R&D Group, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Hybrid Designs under the EDGE Program, is seeking qualified consulting firms to provide market-readiness and business-development advisory services.

INVITATION TO BID

Tender No.: R&D/EDGE/RFP/014/2026

Offshore Market Readiness and Business Development Support for EDGE-Supported BPO and IT-Enabled Enterprises

1. Background & Context

R&D Group, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Hybrid Designs under the Entrepreneurship in the Digital and Gig Economy (EDGE) Program, invites eligible and qualified consulting firms to submit technical and financial proposals for market-readiness and business-development advisory services. The objective of this assignment is to support EDGE-assisted Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and IT-enabled enterprises to access domestic and international markets, refine value propositions, and build client-linkage pipelines.

2. Scope of Assignment & Key Deliverables

The selected firm will deliver an end-to-end support package across four key tasks:

• Task 1: Market & export readiness assessment for assigned enterprises.
• Task 2: Value proposition refinement, market-entry strategy development, and BPO compliance support (e.g., GDPR, SOC2, PCI, HIPAA).
• Task 3: Enhancement of client-facing business-development materials and BD team coaching.
• Task 4: International prospect outreach and structured market/client linkage facilitation.

Key deliverables include Enterprise Assessment Reports (D1), Market-Entry Strategies (D2), Client-Ready BD Materials (D3), and Market Linkage Evidence & Completion Reports (D4).

3. Timeline & Target Coverage

• Contract Duration: Approximately 4 months for the initial cycle.
• Enterprise Coverage: Up to 23 enterprises based in Addis Ababa and major cities in Ethiopia.
• Delivery Method: Hybrid (in-person and remote).

4. Eligibility & Key Qualification Requirements

• Legal: Valid business registration/trade license and Tax Identification Number (TIN).
• Firm Experience: Minimum 5 years of experience delivering export-readiness or business-development services to SMEs, specifically within BPO, IT-enabled, or digital services sectors. International firms or local firms with strong Global Business Services (GBS) ties are eligible.
• Key Personnel:
  • Team Lead / BD Advisor: Master’s degree in Business, Marketing, or International Trade; min. 8 years of relevant experience.
  • Market/Export Specialist(s): Relevant degree; min. 5 years of experience in market analysis and international BD within BPO/IT-enabled sectors.
  • BD Coach: Relevant qualification; min. 4 years of experience coaching enterprise sales/BD teams.

5. Proposal Submission Guidelines

• Language: All documents must be submitted in English.
• Submission Format: Technical Proposal (PDF, max 12 pages excluding CVs/annexes) and Financial Proposal (Annex A) must be submitted as separate files.
• Submission Method: Email proposals to [email protected].
  • Email Subject Line: RFP: BDS-MKT_RFP/014/2026_[Firm Name]
  • Body Content: Must include contact person, mobile number, and office address.
• Quote Validity: 90 days.

6. Key Procurement Dates

• Date Issued: September 01, 2026
• Clarification / Q&A Deadline: September 04, 2026, by 5:00 PM (via email to [email protected]  with subject line Question RFP: BDS-MKT_RFP/014/2026_[Firm Name])
• Submission Deadline: September 10, 2026, by 5:00 PM 

Tender details

• Deadline: 2026-09-10
• Bid closing time: 17:00
• Bid opening: 2026-09-10 17:00
• Bid opening (note): No Specific Opening Date and Time
• Region: Addis Ababa
• Publishing entity: R&D Group
• Published on: 2merkato.com (Sep 01, 2026)
• Posted at: 2026-09-01T14:17:43.000Z