REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Version 2 

Effective date: October 1st, 2025 

[Tender for Digital Market Linkage Facilitation service] 

RFP DOCUMENT :22/2026 

RFP ISSUE DATE: 

[November 2, 2026] 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE: [November 16,2026, 17:00 Kigali Time] 

CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT

PREPARED BY 

CARE RWANDA

1. ABOUTCARE 

At CARE, we seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live with dignity and security. 

This has been our vision since 1945, when we were founded to send lifesaving CARE Packages to survivors of World War II. Today, CARE is a leader in the global movement to end poverty. We put women and girls in the center because we know we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE works in more than 100 countries, reaching millions of people with life-saving and long-term development programs. 

For more information about CARE and our work, visit: https://www.care.org/our-work/  

2. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND CLAUSES 

2.1. CARE’S GENERAL CONDITIONS 

The enclosed document is not an offer to contract, but a solicitation of a vendor’s proposed intent. Acceptance of a proposal in no way commits CARE to award a contract for any or all products and services to any vendor. 

CARE reserves the right to make the following decisions and actions based on its business interests and for reasons known only to CARE: 

• To determine whether the information provided does or does not substantially comply with the requirements of the RFP 
• To contact any bidder after proposal submittal for clarification of any information provided. 
• Towaive any or allformalities of bidding 
• To accept orreject a proposal in whole orpart without justification to the bidder • To not accept the lowest bid 
• To negotiate with one or more bidders in respect to any aspect of submitted proposal 
• To award another type of contract other than that described herein, or to award no contract; 
• To enterinto a contract oragreement forpurchasewith partiesnotresponding to this RFP 
• To request, at its sole discretion, selected Vendors to provide a more detailed presentation of the proposal
• To not share the results of the bids with other bidders and to award contracts based on whatever is in the best interest of CARE. 

Any material statements made orally or in writing in response to this RFP or in response to requests for additional information will be considered offers to contract and should be included by vendor in any final contract. 

2.2. CONFIDENTIALITY/ NON-DISCLOSURE 

All information gained by any vendor concerning CARE work practices is not to be disclosed to anyone outside those responsible for the preparation of this proposal. Any discussion by the vendor of CARE’s business practices could be reason for disqualification. CARE, at their discretion, reserves the right to request a non-disclosure agreement. 

Reciprocally, CARE commits that information received in response to this RFP will be held in strict confidence and not disclosed to any party, other than those people directly responsible for the evaluation of the responses, without the express consent of the responding vendor. 

Finally, the information contained within this RFP is confidential and is not to be disclosed or used for any other purpose by the vendor. 

2.3. PUBLICITY 

Any publicity referring to this project, whether in the form of press releases, brochures, or photographic coverage will not be permitted without prior written approval from CARE. 

2.4. LIABILITY 

The selected vendor(s) will be required to show proof of adequate insurance at such time as CARE is prepared to procure the services. The participating vendor will also be required to indemnify and hold harmless CARE for, among other things, any third-party claims arising from the selected vendor’s acts or omissions and will be liable for any damage caused by its employees, agents or subcontractors. 

2.5. FORCE MAJEURE 

• Neither Party shall be responsible for a performance that is delayed, hindered, or is rendered inadvisable, commercially impracticable, illegal, or impossible by a “Force Majeure Event.” A Force Majeure event includes, without limitation, an act of nature, a pandemic, emergency, civil unrest or disorder, actual or threatened terrorism, war, fire, governmental action or interference of any kind, power or utility failures, strikes or other labor disturbances, a health warning issued by the Center for Disease Control (or similar agency), any other civil or governmental emergency and/or any other similar event beyond a Party’s reasonable control. 
• The Party that seeks to invoke this Force Majeure provision (the “Affected Party”) shall provide the other Party (the “Unaffected Party”) with a written notice within ten (10) days of the date the Affected Party determines a Force Majeure Event has occurred. 

