Expression of Interest (EoI) 

Consultancy for Provision of end-to-end support to the Solve-athon “Hanga: Smart Cities

Transaction no.:7000003643

Project processing number:G-012069-001

Internal order:12069020000

Country: Rwanda 

1. Background and introduction

1.1. About GIZ 

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZ’s portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development, Good Governance, Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development, Digitalization and Digital Economy, Mineral Governance, Peace and Security in the Great Lakes Region.

1.2. About GIZ’s Cluster for Digital Transformation and Digital Economy

GIZ Rwanda’s “Cluster for Digital Transformation and Digital Economy” cluster is a Rwandan-German initiative to develop impact-driven digital solutions for Rwanda and beyond. Therefore, it provides not only advisory services and training for government institutions and local tech companies but also a modern space to boost creativity and collaboration with the main political partner the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and all of this is based out of the Digital Transformation Center Rwanda.

1.3. About the Smart City Hub

At the Digital Transformation Centre Rwanda, one of the programs is the “Smart City Hub”, which is a consortium between the Ministry of ICT & Innovation, the ICT Chamber, Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), Ministry of Infrastructure and Ministry of Local Government. The Hub is a one-stop shop where actors in the smart city ecosystem (public, private, and development) can collaborate to empower the digitalisation of cities and co-design solutions that address urbanisation challenges to improve urban service delivery and quality of life through technology and innovation. 

The overall aim of the Smart City Hub is to provide value-adding services to ecosystem actors (SMEs, cities, the private sector, etc) through. 

• Creating a demand-driven agenda where ecosystem actors are engaged through various initiatives to inform on the top priority activities. 
• Becoming the source of research, knowledge, and connections through sharing information, leveraging networks, and matchmaking opportunities. 
• Supporting solutions that address the smart city initiatives from the pooled demand. 

1.4. Context

1.4.1. Hanga: Smart City Solve-athon

The Hanga: Smart City Solve-athon is a catalytic program launched by the Smart City Hub in partnership with MINICT, targeting Rwanda’s fast-urbanising secondary cities. It invites local innovators, startups, and ecosystem players to co-develop digital or smart city solutions to specific urban challenges faced by local governments in Musanze, Rwamagana, Kayonza, Rubavu, and Bugesera.

Rather than a traditional hackathon, the solve-athon format is preferred as it is a multi-day problem-solving process focused on real-world implementation, stakeholder alignment, and solution maturity, prioritizing replicability, scalability, and livelihood impact.

Through the Solve-athon, secondary and satellite cities are empowered to articulate their digital priorities and shape the solutions they need. The Innovators receive support, mentorship, and real-world testing environments for their solutions, not just pitch stages.
Through this approach, communities benefit from services designed around their actual pain points rather than generic solutions.

The objectives of the Solve-athon include but are not limited to;

• Identifying and prototyping smart, context-specific solutions to urban challenges in Rwanda’s secondary and satellite cities.
• Fostering city innovator collaboration and unlocking district-level innovation demand.
• Support the NST2 agenda by driving digital transformation, job creation, urban service delivery, and environmental sustainability.
• Enable secondary cities to pilot and adopt low-cost, high-impact digital solutions.

The tasks of this assignment are to provide end-to-end support to the Hanga: Smart City Solve-athon in the form of;

• Processing and shortlisting submitted innovations to determine which are best aligned with the district-specific challenges.
• Provide mentorship support for the shortlisted innovators during the bootcamp sprint window of the solve-athon.
• Support the innovators’ solutions to ensure that they are implementation-ready and sustainable in the long term.
• Support the innovators in ensuring that the solutions follow a replicable model.

1.4.2 . Structure and Approach of the End-to-End Support

The end-to-end support for the Hanga: Smart City Solve-athon focuses on operationalising a structured solve-athon across the five selected districts of Rubavu, Musanze, Rwamagana, Kayonza, and Bugesera, through identifying pilot solutions from innovators with existing MVPs, providing support to them through a sprint (bootcamp), mentorship, and demo day process, and ultimately selecting the winning solutions which will be implemented for the respective districts.

