TERMS OF REFERENCE

Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Recruitment of Consultancy firm to Design and deliver the ESO Acceleration Program_Multi-Country Edition (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique)

Client	Smart Africa Secretariat 10th Floor, Career Centre Building KG 541 ST, Kigali, Rwanda,PO Box: 4913 Tel: +250784013646| +250 788-300-581 Email: tenderenquiries@smartafrica.orgwww.smartafrica.org
RFP#:	156/SA/RFP/09/2026
Program countries	Côte d'Ivoire (Pilot), Ghana and Mozambique
Release date:	09th September 2026
Closing date:	12th October 2026 at 1:00 pm (Local time, Kigali)
Contact	For any questions or enquiries, please write to: tenderenquiries@smartafrica.org  For Proposal Submissions: procurement@smartafrica.org

1. Organizational Background

Smart Africa is a bold and innovative commitment from African Heads of State and Government to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent, ushering Africa into a knowledge economy through affordable access to broadband and usage of Information and Communications Technologies.

The Transform Africa Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda in October 2013 led to the adoption of the Smart Africa Manifesto by seven African Heads of State. The Manifesto was subsequently endorsed by all Heads of State of the African Union at the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa. The Smart Africa Alliance has since grown to include 42 African countries representing 1.1 billion people.

The Smart Africa Manifesto aims to put ICT at the center of national socio-economic development agendas; improve access to broadband; promote accountability, efficiency, and openness through ICT; put the private sector first; and leverage ICT to promote sustainable development.

2. Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge 2.0 (AEDIB 2.0)

The Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB 2.0) builds on the shared Africa-EU commitment to digital transformation, innovation, and sustainable development, aligned with Africa's Agenda 2063, the Continental STI Strategy (STISA 2024), and the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa 2020–2030. EU initiatives including Global Gateway and Digital for Development (D4D) policies complement these continental frameworks.

The programme focuses on strengthening digital entrepreneurship ecosystems including Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) progressive regulation, and human capital development. AEDIB 2.0 links African and European innovation ecosystems by improving enabling policies, building pan-African capacity, promoting entrepreneurship, providing catalytic funding, and fostering exchange of practices, technology, and training.

The three specific objectives of AEDIB 2.0 are:

• SO1: Enhance digital entrepreneurship and innovation policies.
• SO2: Strengthen Digital Innovation Ecosystems for digital transformation and green transition.
• SO3: Improve access to finance for innovative ventures, including women-led initiatives, supporting digital transformation and green transition.

This assignment is aligned primarily with SO2 strengthening Digital Innovation Ecosystems by directly building the organizational and programmatic capacity of the ESOs that form the backbone of each country's startup support infrastructure.

3. SANIA Background

With an estimated population of 1.3 billion people, Africa is a continent brimming with potential, significantly characterized by its young and increasingly educated demographic. Each year, 15 to 20 million young people join the workforce, poised to reshape the African economic landscape.

Recognizing the critical role of technology and innovation in harnessing this demographic dividend, the Smart Africa Alliance earmarked the development of tech startups and innovation ecosystems as a pivotal priority. This led to the launch of the ICT Startups and Innovation Ecosystems for Africa initiative, setting a framework to foster the emergence, growth, and success of African tech entrepreneurs.

The Smart Africa Network of Incubators and Accelerators (SANIA) serves as the operational arm of the tech-driven entrepreneurship program, with a clear mission to transform Africa into a global hotspot for digital entrepreneurship. SANIA's activities focus on three strategic areas:

• Facilitating the development of pro-entrepreneurship policies and ensuring the integration of startup ecosystem players in the policymaking process across Smart Africa member states.
• Bolstering the support network for incubators, accelerators, and innovation hubs by connecting these entities across the continent through capacity building, funding opportunities, and comprehensive networking.
• Strengthening and empowering African financial and investment entities to create a robust pipeline of investment-ready startups and to design financial instruments tailored for early-stage ventures.

4. Program Background & Rationale

Across Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mozambique, scoping missions and ESO surveys conducted in 2026 identified a consistent set of structural gaps that limit the quality and sustainability of startup support ecosystems:

• ESOs lack internal structure, governance frameworks, and sustainable business models they are dependent on donor funding with no clear path to financial autonomy.
• ESOs operate without a defined strategic identity: most serve all sectors and stages indiscriminately, with no deliberate choice between horizontal generalism and vertical specialization.
• Founders receive support that is often misaligned with actual needs; early-stage and ideation-phase founders are systematically underserved.
• No coordinated approach exists among ESOs within each country, leading to duplicated or fragmented support and missed collaboration opportunities.
• Significant gender gap: in some contexts, up to 95% of funding applicants are male-led ventures, reflecting structural gaps in how ESO programs are designed.