2.6. ERRORS AND OMISSIONS 

CARE expects the vendor will provide all labor, coordination, support, and resources required based on the vendor’s proposal and corresponding final SOW. No additional compensation will be available to the vendor for any error or omission from the proposal made to CARE. The only exclusions are add-ons, deletions, and/or optional services for which the vendor has received written authorization from CARE. 

2.7. OWNERSHIP OF WORK 

All work created under this assignment must be original work, and no third party should hold any rights in or to the work. All rights, title and interest in the work shall be vested in CARE. This does not apply to pre-existing platforms, software or materials owned by the bidder or a third party, which remain with their owners; the bidder grants CARE a free, non-exclusive licence to use any such materials included in the deliverables. Data collected from MSMEs under this assignment is collected on behalf of CARE, with the informed consent of the MSMEs. 

2.8. CONFLICT OF INTEREST 

CARE encourages every prospective Supplier to avoid and prevent conflicts of interest, by disclosing to CARE if you, or any of your affiliates or personnel, were involved in the preparation of the requirements, design, specifications, cost estimates, and other information used in this RFP. 

3. BIDDER’S DECLARATION

Yes No

Ethics: By submitting this Proposal/Quote, I/we guarantee that the bidder has not engaged in any improper, illegal, collusive, or anti-competitive arrangements with any competitors; has not directly or indirectly contacted any buyer representative (aside from the point of contact) or gather information regarding the RFP; and has not attempted to influence or offer any type of personal inducement,reward, orbenefit to any buyerrepresentative.

I/We affirm that we will not engage in prohibited behavior or any other unethical behavior with CARE or any other party. We also affirm that we have read the general clause and conditions included in this RFP and that we will conduct business in a way that avoids any financial, operational, reputational, or other undue risk to CARE.
Conflict of interest: I/We warrant that the bidder has no actual, potential or perceived Conflict of Interest in submitting this Proposal/Quote; or entering into a Contract to deliver the Requirements. CARE Procurement's Point of Contact will be notified right away by the bidder if a conflict of interest occurs during the RFP process.
Bankruptcy:l/Wehave notdeclaredbankruptcy,arenotinvolvedinbankruptcy or receivership proceedings, and there is no judgment or pending legal issues that could hinderthe ability to conduct business.
	Offer Validity Period: I/We confirm that this Proposal/Quote, including the price, remains open for acceptance for ninety (90) days from the proposal submission deadline.
I/We understand and recognize that you are not bound to accept any proposal you receive.
By signing this declaration, the signatory below represents, warrants and agrees that he/she has been authorized by the Organization/s to make this declaration on its/their behalf

Supplier Name:

Title/Designation:

Company Name:

Date:

Signature

4.  CONDITIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL 

4.1. PROPOSAL GUIDELINES 

This Request for Proposal represents the requirements for an open and competitive process. 

All vendors must provide written notification via email to (RWA.Procurement@care.org) of their intent to participate, or not to participate in the bidding process by [November 6, 2026].Failure to send this notification will not disqualify a bidder. 

Proposals will be accepted until [ November 16,2026 at 17:00 Kigali time] delivered via email solely to (RWA.Procurement@care.org),no later than the above specified date. Any proposals received after this date and time will not be accepted. All proposals must be signed by an official agent orrepresentative of the company submitting the proposal. 

If the organization submitting a proposal must outsource or contract any work to meet the requirements contained herein, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. 

Additionally, all costs included in proposals must be all-inclusive to include any outsourced or contracted work. Any proposals which call for outsourcing or contracting work must include the name and description of the organizations being contracted. 

All costs must be itemized to include an explanation of all fees and costs. 

Payment terms: Payments will be made only against deliverables accepted in writing by CARE, in line with the payment schedule in the Terms of Reference (Annex 1). No advance payment will be made unless the ToR provides for one and it is secured by a bank guarantee. Payment will be made by bank transfer within thirty (30) days of receipt of a valid electronic billing machine (EBM) invoice and CARE’s signed acceptance of the deliverable. 