The structure of the end-end support will be guided by the following principles:

• Shortlisting and matching of innovators: The consultant will sieve through a list of innovators who responded to the open call for applications and align them with district-defined smart city priorities.
• Support for the solve-athon sprint (bootcamp): The consultant will liaise with district representatives and innovators to ground the proposed solutions in the district’s priorities.
• Demo day readiness support: Preparing innovators to present their refined solutions at demo days, emphasising pilot concepts and implementation logic to the district representatives and other stakeholders.
• Pilot Support: The consultant will focus on ensuring that the innovators’ solutions are aligned with real-world implementation, with emphasis on sustainability and replicability.

This open and adaptive structure allows the consultant to act as a hands-on, problem-solving partner, supporting the Smart City Hub in laying the groundwork for an operationally ready and locally integrated solution for the districts in Rwanda.

2. Tasks to be performed by the consultant

This section highlights the main support areas where the consultant will assist the Smart City hub in establishing a strong solve-athon programme. From legal setup to building local partnerships, tailoring the proposed solutions, and developing roll-out strategies, the consultant’s role is to guide the innovators through the crucial early steps of implementing their proposed solutions. Special attention will also be given to ensuring that the solutions chosen for implementation meet strict criteria, including sustainability and replicability. The consultant is responsible for providing the following services:

Work Package 1: Solve-athon sprint (bootcamp) mentorship support

This work package aims to have the consultant support selected innovators in refining their solutions through product development, business model design, and contextual validation with district representatives.

This involves the following tasks:

• Onboarding and kick-off: Introduce selected companies to the solve-athon’s overall program, activities, available resources, and expectations.
• Problem deep-dive and contextualization: With the support of district representatives, innovators will gain first-hand insights into the operational realities and context that underpin each challenge. This engagement will enable them to validate initial assumptions, clearly define the problem statement, and appropriately contextualise their solutions to the district environment.
• Know Your Customer (KYC): Support innovators in identifying, segmenting, and understanding their target customers and institutional adopters in relation to the specific challenges they address.
• Product development sprints: Guide innovators through group workshops and one-on-one coaching in refining solution functionalities, workflows, and technical components, ensuring feasibility within district settings and pilot constraints.
• Business model development and feasibility: Support innovators through group workshops and one-on-one mentorship to clarify customer and beneficiary segments, value propositions, cost structures, revenue streams, and partnership requirements. In addition, each innovation’s legal compliance will be assessed against the implementation requirements for the proposed innovation.
• Pitching and storytelling: Innovators will receive support on pitch deck development, pitching delivery and storytelling to strengthen their ability to clearly and convincingly communicate their solutions to different stakeholders. This support will focus on helping teams articulate the problem context, solution logic, and implementation approach, and expected impact in a coherent and compelling manner, grounded in district realities.

Deliverables and outputs

1. Innovators have refined MVPs that are to be validated with the district representatives
2. Pitch decks for the processed solutions
3. Improved Business Models that are aligned with the sustainability model
4. Final list of pilot-ready innovations
5. Needs assessment report, including gaps and areas of improvements for each solution

 

Work Package 2: Demo days readiness support

The Demo Day represents the formal transition point between solution design and real-world implementation within the Hanga: Smart City Solve-athon. The Demo Day is a decision-making and validation forum, where district-owned challenges meet implementation-ready solutions that have already been co-designed, tested, and refined within local contexts.

The Demo Day enables districts, MINICT, and partners to collectively assess solution feasibility, citizen impact, scalability, and alignment with NST2 priorities before committing public space, operational support, or pilot implementation.

This involves the following tasks:

• Demo Day Planning & Design: This involves developing the Demo Day implementation plan aligned with the solve-athon principles, defining the format (physical/hybrid), agenda, pitching structure, and timelines. Furthermore, the consultant will advise, transfer knowledge, provide hands-on support with complying with sector-specific standards and licensing, and other relevant regulatory topics related to company operations in Rwanda.
• Jury & Stakeholder Curation: This includes identifying and inviting jury members, conducting jury onboarding, and a briefing session on the solve-athon objectives, district challenges, and scoring methodology.
• Finalist Readiness and Pitch Support: This involves sharing standardised pitch templates and presentation guidelines with finalist innovator teams and reviewing draft pitch decks and pilot implementation plans. Furthermore, the consultant will deliver pitch-coaching sessions focused on feasibility, citizen impact, and scalability. 
• Demo Day Delivery and Facilitation: This entails facilitation of Demo Day proceedings, timekeeping, and Q&A sessions, ensuring adherence to pitch rules and evaluation criteria.

