COMPETITION TYPE: 
Call for Proposals
DETAIL DESCRIPTION: 
GIZ intends to award a contract to a local company for Capacity Building of Local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). The detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) of the assignment and the relevant Annexes are attached to this Call for Proposals.
If you are awarded the contract, you are not excluded from bidding for the implementation of the following project phase. However, a prerequisite for participation in a subsequent tender is that you do not benefit from your involvement in the previous contract and that the equal treatment of all bidders is ensured.
Context
WOW: Women Empowerment for Wellbeing (WOW) is a regional project launched in Armenia in November 2023 on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). WOW builds on the activities and results of the implemented GIZ-project EPIC and is focused on women’s support and assistance. The project objective is to strengthen the rights, resources, and representation of marginalised, displaced and conflict-affected women in Armenia.
It specifically includes:
- Strategic and organisational advice on the provision of social services;
- Capacity building and support of partner organisations as well as the target group of
marginalised, displaced and conflict-affected women;
- Promotion of economic participation;
- Promotion of gender equality by strengthening women's participation in economic and
social life;
- Support community initiatives for the common good to foster gender equality.
WOW is highly committed to gender equality and promotes women’s economic empowerment and social participation within their communities.
The necessity for conducting capacity building activities for selected CSOs working in the field of the displaced and vulnerable population is very crucial as currently the Government of the Republic of Armenia reported that over 100,000 displaced people (including 30,000 children) have entered Armenia from Nagorno Karabakh since hostilities escalated on 19-20 September 2023.
CSOs play an important role in addressing the problems of displaced people from Nagorno
Karabakh, especially when working in collaboration with the Government of Armenia and other international organizations working in the field of displaced population such as UNHCR. CSOs often have strong connections with local communities and can engage directly with displaced populations. This grassroots approach helps in understanding the unique needs of individuals and communities, fostering trust, and ensuring that assistance programs are culturally sensitive and contextually appropriate.
At the same time, CSOs can complement the efforts of Government institutions by filling the gaps in service provision to displaced and vulnerable population. They can focus on specific aspects of support or provide additional resources to enhance the overall impact of relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Capacity building initiatives will strengthen the institutional capacities of CSOs and will equip CSOs with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to operate more effectively. This includes the trainings of CSOs staff in relevant areas such as proposal writing, project management, financial literacy and accounting, fundraising and donor seeking. As a result:
- CSOs will become more proficient, and they can better address the complex challenges
associated with displaced populations, ultimately leading to more impactful and
sustainable interventions.
- All CSOs participated at the series of trainings will be able to write a proposal/ proposals
with long-lasting couching and support provided by the trainers/couches and to submit
to EPIC/WoW team, GIZ Armenia.
- Withing the framework of EPIC/WoW Project five proposals directed towards
community-based social participation and cohesion will be selected for financing by
GIZ (grant projects).
Direct beneficiaries of the program are registered CSOs (NGOs, foundations, community-
based organizations) that are committed to sustainable and inclusive local development and working on the whole territory of Armenia.
Tasks to be performed by the contractor
a) Objective
To conduct capacity building activities and to strengthen the institutional capacities of local
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to implement projects aimed at socio-economic integration of displaced persons from NK.
b) The contractor is responsible for providing the following services:
It's essential for the contractor to work closely with the local CSOs, understanding their context, and customizing the capacity-building activities to meet their unique needs and challenges. Communication, collaboration, and a participatory approach are key elements in the successful execution of such an assignment.
1) Needs Assessment:
- Conduct a thorough needs assessment to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the
local CSOs;
- Analyse the specific capacity knowledge gaps that need to be addressed and to
present a Report on findings to GIZ.
2) Developing a Capacity Building Plan:
- Facilitate assessment of the local needs for developing needs-based proposals
contributing to socio-economic integration aspects of the displaced persons in the local
communities;
- Create a comprehensive plan outlining the capacity-building activities to be undertaken
to address the specific needs identified during the needs assessment.
3) Trainings and Workshops:
- Design and implement training sessions and workshops to enhance the skills and
knowledge of CSO staff and members;
- Cover areas such as proposal writing, project management, financial literacy and
accounting, fundraising and donor seeking, and other relevant topics based on the
specific needs identified during the needs assessment.
4) Resource Mobilization:
- Assist CSOs in developing strategies for fundraising and resource mobilization;
- Provide guidance on grant writing, proposal development, and donor relations;
- Facilitate networking opportunities and collaborations among CSOs, encouraging the
exchange of knowledge and resources;
- Help build partnerships with other organizations, government agencies, and
stakeholders.
