Reference:        United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Vietnam Improving Private Sector Competitiveness Project (IPS-C)

Dear Interested Parties,

Vietnam Improving Private Sector Competitiveness Project (IPS-C) intends to award a subcontract to consult and assist Tien Thinh to enhance efficiency, streamline operations, and improve overall performance by systematically redesigning the existing business management process system. Tien Thinh will also utilize the outcomes as input for the implementation of a Manufacturing Executive System (MES).

Background

Improving Private Sector Competitiveness (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. The project is implemented by Deloitte Consulting LLP (“Deloitte”) and runs from 2020 to 2025.

The purpose of the USAID IPSC Activity is to remove constraints and build the competitiveness of small and growing businesses (SGBs) in Vietnam, including those led by vulnerable populations. With this activity, USAID/Vietnam is supporting Vietnam’s competitiveness: vertically at the policy, market, and firm level; and horizontally by working along the entire spectrum of enterprise growth models, from household businesses transforming into registered firms to small firms on the cusp of scaling up.

Summary of Activities

IPSC collaborates closely with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) counterparts, including the project owner, AED, under MPI. IPSC and AED develop strategies for sector selection, geographic focus, and SGB engagement, and engage a broad range of market actors across the economy that make up the SGB ecosystem, including SGBs, cooperatives, and household businesses (HBs); business chambers, associations, and business development service providers (BDSPs); GVN Ministries and Agencies, provincial and local administrations; and private sector consultants, training institutions, and financial institutions. Using incentives and cost-sharing with SGBs, pioneering enterprises (PEs), and other partners, IPSC builds both greater demand and supply of business development services (BDS), while improving providers’ capacity to understand and offer services desired in the marketplace.

One of IPSC’s main objectives is supporting Vietnamese enterprises to receive customized technical assistance under the overall support package “Pioneering Enterprise (PE) Program” 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 a growing Vietnamese enterprise with Vietnamese-branded products, sufficient competitiveness, the ability to lead and expand in the industry, sector, and locality, strong management capacity, and willingness to innovate and produce products with high added value, with the vision and objective to build a Vietnamese brand in international markets. Positioning the “Made by Vietnam” product brand successfully in regional and international markets is a priority for PEs.

Each support package will be 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 BDSPs and technical experts to deliver consulting services and specialized training to help enterprises strengthen their governance, management capability, and strategies (including strategy development, business model refinement, brand positioning, marketing, innovation, communications, and human resource development). IPSC will develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each supporting package so PEs can quantify the results achieved and evaluate the effectiveness of the results.

Tien Thinh Co., Ltd (TTH) was established in 1986 and has more than 30 years of experience in the production of copper and aluminum electric wires, LITZ wires, and USTC wires with the highest quality certified by ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, UL, and ROHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive). The enterprise possesses a contemporary factory equipped with cutting-edge production lines and facilities adhering to international standards. It stands as the sole entity in Southeast Asia capable of manufacturing remarkably fine aluminum wire, ranging from 0.15 to 3.5 mm in diameter. TTH is supplying electric wires to prominent multinational electronics and telecommunications conglomerates like Sumitomo, Bosch, GE, Samsung, Toyota, etc. The company also directly exports to markets such as India and Taiwan. With an eye on expansion, TTH consistently explores opportunities to broaden its presence in Asia, Africa, and South America.

Tien Thinh aims to become the largest enterprise in Southeast Asia specializing in manufacturing wires for the electrical equipment sector by the year 2025. In line with this vision, IPSC will support Tien Thinh in executing an initiative within the framework of IPSC's technical assistance, as outlined in the approved MoU – Optimize business management process system.

Eligibility Requirements

Qualified firms must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

• Vietnamese registered firm.
• Possess over 05 years of experience in consulting aimed at enhancing and establishing standardized production processes for businesses.
• Have strong experience in working with large scale manufacturing company. In-depth understanding of the manufacturing and electrical equipment sectors, with specific insights into wire production processes is preferred.
• Has a team of experts, each with a minimum of 10 years of proficiency in various facets of production and manufacturing, profound continuous improvement, consulting and practical management experience.
• Familiarity with Manufacturing Executive Systems (MES) or similar technologies is preferred.
• Have a proven track record of successfully assisting other companies in optimizing and standardizing their business administration processes. Two (2) references that can verify past successes are required.
• Possess excellent communication skills to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among all stakeholders.

Interested vendors should provide an Intent to Bid, expressing the intent of the vendor to submit a proposal for this requirement, by 9:00 pm Hanoi time on April 15, 2024, to Amanda Mays at [email protected] and Tuan Tran Anh [email protected]

IPS-C intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to interested vendors by April 22, 2024.