Deliverables and outputs:

1. Approved Demo Day agenda, scoring framework, jury governance guidelines
2. Confirmed jury list, jury briefing materials
3. Finalised pitch decks and pilot plans for all finalist teams
4. Successfully delivered Demo Day, completed scoring sheets

Work Package 3: Pilot support

This work package aims to support selected innovators in implementing, testing, and refining their innovations in real-world district settings, while generating evidence to inform adoption, scale-up, or replication across other cities.

This will involve:

• Define pilot scope and implementation arrangements: Align with both innovators and district representatives on pilot objectives, pilot milestones, timelines, and success indicators.
• Provide tailored one-on-one technical advisory: Deliver tailored coaching based on identified gaps and implementation plan focused on: MVP refinement, operational setup, legal compliance, financial management and advisory, and risk mitigation throughout pilot implementation.
• Go-to-market strategy: Guide innovators in defining adoption pathways, institutional entry points, cost or funding logic, and partnerships required for deployment.
• Conduct field visits for on-site implementation support: Assess on-the-ground progress, engage with users and district staff, and provide hands-on guidance to address emerging implementation bottlenecks.
• Monitor pilot performance and support iterative refinement: Collect implementation data and user feedback to inform product adjustments and document lessons.
• Facilitate post-pilot review and replication planning: Conduct structured reviews with innovators and districts to assess pilot outcomes and identify conditions for scale-up or replication in other districts.

Deliverables and outputs:

• Pilot implementation milestones
• Go-to-market plans
• One-on-one technical advisory and coaching reports

Upon contract signature, the GIZ and/or its key stakeholders will assign a focal person(s) to manage this assignment day-to-day. S/he will brief the contractor and share expectations on the outcome of this assignment. The contractor shall propose a plan and timeline for implementing both projects within 5 working days. 

The selected contractor must complete the project within three (3) months of contract signing. Period of assignment: from 01.05.2026 until 31.07.2026.

3. Concept

In the tender, the tenderer is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) are to be achieved, if applicable, under consideration of further method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the tenderer must describe the project management system for service provision.

Strategy (1.1): The tenderer is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the tenderer presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2).

The tenderer is required to describe the key processes for the services for which it is responsible and create an operational plan or schedule (1.4.1) that describes how the services according to Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) are to be provided. In particular, the tenderer is required to describe the necessary work steps and, if applicable, take account of the milestones and contributions of other actors (partner contributions) in accordance with Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) (1.4.2).

The tenderer is required to describe its contribution to knowledge management for the partner (1.5.1).

4. Personnel concept

The tenderer is required to provide personnel who are suited to filling the positions described, on the basis of their CVs, the range of tasks involved, and the required qualifications.

The team will include business development expertise, legal compliance knowledge, a go-to-market expert, finance and marketing support, a legal expert, mentorship coach, and Backstopper supporting the Smart City Hub team to successfully execute the solve-athon successfully.

As part of the personnel concept, the bidder is required to indicateclearly in the bid which person would cover which expert role(s). 

Soft skills of team members

In addition to their specialist qualifications, the following qualifications are required of team members:

• Team skills
• Initiative
• Communication skills
• Sociocultural competence
• Efficient, partner- and client-focused working methods
• Interdisciplinary thinking
• Gender and diversity sensitiveness.

The below specified qualifications represent the requirements to reach the maximum number of points in the technical assessment.

