Request For Proposal: Terms of Reference for gender experts/women rights organizations Consortia for studies for Investing in Women Programme in Benin and Burkina Faso

1.0  About AECF

The AECF is a leading development finance organization that supports businesses in innovating, creating jobs, and leveraging investments to build resilience and sustainable incomes for rural and marginalized communities in Africa. AECF’s goal is to bridge the investment gap between early-stage enterprises and business maturity for entrepreneurs serving the poorest communities.

The AECF provides patient capital to new and innovative business models in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors across Sub-Saharan Africa through various financing instruments, which include grants, zero-interest loans, guarantees, and working capital facilities. AECF’s financing products are supplemented by three additional growth support services to improve the viability and sustainability of our investees, namely, (i) Advisory Services to improve investee internal capabilities (ii) Investment Support in raising commercial capital in significant volumes, and (iii) Knowledge and Insights for learning and evidence gathering for policy influencing and advocacy.

AECF has successfully implemented programmes across 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), supporting over 536 enterprises, raising US$ 480 million in funding for programmes, and leveraging $840 million in additional capital.

The AECF 2021-2025 new strategy objective is to build resilience and sustainable incomes for rural and marginalized communities in Africa. Through catalytic funding, the AECF surfaces and supports the commercialization of new ideas, business models, companies, and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, expand energy access, and alleviate poverty while also addressing the cross-cutting themes of women and youth.

2.0 Our Gender Lens Investing Strategy

AECF’s ambition for gender lens investing stems from its vision to create a prospering and enterprising rural Africa, which is pursued through our mission to unlock the power of the private sector to positively impact the lives of the rural and marginalized communities in Africa. It is also detailed in the institutional Gender Lens Investing Strategy that outlines the approach taken to invest with a gender lens in a way that drives sustainable change for the rural poor. In the strategy, AECF commits to achieving some headline figures – at least 50% of development impact accruing to women across the investment portfolio, 35% of portfolio companies being Women-led, and 40% of jobs created in these companies held by women – and to reorient the investment process to find, nurture and grow business that are providing innovative solutions to increase gender equality in rural communities at the household, business, and market levels.

AECF’s strategy seeks to integrate a gender analysis throughout the investment activities and design and host inclusive investment processes that allow female entrepreneurs and businesses working for and with women equal access to finance. AECF continuously seeks to gather and share insight on its experiences mainstreaming gender to funders, partners, investees, and various ecosystems within the sectors and value chains in which we invest. AECF mainstreams attention to gender dynamics into the culture, practices, policies, and processes of the entire organization and encourages and incentivizes its investees to do likewise. AECF seeks to increase its voice and leadership within the global Gender Lens Investing (GLI) field with a goal to become the premier institution for gender lens investing in Sub-Saharan Africa in line with one of our three core values, which calls us to Take the Lead. The gender strategy also supports and strengthens other core values as we Think Impact and Valuing Our People in an inclusive way.

3.0 About the Investing in Women in Benin and Burkina Faso programme

The Investing in Women in Benin and Burkina Faso (IIW-B&BF) is a six-year gender transformation and economic inclusion programme implemented by AECF with funding from Global Affairs Canada. The programme aims to economically empower women as entrepreneurs in sectors of activity with a high positive impact on the climate in the fields of technological innovation, digital technology, agriculture, production, processing, crafts, and trade to remove the obstacles preventing them from contributing to the development of their activities.

The programme aims to improve the participation and economic resilience of women entrepreneurs in a greener economy in Benin and Burkina Faso. These include access to finance for women-owned SMEs, women’s cooperatives, and emerging women entrepreneurs; improving the capacity of women owners and managers of SMEs and women’s cooperatives to sustainably develop the value chains in which they primarily value chains in which they mainly work, using climate-smart approaches; and overcome entrenched social and cultural resistance to women’s empowerment at national, sectoral and community levels.

4.0 Background of the assignment

AECF is seeking the services of gender experts from consultant groups, women’s rights organizations, etc. Consultants should have extensive experience working in gender-focused interventions in West Africa, with a preference for those with knowledge of both Benin and Burkina Faso’s gender equality landscapes to ensure regional contextual knowledge. They are expected to provide a range of services related to Gender issues and technical assistance for the IIW program in Benin and Burkina Faso. The gender experts will be under the supervision of the IIW Burkina Faso and Benin programme team, mainly the Gender experts.

The assignment  

The expected results of the programme are:

• Improved performance, climate resilience, and sustainability of women-owned micro, small, and/or medium enterprises in a greener economy
• Improved policy, legal, and regulatory environment for effective participation of women entrepreneurs in a greener economy.

Practically by the end of the Programme, we expect:

• At least a 50% increase in women-led SMEs accessing financial services
• 25% increase in the use of climate-smart practices by women entrepreneurs.”
• Two policies integrating Gender and women entrepreneurship and
• Articles in favor of women entrepreneurs

The IIW-Benin & Burkina program includes the following main elements:

•      Window 1 part 1: Investment in SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)

For SME concessional loans

• Allocation of a minimum fund of 50,000 Canadian dollars
• And a maximum amount of 750,000 Canadian dollars

For grants to SMEs (non-refundable)

• Allocation of a minimum fund of 50,000 Canadian dollars
• And a maximum amount of 750,000 Canadian dollars

The funding provided will have a grant/participation ratio of at least 1:0.5 (100% grant/50% participation).