Two structural gaps in particular require more than a curriculum topic, they require dedicated program architecture built into the delivery model itself:

Strategic positioning: who are you, and what do you stand for?Many ESOs across the target countries operate without a clear identity. The program helps each ESO make a deliberate choice: horizontal generalist (serving all sectors and stages) or vertical specialist (going deep in one sector or startup stage). This decision captured in an ESO Identity Canvas becomes the north star for all coaching throughout the program.

Business model sustainability: how do you sustain yourself beyond donor funding?ESOs that cannot sustain themselves financially cannot sustain their ecosystems. The program treats business model development as a continuous 5-month lab, where each ESO builds, tests, and refines its own revenue model in context, not as a one-off workshop topic. By Demo Day, every ESO presents a fundable, context-specific business model pitch.

This program also positions participating ESOs to build the infrastructure that produces the next generation of high-potential African founders, contributing to a pipeline of ventures ready for pan-African and global investor attention. The emphasis on highly selective cohorts, milestone-based support, and investor network access is deliberate and aligned with leading global accelerator models.

The program will be delivered across three country cohorts running consecutively: Côte d'Ivoire as the pilot edition, followed by Ghana and Mozambique. While the methodology, structural threads, and quality standards are shared across all cohorts, the firm is required to adapt the curriculum, materials, and delivery to each country's specific ecosystem context, language, and partnership landscape.

5. Purpose of the Assignment

In line with AEDIB 2.0 SO2, the purpose of this assignment is to engage a qualified consultancy firm to design and deliver the ESO Acceleration Program across three African country cohorts Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mozambique. Under a single contract, the firm will:

• Deliver one 6-month program cohort per country, running consecutively as agreed with Smart Africa.
• Apply a shared methodology and quality standard across all three cohorts while adapting curriculum content, language, facilitation style, and local partnerships to each country context.
• Engage local facilitators, trainers, coaches, or partner organizations in each country to ensure contextual relevance and language appropriateness.
• Equip each cohort of 10 ESOs with a context-adapted program playbook, a validated strategic positioning, and a sustainable business model by program end.
• Build a shared pan-African ESO community connecting all three cohorts as well as other ESOs from other AEDIB programs for peer learning and cross-country knowledge exchange on the SANIA platform.
• Produce country-specific evaluation reports and a consolidated multi-country final report.

6. Objectives

6.1 Strategic Positioning Thread (structural all cohorts)

• Help each ESO articulate and commit to a clear strategic identity: horizontal generalist vs. vertical specialist.
• Produce a completed ESO Identity Canvas for each participating ESO by end of Month 1 of their cohort.
• Use the Identity Canvas as the north star for all coaching, tool adoption, and curriculum sequencing throughout the program.

6.2 Business Model Lab (structural all cohorts)

• Audit each ESO's current revenue sources and financial sustainability gaps (Month 2).
• Support each ESO to design, stress-test, and refine a primary business model by Month 5.
• Ensure each ESO presents a sustainable, context-specific business model pitch at the Sustainability Forum & Demo Day (Month 6).

6.3 Capacity Building

• Deliver a structured 6-month capacity-building program per country cohort, combining in-person bootcamps, online workshops, 1:1 coaching, peer learning circles, and 1:1 clinics.
• Cover 9 core curriculum topics, weighted by priority: strategic identity and positioning, business model and sustainability, governance and structure, program design, gender lens integration, ecosystem collaboration, investor readiness, AI readiness for ESOs, and stakeholder visibility and partnerships.

6.4 Program Playbook

• Equip each country cohort with a structured program management playbook either commissioned as a custom country-specific playbook (Option A) or adapted from an existing open or affordable tool (Option B).
• Adapt playbook content, language, and examples to each country's ecosystem context.
• Achieve 100% active playbook use across all ESOs in each cohort by Month 3 of their program.

6.5 Country Adaptation & Local Engagement

• Conduct a country-specific ecosystem diagnostic before each cohort launch.
• Recruit and onboard at least one local facilitator, trainer, or partner organization per country to co-deliver the program.
• Adapt all curriculum materials, workshop facilitation, and coaching to the language and business culture of each country.
• Map and engage relevant local stakeholders, government, corporates, investors, development partners as mentors, clinic experts, or Sustainability Forum participants.

6.6 Network & Access

• Connect participating ESOs to a pan-African mentor and investor network (target: 20+ contacts shared across all cohorts).
• Facilitate a minimum of one investor-readiness session per ESO during their program.
• Establish and maintain a shared cross-country ESO community on the SANIA platform connecting all three cohorts.
• Organize at least one joint cross-country event (virtual or in-person) during the program period.

