IOM Mission – Rwanda

1. Timeline

2. Locations

The proposed project will focus on border areas in Rwanda, where the economic relevance of cross-border trade is high (proximity to the border/ to an official point of entry, presence of cross border markets, cross border traders cooperatives, etc).

3. Sector(s) and area(s) of specialization

Support to small-scale cross border traders (SSCBTs) in Rwanda

4. Issuing Agency

IOM

5. Project Background

Cross-border trade (CBT), particularly under the African Free Trade Continental Agreement (AfCFTA), stands as a pivotal driver for Africa’s economic transformation and regional integration. At the same time, Rwanda has made strides in digital inclusion, which according to the Ministry of ITC (MINICT) rose from 46% to 66% between 2016 and 2020, largely driven by mobile money access. However, small scale cross-border traders (SSCBTs) are at risk of being left behind from national progress made on trade and digitalization, due to gaps in existing policies and regulatory frameworks, barriers in accessing and utilizing finance, digital tools, and services, and the various socio-economic disadvantages they face. These challenges are particularly acute for women SSCBTs, who constitute around 74% of all cross-border traders in Rwanda, among whom 90% rely on CBT as their only source of income.[1] In fact, research has shown that while external trade has increased in recent years, this has not translated into improved every-day livelihood for SSCBTs, with most traders (90% in Rusizi II) earning less than US$ 50 dollars a week[2].

In this context, the International Organization for Migration in Rwanda (IOM), through the support of the Joint SDG Fund, is implementing a three-year project entitled Amplifying Digital Opportunities for Cross-Border Trade (ADO-CBT), together with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the International Trade Center (ITC), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Joint Programme (JP) aims to improve the livelihoods, economic opportunities, and overall well-being of small-scale cross-border traders (SSCBTs) in Rwanda, the majority of whom are women in the informal sector. It will do so by leveraging digital technology to enable better connections to resources, new markets, and existing services, and supporting efforts to ensure that regional and national policies and governance frameworks related to cross-border trade and digitalization translate into tangible outcomes for traders on the ground. The JP aims to use digitalization as a lever to support formalization and enhance the competitiveness, resilience, and inclusion (digital, financial, and socio-economic) of SSCBTs in Rwanda, with particular attention paid to women, as well as youth and persons with disabilities. 

Overall scope of the Call for Proposals

The present Call for Proposals (CFP) is focused on identifying a national non-governmental organization (NGO) that will contribute to the implementation of the ADO-CBT program at the communities level in border districts, with a specific focus on: (i) capacity-building for SSCBTs; (ii) providing general economic, financial and cooperative management support to SSCBTs and CBT Cooperatives; and (ii) providing direct social, psycho-social, and protection support for SSCBTs, and empowering the most vulnerable, including youth.

The successful candidate organization will be expected to demonstrate programmatic experience and provide records of successful performance in previous intervention, as well as to capacities to provide logistical and organizational support for activities implemented in border districts.  

6. Expected Results

Outcome 1: Supporting capacity-building for SSCBTs

• Support and organize logistics for District-level ToTs and cascade trainings to SSCBTs in border Districts, to be delivered through their Cooperative Leaders and other local representatives.

Outcome 2: Providing general economic, financial, and cooperative management support to SSCBTs and CBT Cooperatives in Rwanda

• Supply business capital to CBT Cooperatives in Rwanda and support and monitor capital management and credit history traceability to help them access future formal loans
• Support in awareness-raising activities for SSCBTs, including on benefits of job/business formalization and on existing services/digital information platforms available for SSCBTs

Outcome 3: Providing direct social, psycho-social, and protection support for SSCBTs, and empowering youth

• Support capacity-building activities for health and MHPSS service providers in border areas, with a focus on enhancing their capacity to use digitalization to better reach and deliver for their beneficiaries.
• Provide direct support to SSCBTs to facilitate their access to health and mental health service providers, including by facilitating the referral
• Monitor the use of equipment provided to health and MHPSS service providers by IOM, and provide support and updates as needed

7. Indicative Budget

The financial ceiling for each project proposal will be determined based on submission to this CfP. Financial proposals should range from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $160,000.

The budget should include a detailed overview of all costs against activities in accordance with the attached budget template (Annex E). The budget should also indicate the break-down of costs that will be allocated per activity, as per outcomes indicated under section 6.

Staff and office costs should not exceed 20% of activity costs. Other overhead costs are not eligible.

8.Other Information

The project proposal should clearly indicate implementing modalities, theory of change, selection criteria for beneficiaries, benchmarks and output/outcome indicators.

Duration of the project: The proposed activities should be carried out within the span of 18 Months, ending in February 2027.

Target Beneficiaries: The ultimate beneficiaries of this project are SSCBTs in Rwanda. However, national-level stakeholders, government representatives (at national and local level), CBT Platforms, CBT Cooperative Heads, business organizations, local communities, and civil society are also expected to benefit from the intervention. A specific focus on women, youth, and persons with disabilities (pwd) should also be mainstreamed, and experience mainstreaming gender and rights-based approach will be considered an advantage.

9.Selection Criteria 

10. Attachments

11 For more information on this partnership opportunity, and to apply, please email iomrwandaprocurement@iom.int

The organizations responding to this call need to demonstrate their capacity to implement all listed activities as a single package. Partial applications for individual activities will not be considered.

IOM reserves the right to cancel/reduce the scope of planned activities or to introduce new/broaden the scope of the existing activities.

All applicants will receive written notification, within four weeks after the deadline for the submission of Concept Note, of the outcome of the selection process.  

For more information, please contact in writing iomrwandaprocurement@iom.int  

12. Expression of Interest submission guidelines

1.The Application must be submitted by email to iomrwandaprocurement@iom.int by 11 July 2025, COB. Late Applications will no longer be considered.

2.The Application must be submitted in the English language and in the format prescribed by IOM within the CEI. All required information must be provided, responding clearly and concisely to all the points set out. Any application which does not fully and comprehensively address this CEI requirements may be rejected.

3.The Application document should comprise of the following:

a. Cover Letter; and

b. Duly accomplished application documentation as outlined within the CEI signed on all pages by the prospective applicant’s Authorized Representative.

4.Applications may be modified or withdrawn in writing by email, prior to the closing time specified in this Request for EoI. Applications shall not be modified or withdrawn after the deadline.

5.The applicant shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of the Application and IOM will not in any case be responsible and liable for the costs incurred.

6.IOM at no occasion will ask for an application fee from applicants.

7.Partners can use IOM's We Are All In platform for reporting fraud, corruption or misconduct.

8.All information given in writing to or verbally shared with the applicants in connection with this CEI is to be treated as strictly confidential. The applicants shall not share or invoke such information to any third party without the prior written approval of IOM. This obligation shall continue after the selection process has been completed whether or not the application is successful.

9.IOM will treat all information (or that marked proprietary/sensitive/financial) received from applicants as confidential and any personal data in accordance with its Data Protection Principles.

10.The applicant, by submitting an application, gives consent to IOM to share information with the members of the selection committee for the purposes of evaluating the proposal.

11.By submitting the application/expression of interest, the applicant confirms adherence to IOM’s Declaration of Conformity Form and acknowledges receipt of the list of Proscribed Practices (Annex G)).

12.IOM reserves the right to accept or reject any Application, and to cancel the process and reject all Applications, at any time without thereby incurring any liability to the affected applicant or any obligation to inform the applicants of the ground for IOM’s action