Contract terms and conditions will be negotiated upon selection of the winning bidder for this RFP. All contractual terms and conditions will be subject to review by the CARE legal department, and will include scope, budget, schedule, and other necessary items pertaining to the project. 

Any verbal information obtained from, or statements made by representatives of CARE shall not be construed as in any way amending this RFP. Only such corrections or addenda as are issued in writing by CARE to all RFP participants shall be official. CARE will not be responsible for verbal instructions. 

PROJECT PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION 

CARE is issuing this RFP (Request for Proposal) soliciting qualified bidders to submit 

proposals for a Framework Agreement for Digital Market Linkage Facilitation services for SERVE participants (MSMEs). 

This RFP is an invitation to bid, not an offer of contract. Bidders must submit a responsethat complies with the minimum requirements contained herein.

4.2. PROJECT OVERVIEW 

CARE is seeking a Supplier to submit proposals intended to establisha Framework Agreement for Digital Market Linkage Facilitation services for SERVE participants (MSMEs). 

Requirements Specs	Qty.	Unit of Measuremen t	Required Duration	Implementing Location
Digital Market Linkage Facilitation service to CARE RWANDA=-mo -	1	Each	6 Months	Covering All SERVE Districts : Rwamagana, Kayonza, Ngoma, Kirehe, Rulindo, Gakenke, Nyabihu, Rubavu, Huye and Nyamagabe

Contract Period 

2 Years

Framework Agreement

Project context and Framework Agreement: The services will be delivered under the SERVE project, funded by the Mastercard Foundation, which aims to build a resilient, sustainable, gender equitable and inclusive entrepreneurial environment that increases dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for young people, especially young women, in agricultural value chains in ten districts of Rwanda. This consultancy contributes to increasing the number of SERVE MSMEs that sell through digital channels and have sustained linkages with buyers, as measured by the indicators in the Terms of Reference (Annex 1). The first assignment under the Framework Agreement is the six-month assignment described in the Terms of Reference (Annex 1), including the target number of MSMEs and buyers per district; it is the basis for the technical and financial evaluation. CARE intends to establish a non-exclusive Framework Agreement for two (2) years from signature with up to two (2) Suppliers. The Framework Agreement does not commit funds or guarantee any minimum volume of work. Each further assignment will be commissioned through a separate call-off (work order or purchase order) stating the target MSMEs and buyers, districts, duration and budget, and will be issued only against an approved purchase requisition. The unit rates in the Supplier’s price schedule will apply to all call-offs; they are fixed for the first twelve (12) months, after which the Supplier may request one review, supported by evidence, capped at 5%. Call-offs will go to the highest-ranked Framework Agreement holder; if it declines or lacks capacity, the call-off will go to the next-ranked holder, with the reason recorded on file. Performance will be evaluated after each call-off against the targets and indicators in the ToR. 

Requirements

The Bidder shall demonstrate the following: 

• Experience: At least three years in digital commerce, e-marketplaces, market systems development, or enterprise development. 
• MSME onboarding: Proven experience onboarding MSMEs onto digital platforms. 
• Market linkages: Experience facilitating market linkages and engaging buyers. 
• Local knowledge: Strong knowledge of Rwanda’s digital entrepreneurship ecosystem. 
• Monitoring: Capacity to provide analytics and performance monitoring, with a clear set of indicators and reports. 
• Partnerships: Existing partnerships with e-commerce platforms, private sector actors, or buyers. 
• Work plan: A clear methodology and timeline for delivering the services. 
• Personnel: CVs of a qualified team, including a team lead, a digital commerce or platform specialist, and a market linkages specialist, each meeting the minimum qualifications set out in the ToR. At least one key team member must be fluent in Kinyarwanda. 
• References: At least three client reference letters or completion certificates for similar assignments. 

PROJECT TIMELINE 

All bidders are advised to strictly follow the timeline below as noted. 

