1.0 About the AECF
AECF is a leading development finance organization that helps businesses innovate, create jobs and leverage investments to build resilience and sustainable incomes for rural and marginalized communities in Africa. The goal of the AECF is to close the investment gap between start-ups and the business maturity of entrepreneurs serving the poorest and marginalized communities.
AECF provides patient capital for new and innovative business models in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors in sub-Saharan Africa through a variety of financing instruments including grants, zero-interest loans, guarantees and working capital facilities. AECF’s financing products are complemented by three additional growth support services to improve the viability and sustainability of our investee entities, namely (i) advisory services to improve the internal capabilities of the investee entities (ii) investment support for the mobilization of commercial capital in large volumes, and (iii) knowledge and ideas for learning and gathering evidence to influence policy and advocacy.
The objective of the new AECF strategy 2021-2025 is to strengthen the resilience and sustainable incomes of rural and marginalized communities in Africa. Through catalytic funding, the AECF is emerging and supporting the commercialization of new ideas, business models, businesses and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, expand access to energy and reduce poverty while addressing the cross-cutting themes of women and youth.
2.0 Renewable Energy and Climate Technology Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa Programme (REACT SSA)
REACT SSA is an SIDA-funded program that supports the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa to meet the energy needs of rural communities. The target countries are Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe.
About 510 million people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) currently do not have access to electricity and will not have access to the grid, which will lead to a steady increase in the number of people without electricity until at least 2025. Slow progress and prohibitive cost of conventional solutions to the household energy crisis mean that new, cheaper and more accessible clean technologies offer better chances of improving energy access for rural households.
AECF’s engagement in the energy sector under REACT SSA is designed to catalyze the private sector to increase the supply of cleaner fuels, raise awareness of the dangers of indoor air pollution, demonstrate how new knowledge in renewable energy technologies can be put into practice in ways that benefit the poor, especially to women, and to provide evidence on challenges related to policy formulation and implementation.
3.0 AECF engagement in Burkina Faso and Mali
The AECF’s Renewable Energy and Climate Technologies component provides patient capital for new and innovative business models in the renewable energy sub-sector. AECF’s financing products are complemented by three additional growth support services to improve the viability and sustainability of our investee entities, namely (i) advisory services to improve the internal capabilities of the investee entities (ii) investment support for raising commercial capital in large volumes and (iii) knowledge and ideas for learning and data collection evidence to influence policy and advocate for policy.
The REACT window has two programs in Burkina Faso, namely the REACT SSA and the REACT Efficient Electrification Programme (EEP) and one program in Mali (REACT SSA). The objective of these programmes is to accelerate access to renewable energy technologies for rural and marginalized populations. AECF has invested in 10 companies in Mali (Bamako) under the REACT SSA Mali program, and 12 companies in Burkina Faso, eight under the REACT SSA Burkina Faso program and four under the REACT EEP program.
Mission Context
Burkina Faso and Mali are facing security challenges due to internal and external threats. While the Malian authorities have recently decided to exclude NGOs funded by France, the country’s economic situation continues to deteriorate as does that of its neighbor, Burkina Faso. For several months, attacks on security forces on the border between Ouagadougou and Bamako have increased.
One of the most visible and publicized consequences is the displacement of populations, whether refugees in neighboring countries or internally displaced in their areas of origin or elsewhere in the country. All this has contributed enormously to the rise in unemployment and general impoverishment of the population. Households and SMEs, who are the main customers of the companies supported by AECF, have seen their purchasing power fall drastically. This decline in purchasing power has an impact on the investees’ turnover.
The assignment
The AECF is seeking to recruit a security expert to strengthen the capacities of REACT SSA Burkina Faso (8) and Mali (10) and REACT EEP (4) companies on the possibilities available to ensure the continuity of operations (commercial prospecting, sales, installations, and maintenance of systems) in the current context of the two targeted countries. The goal of the engagement is to Develop a Security Strategy that will help investees deliver their program and activities. Developing the security strategy will include risk identification and mitigation strategy for the investees related to security threats. The engaged expert will have to organize a two-day workshop with investees staff in regard to the developed Security Strategy in order to strengthen the capacity of the investees’ staff.
4.0 Roles and Responsibilities
The security expert will be expected to work closely with the AECF, develop an appropriate work plan and implement it in consultation with AECF. The expert will report to the AECF Senior Technical Advisor.
Key roles and responsibilities include:
- Identify and elaborate on the security threats and incidents in Burkina Faso and Mali.
- Elaboration of a Security Strategy each investee could adapt to its operational context.