7. Scope of Work

The scope of work covers all three country cohorts: Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mozambique. Activities described below apply to each cohort unless otherwise indicated. The cohorts will run consecutively; the firm will propose a sequencing plan in the Inception Report, subject to Smart Africa approval.

7.1 Pre-Program: Design & Setup (before each cohort launch)

• Finalize program design and country-specific calendar in coordination with Smart Africa and AEDIB 2.0 partners.
• Conduct a country-specific ecosystem diagnostic (desk review + key informant interviews) and produce a Country Scoping Note per country.
• Develop or procure the program playbook, adapted to each country context (Option A or B).
• Design the ESO Identity Canvas tool and Business Model Lab framework, adapted to each country context.
• Develop country-specific ESO selection criteria and manage the call for applications per country.
• Set up the shared ESO community on the SANIA platform and country-specific communication channels.
• Produce a consolidated Inception Report and multi-country workplan for Smart Africa approval.

7.2 Phase 1 Onboarding, Diagnostics & Positioning Sprint (Month 1 per cohort, Hybrid)

• Conduct ESO diagnostic assessments and present findings to the cohort.
• Facilitate Bootcamp 1 (in-person, in local language): cohort launch, ESO Identity Canvas workshop, playbook onboarding, peer bonding.
• Complete coach matching and initiate first 1:1 coaching sessions (can be online).
• Launch the Business Model Lab: introduce the revenue audit framework.
• Organize a Kickoff Investor Roundtable: a short, focused session with 3–5 investors or DFIs already active in the country, designed to brief the cohort on what they would realistically support. This shapes the business model lab from day one rather than retrofitting investor expectations at the end.

7.3 Phase 2 Capacity Building & Business Model Lab Start (Months 2–3 per cohort, Hybrid)

• Deliver monthly 1:1 coaching sessions (60 min each) for all 10 ESOs.
• Facilitate bi-weekly Peer Learning Circles (groups of 4–5 ESOs per cohort).
• Deliver Online Workshop 1 (Month 2): incubation program design and revenue mapping.
• Facilitate monthly 1:1 clinic slots (30–45 min): tactical and operational support.
• Business Model Lab: revenue audit (Month 2) and business model design (Month 3).
• Conduct mid-term review at end of Month 3: assess progress and adjust Phase 3 design.

7.4 Phase 3 Tool Implementation, Stress Testing & Refinement (Months 4–5 per cohort, Hybrid)

• Deliver Online Workshop 2 (Month 4): AI readiness for ESOs, DFI investment readiness, gender lens integration.
• Deliver advanced playbook training (Month 4): AI-assisted diagnostics, tracking dashboards, reporting.
• Continue monthly 1:1 coaching and clinic sessions.
• Business Model Lab: stress testing (Month 4) and business model pitch preparation (Month 5).
• Support ESOs to run at least one full program cycle using the playbook independently.

7.5 Phase 4 Sustainability Forum & Demo Day (Month 6 per cohort, In-person)

Bootcamp 2 takes the form of a two-part closing event:

Part 1 Sustainability ForumA curated, invite-only gathering that brings together government institutions, corporates, DFIs, foundations, investors, universities, and potential clients each pre-matched by the firm to the specific business models and positioning of the ESOs presenting. This is not a generic networking event. The firm is responsible for mobilizing a relevant, targeted audience before the event.

Part 2 Demo DayEach ESO takes the floor to present their identity canvas, their business model pitch, and a demonstration of a program they ran using the playbook directly in front of the audience assembled in the first half. The forum creates the room; the Demo Day fills it with substance.

• Conduct final coaching sessions and program close.
• Produce a Country-Specific Final Evaluation Report within 30 days of each cohort's completion.

7.6 Post-Program Follow-Up (Months 7–9 per cohort)

• Deliver monthly 30-minute check-in calls with coaches for each ESO for 3 months.
• Maintain and facilitate the shared ESO community on the SANIA platform across all cohorts.
• Organize quarterly ecosystem convenings per country, designed not only to sustain momentum and peer collaboration but to progressively connect ESOs to non-grant revenue opportunities including corporate capital, family offices, revenue-share arrangements, paying membership models, and fee-for-service clients. Each convening serves as a structured access point to potential partners, customers, or investors aligned with the ESO's business model, steering participating organizations away from grant dependency toward financial autonomy.
• Conduct a 90-day post-program review per country: assess ESO positioning and business model traction in practice.