•     Window 1 part 2: Investment in Financial institutions and Financial Services intermediaries (FIs)

For MFI concessional loans

• Allocation of a minimum fund of 150,000 Canadian dollars
• And a maximum amount of 750,000 Canadian dollars

For MFI audited grants (non-refundable)

• Allocation of a minimum fund of 100,000 Canadian dollars
• And a maximum amount of 500,000 Canadian dollars

For financial institutions and financial services intermediaries (FIs), the financing range, which can be a mix of grants and loans or 100% loans, is contained between a minimum of 100,000 to 1,000,000 Canadian dollars.

• The duration of the financing agreement is 4 years.

The funding provided is accompanied by a grant/participation ratio of at least 1:1 (100% grant/100% participation).

•    Window 2: Investment in Cooperatives and Women’s Organizations
  • Allocation of a minimum fund of 75,000 Canadian dollars
  • Maximum funds amount worth 300,000 Canadian dollars

The funding provided has a minimum grant/participation ratio of 1:0.25 (100% grant / 25% participation).
All matching contributions may be in kind and may also be made in cash.

The duration of the financing agreement is 4 years. 

Countries of experience:

• Benin, Burkina Faso in agnostic sectors with Agribusiness as a priority.

4.1 Roles and responsibilities

Technical Assistance

• IIW-Benin & Burkina will provide technical support on gender equality and women empowerment, business management and climate-smart agriculture.
• Delivery of TA will leverage the strength and support of multiple stakeholders. These include professional organizations, business associations, community organizations, women’s rights organizations (WROs), financial institutions (FIs), and government ministries and agencies, including agriculture, gender, environment, commerce, and industry, among others.
• The gender experts will collaborate closely with the national ministries of gender, agriculture, Economy, trade, etc… to ensure alignment with national policies and to advocate for gender-inclusive economic policies.”

5.0 Deliverables and timing

The consultants/Firms will deliver the following:

• Contribute expertise to the nexus between gender inclusion and climate resilience.
• Contribute expertise to women’s economic empowerment through entrepreneurship in fragile and conflict-affected markets.
• Design and implement gender transformation impact analytical frameworks.

Specific deliverables include:

Phase 1: Start-up and context analysis (week 1)

• Deliverable 1: Work plan and timeline of the consultancy.
• Deliverable 2: Presentation schematizing via the review of the literature; the issues, opportunities, and recommendations; study questions to be deepened; and a refined methodological proposal of the consultancy (maximum 10 slides).

Phase 2: Preparation of data collection and gender analysis at indicated areas level (week 2)

• Deliverable 3: Methodology and data collection tools, with context analysis based on the synthetic review (max 15 pages + appendices).

Phase 3: Data collection at the regional level (week3- week6)

• Deliverable 4: Initial presentation of data collection

Phase 4 – Data analysis, drafting of the strategy, report including recommendations (week 7-week 8)

• Deliverable 5: Field report with detailed notes of interviews with partners and target groups, highlighting challenges, good practices and possible synergies.
• Deliverable 6: Written report (30 p max – excluding annexes), including a 1-to-2-page executive summary summarizing the main gender issues identified and the main recommendations/strategic orientations.

5.1 Reporting and timelines

Timeline: 2 months

6.0 Payment structure

The payment breakdown below will be milestone-based against the Assignment deliverables and will be paid upon satisfactory signoff by AECF.

7.0 Proposal submission

The consultant(s)/Firms must demonstrate the following qualifications:

• Advanced university degree (at least master’s or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, International Development, or in an area relevant to AECF’s sectoral work.
• Advanced university degree (at least master’s or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, International Development, or in an area relevant to AECF’s sectoral work.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience at international levels and demonstrated track record in gender and development/humanitarian set up.
• Strong technical, programmatic, and research skills related to gender, along with sectoral expertise in any of the following sectors: agribusiness, women empowerment, youth engagement, disability, and women intersectionalities.
• Ability to contextualize and integrate gender into programme and intervention approaches in complex and fragile ecosystems.
• Fluency in French; knowledge of the English language is an asset.
• Technical and Financial proposals should be submitted as separate documents.
• Daily cost of an expert depending on the topic in USD.
• As per requirements in the evaluation criteria

8.0 Pricing

The Kenyan tax authorities oblige AECF to withhold taxes on service contract fees and ensure VAT, at 16%, is charged where applicable. Applicants should ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position regarding provisions of Kenyan tax legislation when developing their proposals.

CONSULTANTS MUST PROVIDE THEIR FINANCIAL PROPOSAL TAX-FREE.

9.0 Evaluation Criteria

The AECF will form an evaluation committee that includes employees. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. The consultant should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated.

The AECF may request and receive clarification from any consultant when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the consultants to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such an event, the evaluation committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating proposals.

In deciding the final selection of qualified bidders, the evaluation criteria will give the technical quality of the proposal a weighting of 70%. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30%, and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored.

The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are identified in the table below.

10. Application

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates based on merit without regard to race, gender, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

• AECF invites qualified consultants/firms to send a proposal presented in English or French to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org, clearly marked “Terms of reference for gender experts for the Investing in Women in Benin and Burkina Faso STUDIES” to be received no later than 25 March 2025 at 5 pm EAT, addressed to the AECF, Procurement Department.
• All clarifications and or questions should be sent to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org by 17 March 2025, 5 pm EAT

11. Disclaimer

AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice, and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.