4.1. Team Leader: Team Leader / Smart City Innovation Lead

Tasks of the team leader

• Overall responsibility for the delivery of the Hanga: Smart City Solve-athon advisory and implementation work packages, including quality assurance, timelines, and budget control.
• Strategic oversight of the solve-athon, Demo Day(s), and pilot selection processes
• Coordination with MINICT, Smart City Hub, districts, GIZ. TeamEurope, and ecosystem partners
• Ensuring alignment of SCIC activities with NST2 priorities and D4R outputs

Qualifications of the team leader

• Education/training (2.1.1): University qualification (master’s or equivalent): Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, ICT4D, Innovation Management, or related field.
• Language (2.1.2): Good business language skills in N/A
• General professional experience (2.1.3): Minimum 5 years of professional experience with evidence in leading innovation programs, smart cities, or digital transformation initiatives.
• Specific professional experience (2.1.4): Minimum 5 years of experience with evidence in managing multi-stakeholder innovation or urban development programs, with at least 3 years in working with government institutions or local authorities, delivering innovation challenges, accelerators.
• Leadership/management experience (2.1.5): Minimum 3 years as a project manager/project team leader/manager in a company.
• Regional experience (2.1.6): 3 years of experience in projects in (region): East Africa, of which 3 years in projects in (country): Rwanda
• Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.1.7): N/A
• Other (2.1.8): Experience with monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks to assess project outcomes and impact

4.2. Expert 1: Business Development Specialist

Tasks of the business development specialist

• Overall Support innovators in refining business models aligned with district and market realities
• Lead business needs assessments for pilot-ready solutions
• Support development of revenue models, partnerships, and sustainability pathways
• Advise on localization and scaling strategies across secondary cities
• Contribute to Demo Day readiness and pilot selection criteria

Qualifications of the business development specialist

• Education/training (2.2.1): University qualification (master’s or equivalent): Master’s degree in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Economics, or related.
• Language (2.2.2): Good business language skills in N/A
• General professional experience (2.2.3): Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the business support sector, providing innovation support, consulting SMEs, or start-ups.
• Specific professional experience (2.2.4): At least 3 years supporting tech-enabled or urban service solutions, experience designing sustainable business models for public-sector, private sector, or B2G solutions.
• Leadership/management experience (2.2.5): N/A
• Regional experience (2.2.6): N/A of experience in projects in (region): N/A, of which N/A in projects in (country): N/A
• Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.2.7): N/A
• Other (2.2.8): Experience with evidence in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks that assess business project outcomes and impact to produce business value. 

4.3. Expert 2: Go-to-Market Expert

Tasks of the Go-to-Market expert

• Support innovators in defining market entry strategies for district and citizen users
• Design adoption pathways for public-sector and community-facing digital services
• Advise on pricing, distribution, partnerships, and user acquisition strategies
• Support pitch refinement focusing on adoption, scale, and replicability
• Align GTM strategies with district procurement and operational realities

Qualifications of the Go-to-Market expert

• Education/training (2.3.1): University qualification (bachelor’s or equivalent): Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Strategy, Innovation, or related field
• Language (2.3.2): Good business language skills in N/A
• General professional experience (2.3.3): Minimum 5 years in go-to-market strategy development for start-ups, innovation solutions.
• Specific professional experience (2.3.4): Minimum 3 years of experience with evidence in launching digital products in low-resource or public-sector contexts, B2G or B2C or G2G digital services models for public-sector or solutions, and startup incubation.
• Leadership/management experience (2.3.5): N/A
• Regional experience (2.3.6): 3 years of experience in projects in (region): East Africa, of which 3 years in projects in (country): Rwanda
• Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.3.7): N/A
• Other (2.3.8): Experience supporting market entry and user adoption of digital solutions in secondary cities or low-resource urban environments, including informal markets and public service contexts

4.4. Expert 3: Finance Expert: 

Tasks of the Finance expert

• Support innovators in developing realistic pilot and scale-up budgets
• Advise on financial sustainability, cost structures, and revenue projections
• Support districts and partners in assessing affordability and cost-efficiency
• Contribute to pilot funding agreements and provide financial risk assessment
• Advise on blended finance or co-financing opportunities

Qualifications of the Finance expert

• Education/training (2.4.1): University qualification (bachelor’s or equivalent): Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.
• Language (2.4.2): Good business language skills in N/A
• General professional experience (2.4.3): Minimum 5 years in financial analysis or project finance.
• Specific professional experience (2.4.4): At least 3 years of experience developing financial models for startups or digital solutions, experience with project budgeting for private-sector solutions, public-sector solutions, or B2G solutions.
• Leadership/management experience (2.4.5): N/A
• Regional experience (2.4.6): N/A of experience in projects in (region): N/A, of which N/A in projects in (country): N/A
• Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.4.7): N/A
• Other (2.4.8): Experience developing feasible and practical financial models for pilots, MVPs, or early-stage digital solutions, ability to assess financial risks and cost-efficiency of digital solutions.

