Subject:                Sources Sought Notification

Reference:          United State Agency for International Development (USAID) Vietnam Improving Private Sector Competitiveness (IPSC) Activity

Dear Interested Parties,

The Improving Private Sector Competitiveness (IPSC) Activity is a U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID) technical assistance project, and the Agency for Enterprise Development (AED) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is the Project owner, invites you to submit your response related to the services associated with this Request for Information.  Refer to Enclosure 1 (“Sources Sought Notification”) for the information requested. Note that all submissions become Deloitte property and will not be returned. 

This Sources Sought Notice shall not obligate Deloitte, in any manner whatsoever, to enter into a contract or result in any claim whatsoever against Deloitte, for reimbursement of costs for any information or efforts expended in your response.

Sincerely,

 

Amanda Mays
Lead Subcontracts Administrator
[email protected]  
Government and Public Services Contracts
Subcontracts and Purchasing

Enclosure 1

Sources Sought Notification

1. Description

The USAID Improving Private Sector Competitiveness (hereafter referred to as “IPSC”) is a U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID) technical assistance project, and the Agency for Enterprise Development (AED) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is the Project owner, is seeking information on how interested contractors can support anticipated technical program needs. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to gather information about potential qualified firms that have the capacity to implement the activities outlined below.

This Sources Sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. Further, IPSC is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondees are advised that IPSC will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this Sources Sought and all costs associated with responding to this notification will be solely at the interested party’s expense. 

Not responding to this Sources Sought Notification will not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. Firms meeting the qualifications outlined below may be invited to pre-register in Deloitte’s system and may be sent future RFP opportunities.   

2. Background

IPSC supports Vietnam’s private sector development, consistent with the direction and objectives of the Government of Vietnam (GVN), to improve the capacity and number of private businesses, enhance the policy environment where there are barriers to private sector development, and strengthen Vietnam’s competitiveness. Vietnam has taken significant strides towards sustainable economic growth, however Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) face numerous challenges in accessing knowledge, capital, and markets. IPSC seeks to remove policy, market, and firm-level constraints inhibiting the growth of SGBs, including those owned or led by women and vulnerable populations. The goal of IPSC is to foster an innovative and dynamic private sector that expands economic opportunities domestically and is competitive regionally and globally.

IPSC is comprised of four interrelated Objectives:

• Objective 1. Building business management capacity of SGBs, including those led by vulnerable populations.
• Objective 2. Improving efficiency and productivity by promoting innovation, technology adoption, and sustainable business models.
• Objective 3. Enhancing the business enabling environment (BEE) for a broad-based inclusive economy.
• Objective 4. Strengthening business-to-business (B2B) and cross-sectoral linkages.

3. Objective

One of IPSC’s main objectives of IPSC is supporting 60 Pioneering Enterprises (PEs) to receive customized technical assistance under the overall support package “Vietnamese Value – Reach out to the World” to create products with added value and Vietnamese intellectual property, nurturing them to become sustainable models for other SGBs to emulate and scale up proven examples. A PE is defined as a growing Vietnamese-registered enterprise with domestic-branded products or services; proven competitiveness; the ability to lead and expand in their respective industry, sector, and locality; strong management capacity and willingness to innovate and produce products with high added value; and the vision to build a Vietnamese brand in domestic or international markets. PEs are a subcategory of SGBs though with a higher capacity than traditional smaller scale SGBs. Positioning the “Made by Vietnam” product brand successfully in regional and international markets is a priority for PEs.

IPSC will provide support packages customized for the individual PE, depending on their situation, needs, development capacity, commitment to participate, and willingness to co-invest. The support packages will focus on facilitating Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) and technical experts to deliver consulting services and specialized training to help enterprises strengthen their governance, management capability, and strategies. IPSC will develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each supporting package so PEs can quantify results achieved and evaluate the effectiveness of the results.

With this Sources Sought, IPSC is looking to identify potential BDSPs that can support initiatives with the PEs to provide technical assistance in implementing individualized support packages. IPSC requires firms with practical experience that can deliver consulting services in several technical areas as identified in each PE action plan.  

An illustrative description of technical areas for potential support includes, but is not limited, to the following:

• Area 1: Financial and Operation Management
  
  • Business Administration: Operational Planning, Quality control, Supply Chain Management, and Production Management
  • Financial Management: Financial Planning, Cash Flow Management, Financial Control, and Financial Reporting
  • Risk Management and Business Continuity
• Area 2: Human Resources and Culture Management
  
  • Human Resource Planning, Recruitment, and Retention
  • Corporate Culture Development and Internal Communication
• Area 3: Competitiveness and Innovation Development
  
  • Marketing Capacity Development: Digital Marketing, Integrated Marketing and Communication, Trade Marketing, and Customer Services Management
  • Product Innovation: Market Research, Product Development and Testing, Feasibility Studies, Go-to-Market Strategy, and Product Pricing and Distribution
  • Technology Implementation: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Distribution Management System (DMS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Digital Office, and other relevant digital products
  • Corporate Innovation: Knowledge Management, Support for application of International prizes, awards, and contests
  • Market Linkages: B2B Partnership Development, Market access, Supplier and Distribution Development, and International Trade Consulting

4. Qualifications

IPSC will consider firms that align with the qualifications outlined below in compliance with announcement requirements. The criteria for consideration are listed below:

• Registered under the Vietnam Enterprise Law
• Within the last five years (2017-2022), carried out implementation of relevant products/services for at least five firms within the private sector.  
• Demonstrated capabilities in one or more of the following technical areas highlighted above in Section 3:
  
  • Financial and Operations Management
  • Human Resources and Culture Management
  • Competitiveness and Innovation Development

Firms meeting the qualifications may be invited to pre-register with Deloitte and may be sent announcements for future RFP opportunities.

5. Required Information for Submission

• Legally registered firm name, physical address, website (if available), firm point of contact including name, address, phone number, and email of point of contact.
• Company overview in the form of a Capabilities Statement that outlines the firm’s alignment with the qualifications and criteria outlined above. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and must be clearly marked. 
• Self-Declared Capabilities Matrix (attached).
• Three (3) past performance references for projects similar to the services being sought for the anticipated activities.
• Summary of management expertise for at least three (3) staff available to support activities.

Submissions should be limited to no more than seven (7) pages.

6. Partner Information Session

IPSC will hold a Partner Information Session in advance of the submission deadline to provide an overview of the IPSC Activity, anticipated PE support program, and the procurement process.

Event Date:  January 6, 2023
Location: TBD
Time: TBD

Interested parties should pre-register no later than January 4, 2023 by emailing [email protected]

7. Submission Instructions

Responses should be submitted via email to the contacts listed below by January 11, 2023 at 10:00pm Hanoi Time.

Amanda Mays
Lead Subcontracts Administrator
[email protected]

All questions related to this Sources Sought should be addressed to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected] and [email protected]

CLICK HERE FOR VIETNAMESE

Organization: IPSC
Location:
Application deadline: 2023-01-11
Send application to: [email protected]