E.T.)) is to support the Executing Agency in promoting Economic Empowerment approach and Islamic finance by developing business models, designing targeted training programs, creating tools for partner financial institutions, and supporting the implementation of Business Development Services (BDS).

The project will recruit international and national consultants possessing MSME business development knowledge. The business engineering team (B.E.T.) will consists of specialized business consultants with experience in MSMEs, business planning, value chain development, and Islamic finance. This team will be placed with the PMU of the Executing Agency (EA). The B.E.T. will work with the SME department of the Executing Agency and develop solutions that will link such services to meet the needs of vulnerable MSMEs.

The implementation period is up to 24 months, starting as soon as the consulting contract has been signed between the PMU/EA. The service will be divided into 2 phases with breakdown – Phase-I with 12 months duration (focused on analysis, drafting, development, planning, examination, research, and formulation of a package of recommendations) and Phase-II with 12 months duration (focused on guiding, coordinating, and monitoring the implementation of the proposed solutions.).

The Consultant will carry out the assignment in office and field whenever is required. The Consultant team shall be composed of (tentatively):

1. Team Leader (International).
2. Training Designing Specialist (1 International).
3. Product Development Specialist/Sharia (1 International).
4. Business Analyst (1 International and 2 National).
5. Business Development Consultant (1 International + 2 National).
6. LGL Consultant (0.5 National).
7. Translator (1 National).

Generally, all Consultants are expected to demonstrate profound professional knowledge and substantial experience in their field of assignment of MSMEs financing.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest and are available at the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YL0uc0nBCTwj7yuAaBf64-u3yk2iPhok/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=102883265367454794668&rtpof=true&sd=true

The Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested Consultants must provide specific information which demonstrates that they are fully qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.).

The shortlisting criteria are:

1. Eligibility Compliance

• The Consultant must comply with IsDB eligibility rules (Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 1.11 of the IsDB Guidelines for the Procurement of Consultancy Services under IsDB Project Financing (April 2019 edition, revised February 2023)).
• The Consultant must be  established or incorporated in an IsDB member country.
• The Consultant must not be subject to any restrictions, sanctions, or debarment by IsDB or any other major international financing institutions.
• The Consultant must be free from any conflict of interest.

2. Relevant Experience and Performance

• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in  designing and implementing  MSME  support programs in emerging markets.
• At least two (2) similar projects implemented in the last 5 years, preferably in Central Asia or similar emerging markets.
• Experience with Islamic finance and economic empowerment programs is required, particularly in the development and implementation of Sharia-compliant financial products and services.
• The Consultant must have experience working with MDB’s, or similar organizations.

Note: Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to 1.12.1 and 1.12.2 paragraphs of the Guidelines for the Procurement of Consultancy Services under IsDB Project Financing ( April 2019 edition, revised February 2023), setting forth IsDB’s policy on conflict of interest.

 

Consultants may associate with other firms  please clearly indicate whether the association is in the form of a joint venture (JV) and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. A draft JV agreement or MoU is recommended for submission. Sub-consulting is permitted in accordance with the Guidelines for the Procurement of Consultancy Services under IsDB Project Financing (April 2019 edition, revised February 2023) and shall be subject to technical evaluation.

 

A consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection limited to Member Countries (QCBS-MC) method set out in the Guidelines for the Procurement of Consultancy Services under IsDB Project Financing (April 2019 edition, revised February 2023).

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours from 09:00 to 17:00 hours (local time).

Expressions of Interest in written form (scanned and signed, in English, with optional Russian translation; PDF format, maximum file size 20 MB) must be submitted electronically via email, with optional submission in person or by mail, no later than 30 September 2025, 16:00 Tashkent time.

 

The PMU “SERVE” under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Niyozbek yuli Str. 1, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Attn: Mr. Alibek Narboev
Head of PMU “SERVE”
Phone: +998901768877.

E-mail: serveprojectuzb@gmail.com

Web site: www.imv.uz