7.7 Multi-Country Coordination (throughout the assignment)

• Maintain a consolidated multi-country progress tracker updated monthly and shared with Smart Africa.
• Organize at least one joint cross-country session per semester connecting ESOs from different cohorts for peer learning (once the second cohort starts).
• Participate in bi-monthly coordination calls with Smart Africa, AEDIB 2.0 partners, and other implementing organizations.
• Produce a Consolidated Multi-Country Final Report upon completion of all three cohorts.

8. Country Adaptation Requirements

A core requirement of this assignment is that the program methodology while shared is genuinely adapted to each country context. The firm must not deliver a copy-paste program across countries. The following adaptations are mandatory for each country cohort:

Adaptation Area	What is required from the firm
Ecosystem diagnostic	A country-specific scoping note must be produced before each cohort launch, based on desk research and at least 5 key informant interviews with local ESOs, investors, or ecosystem stakeholders. This diagnostic informs curriculum sequencing and ESO selection criteria.
Language	All in-person workshops, bootcamps, and coaching sessions must be delivered in the primary language(s) of each country. All written materials playbook, curriculum guides, ESO Identity Canvas, Business Model Lab templates must be available in the relevant language. At minimum: French for Côte d'Ivoire; English for Ghana; Portuguese (and English) for Mozambique.
Local facilitators and trainers	The firm must recruit and onboard at least one qualified local facilitator or trainer per country to co-deliver in-person components. Local facilitators must have demonstrated experience in the national startup ecosystem and be fluent in the delivery language. Their CVs must be included in the technical proposal.
Local partner organizations	Where relevant, the firm is encouraged to engage local partner organizations ESO networks, national incubator associations, local universities, or co-working hubs to co-host events, provide venue support, or contribute to mentor and expert networks. Such partnerships must be disclosed in the proposal and their roles clearly defined.
Curriculum content	The 9 core curriculum topics are shared across all cohorts. However, sequencing, emphasis, and examples must reflect each country's ecosystem maturity, regulatory context, and ESO landscape. Governance and formalization may require more depth in less mature ecosystems (e.g. Mozambique); investor readiness and sector specialization may be more immediately actionable in more developed ones (e.g. Ghana).
ESO selection criteria	Selection criteria must reflect local ecosystem realities. The firm must develop country-specific selection criteria that account for the maturity, size, and thematic focus of ESOs operating in each country. Selection criteria must be validated with Smart Africa before each call for applications is issued.
Business model examples and benchmarks	Business model case studies, revenue benchmarks, and DFI references used in the Business Model Lab must be locally or regionally relevant not generic global examples. The firm must identify at least three (3) relevant ESO business model examples per country.

Important: local engagement is not optionalProposals that rely exclusively on an international or external team without meaningful local facilitators, trainers, or partner organizations in each country will be penalized in the technical evaluation. The firm must demonstrate how local knowledge, language capacity, and ecosystem relationships will be embedded in each country cohort not retrofitted after contract signature.

9. Key Deliverables

All deliverables shall be explicitly aligned with AEDIB 2.0 SO2 outputs and indicators. The full assignment runs over approximately 18–24 months across three consecutive cohorts. Country-specific deliverables are produced three times (once per country cohort); multi-country deliverables are produced once.

