R-Accelerated Competitiveness Enterprises (ACE) RFP

Dear Prospective Offerors: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the West Bank and Gaza (WBG) intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) on or about March 9, 2018 for an anticipated five-year Cost Plus Fixed-Fee term Contract for the USAID/WBG “Accelerated Competitiveness for Enterprises? (ACE) Project. The overall goal of the Project is to increase global competitiveness as well as private sector-led economic growth in the West Bank and Gaza through providing problem-solving services to Palestinian firms in order to enable them to expand sales and exports and generate increased investment. These increases will result in the creation of new jobs, which will increase the incomes of people currently unemployed or underemployed, including women and youth, contributing thereby to a growing, inclusive economy. The anticipated Project will apply a market-driven approach starting with the market – operationally, buyers – and work backwards to help firms solve the constraints that stand in the way of their selling more and increasing sales and profitability. The Project consists of two primary components as follows: 1. Component I will focus on transactional support where the Contractor’s technical assistance will help firms take the actions required to address the client firms’ business problems with business solutions and ultimately increase sales, exports, investment, productivity, and jobs. 2. Component II will work with firms as well as private sector growth-focused entities, such as trade and business organizations or government institutions, to focus on removing systemic constraints (policy or institutional) that prevent sales transactions from taking place. Prospective Offerors are advised that issuance of the RFP solicitation and award of a contract are subject to the availability of funds, as certain procedural and legislative requirements for obligating funds have not yet been met. The place of performance under the anticipated contract is the West Bank and Gaza.