AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a leading non-profit development organization that supports innovative enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors with the aim of reducing rural poverty, promoting resilient communities, and creating jobs.
We catalyze the private sector by surfacing and commercializing new ideas, business models, and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change. We finance high-risk businesses that struggle to access commercial funding; we are committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go.
Over the course of 15 years, we have supported 425 businesses in 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacted more than 31 million lives, created over 29,000 direct jobs, and leveraged US $808 million in matching funds.
Find more about AECF on www.aecfafrica.org
AECF`S ambition for gender lens investing stems from its vision to create a prospering and enterprising rural Africa which is pursued through our mission to unlock the power of the private sector to positively impact the lives of the rural and marginalized communities in Africa. It is also detailed in the institutional Gender Lens Investing Strategy that outlines the approach taken to invest with a gender lens in a way that drives sustainable change for the rural poor. In the strategy, AECF commits to achieving some headline figures – at least 50% of development impact accruing to women across the investment portfolio, 35% of portfolio companies being Women-led and 40% of jobs created in these companies held by women – and to reorient the investment process to find, nurture and grow business that are providing innovative solutions to increase gender equality in rural communities at the household, business and market levels.
AECF’s strategy seeks to integrate a gender analysis throughout the investment activities and design and host inclusive investment processes that allow female entrepreneurs and businesses working for and with women equal access to finance. AECF continuously seeks to gather and share insight on its experiences mainstreaming gender to funders, partners, investees and to various ecosystems with the sectors and value chains in which we invest. AECF mainstreams attention to gender dynamics into the culture, practices, policies, and processes of the entire organization and encourages and incentivize its investees to do likewise. AECF seeks to increase its voice and leadership within the global Gender Lens Investing (GLI) field with a goal to become the premier institution for gender lens investing in Sub-Saharan Africa in line with one of our three core values which calls us to Take the Lead. The gender strategy also supports and strengthens other core values as we Think Impact and Valuing Our People in an inclusive way.
AECF is seeking services of gender experts to provide a range of services and technical assistance both at regional and country level in different programs of agribusiness and renewable energy and to step up the implementation of the GLI strategy. Successful applicants will be placed on Gender Consultant Roster to be sourced for upcoming gender consultant assignments.
Service categories:
Areas of expertise and skills:
Countries of experience:
The Assignment will be contracted holistically with an addendum to phase 2 incorporated once the finer details around phase 2 are agreed upon. Implementation of phase 2 will be subject to satisfactory completion of phase 1 as determined by AECF, and the successful confirmation of the capacity and capabilities of the Specialist to deliver on the identified IR interventions.
An evaluation committee will be formed by the AECF and may include employees of the businesses to be supported. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. The Specialist should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated.
The AECF may request and receive clarification from any Specialist when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the Specialists to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such event, the evaluation committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating proposals.
In deciding the final selection of qualified bidders for a given assignment, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30% and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored.
The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are identified in the table below.
Key Areas for Evaluation/ Assessment
Weighted Award
(A) TECHNIAL PROPOSAL
70
i) An understanding of the consultancy requirements;
15
5
10
ii) Methodology and work-plan that will deliver the best value on the Assignment:
30
25
5
iv) Relevant services undertaken by the bidder in the past engagements:
15
15
v) Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments:
10
10
(A) FINANCIAL PROPOSAL
30
30
Total score
100
The AECF is obliged by the Kenyan tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees as well as ensure that 16% VAT, is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position with regards to provisions of Kenya tax legislation when developing their proposals.
The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates based on merit without regard to race, gender, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.
NB: The AECF does not charge an application fee for participation in the tender process and has not appointed any agents or intermediaries to facilitate applications. Applicants are advised to reach out directly to the AECF PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT.
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