4.5. Expert 4: Legal Expert 

Tasks of the Legal Expert

• Advice on regulatory, data protection, and procurement considerations
• Support drafting and review of pilot MoUs, and data-sharing agreements
• Advise innovators on compliance with Rwanda ICT, data, and municipal regulations
• Identify legal risks related to deployment in public spaces

Qualifications of the Legal Expert

• Education/training (2.5.1): University qualification (bachelor’s or equivalent): Bachelor's degree in in Law, Public law, Commercial law, or related field
• Language (2.5.2): Good business language skills in N/A
• General professional experience (2.5.3): Minimum 5 years of experience providing legal support, experience supporting innovation or technology pilots, and advising on regulatory requirements.
• Specific professional experience (2.5.4): Minimum 3 years of experience with evidence in Intellectual Property laws of Rwanda, start-up law, fund-of-fund structures for start-ups and products and solutions in Rwanda.
• Leadership/management experience (2.5.5): N/A
• Regional experience (2.5.6): 3 years of experience in projects in (region): East Africa, of which 1 year in projects in (country): Rwanda
• Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.5.7): N/A
• Other (2.5.8): Experience in IP Law of Rwanda and business advisory on legal structures for product development and digital solutions.

4.6. Expert 5: Mentorship experts (X2)

Tasks of the Mentorship expert

• Guide innovators on public service delivery realities and constraints
• Support alignment with district workflows and citizen needs
• Advise on stakeholder engagement and public-sector adoption
• Support teams in translating innovation into implementable services
• Provide technical guidance on solution architecture and feasibility
• Advise on interoperability, data flows, and infrastructure constraints
• Support innovators during solve-athon sprint and pilot design
• Validate technical assumptions during Demo Day preparation

Qualifications of the Mentorship expert(s)

• Education/training (2.6.1): University qualification (bachelor’s or equivalent): Bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Urban Studies, Development Studies, or related. 
• Language (2.6.2): Good business language skills in N/A
• General professional experience (2.6.3): Minimum 5 years Experience designing or deploying digital public service solutions, familiarity with interoperability, data standards, and infrastructure constraints for digital solutions, and experience translating technical complexity into solutions
• Specific professional experience (2.6.4): Minimum 3 years of experience with evidence in supporting innovators through rapid prototyping, field testing, and iteration, familiarity with low-cost, scalable technologies.
• Leadership/management experience (2.6.5): N/A
• Regional experience (2.6.6): 3 years of experience in projects in (region): East Africa, of which 1 year in projects in (country): Rwanda
• Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.6.7): N/A
• Other (2.6.8): Experience working with start-ups in innovation hubs, familiarity with Rwanda’s service delivery systems, and experience in supporting innovation hubs incubation programs.

4.7. Expert 6: Backstopper

Tasks of the Backstopper

• Provide on-demand technical, thematic, or methodological support
• Ensure compliance with donor standards, quality benchmarks, and reporting requirements
• Review key outputs and deliverables across phases
• Support risk management and problem-solving during implementation

Qualifications of the Backstopper

• Education/training (2.7.1): University qualification (bachelor’s or equivalent): Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical or development field (Information Technology, Computer Science, Data Science, Analytics, Cloud infrastructure among others). 
• Language (2.7.2): Good business language skills in N/A
• General professional experience (2.7.3): Minimum 5 years of managing quality assurance in digital transformation projects. 
• Specific professional experience (2.7.4): At least 3 years of technical experience backstopping innovation, urban, or digital transformation programs, familiarity with project procedures and quality assurance standards.
• Leadership/management experience (2.7.5): N/A
• Regional experience (2.7.6): 3 years of experience in projects in (region): East Africa, of which 1 year in projects in (country): Rwanda
• Development Cooperation (DC) experience (2.7.7): N/A
• Other (2.7.8): Experience in troubleshooting implementation risks, delivery bottlenecks, and coordination challenges, experience in reviewing and validating technical, financial, and narrative deliverables for digital solutions. 