#	Deliverable	Scope	Description
D1	Inception Report & Multi-Country Workplan	Global	Methodology, consecutive cohort sequencing plan, country adaptation approach, coach and local partner recruitment strategy, playbook procurement decision, and coordination modalities with Smart Africa and AEDIB 2.0 partners.
D2	Country Scoping Notes (x3)	Per country	Country-specific ecosystem diagnostic for Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mozambique: ESO landscape, key gaps, relevant stakeholders, recommended curriculum emphasis, and local partner mapping. Produced before each cohort launch.
D3	ESO Selection Reports (x3)	Per country	Documentation of the call for applications, selection process, and final cohort of 10 ESOs per country, including profiles and diagnostic assessments. Includes evidence of country-specific selection criteria.
D4	Program Playbooks (x3)	Per country	Finalized program playbook adapted to each country's language, ecosystem context, and ESO landscape. French for Côte d'Ivoire; English for Ghana; Portuguese/English for Mozambique. Includes user guide and training materials.
D5	Local Facilitator & Partner Engagement Reports (x3)	Per country	Documentation of partner organizations recruited per country: roles, engagement agreements, and contribution to delivery.
D6	Kickoff Investor Roundtable Reports (x3)	Per cohort	Summary of the Month 1 investor roundtable per country: participants, key messages to the cohort on what investors would realistically support, and implications for the Business Model Lab.
D7	ESO Identity Canvases (x30)	Per cohort	One completed ESO Identity Canvas per participating ESO, documenting strategic positioning, sector focus, and value proposition. Produced by end of Month 1 of each cohort.
D8	Monthly Progress Reports (x6 per cohort)	Per cohort	Brief monthly reports (max 3 pages) summarizing coaching sessions, clinic outputs, peer circle themes, business model lab progress, and KPIs. Submitted monthly for Months 1–6 of each cohort.
D9	Mid-Term Review Reports (x3)	Per cohort	Assessment of program progress at end of Month 3 per cohort. Includes attendance data, playbook adoption rate, positioning and business model progress, and Phase 3 adjustment recommendations.
D10	Workshop Reports (x4 per cohort)	Per cohort	Documentation of all 4 events per cohort: Bootcamp 1 (incl. Kickoff Roundtable), Online Workshop 1, Online Workshop 2, and Sustainability Forum & Demo Day. Includes attendance, key outputs, language of delivery, audience composition, and participant feedback.
D11	Business Model Pitch Decks (x30)	Per cohort	One completed business model pitch deck per participating ESO, presenting their validated revenue model. Produced by end of Month 5; presented at the Sustainability Forum & Demo Day.
D12	Country Final Evaluation Reports (x3)	Per cohort	Comprehensive end-of-cohort evaluation per country: KPI results, lessons learned, ESO case studies, and recommendations for the next cohort or scaling. Submitted within 30 days of each cohort's completion.
D13	Post-Program Follow-Up Reports (x3)	Per cohort	Summary of 90-day post-program review per country: ESO traction on positioning and business model; community platform activity; outcomes of quarterly revenue-focused convenings; recommendations for next cohort.
D14	Consolidated Multi-Country Final Report	Global	Cross-country synthesis upon completion of all three cohorts: comparative analysis of results across Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mozambique; cross-country learnings; model replication recommendations; and a roadmap for scaling to additional countries.

All deliverables must be submitted in the primary language of the relevant country cohort (French for Côte d'Ivoire; English for Ghana; Portuguese and English for Mozambique). English versions of all consolidated and global deliverables are required for Smart Africa and AEDIB 2.0 reporting purposes.

The consultancy firm will work in close coordination with Smart Africa, AEDIB 2.0 implementing partners (HAUS, ESTDEV, RVO), and national partners identified during the inception phase. All deliverables are subject to review and approval by Smart Africa.

10. Firm Profile and Experience

In addition to the human resources required, the firm must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for evaluation:

• Proven experience (minimum 7 years) in designing and delivering capacity-building programs for ESOs, incubators, accelerators, or innovation hubs in Africa.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and deliver multi-country programs simultaneously, with at least two (2) multi-country or regional programs of comparable complexity.
• Track record of coaching-based programs with demonstrated organizational change outcomes not just training delivery.
• Demonstrated experience in at least two (2) of the three target countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique) or comparable Francophone, Anglophone, or Lusophone African contexts.
• Proven ability to recruit, onboard, and manage local facilitators, trainers, and partner organizations across different country contexts.
• Demonstrated experience designing and using structured program management tools (playbooks, tracking dashboards, MEL frameworks) in an ESO or accelerator context.
• Established pan-African network of practitioners, mentors, and investors available for participant access.
• Language capacity to operate in French and English (mandatory); Portuguese is a significant asset for the Mozambique cohort.
• Familiarity with AEDIB 2.0, Smart Africa, SANIA, or similar pan-African innovation ecosystem programs is a significant asset.

11. Project Team

The consultancy firm shall propose a multidisciplinary team with demonstrated expertise in ESO capacity building, ecosystem development, business model design, coaching, and multi-country program management. The team must have sufficient capacity to manage up to 30 simultaneous ESO engagements across three countries in a hybrid format.

11.1 Program Director / Team Lead

Overall responsibility for technical leadership, multi-country coordination, quality assurance, methodology oversight, and liaison with Smart Africa and AEDIB 2.0 partners.

• Advanced degree (Master's) in business, development studies, management, public policy, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in ecosystem development, ESO capacity building, or innovation program management in Africa.
• Proven experience leading multi-country programs with simultaneous country workstreams.
• Demonstrated experience working with development partners, DFIs, or Smart Africa-type institutions.
• Strong understanding of ESO business models, startup ecosystem dynamics, and the challenges faced by early-stage incubators and accelerators in Africa.
• Fluent in English (mandatory); French and Portuguese are an asset.
• Having led at least 2 programs of similar complexity.

11.2 Lead Coach / ESO Development Expert (2 per country cohort)

Each Lead Coach is assigned to 5 ESOs for the full 6 months of their cohort. Coaches are the backbone of the program providing personalized, context-sensitive, action-oriented support integrating positioning and business model development throughout.

