REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: Business Consulting Firm

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

The five-year, USAID-funded EpiC/Thailand project will manage and implement a set of interventions to reduce HIV transmission among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), male sex workers (MSW), and transgender women (TGW) populations and to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Thailand. The project supports the implementation of activities that demonstrate marked improvements in access to and uptake of HIV testing, care, support, and treatment services in Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nonthaburi, Patumthani, Phitsanulok, Samutprakarn, Song Khla, and Ubonratchathani.

Sustainability is one of the key priorities under the EpiC program. The project aims to assist community-based organizations (CBOs) to diversify funding and/or to start its own business that have social purposes to create impacts under the Social Enterprise (SE) model.

REQUIRED SERVICES

EpiC Thailand is preparing its partners for a transition from international funding to domestic funding and individualized business opportunities. In order to equip the partners with business skills, it is essential to seek mentorship services to help the partners to conduct organization analyses to identify their opportunities to grow and to incubate potential business model to generate income to diversify funding which will increase sustainability likelihood of the organizations.

FHI 360 is seeking the support of mentorship services from a consulting firm to assist EpiC Thailand identified partners to develop their own business models, to mentor 3 selected sites to initiate and run their own business as a part of funding diversification strategies, and to facilitate business registration including company registration and social enterprise registration. The 3 selected sites are at different stages. Two sites are at the beginning stage that need a mentor to facilitate them to initiate the business idea, draft the business and legal registration plans. Another site has developed their plans already, the need for mentor is to foster them for implementation. Two sites are in Bangkok and one site is in Chiang Mai which the successful candidate is required to travel for some session if necessary. These mentorship services need to be completed by September 20, 2024.

Tasks:

The services required of the contractor would include, but not be limited to:

1. Conduct organizational analysis per SWOT analysis to identify viable business models that can maximize incomes
2. Mentor the organization to conduct a feasibility plan for the pre-identified viable business model
3. Provide mentorship on comprehensive business plans including sale target setting, product management plans, potential client identification, and business launching plans and strategies
4. Provide technical support on internal management to ensure governance and transparency of the business operations
5. Facilitate business registrations including commercial company registration and social enterprise registration
6. Provide information about or link partners with potential investors that are keen to work with social enterprises.

Deliverables:

• Business models for three selected partners including: Report of business model development including SWOT analysis, feasibility plan and marketing plan
• Report of funding diversification strategies for three selected partners including: investor landscape and registration plan

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Please provide the following items with your submission:

• Examples of work
• Proposed budgets for deliverables.
• Proposed timeline for deliverables.

To be acceptable and eligible for evaluation, proposals must be prepared following the preparation instructions found in the RFP and must meet all the requirements stated in this RFP. FHI 360 may reject any proposal that fails to comply with the requirements of this RFP. FHI 360 will evaluate acceptable proposals per the evaluation criteria described below. FHI 360 intends to award and issue a purchase order to the firm that offers FHI 360 the “Best Value” in terms of technical (quality of work –samples and references), cost and past performance. FHI 360 may award on the basis of initial offers received, without discussions. Therefore, each initial offer should contain the Offeror’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint.

DESIRED FIRM/CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal Contractor will possess the following skills:

1. Have at least five (5) years of experience in business operations, incubations, and social enterprise in Thailand
2. Have an expertise in social enterprise law and ecosystem in Thailand
3. Have a strong experience on SDGs and Corporate Share Value (CSV) concepts
4. Have a strong experience in financial management including but not limited to planning, forecasting, and business analyses; and have prior experience as an advisor to or executive at an early-stage company is a plus
5. Experience in conducting market research, including analyzing and synthesizing research reports and conducting primary research studies
6. Have knowledge related to marketing channels and go-to-market strategies
7. Have experience in reaching out to and interviewing the company’s management, employees, and customers

EVALUATION CRITERIA

• Proposed Approach: 40%
• Total cost: 40%
• Relevant experience: 20%

Disclaimers and FHI 360 Protection Clauses

1. FHI 360 will not compensate offerors for preparation of their response to this solicitation.
2. Issuing this solicitation is not a guarantee that FHI 360 will award a subcontract.
3. FHI 360 reserves the right to issue a subcontract based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion.
4. FHI 360 may choose to award a subcontract for part of the activities in the solicitation.
5. FHI 360 may choose to award subcontracts to more than one offeror for specific parts of the activities in the solicitation.
6. FHI 360 may request from short‐listed offerors a second or third round of either oral presentation or written response to a more specific and detailed scope of work that is based on a general scope of work in the original solicitation.
7. FHI 360 has the right to rescind a solicitation, or rescind an award prior to the signing of a subcontract due to any unforeseen changes in the direction of FHI 360’s client, be it funding or programmatic.