5) Reporting and Documentation:
- Maintain accurate records of capacity-building activities and their outcomes;
- As a result of all the interventions to ensure that each of the selected CSOs presents
one detailed proposal including timeframe and budget to GIZ for further selection for
possible funding;
- Provide a final report to GIZ.
Certain milestones, as laid out in the table in the below attached ToR file, are to be achieved during the contract term.
The company will coordinate closely in all technical issues with the WoW Project of GIZ
Armenia. All activities must be agreed with the GIZ. The reports shall be submitted to GIZ in English.
Concept
In the tender, the tenderer is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2
(Tasks to be performed) are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further
method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the tenderer
must describe the project management system for service provision.
Note: The numbers in parentheses correspond to the lines of the technical assessment grid.
Technical-methodological concept
Strategy (1.1): The tenderer is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the tenderer presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2).
The tenderer is required to present the actors relevant for the services for which it is
responsible and describe the cooperation (1.2) with them.
The tenderer is required to present and explain its approach to steering the measures with
the project partners (1.3.1) and its contribution to the results-based monitoring system
(1.3.2).
The tenderer is required to describe the key processes for the services for which it is
responsible and create an operational plan or schedule (1.4.1) that describes how the
services according to Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) are to be
provided. In particular, the tenderer is required to describe the necessary work steps and, if
applicable, take account of the milestones and contributions of other actors (partner
contributions) in accordance with Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) (1.4.2).
The tenderer is required to describe its contribution to knowledge management for the
partner (1.5.1) and GIZ and to promote scaling-up effects (1.5.2) under learning and
innovation.
Project management of the contractor (1.6)
The tenderer is required to explain its approach for coordination with the GIZ project. In
particular, the project management requirements specified in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be
performed by the contractor) must be explained in detail.
The tenderer is required to draw up a personnel assignment plan with explanatory notes
that lists all the experts proposed in the tender; the plan includes information on assignment dates (duration and expert months) and locations of the individual members of the team complete with the allocation of work steps as set out in the schedule.
Further requirements (1.7)
Capacity-building measures for local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) need to be
innovative, inclusive, participatory, and most of all inspiring. Besides direct support to
targeted CSOs, the tenderer shall also ensure the transfer of knowledge (developed different strategic documents) to other CSOs – e.g. sharing templates, guidelines and training modules.
REQUIREMENTS: 
The company needs to meet the following requirements:
- A documented path of experience with at least five years in the fields of conducting
trainings as well as in the topics of proposal writing, project management, financial
literacy and accounting, fundraising and donor seeking;
- Proven ability to access networks and individuals of the economic and social sectors in
Armenia;
- Excellent understanding of and ability to meet the demands and standards of an
institution of international development cooperation;
- Excellent understanding of how to approach and communicate with private
businesses/ start-ups, intermediaries, international organisations, government and state
institutions;
- Structured, efficient, transparent and professional way of cooperation and
communication, especially in case of applying as a consultancy company;
- Experience on gender mainstreaming is a strong asset;
- Creative and innovate approaches for substantial and user-friendly publications and
presentations.
Personnel concept
The tenderer is required to provide personnel who are suited to filling the positions
described, on the basis of their CVs (see Chapter 7, in TOR file attached below the announcement), the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications.
The below-specified qualifications represent the requirements to reach the maximum number of points in the technical assessment.
Team Leader
Tasks of the team leader:
- Overall responsibility for the advisory packages of the contractor (quality and deadlines);
- Coordinating and ensuring communication with GIZ, partners and others involved in the
project;
- Personnel management, in particular identifying the need for short-term assignments
within the available budget, as well as planning and steering assignments and supporting
local and international short-term experts;
- Regular reporting in accordance with deadlines.
Qualifications of the team leader:
- Education/training (2.1.1): University degree in Management, Social Science, Economics
or other relevant field;
- Language (2.1.2): At least B2-level language proficiency in English;
- General professional experience (2.1.3): 8 years of professional experience in the fields
of working with CSOs and capacity building;
- Leadership/ management experience (2.1.5): 5 years of management/leadership
experience as project team leader.
Short-term expert pool with a minimum 2, maximum 3 members:
For the technical assessment, an average of the qualifications of all specified members of
the expert pool is calculated. Please send a CV for each pool member (see Chapter 7, in TOR attached below, Requirements on the format of the bid) for the assessment.
Tasks of the short-term expert pool, which should be implemented under the guidance and
supervision of the Team Leader:
1) Needs Assessment:
- Conduct a thorough needs assessment to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the
local CSOs;
- Analyse the specific capacity knowledge gaps that need to be addressed and to
present a Report on findings to GIZ.
