ACCESS TO FINANCE RWANDA

Request for Proposals

For

CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP A CREDIT MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE PLATFORM

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PROCUREMENT REFERENCE NUMBER: CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP A CREDIT MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE PLATFORM

1. INTRODUCTION 

About Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR)

Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) is a Rwandan not-for-profit company established in 2010 to promote financial inclusion and financial sector development in Rwanda. AFR is currently funded by Sweden, MasterCard Foundation, Global impact/ Co-Develop and Jersey Overseas Aid. 

AFR is part of the broader Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) network in Africa, which seeks to contribute to more inclusive and sustainable economic growth through financial inclusion and financial sector development by working with policymakers, regulators, financial service providers, and other market actors. 

AFR supports the removal of systemic barriers that hinder access to financial services by low-income people, particularly the rural poor, women, youth, and MSMEs. AFR is guided by the Market System Development (MSD) approach recognizing that efforts to increase financial inclusion and financial sector development must be market-led, profitable, and sustainable. 

About Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA)

The Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) is a government agency under the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, established in 2017 as a public institution governed by Presidential Order N° 077/01 of 09/12/2022. RISA’s mission is to digitize Rwanda’s society through the increased adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and innovation, positioning ICT as a cross-cutting enabler for economic and social transformation. RISA plays a central role in advancing Rwanda’s digital and socio-economic transformation by developing, coordinating, and managing foundational DPI, ensuring secure and interoperable government systems, and fostering innovation.

About National Bank of Rwanda (NBR)

The National Bank of Rwanda (NBR) was established in 1964. Over the years, the role of the NBR has evolved. The current Law N°48/2017 of 23/09/2017 as amended to date, confers a clear mandate on the NBR with a mission of ensuring price stability and a sound financial system. 

The National Bank of Rwanda strives to be a world class central bank contributing to economic growth & development, by using robust monetary policy tools to maintain stable market prices. The Bank ensures financial stability in a free-market economy as it embraces innovation, inclusiveness, and economic integration.

The Credit Market Infrastructure will play a vital role in promoting financial inclusion by enabling lenders to easily access essential official documents and data points relevant to credit applications.

About the project/ Overview of the project

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) serves as the backbone of a digital economy, unlocking opportunities for financial inclusion, enabling digital identity systems, strengthening payment infrastructure, and fostering secure data exchange. 

The development of the Credit Market Infrastructure (CMI) aligns with the National Digital Transformation Strategy and Rwanda’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Framework spearheaded by RISA. The project will contribute to the broader Rwanda DPI vision, integrating key national systems such as ID, payments, and data exchange to enable inclusive, interoperable digital services.

The CMI is a DPI initiative designed to modernize Rwanda’s credit market ecosystem. It aims to address critical market inefficiencies by creating a shared digital platform that connects financial service providers, data providers (credit bureaus, identification, certification bodies, satellite data providers, Agriculture value chain data etc.) and borrowers through standardized APIs and automated processes. By enabling a single, trusted source of credit-related data, the CMI will enhance credit risk assessment, strengthen financial inclusion, and support responsible lending practices.

2. Objectives of the assignment

The overall objective is to design, develop, test, deploy and handover credit market infrastructure platform that will serve as a central hub for financial and non-financial credit data to BNR. 

The CMI will integrate with financial data service provider from public and private sectors with the aim to collect relevant information and make it securely accessible to lenders through API as per the below illustration:

Interested bidders (Individual consultants) must confirm their intention to submit a bid by Thursday October 16, 2025, at 17h00 HRS CAT

Any requests for clarifications to the RFP may be submitted by Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 17h00 HRS CAT.

Bidders should submit their proposals no later than Friday 24, 2025, 14:00 HRS CAT

Responding bidders are advised that this solicitation does not in any way obligate AFR to make a contract award or compensate the responding firms for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of their proposals. Additionally, AFR may award a contract without conducting negotiations; all proposals should be submitted initially using your most favorable terms. AFR reserves the right to award any resultant contract to other than the offeror submitting the lowest price proposal based on technical excellence, schedule superiority or client request.

All communications regarding this RFP should be addressed via email: procurement02@afr.rw

Below is the summary planned procurement schedule:

Note: This procurement is open to locally registered firms only. However, collaboration or joint ventures with foreign firms to enhance technical capabilities are permitted.

Cordially,

Jean Bosco Iyacu

Chief Executive Officer