• Advanced degree in business, management, economics, development, or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years of experience working with ESOs, incubators, accelerators, or innovation hubs in Africa.
• Demonstrated experience in 1:1 organizational coaching with measurable development outcomes.
• Deep familiarity with ESO business models, program design, governance, and sustainability challenges in the relevant country context.
• Fluency in the primary language of the country cohort they are assigned to (mandatory): French for Côte d'Ivoire, English for Ghana, Portuguese /English for Mozambique.
• National or regional expertise in the target country is highly desirable.
• Having participated in at least two (2) similar programs as coach or advisor.

11.3 Business Model & Sustainability Specialist

Leads the Business Model Lab thread across all three cohorts. Designs the business model framework, facilitates stress-testing sessions, and supports ESOs in preparing their Sustainability Forum & Demo Day pitches.

• Degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience working on organizational sustainability, revenue diversification, or social enterprise business models in Africa.
• Demonstrated experience supporting ESOs, NGOs, or social enterprises to develop and validate non-grant revenue models (fee-for-service, corporate partnerships, DFI grants, equity stake, revenue-share, paying membership models).
• Experience facilitating group workshops on financial sustainability across different country contexts.
• Fluent in English (mandatory); French and Portuguese are an asset.
• Having participated in at least two (2) similar projects.

11.4 Local Facilitator / Country Anchors

Co-delivers in-person components in each country. Provides local contextual expertise, language fluency, and ecosystem relationship capital. The firm must propose at least one named local facilitator or country anchor per country in the technical proposal.

• Degree in a relevant field; ecosystem development, facilitation, or education background preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience working in the startup, innovation, or ESO ecosystem of the relevant country (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, or Mozambique).
• Proven facilitation or training experience with adult learners in a professional context.
• Native or near-native fluency in the primary language of the country (French / English / Portuguese).
• Established relationships with local ESOs, government stakeholders, or development partners are highly desirable.

12. Evaluation Criteria

Firm-level experience and individual expert experience will be assessed complementarily. Particular weight is given to multi-country delivery capacity and the quality of the proposed local engagement strategy, as these are critical to program success. The evaluation committee will score each criterion on the basis of evidence provided in the technical proposal.

12.1 Technical Evaluation (100 points)

The technical evaluation is structured across three dimensions: Methodology & Approach, Staff Experience, and Firm Experience. Sub-criteria and scoring guidance are detailed below.