4.8. Inputs of GIZ or other actors

GIZ is expected to make the following available:

• Transportation on site with project vehicle in case of business or field trip

5. Costing requirements

The bidder is required to calculate their financial tender based exactly on the parameters specified in the inputs. The contractor is not contractually entitled to use up the days or budget in full. The number of days and the budget will be contractually agreed as maximum limits.

The bidder must also provide an estimation of the quantity of web tools, plugins, SSL certificates, and any additional tools necessary to fulfil the project requirements outlined in the inputs.

Expert	Number of experts	Number of days per expert
Team Lead	1	Up to 45 expert days
Business development expert	1	Up to 40 expert days
Go-to-market expert	1	Up to 40 expert days
Finance expert	1	Up to 40 expert days
Legal expert	1	Up to 40 expert days
Mentor 1	1	Up to 40 expert days
Mentor 2	1	Up to 40 expert days
Technical Backstopper	1	Up to 45 expert days

5.1. Specification of inputs

The total number of expert days allocated to this assignment is 330 days for the main contractor. 

Per-diem and overnight accommodation allowances are reimbursed as a lump sum up to the maximum amounts permissible under tax law for each country, as set out in the country table in the circular from the German Federal Ministry of Finance on travel expense remuneration (downloadable at https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de).

Accommodation costs which exceed this up to a reasonable amount, and other main forms of transport, can be reimbursed against evidence.

All business trips must be agreed in advance by the officer responsible for the project.

Expense	Quantity	Number per expert	Total	Comments
Transportation to the participating districts (Musanze, Rwamagana, Bugesera, Rubavu and Kayonza)	7	20	135	A budget of 4,050,000 RWF is earmarked for travel in the following country: Rwanda. The reimbursement will be based on GIZ RWANDA travel guidelines.  The travel budget contains  Travels within the country of assignment, transfer to/from places of work of product owners (outside of Kigali, specifically in the participating districts of Musanze, Rwamagana, Bugesera, Rubavu and Kayonza.), on-ground data collection, etc.,  Each expert is expected to travel for a maximum of 4 times to the participating districts (5 districts).
Accommodation	7	20	135	A budget of 4,590,000 RWF is earmarked for accommodation in the following country: Rwanda. The reimbursement will be based on GIZ RWANDA travel guidelines  The reimbursement will be calculated on daily rate of 34.000 RWF The accommodation budget contains  accommodation costs in the country of assignment and specifically in the participating districts of Musanze, Rwamagana, Bugesera, Rubavu and Kayonza.  Each expert is expected to travel for a maximum of 4 times (4 days, 3 nights) to the participating districts (5 districts).
Per-diem allowance	7	20	135	A budget of 3,375,000 RWF is earmarked for per-diem allowances in the following country: Rwanda  The reimbursement will be based on GIZ RWANDA travel guidelines (17.000RWF for departure and return day and 25.000RWF for full day). The per-diem budget contains  Per-diem allowances and overnight allowances in the country of assignment specifically in the participating districts of Musanze, Rwamagana, Bugesera, Rubavu and Kayonza.  Each expert is expected to travel for a maximum of 4 times (4 days, 3 nights) to the participating districts (5 districts).
Other costs	Number	Price	Total	Comments
Fixed rental of equipment budget	17	176,500 RWF	3,000,500 RWF	A budget of RWF 3,000,500 is foreseen for handling rental of equipment during workshops and or consultation events. The breakdown for the 17 workshops is anticipated as follows; Rental of equipment for 17 workshops accross the 5 districts of Kayonza, Rubavu, Musanze, Rwamagana and Bugesera.  Please incorporate this budget into the price schedule.
Expense	Quantity	Number of attendees	Total	Comments
Workshops / Events / Catering	17	20	340	A budget of 16,320,000RWF is earmarked for workshop in the following country: Rwanda. The workshop costs contains the following;  Workshop venues, catering and any other workshop materials in the country of assignment specifically in the participating districts of Musanze, Rwamagana, Bugesera, Rubavu and Kayonza.  The breakdown for the 17 workshops is anticipated as follows; Computation for 1 workshop per month (for 3 months) for 5 districts Plus one for demo day and another for the final pitch. Total workshops = 17.