- Based on the assessment, drafting the methodology for developing Security Strategy and submission to the AECF for approval.
- Design capacity building modules considering the results of the security situation survey on business activities in Mali and Burkina Faso.
- Selection of the webinar dates in coordination with the AECF.
- Conducting the two-days’ interactive webinar for the 22 investees of REACT SSA Mali and Burkina Faso and REACT EEP, under the coordination of the AECF Senior Technical Advisor:
- Conduct the evaluation of the webinar.
- Support each of the 22 investees to adapt the security strategy to its business context.
- Provide a final report.
5.0 Deliverables and timeline
This engagement is expected to be implemented over a one-month period for the key deliverables described below:
The following will be the expected deliverables of the consultancy:
- Work plan for developing the webinar, including strategy and proposed methodologies, as well as quality assurance plan.
- Evaluation of the expert work, based on evaluation forms filled online by participants.
- Technical advice and support to participants during the webinar.
- Final report on the implementation of the tasks after completing the webinar.
- Security Strategy document.
- Final report
6.0 Payment structure
The breakdown of payments below will be based on milestones against mission deliverables and will be made upon satisfactory approval by AECF. It is expected that this assignment will be delivered over a period of one month from the date of signature of the contract. Payments will be made upon presentation of appropriate timesheets and deliverables.
7.0 Submission of the proposal
To submit a proposal to carry out this assignment, the following are required:
- Degree qualified in a relevant subject or equivalent experience.
- Extensive experience in working in a regulated environment, detail orientated, and able to work to stringent deadlines, whilst always maintaining discretion.
- At least 5 years’ experience working in similar assignments.
- Experience of security decision making and security systems management.
- Experience of supporting delivery of a significant security project
- Demonstrable knowledge of physical protection systems, their design, performance, industry developments and application.
- A financial proposal to achieve this assignment in
- Technical and financial proposals must be submitted as separate documents and must be submitted in English or French.
8.0 Invoicing
AECF is required by the Kenyan tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees and ensure that VAT, at 16%, is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax situation in relation to the provisions of Kenya’s tax laws when developing their proposals.
9.0 Evaluation Criteria
An evaluation committee will be formed by the AECF and will include staff. All members will be bound by the same privacy standards. The consultant must ensure that he or she fully meets all the criteria for a comprehensive assessment.
The AECF may seek and receive clarification from any consultant during the evaluation of a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all consultants to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such a case, the evaluation committee may take those clarifications into account when evaluating the proposals.
In the final selection of qualified bidders, the technical quality of the proposal will be weighted by 75% according to the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of technically qualified bidders will be open. The financial proposal will be assigned a weighting of 25% and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored.
The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are set out in the table below.
| NO. | EVALUATION CRITERIA | E-weighted score | |
| A. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL | 75 | ||
| 1. An understanding of the mandate | |||
| Demonstrate an understanding of the task and expected results. | 10 | ||
| 1.2 |
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10 | |
| 2. Methodology and work plan that will deliver the best possible value on the mission | |||
| Demonstrate the ability to complete the task in a timely and efficient manner.
Demonstrate access to credible, reliable and independent relevant sources on the ground (local/regional databases and human intelligence). Demonstrate the best and most practical approach to the task. Provide a work plan on key deliverables. |
15 | ||
| 3. Qualification and experience | |||
| The consultant must demonstrate relevant past experience to be assessed on the basis of the quality and relevance of previous related engagements. | 10
|
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| Demonstrate relevant experience in conducting similar missions. Provide evidence of similar previous experiences, including a reference list indicating the scope and scale of similar missions; specification of reporting capabilities; provide samples of previously developed reports. Provide also at least 3 signed reference letters for similar work done. | 30 | ||
| B. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL: Clarity, relevance and reality in relation to the market value/value for money of the cost of the mission (including any applicable taxes, refundable and travel). | 25 | ||
| Total score | 100 | ||
10.0 Application
The AECF is an equal opportunity employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
The AECF invites qualified consultants/firms to send a proposal presented in English or French to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org, clearly marked ” Consultancy for a Security Expert – Burkina Faso & Mali.” to receive no later than 5th October 2023 5.00pm EAT time. addressed to: AECF, Procurement Department.
All clarifications and/or questions should be sent to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org by 29th September 2023
11.0 Disclaimer
AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of shortlisted participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this schedule at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time, without notice and without liability to indemnify and/or refund any portion.
The AECF does not charge an application fee for participation in the tender process and has not appointed any agents or intermediaries to facilitate applications. Applicants are advised to reach out directly to the AECF.