Item/criteria	Max Points
A. METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH	/33
A1. Proposed methodology for ESO capacity building and multi-country delivery Clarity and coherence of the overall approach to ESO organizational development (5) Quality of the coaching model: how 1:1 coaching, peer circles, and clinics are structured and sequenced (5) Realism and feasibility of the proposed 6-month workplan per cohort (5)	/15
A2. Integration of strategic positioning sprint and business model lab How the strategic positioning sprint is embedded in Month 1 and reinforced throughout the program (2) How the business model lab is structured as a continuous thread from Month 2 to Month 5, not a one-off session (3) Quality and specificity of the ESO Identity Canvas and Business Model Lab tools proposed (1)	/6
A3. Country adaptation strategy Depth and specificity of proposed curriculum adaptations for Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mozambique (1) Evidence of prior knowledge of each country's ecosystem context (1)	/2
A4. Partner engagement plan Identification of relevant local partner organizations and their proposed contributions (3)	/3
A5. Program Playbook Approach The technical proposal must include a brief presentation of the proposed playbook: its format, features, and adaptation plan. Evaluators will assess: Proposed approach: Option A (custom-commissioned playbook) or Option B (adapted existing tool), with clear rationale for the choice (3) Evidence of prior experience designing or using structured program management tools in an ESO or accelerator context (2) Quality and contextual relevance of the proposed playbook content, features, and country-specific adaptation plan (2)	/7
B. STAFF EXPERIENCE	/60
B1. Program Director / Team Lead- Qualifications: Academic degree in a relevant field (business, development, management, public policy, or related) (2)- Years of experience: Minimum 10 years in ecosystem development, ESO capacity building, or innovation program management in Africa (2)- Multi-country leadership: Proven experience leading multi-country programs with simultaneous country workstreams (2)- Development partner experience: Prior work with DFIs, Smart Africa, AEDIB, or comparable institutions (1)- Language capacity: Fluency in English (mandatory); French and Portuguese are an asset (2)- Similar programs: Evidence of having led at least 2 programs of similar complexity (1)	/10
B2. Lead Coach / ESO Development Expert — Côte d'Ivoire, Coach 1 - Qualifications: degree in a relevant field (business, management, economics, development, or related) (1) - Years of experience: minimum 8 years working with ESOs, incubators, or accelerators in Africa (1) - Country-specific knowledge: demonstrated familiarity with the Côte d'Ivoire / Francophone West African startup ecosystem (1) - Language fluency: French (mandatory) (1) - Similar programs: at least two (2) similar coaching programs with demonstrated ESO outcomes (1)	/5
B3. Lead Coach / ESO Development Expert — Côte d'Ivoire, Coach 2- Qualifications: degree in a relevant field (business, management, economics, development, or related) (1) - Years of experience: minimum 8 years working with ESOs, incubators, or accelerators in Africa (1) - Country-specific knowledge: demonstrated familiarity with the Côte d'Ivoire / Francophone West African startup ecosystem (1) - Language fluency: French (mandatory) (1) - Similar programs: at least two (2) similar coaching programs with demonstrated ESO outcomes (1)	/5
B4. Lead Coach / ESO Development Expert — Ghana, Coach 1 - Qualifications: degree in a relevant field (business, management, economics, development, or related) (1) - Years of experience: minimum 8 years working with ESOs, incubators, or accelerators in Africa (1) - Country-specific knowledge: demonstrated familiarity with the Ghana / Anglophone West African startup ecosystem (1) - Language fluency: English (mandatory) (1) - Similar programs: at least two (2) similar coaching programs with demonstrated ESO outcomes (1)	/5
B5. Lead Coach / ESO Development Expert — Ghana, Coach 2 - Qualifications: degree in a relevant field (business, management, economics, development, or related) (1) - Years of experience: minimum 8 years working with ESOs, incubators, or accelerators in Africa (1) - Country-specific knowledge: demonstrated familiarity with the Ghana / Anglophone West African startup ecosystem (1) - Language fluency: English (mandatory) (1) - Similar programs: at least two (2) similar coaching programs with demonstrated ESO outcomes (1)	/5
B6. Lead Coach / ESO Development Expert — Mozambique, Coach 1 - Qualifications: degree in a relevant field (business, management, economics, development, or related) (1) - Years of experience: minimum 8 years working with ESOs, incubators, or accelerators in Africa (1) - Country-specific knowledge: demonstrated familiarity with the Mozambique / Lusophone African startup ecosystem (1) - Language fluency: Portuguese and/or English (mandatory) (1) - Similar programs: at least two (2) similar coaching programs with demonstrated ESO outcomes (1)	/5
B7. Lead Coach / ESO Development Expert — Mozambique, Coach 2 - Qualifications: degree in a relevant field (business, management, economics, development, or related) (1) - Years of experience: minimum 8 years working with ESOs, incubators, or accelerators in Africa (1) - Country-specific knowledge: demonstrated familiarity with the Mozambique / Lusophone African startup ecosystem (1) - Language fluency: Portuguese and/or English (mandatory) (1) - Similar programs: at least two (2) similar coaching programs with demonstrated ESO outcomes (1)	/5
B8. Business Model & Sustainability Specialist- Qualifications: Degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field (2)- Years of experience: Minimum 7 years supporting ESOs, NGOs, or social enterprises to build non-grant revenue models (2)- Revenue model expertise: Practical knowledge of fee-for-service, corporate partnership, revenue-share, and DFI models in Africa (2)- Language capacity: Fluent in English (mandatory); French and Portuguese are an asset (1)- Similar projects: Evidence of at least two (2) similar organizational sustainability projects (1)	/8
B9. Local Facilitator / Country Anchor — Côte d'Ivoire - Qualifications: degree or equivalent professional certification in a relevant field, or demonstrated experience in lieu (ecosystem development, facilitation, or education) (1) c - Local ecosystem expertise: minimum 5 years in the Côte d'Ivoire startup or ESO ecosystem (1) - Facilitation experience: proven experience with adult learners in a professional context (1) - Language fluency: French (mandatory) (1)	/4
B10. Local Facilitator / Country Anchor — Ghana - Qualifications: degree or equivalent professional certification in a relevant field, or demonstrated experience in lieu (ecosystem development, facilitation, or education) (1) - Local ecosystem expertise: minimum 5 years in the Ghana startup or ESO ecosystem (1) - Facilitation experience: proven experience with adult learners in a professional context (1) - Language fluency: English (mandatory) (1)	/4
B11. Local Facilitator / Country Anchor — Mozambique - Qualifications: degree or equivalent professional certification in a relevant field, or demonstrated experience in lieu (ecosystem development, facilitation, or education) (1) - Local ecosystem expertise: minimum 5 years in the Mozambique startup or ESO ecosystem (1) - Facilitation experience: proven experience with adult learners in a professional context (1) - Language fluency: Portuguese (mandatory) (1)	/4
C. FIRM EXPERIENCE	/7
C1. Company profile and ESO capacity-building portfolio Company overview, years of operation, size, and geographic reach in Africa (3) Portfolio of relevant ESO, incubator, or accelerator capacity-building programs with demonstrated outcomes (2)	/5
C2. Recommendation lettersMinimum 2 letters from previous relevant engagements, on organizational letterhead, officially signed (2)	/2
TOTAL TECHNICAL SCORE	/100

