R&D Group, in partnership with Hybrid Designs and the Mastercard Foundation under the EDGE Program, is seeking qualified consulting firms to deliver a blended skills-training package and job placement support for 5,500 young people nationwide.

TENDER INVITATION

Assignment Title: Delivery of Blended Skills Training and Job Placement Support for 5,500 Young People

Tender Reference No.: R&D/EDGE/RFP/011/2026

Issuing Organization: R&D Group (in partnership with Hybrid Designs and the Mastercard Foundation under the EDGE Program)

Date Issued: August 17, 2026, 5:30 PM

1. Assignment Objective & Scope

The EDGE Program invites qualified consulting firms to deliver a blended skills-training package to 5,500 young people nationwide, onboard them to an e-learning platform, and support their placement into work with supported MSME enterprises. Target participants are divided into three training durations:

• Short-term Training: 1,400 participants (1 offline session + online learning follow-up)
• Medium-term Training: 600 participants (2 days offline + online learning follow-up)
• Long-term Training: 3,500 participants (at least 4 offline sessions + on-the-job sessions)

Key Placement & Inclusion Targets: Convert at least 75% of trained youth into confirmed youth-at-work placements, aiming for 80% female participation and 10% representation from disadvantaged groups (IDPs, PWDs, refugees).

2. Location & Contract Duration

• Operational Coverage: Nationwide (primarily outside Addis Ababa, with priority focus on Southern Ethiopia, Oromia, and other regional states).
• Contract Duration: Initial firm fixed-price contract for 6 months.

3. Key Deliverables

• D1: Training Needs Assessment & Inception Report (methodology, QA plan, work plan, job-matching assumptions).
• D2: Customized Enterprise-Specific Curriculum Materials (approved by R&D Group).
• D3: Cohort Delivery & Completion Reports (per-batch attendance and satisfactory completion).
• D4: E-Learning Onboarding Confirmation & Placement Tracking Reports.

4. Qualification Requirements

• Legal Compliance: Valid business registration, trade license, Tax Identification Number (TIN), and tax clearance certificate.
• Firm Experience: Minimum 5 years of experience delivering vocational, soft-skills, or enterprise-linked training at scale, with proven delivery networks in rural and regional Ethiopia.
• Key Personnel:
  • Training Manager: Bachelor’s degree or higher with minimum 7 years of experience in training program management.
  • Curriculum Development Specialist: Demonstrated experience in adult learning curriculum development.
  • Master Trainers / Facilitators: Minimum 4 years of experience facilitating adult training.
  • Placement / Job-Matching Officer & LMS Lead: Relevant experience in employer linkage and managing learning management platforms.

5. Submission Guidelines & Deadlines

• Questions & Clarifications Deadline: August 18, 2026, by 5:30 PM
• Proposal Submission Deadline: August 21, 2026, by 5:30 PM
• Submission Format: Technical proposal (max 12 pages in PDF, excluding CVs/annexes) and Financial proposal (Annex A unit rates in ETB) submitted as separate files.
• Email Address: [email protected] 

Tender details

• Deadline: 2026-08-21
• Bid closing time: 17:30
• Bid opening: 2026-08-21 17:30
• Bid opening (note): No Specific Opening Date and Time
• Region: Addis Ababa
• Publishing entity: R&D Group
• Published on: 2merkato.com (Aug 17, 2026)
• Posted at: 2026-08-17T13:29:39.000Z