ISSUANCE DATE: Feb 23, 2016
QUESTIONS DUE BY: March 15, 2016
PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE AND ANSWERS: March 22, 2016
CLOSING TIME AND DATE: 1:00 PM (EST), April 5, 2016
Under the management of UCLBP, Global Communities is implementing the USAID and American Red Cross funded CUCD program for neighborhood planning, livelihoods and infrastructure. CUCD is one program within the larger USAID and American Red Cross funded portfolio in Canaan that seeks to support the GoH’s vision to promote equitable and resilient urban development in Canaan. CUCD is seen as an opportunity to harness the energy and investments of Canaan’s residents and set the northern expansion of metropolitan Port-au-Prince on a path of inclusive planned growth. This RFA is to implement activities under the Global Communities implemented livelihoods and economic development component. American Red Cross is directly implementing a Social Mobilization component that aims to support communities in Canaan to be better organized to actively participate in reducing disaster risks and improving their resilience as a cohesive entity. Other partners such as Habitat for Humanity and UN Habitat are also engaged under GoH’s vision to advance a common program vision. Strong coordination and collaboration between implementing actors and respective projects will be critical to successfully support the GoH’s vision for Canaan.

Located close to the intersections of National Road 1 with National Road 3 and Route Neuf, Canaan was created after the GoH’s decree of public utility in May 2010. Currently approximately 200,000 people, most of them internally displaced after the earthquake on January 12, 2010, live there without any kind of basic services. Over the past five years, Canaan’s rate of growth development has been remarkable despite the relative lack of services and support from outside actors. Canaan residents’ resilience and spirit of entrepreneurship and self-reliance have enabled them to succeed with an estimated investment of
$100 million.

CUCD’s objective is to create better living conditions in Canaan through the introduction of urban development, public services and infrastructure construction and the promotion of key livelihoods solutions through a participatory process.

While Canaan is located in a very strategic position at the entrance of the “Cote des Arcadins”, it is still considered an isolated neighborhood without tangible connections to state authorities or the formal private sector, and close communities such as Croix-des-Bouquets, Cabaret, Metropolitan Port-au-Prince, and Mirebalais. Therefore, CUCD will also promote social and business connections with the surrounding areas and business actors, transforming the economic and cultural life of Canaan’s residents. As a result of the comprehensive set of interventions identified and prioritized through a participatory processes, the life of Canaan residents will significantly improve.
Goals and Objectives

Global Communities’ CUCD Program, through this open procurement, requests proposals from one operator or two joined operators to design and execute an innovative component to provide business development services, increase access to financial services such as scale-up and start-up credit, and strengthen job skills and employability for women and men in the Canaan area of Port au Prince, Haiti. The RFA specifies that sub-award funds may not be used for loan capital or guarantee funds and that all activities be developed and completed on May 18, 2017.

The CUCD program seeks to achieve two main Results:

RESULT 1: A better functioning and more resilient urban area created through carefully planned neighborhood upgrading and urban management initiatives.

RESULT 2: A more dynamic and equitable livelihoods sector fostered by reducing market barriers and inefficiencies and stimulating new economic opportunities in Canaan. The Intermediate Result targeted
under Result 2 is: Barriers to Livelihoods Reduced.

Opportunities for synergies with activities implemented under Result 1, under American Red Cross’ Canaan Social Mobilization project and other partner initiatives, will be developed wherever possible. The activities implemented under the Integrated BDS and Employment Creation component will contribute to the achievement of Result 2. The applicant may propose sub-results such as outcomes or outputs that further define how activities will lead to the defined program results.

Further information about the CUCD program will be provided to the winner.

The following are some illustrative strategic activities. The applicant will propose results and activities aligned with the overall CUCD program results. An integrated work plan and timeline for the delivery of all proposed activities must also be proposed and will be updated by the successful applicant at the start of the award:

a. Strategic activities related to business development

- Promote entrepreneurship in the Canaan area;
- Identify key business opportunities, in identified value chains, to be developed in Canaan addressing needs of Canaan and outside communities; Identify existing job skill
Profiles/occupations of women and men based on the value chain study and other information on promising sectors;
- Develop a job skills/employability training strategy linked to business development opportunities identified in the value chain study or other information on verifiable areas of labor demand; thestrategy will specify target groups (including women and youth) and rationale for these choices, selection criteria, skills areas to be developed and job placement / self-employment supports;
- Conduct training and job placement accompaniment
- Promote groups and individuals to develop self-employment opportunities;

b. Strategic activities related to the savings and credit practices
- Identify the characteristics of target individuals, groups or entities in terms of savings and credit.
This is to facilitate beneficiaries identification and permit the evaluation of the changes in
financial performance or use of financial services;
- Design an efficient and effective methodology to facilitate access to financial services for beneficiaries targeted under the business development and self-employment activities, following best practices in this domain;
- Provide practical financial education adapted to the culture and context of the target population;
- Provide information permitting the analysis of history, trajectory and results during the contract
period.

c. Strategic activities related to access to financial services
- Offer lines of credit or loan products adapted to the context and market of the target area (note for this activity the applicant must bring its own credit fund, and have a strategic interest to expand its financial services to Canaan residents; the award funds may be used for certain costs associated with the initial expansion of new financial services to Canaan, but may not be used for loan capital or to guarantee loans).
- Provide advice to micro entrepreneurs on financial products and services appropriate to their situation
- Offer financial or microfinance services (insurance, factoring, etc.) besides loans;
- Provide information to know the history, trajectory and results of loans and microfinance services during the contract period.

Applicants who are eligible to apply are: US, host country, international, faith‐based and community organizations, and educational institutions who are able to respond through written applications.

Applicants can be a consortium or temporary team. All applicants must be legally recognized organizational entities under applicable law and authorized to operate in Haiti (within the role they are applying for – specifically microfinance institutes). For-profit entities are eligible to apply, but fixed fee or profit must not be included in the budget. Government and parastatal entities are ineligible to apply for this award.

To be eligible for award of a Subgrant Agreement, in addition to other conditions of this RFA, organizations must have a politically neutral humanitarian mandate, a commitment to non‐discrimination
with respect to their employees and to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment
practices. Non‐discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender,
and political affiliation.

Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the subrecipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in all lower-tier subawards and contracts issued under a Subaward Agreement.

Cliquer ici pour télécharger le dossier complet d’appel d’offres

The Applicant may submit its proposal electronically by Internet email with up to 2 attachments (5MB limit) per email compatible with MS WORD, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat in a MS Windows environment to infoproc@globalcommunities.org with “IBDSEC RFA Application” in the email subject field.

Hard copies, if any, should be submitted in person, in sealed envelopes, titled IBDSEC RFA Application, to: Procurement Officer at Global Communities Haiti office, address: 15, Rue
Tertullien Guilbaud, Christ-Roi, Port-au-Prince, Haiti (https://goo.gl/7P3TvU).

Please note that the closing time has been modified to 1:00 PM (EST) which is 12:00 PM Haiti time, April 5, 2016