2) Developing a Capacity Building Plan:
- Create a comprehensive plan outlining the capacity-building activities to be undertaken
to address the specific needs identified during the needs assessment.
3) Trainings and Workshops:
- Design and implement training sessions and workshops to enhance the skills and
knowledge of CSO staff and members;
- Cover areas such as proposal writing, project management, financial literacy and
accounting, fundraising and donor seeking, and other relevant topics based on the
specific needs identified during the needs assessment.
4) Resource Mobilization:
- Assist CSOs in developing strategies for fundraising and resource mobilization.
- Provide guidance on grant writing, proposal development, and donor relations.
- Facilitate networking opportunities and collaborations among CSOs, encouraging the
exchange of knowledge and resources.
- Help build partnerships with other organizations, government agencies, and
stakeholders.
5) Reporting and Documentation:
- Maintain accurate records of capacity-building activities and their outcomes.
- As a result of all the interventions to ensure that each of the selected CSOs presents
one detailed proposal including timeframe and budget to GIZ for further selection for
possible funding.
- Provide final report to GIZ.
Qualifications of the short-term expert pool
- Education/ training (2.6.1): University degree in Social Science, Economics or other
relevant field;
- Language (2.6.2): At least B2-level language proficiency in English;
- General professional experience (2.6.3): 2 experts with 10+ years of professional
experience in the CSO sector, strategic planning, Organizational Development,
programmatic and financial management, 1 expert with 10+ years of professional
experience in the PR, communication and visibility.
The tenderer must provide a clear overview of all proposed short-term experts and their
individual qualifications.
Please find the Costing Requirements in ToR file attached below the announcement.
Inputs of GIZ or other actors
Materials to be provided by GIZ:
- List of selected CSOs provided by UNHCR
- Capacities Needs Assessment of targeted CSOs conducted by GIZ.
Requirements on the format of the tender
The structure of the tender must correspond to the structure of the ToRs. In particular, the
detailed structure of the concept (Chapter 3) should be organised in accordance with the
positively weighted criteria in the assessment grid (not with zero). The tender must be legible (font size 11 or larger) and clearly formulated. It must be drawn up in English (language).
The complete tender must not exceed 10 pages (excluding CVs). External content (e.g. links to websites) will also not be considered.
The CVs of the personnel proposed in accordance with Chapter 4 of the ToRs must be
submitted using the format specified in the terms and conditions for application. The CVs shall not exceed 4 pages each. They must clearly show the position and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long. The CVs can also be submitted in English (language).
Please calculate your financial tender based exactly on the parameters specified in Chapter 5 Quantitative requirements. The contractor is not contractually entitled to use up the days, trips, or budgets in full. The number of days, trips and workshops and the budgets will be contractually agreed as maximum limits. The specifications for pricing are defined in the price schedule.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 
If you are interested in performing this work, please submit a bid in accordance with the GIZ bidding conditions described below by 11 March 2024, 17:00 (date of receipt at GIZ). Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.
Your bid should be submitted electronically.
Your bid, comprising the technical offer (company’s background, relevant experience, CVs of involved experts, rough concept with a workplan and timetable, etc.) and the price offer (signed document, calculation based on expert days must be clearly marked as such,
and submitted as two separate emails. The technical offer should be in English language. Please send your bid to: ************@***.** with the following subject line:
- For technical offer with the subject line: 83460384 Technical Offer
- For financial offer with the subject line: 83460384 Financial Offer
All documents must be submitted in PDF format. Please do not put any other recipient in copy.
Price offer
The payment will be done in local currency. Tax and customs privileges shall apply to this procurement. Please take this into consideration while preparing your company’s offer.
The Tax Identification Number of GIZ is 02898241
Procedural questions
Please address any commercial, technical and procedural questions at an early stage. Questions will be answered if they are received at the latest two working days before the closing of the tender. Questions must be raised in writing by email only to:
Mrs. Liana Nikoghosyan
email: *****.***********@***.**
Non-compliance may result if your bid is not being considered
Evaluation of Offer can be found in the Call for Proposals file attached below.
Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this announcement through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am. Thanks.
ABOUT: 
The detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) of the assignment and the relevant Annexes are attached to below the announcement.
ATTACHMENTS:
ToR - 83460384ToR.pdf
Call for Proposals - 83460384CallforProposals.pdf
General Terms of Contract in English - 83460384GeneralTermsOfContractEN.pdf
General Terms of Contract in Armenian - 83460384GeneralTermsOfContractAM.pdf