DESCRIPTION/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Request for Proposals
United States Institute of Peace
Business Consultant for Diplomatic Academy
Tunisia
Release Date: October 12, 2023
RFP Due Date: October 27, 2023
Refer Questions to:
Submit Proposals to:
mgallagher@usip.org
mgallagher@usip.org
Molly Gallagher
Molly Gallagher
Pertinent responses will be made available to all offerors by e-mail. No inquiries will be accepted after specified time and date.
The response must be submitted by time and date listed above to be considered.
Introduction and Background
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for the United States and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. For more information, please visit http://www.usip.org.
USIP has been active in Tunisia since 2016. In light of Tunisia’s ambition to play a larger role in promoting regional peace and stability, the government issued a decree in 2019 to expand its Diplomatic Academy’s mandate and carry out comprehensive reform of the training program to build diplomats’ capacities in preventing, managing, and resolving conflict in the region. In April 2022, the Chinese government handed over a newly constructed state-of-the-art building, the International Diplomatic Academy of Tunis (IDAT) to the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
USIP has entered into a partnership with the IDAT, under which it will support the design of an introductory curriculum in conflict management and mediation and develop the thematic expertise of lead instructors of the IDAT, in addition to supporting the IDAT’s leadership in strategic and operational planning. USIP will also provide guidance and knowledge transfer in establishing a strategic diplomacy think tank that will advise the Tunisian government on issues of diplomatic urgency such as regional conflicts, as well as strategic insights and recommendations on Tunisia’s role in pressing regional and global issues.
As part of its support to the IDAT, USIP has committed to provide high-level advice and strategic guidance to the IDAT on how to best develop and position itself as a revenue-generating entity that aims to attract students of diplomacy and foreign languages from around the world. USIP will work towards this end with a contractor to conduct market research, analysis and develop a business plan that will help inform the IDAT’s strategy and operations so that the IDAT can attract students of diplomacy from around the world and provide a cutting-edge academic experience to Tunisian and international students.
Purpose of the RFP
USIP is seeking an independent contractor or organization to conduct thorough market research and analysis, develop a business plan, and make strategy recommendations during the initial phases of designing and building the IDAT curriculum and research center. USIP seeks to thoroughly understand the market for Diplomacy Studies in Arabic, French and English, as well as for the potential use of their campus for convenings and events. As the IDAT will be open for enrollment for students from any nationality, USIP is seeking to understand how to best advise the IDAT to position itself, attract students, and provide cutting edge educational products and experiences to the next generation of diplomats in the context of Tunisia.
Scope of Work
Project Goals and Objectives
The goal of this project is to support the IDAT in fulfilling its new and ambitious mandate of preparing the next generation of diplomats in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with the skills and knowledge to mitigate and resolve conflicts, and to promote regional peace and stability. This project endeavors towards that end through the following objectives:
* Conduct thorough market research to understand the landscape of Diplomatic Academies and other similar institutions in the MENA region.
* Propose a business plan to the IDAT Leadership that will lead the Academy towards cost neutrality, including a strategy for attracting students of diplomacy from around the world.
* Transfer the findings of the research and analysis to the IDAT leadership team so that they may operationalize the recommendations.
Project Overview
The contractor will write a 30-40 page Business Plan that captures all elements identified below. The purpose of the report is to a) inform USIP and IDAT’s joint drafting of the Academy’s strategic plan and b) provide a roadmap for implementation of the proposed business plan. The contractor can either reside in Tunisia or conduct the research and meetings virtually from abroad.
The contractor will conduct thorough market research and analysis and propose a business plan that will lead the IDAT towards cost neutrality. The contractor will participate in an introductory meeting with USIP prior to conducting the research, as well as a post-research briefing session with USIP and the IDAT to present the findings of the research and the business plan. Throughout the period of performance of the contract, it is expected that the contractor be available for brief check-in meetings for USIP and/or contractor to share related to the IDAT.
The Business Plan will provide research and analysis on the following topics:
* Industry background in the Middle East, Africa and Europe
* Current gaps in the market
* Market size
* Growth potential for the IDAT
* Barriers to entry to the market
* Products to be envisaged
* Target audience/clients
* Competition (direct, indirect)
* PESTEL analysis
* Entrance strategy (including pricing approach)
* Marketing & promotional approach
* Start-up and capitalization (Startup expenses, financial plan, amortization schedule, profit projection, break even analysis, etc.) to the extent possible based on available data.
Expected Contract Type
Time and Materials
Scope
The contractor will be required to complete the below activities during the contract term. The length of the contract term is anticipated to be approximately five months.
- Participate in introductory coordination session with USIP team to walk through the proposal and brief the consultant further on the background of the IDAT partnership (1 hour). Following this coordination session, the contractor will prepare an implementation schedule that includes a plan for how to conduct the research and present the findings.
+ Deliverable 1: Implementation Schedule (1-3 pages)
- Conduct consultative session with IDAT leadership team to learn about their ambitions, staffing structures and current capacities prior to conducting research (1-2 hours). Following the consultative session, the contractor will prepare a write-up that summarizes the key findings and action items.
+ Deliverable 2: Write-up of Consultative Session with IDAT
- Conduct thorough market research and draft business plan (30-40 pages) as described above.