Any technical questions arising during the preparation of your response to this RFP should be submitted in writing via email to (RWA.Procurement@care.org ) no later than November 10, 2026.

Schedule of Activities/To-do	Date of the Activity/ Deadline of Submission	Responsible	Remarks
RFP Issued	[November 2,2026]	CARE
Supplier to notify CARE of intention to participate in bidding	[November 6,2026]	Supplier	For planning only; not a condition for submitting a proposal.
Deadline for submission of clarification questions to CARE	[November 10,2026]	Supplier	Deadlines must be strictly observed.
CARE to answer all clarifications	[November 13, 2026]	CARE

Supplier’s Deadline of Submission of Proposal	[November 16 2026]	Supplier	Deadlines must be strictly observed.
Evaluation of Proposal	[From November 17 to November 30,2026]	CARE
Vendor presentation (Or Physical verification if required)	[December 4, 2026]	Supplier
Finalists selected and Notification of award	[December 16,2026]	CARE	Upon notification,the contract negotiation with the winning bidder will begin immediately.

4.3. EVALUATION CRITERIA 

CARE will evaluate all proposals based on the following criteria. To ensure consideration for this Request for Proposal, your proposal should be complete and include all of the following criteria: 

• Overall Proposal Suitability: proposed solution(s) must meet the scope and needs included herein and be presented in a clear and organized manner 
• Previous Work and Awards:Bidders will be evaluated on examples of their work pertaining to the requirement as well as client testimonials and references 
• Technical Expertise and Organizational Experience: Bidders must provide descriptions and documentation of staff technical expertise and experience. Bidders also need to provide their experiences as an organization which includes 

 but not limited to years of experience, financial stability, expertise, and edge to other competitors.

Onboarding and Market Linkage Methodology:Bidders will be evaluated on their approach to onboarding MSMEs onto digital platforms (including

MSMEs with low digital literacy, women, youth and persons with disabilities) and to engaging buyers and sustaining market linkages. 

Value and Cost:Bidders will be evaluated on the cost of their solution(s) based on the work to be performed in accordance with the scope of this project.

1. TechnicalProposal
A. OverallProposalSuitability	25%
B. Previous Work and Awards	15%
C. Technical Expertise and Organizational Experience	20%
D. Onboarding and Market Linkage Methodology	10%
Subtotal	70%
2. Financial Proposal (Value and Cost)
E.Value and Cost	30%
Subtotal	30%

Total

100%

Only bidders who submit all eligibility documents listed under “Application Process”, item 1 (Company Eligibility and Registration), will be evaluated. A minimum technical score of 49 out of 70 is required to proceed with the financial evaluation. 

Scoring method: Each evaluator scores each sub-criterion independently on a scale of 0 to 5 (0 = not addressed: information missing or not relevant; 1 = poor: major gaps, does not meet the requirement; 2 = weak: partly meets the requirement, with significant weaknesses or little evidence; 3 = adequate: meets the requirement, with minor weaknesses; 4 = good: fully meets the requirement, supported by clear evidence; 5 = excellent: exceeds the requirement, with strong, verifiable evidence), based only on the documents submitted, and records a written justification for each score.. 

1. Overall Proposal Suitability (25): understanding of the assignment and the SERVE context (8); realistic work plan and timeline for the ten districts (7); monitoring framework, indicators and sample reports or dashboards (6); approach to data protection and safeguarding (4). 
2. Previous Work and Awards (15): at least three similar assignments supported by completion certificates or client reference letters (9); relevance to rural MSMEs or donor funded programmes (6). 
3. Technical Expertise and Organizational Experience (20): Team Lead (6); digital commerce or platform specialist (4); market linkages specialist (4); documented partnerships with platforms, private sector actors or buyers (4); financial capacity (2). 
4. Onboarding and Market Linkage Methodology (10): MSME onboarding approach, including women, youth and persons with disabilities (5); buyer engagement and sustainability of linkages (5). 
5. Value and Cost (30): financial score = (lowest evaluated price ÷ bidder’s evaluated price) × 30, calculated on a VAT-inclusive basis, for bidders whose technical score is at least 49/70. Arithmetic errors will be corrected by CARE. A bid is considered abnormally low where its price is more than 20% below CARE’s cost estimate for the first assignment; such a bidder must submit a cost breakdown, and a bid whose price cannot be justified may be rejected. 

