C
OUNTRY
: I
SLAMIC
R
EPUBLIC OF
A
FGHANISTAN
Project:
Assignment Title:
Access to Finance Project
Women Entrepreneurship Initiative: Financial Product
Development and Pilot Program Design
Method of Procurement:
CQS (Selection Based on Consultant’s Qualification)
Project ID:
Grant No:
Reference No:
P128048
IDA H 894
CS-3
Issue Date:
Closing Date:
June 11, 2015
July 6, 2015
The Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Access to Finance project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.
The consulting services (“the Services”) include developing financial products based on the preferences of women-owned/operated micro and small businesses and the design of a pilot program to test the products. The consulting firm will conduct a m arket research to identify the financing needs and appropriate financial products required by the target market segment drawing both on exiting data and on new data that supplements gaps in the first. The new products will be pilot tested by up to two MISFA partner microfinance institutions to be identified during the market research. Downstream work (phase two) is planned as part of this assignment. The selected consulting firm will be expected to undertake the downstream assignment that will include an evaluation of the pilot test, revision of the products and providing recommendations for scale-up. The downstream assignment will be negotiated and contracted separately at a later date to be determined.
This assignment is expected to commence in September 2015 or thereabout.
The Microfinance Investment Support Agency for Afghanistan (MISFA) now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services.
Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.
The shortlisting criteria are:

Demonstrable institutional capacity and experience in the field of market research within the microfinance/financial sector

Experience of designing and conducting market research using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies


Excellent track record or experience in financial product development

Analytical expertise and capacity to appropriately and sufficiently collect, collate and analyze data

Past experience in performing a similar assignment or socio-economic research in
Afghanistan or a post-conflict environment would be an advantage

Awareness of gender and cultural issues
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s
Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits
& Grants] by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a subconsultancy to enhance their qualifications.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the CQS (Consultant’s Qualification
Selection) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 8:00AM to
5:00PM from Sunday to Thursday.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 6 th
July, 2015.
Address:
Mohammad Khalid Abid, Procurement Specialist
Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan
House # 195, Esmat Muslim Street, Shahr-e-Naw, Kabul – Afghanistan
Email: khalid.abid@misfa.org.af
Phone: +93(0) 785 947 866
Website: www.misfa.org.af