TERMS OF REFERENCE
DEVELOPMENT OF A WOMEN-CENTRIC USSD & MOBILE BANKING PLATFORM
1. INTRODUCTION
German Sparkassenstiftung for international Cooperation (DSIK) was established in 1992 with the global mission of financial sector development and financial inclusion in developing countries. Since 2009, DSIK has been permanently active in Rwanda in partnership projects with focus on strengthening the microfinance sector. Currently, DSIK implements projects in Rwanda funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and World Bank through CGAP. Project activities are implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), the Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA) as well as with the Rwanda Institute of Cooperatives, Entrepreneurship and Microfinance (RICEM). The activities in Rwanda are in accordance with the Rwandan national development strategies, Vision 2050, and the National Strategy for Transformation (NST).
In regards of the project “Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment in Rwanda” funded by GIZ, DSIK as project implementer is searching for a high-quality consultant to develop a women centric USSD & Mobile Banking Platform for Goshen Finance.
The specifications for this service tender are provided below and DSIK has carefully reviewed these Terms of reference.
2. Scope of the work
The selected consultant/firm will be responsible for the design, development, integration, and deployment of:
- A USSD Gateway Integration (for accessibility on any mobile device).
- A Cross-Platform Mobile Application (iOS and Android).
- A Middleware/API Layer to connect the front-end channels with the Goshen Core Banking System.
3. Technical Requirements
To ensure scalability and performance, the following tech stack is mandated:
- Back-end: Spring Boot (Java) for robust API management and security.
- Front-end (Mobile App): Flutter or React Native for a high-performance cross-platform experience.
- Integration: Must integrate seamlessly with the existing Core Banking Finance Solution.
4. Functional Specifications
4.1. The "Quick Loan" Module (Women’s Digital Product)
This is the core feature aimed at women’s empowerment. It must facilitate an automated end-to-end lending process:
- Check Loan Limit: Instant display of the maximum amount the user is eligible for based on CBS data.
- Request Loan: Simple application flow with instant approval/disbursal logic.
- Check Loan Balance: Real-time view of outstanding debt and interest.
- Repay Loan: Ability to pay back via account balance or Mobile Money integration.
- Top-up: Request additional funds if the current limit allows.
4.2. GOSHEN Standard Mobile Banking Menu (Including Quick Loan Integration)
The "Quick Loan" product shall be integrated as a new dedicated menu item within the existing Goshen Mobile Banking
|
Category |
Sub-Menu Options |
|---|---|
|
Money Transfer |
To My Account, To Another Bank Account (E-cash and RNDPS integration) |
|
Mobile Money |
Push and Pull services (MTN, Airtel-Tigo) |
|
School Utilities |
Registration, Uniforms, Insurance, School Fees/Feeding, ICT Fees, Transport, Study Tours |
|
Pay Bills |
Water, Electricity |
|
My Account |
Balance Inquiry, Mini statement, Change PIN, Language Selection (Kinyarwanda, English) |
5. Integration and Security
The consultant must ensure:
- CBS Synchronization: Real-time posting of transactions (loans, transfers, payments) to the Goshen Core Banking Solution.
- Security: Multi-factor authentication (MFA), end-to-end encryption, and secure PIN handling.
- Audit Trails: Comprehensive logging of all digital transactions for compliance with National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) regulations.
6. Deliverables
- Inception Report: Detailed project plan and UI/UX wireframes for the App and USSD flow.
- System Requirement Specification (SRS): Documenting all technical and functional paths.
- Beta Version: For Internal User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
- Final Deployed Product: Live USSD code and App Store/Play Store links.
- Documentation: Technical manual, API documentation, and User Training Manual.
7. Timeline and Milestones
The project is expected to be completed within 8 weeks.
- Milestone 1: Project Kickoff & UI/UX Design (Week 1)
- Milestone 2: Development of Spring Boot Middleware & CBS Integration (Week 3)
- Milestone 3: USSD & Mobile App Beta Launch (Week 5)
- Milestone 4: UAT, Security Audit, and Final Launch (Week 8)
8 .Consultant Requirements
- Proven experience in developing Fintech solutions in Rwanda. (More than 5 years)
- Expertise in Spring Boot and Flutter/React Native.
- Experience in integrating with Core Banking Systems Finance Solutions
- Deep understanding of the Rwandan financial landscape (E-Cash, RNDPS, Mobile Money APIs).
HOW TO APPLY
Interested consultant/firm that meet the above minimum requirements should send the their bidding documents as PDF attachment to procurement.rwanda@sparkassenstiftung.de
mailto:procurement@tikenya.org on or before 7th March 2026. Please indicate “DSIK-
RW/FIN/003/2026-Digital product consultant” in the subject line of your email application.
Please note that only applications via e-mail will be accepted. Hard copy documents will not be accepted for the procurement process.
The evaluation results will be communicated through the respective e-mails or telephone numbers given on the bidder´s application documents. DSIK reserves the right to accept or reject any or all tenders without assigning any reason.
For further information, pleasecontact Olivier Gatete, Senior Accountant via Tel: 0788359482 or E-
mail: olivier.gatete@sparkassenstiftung.de.
This Tender Package should not be considered an award or contract as it is intended solely for the provision of information to prospective service providers.
Ruth Madl
Country Director- Rwanda
German Sparkassenstiftung Eastern Africa (DSIK)