5.1.1. Travel

The assignment is taking place in the districts of Kayonza, Rubavu, Musanze, Rwamagana and Bugesera in Rwanda. The bidder is required to calculate the travel based on the places of performance stipulated in the table above and list the expenses separately by daily allowance, accommodation expenses, and other travel expenses.

5.1.2. Workshops, events and trainings

The contractor implements the following workshops/study trips/training courses:

• 17 expert days implementation of the training and facilitating the bootcamp (sprint) of the solve-athon. More details on other tasks are mentioned in the work packages and the cost breakdown above.

The fixed budget for workshops is to cover the following costs for up to 20 participants: 

• Workshop venue
• Workshop materials (White boards, markers, charts among others)
• Catering costs for 20 participants

6. Requirements on the format of the bid

The structure of the bid must correspond to the structure of the ToR. In particular, the detailed structure of the concept. The bid should be drawn up in English (language).

The CVs of the personnel proposed in accordance with the Personnel Concept section of this ToR must clearly show the position and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long. The CVs should also be submitted in English (language).

7. Submission of the offers

Please submit your self-declaration of eligibility using the designated form and your technical and financial bids by 02.04.2026 in English only to RW_Quotation@giz.de.

The offer must be submitted in 2 separated emails in PFD format. The email subject line should be in the form of:

• 7000003643 -TECHNICAL OFFER This includes eligibility documents and technical proposal in two separate PDF files 
• 7000003643 - FINANCIAL OFFER in the format of price schedule provided 

Details of our submission requirements are explained in the enclosed terms and conditions for application. Tenders which are submitted after the deadline, or which do not comply with the terms and conditions for application, will not be considered.

By submitting your tender, you accept GIZ’s General Terms and Conditions of Contract (in the currently valid version).

The tender documents listed below must be submitted in full and as separate documents:

• Completed self-declaration and annexes
• General administrative documents (RDB registration certificat, Tax clearance certificat and VAT certificat)
• Financial bid in the format provided (price schedule)
• Technical bid, including an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) for each expert and concept 

When preparing the financial bid, you must adhere to the requirements of the specification of inputs as set out in the Terms of Reference. The tenders received will be subject to a technical evaluation based on the CV and the concept in accordance with the technical assessment grid (see annex). Only tenders that score over 500 points in the technical evaluation will be accepted for the financial evaluation. Technical bids that fail to reach this cut-off point will be regarded as unsuitable. The technical bid is weighted at 70% and the financial bid at 30%.

If you have any questions regarding the tender, please send them no later than 26.03.2026 to RW_Quotation@giz.de with a copy (cc) to procurement-rw@giz.de All clarifications will be communicated simultaneously in writing to all interested parties.

Sustainability

We have developed a Guide for Practising Corporate Sustainability (GPS) so that our contractors can learn about corporate sustainability at GIZ. We encourage all tenderers to complete the GPS online course and obtain the certificate.

Completing the GPS will not influence the award decision in this procedure. However, we would very much welcome your participation: https://gps.giz.de/en/.

Annexes

1. Application requirements of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for the award of contracts for services and works 
2. General Terms and Conditions of Contract for Supplying Services and Works 
3. Technical proposal template 
4. Assessment grid for the technical evaluation of tenders
5. Self-declaration of eligibility
6. Eligibility assessment grid
7. Price schedule

List of abbreviations

• AI          Artificial Intelligence
• B2C       Business-to-Consumer
• B2G       Business-to-Government
• B2G       Business-to-Government 
• DC         Development Cooperation
• DGIx      Digital and Green Innovation Accelerator
• DRR       Disaster Risk Reduction
• DTC       Digital Transformation Center
• GIZ        Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
• GTM       Go-to-Market
• ICT         Information and Communications Technology
• ICT4D     ICT for Development
• MINICT   Ministry of ICT and Innovation
• MoU        Memorandum of Understanding
• MVPs       Minimum Viable Products
• NST2       Government of Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation two 
• ToR         Terms of reference