Minimum threshold; The financial proposal of only those firms which secure a minimum score of 70/100 in the technical evaluation will be opened for review.

12.2 Financial Criteria

Once the technical criteria have been evaluated, the costs of all bids will be listed from low to high. Computing the cost criteria score will be accomplished by use of the following formula:

= Sf

The Applicant getting maximum marks on 70-30 weightage (70% for technical and 30% for financial) will be considered for the assignment. The weights given to the Technical (T) and Financial Proposals (F) are: T = 0.70 and F = 0.30

The Final Score (S) is calculated as follows: S = St*T + Sf*F

Financial proposals must be broken down by country cohort (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique), enabling Smart Africa to assess costs per country if needed.

13. Submission Requirements for Technical and Financial Proposals

A response to this RFP must include the following sections in the order listed:

• A cover letter confirming the firm's interest and capacity to deliver the multi-country program across Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mozambique as described.
• Administrative documents: company registration certificates and tax clearance certificates. Failure to submit will lead to automatic disqualification.

Technical proposal containing:

• Executive summary
• Business experience, profiles, and portfolio with specific reference to multi-country ESO capacity-building programs in Africa
• Proposed methodology, approach, and multi-country workplan including consecutive cohort sequencing plan
• Country adaptation strategy how curriculum, language, and facilitation will be adapted for Côte d'Ivoire (French), Ghana (English), and Mozambique (Portuguese/English)
• Local facilitator and partner engagement plan named local anchors proposed per country, with CVs
• Playbook approach: Option A (custom commission per country) or Option B (adaptation of existing tool), with rationale
• Description of how the strategic positioning sprint and business model lab will be implemented and sustained across all cohorts
• Mission team CVs and relevant certificates for all proposed team members
• At least 2 recommendation letters signed and stamped on organizational letterhead
• For consortium or joint venture proposals: a signed consortium agreement or letter of intent clearly identifying the lead entity and the roles and responsibilities of each member firm.

Financial proposal containing:

• Summarized total cost (VAT inclusive, with tax value indicated)
• Breakdown of costs by country cohort (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique)
• Breakdown of remuneration package per team member and role
• Breakdown of reimbursable professional expenses, excluding venue, catering, logistics, and travel costs for all in-person events (Bootcamp 1 and Sustainability Forum & Demo Day across all three country cohorts), which are covered directly by Smart Africa. The financial offer must reflect professional fees only
• All companies should quote in United States Dollars (USD).

NOTE: All financial proposals must be password protected. Smart Africa will request the password only for firms qualified in the technical evaluation phase.

14. Submission Process

Soft copies of both Technical and Financial Offers in PDF format must be submitted via email to procurement@smartafrica.org, showing each the nature of the proposal concerned (technical or financial proposal) with mention: RFP 156/SA/RFP/09/2026"Request for Proposal for the Recruitment of a Consultancy Firm to Design and Deliver the ESO Acceleration Program Multi-Country Edition (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique)" not later than 12^th October 2026 at, 01:00 pm local time (Kigali).

Late proposals will be rejected.

15. Rights Reserved

• This RFP does not obligate the Smart Africa Secretariat (SAS) to complete the RFP process.
• SAS reserves the right to amend any segment of the RFP prior to announcement of a selected firm.
• SAS reserves the right to remove one or more country cohorts from the scope should evaluation show it is in SAS's best interest to do so.
• SAS may, at its discretion, issue a separate contract for one or more country cohorts and may negotiate additional provisions to any contract awarded.
• Smart Africa reserves the right to debrief applicants after completion of the process.

16. Enquiries

Any enquiries will only be received and addressed three (3) days or more prior to the bid submission deadline. Prospective respondents with questions may submit their enquiries to tenderenquiries@smartafrica.org.

17. Anti-Corruption

Smart Africa is committed to preventing and not tolerating any act of corruption and other malpractices, and expects that all bidders will adhere to the same ethical principles. Any attempt to influence the evaluation process, offer gifts, or engage in corrupt practices will result in immediate disqualification and may be reported to relevant authorities.

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