+ Deliverable 3: Business Plan write-up in narrative form
- Present Business Plan to USIP and IDAT team and participate in a Q+A
+ Deliverable 4: Research Presentation and Discussion (2 hours total)
- Participate in follow-up session with USIP and IDAT following Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ feedback and potential approval of strategy (1-2 hours). The contractor may be requested to revise the Business Plan (Deliverable 3) as a result of this session. The contractor will prepare a write-up describing the key findings and action items discussed at the follow-up session. This session can be conducted in person or virtually.
+ Deliverable 5: Write-up of Follow-up session; revised Business Plan, as applicable.
Submission Requirements
Technical Proposal
The technical narrative proposal should be no more than 5 pages and include the following sections:
* Relevant Past Experience: Describe at least one project of similar scope and complexity you have worked on. Provide a point of contact with telephone number and email address for said project.
* Overall Approach and Methodology: Based on the information provided in this RFP, describe the proposed approach and methodology.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
For each of the proposed key personnel, please provide a CV of no more than three pages. CVs will not count towards technical narrative proposal page limit.
Cost Proposal
The cost proposal shall include a detailed budget and a budget narrative. Budget must be in US dollars and in a spreadsheet format (e.g., Excel). Please note that USIP allows nonprofit organizations to include up to 15% indirect cost recovery on total direct costs for contracts.
Financial Management Assessment Form
Organizations must complete the Financial Management Assessment Form unless they have received Federal grants, contracts or cooperative agreements in the past two years and can provide their audited financial statement from their most recent fiscal year. Please reach out to Molly Gallagher (mgallagher@usip.org) to request a copy of the Financial Management Assessment Form if it is not attached to the solicitation.
Certification Page
Complete and sign the Certification Page below and submit with the proposal.
Selection Process
Schedule
Date
Schedule
October 12, 2023
RFP issued
October 12-16
Questions are accepted during this period, please send to mgallagher@usip.org
October 21
Answers to questions will be provided to all potential offerors via email by October 21
October 27
Proposals are due no later than 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. Late submissions may not be accepted.
November 5, 2023
Notification to selected offeror
November 25, 2023
Estimated project commencement date
USIP may adjust dates in the schedule or cancel this RFP at any time prior to contract award.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria below. For more detail on each submission requirement, see Section IV of this RFP. The USIP Selection Committee will review all proposals received on time using the evaluation criteria established below based on the best value offered to USIP. The Selection Committee reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, to award multiple contracts, and/or to enter into negotiations with any party, in the best interests of the Institute.
Evaluation Criteria
Weight
Technical Requirements
50%
CV
20%
Cost Proposal
30%
General Instructions and Terms
Complete proposals must be submitted by email to mgallagher@usip.org by 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time on October 27, 2023.
The Institute is not liable for any costs incurred by offerors prior to issuance of an executed contract with the Institute.
Submissions must be typed and submitted electronically and must include all submission requirements outlined in the Submission of Requirements section of this RFP. No changes or corrections to a response will be allowed after the deadline.
- All submissions should be in English and US dollars.
- Any questions concerning this RFP should be directed to Molly Gallagher at mgallagher@usip.org. Pertinent responses will be made available to all offerors by email. No inquiries will be accepted after specified time and date.
- Any proposal not addressing all RFP requirements may be considered non-responsive. Late proposals may be rejected as non-responsive.
- This RFP is not an offer to enter into an agreement with any party, but rather a request to receive proposals from offerors (organizations or persons) interested in providing the services outlined herein. Such proposals shall be considered and treated by USIP as offers to enter into a contract.
- USIP shall not be obligated for the payment of any sums whatsoever to any recipient of this RFP until and unless a written contract between the parties is executed.
- Unless stated otherwise within this RFP, the selected Contractor shall be responsible for providing all equipment and/or supplies required to perform the services.
- The selected Contractor shall not discriminate against any person in accordance with Federal, state, or local law.
- The submission of any materials to USIP in response to this RFP will constitute (i) a representation that the Offeror owns or has unrestricted license to use and license such materials and all intellectual property expressed therein; and (ii) the grant of a non-exclusive license to USIP to use such materials and intellectual property for any purpose, including specifically the evaluation, negotiation, and documentation of a contract with any party.
- Offeror will commit to adhering to the attached USIP Terms & Conditions, else risk removal from consideration. Exceptions to these terms must be clearly outlined in an annex to the Technical Narrative Proposal. Please reach out to Molly Gallagher at mgallagher@usip.org to request a copy of USIP Terms and Conditions if they are not attached to the solicitation.
Certification Page
(Please submit with the proposal)
The Offeror certifies that:
1) Prices in the offer have been arrived at independently without consultation, communication, or agreement with any other competitor;
2) Prices in the offer have not been and will not be knowingly disclosed by the offeror, directly or indirectly, to any other competitor before bid opening or contract award unless otherwise required by law; and
3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the offeror to induce any other competitor to/not to submit an offer for the purpose of restricting competition.
Has the offeror received funding from USIP? Yes/No
If yes, provide the grant or contract number and the offeror’s main point of contact at USIP: ___________________________________________________________________________________
On Behalf of Offeror:
Name of Organization or Independent Contractor
Signature of Authorized Official
Printed Name of Authorized Official
Title
Date