4.4. APPLICATION PROCESS 

The proposals should indicate the following: 

1. Company Eligibility and Registration

• Company Profile. 
• Copy of RDB Registration Certificate. 
• Copy of VAT Registration Certificate (if the bidder is VAT-registered). 
• Valid RRA Tax Clearance Certificate. 
• Valid RSSB Clearance Certificate. 
• Signed Bidder’s Declaration (Section 3).

2. Technical requirements: 

The application file should contain the following documents: 

• CVs and firm profile: Detailed Curriculum Vitae of the proposed team members and/or the profile of the firm proposing to carry out the work. Where a team is proposed, the Bidder shall clearly explain the distribution of roles and responsibilities. 
• Technical offer: A technical proposal with a clear timeframe and a description of the proposed methodology for each specific objective of the Terms of Reference (Annex 1), detailing how each deliverable will be achieved. 
• Evidence of similar experience: Copies of similar assignments completed, together with evidence of satisfactory completion (such as completion certificates or client reference letters). • Evidence of partnerships: Letters of support, MoUs, or other proof of existing partnerships with e commerce platforms, private sector actors, or buyers. 
• Monitoring framework: Proposed indicators and sample reports or dashboards demonstrating analytics and performance monitoring capacity. 

3. Financial Capacity 

• The Bidder submit a financial offer detailing all costs associated with the delivery of the services, broken down by category (for example, MSME onboarding, buyer engagement and linkage activities, monitoring and reporting, and travel to ten districts). The offer shall include itemized daily rates for each consultant type, the number of days proposed, and unit rates (for example, per MSME onboarded and per buyer linkage facilitated) that will apply to all call-offs under the Framework Agreement. The total cost of the first assignment must be shown. Prices shall be in Rwandan francs (RWF) and VAT inclusive. The Bidder shall confirm acceptance of the payment schedule in the ToR (Annex 1). 
• The financial offer shall be submitted in PDF format as a separate document from the technical proposal. 
• The offer shall remain valid for at least ninety (90) days from the proposal submission deadline. 
• Audited financial statements or other evidence of financial capacity for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. 

Note: The detailed Terms of Reference (Annex 1), including the objectives, scope of work, deliverables and acceptance criteria, timeline, target numbers of MSMEs and buyers per district, and payment schedule, are attached to this RFP and form part of it. 

Interested bidders are requested to submit their offer not laterthan November 16, 2026 at 17:00 Kigali time to the following e-mail address: rwa.procurement@care.org with Subject Line “ RFP 22/2026 Digital Market Linkage Facilitation service to CARE Rwanda”. 

Kigali, November 2, 2026

Procurement Unit 

ANNEX 1: TERMS OF REFERENCE – DIGITAL MARKET LINKAGE FACILITATION SERVICES [Insert the approved Terms of Reference. The Annex must cover the items below.] Objectives: [general and specific objectives from the approved ToR]. 

Scope, deliverables and acceptance criteria: [each deliverable, with the evidence CARE will use to accept it, consistent with the payment schedule in 4.2]. 

Targets for the first assignment: [number of MSMEs to be onboarded and number of buyers to be engaged in each district: Rwamagana, Kayonza, Ngoma, Kirehe, Rulindo, Gakenke, Nyabihu, Rubavu, Huye and Nyamagabe]. 

Timeline: [six-month work plan by week or month]. 

Key personnel and minimum qualifications: [degree, years of experience and languages for the Team Lead, the digital commerce or platform specialist and the market linkages specialist].