Mark Walther, Contracting Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development, OP/B/PCE, RRB, Room 7.09-140, Washington, D.C. 20523, Attn: Joe Lentini

R -- SUPPORT FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROJECT (SEGIR) -- FINANCIAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT, AND GENERAL BUSINESS, TRADE AND INVESTMENT SOL B/PCE-98-001 & 002 POC Contact Point: Contract Specialist, Joe Lentini, Tel: 202-712-1799, E-mail: jlentini@usaid.gov, Fax: 202-216-3396 The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) intends to award multiple Indefinite Quantity Contracts (IQCs) as described below. In March, 1994, USAID produced Strategies for Sustainable Development to inform and guide the process of economic development assistance to developing countries. The document states that economic growth succeeds when the provision of economic assistance "respects and safeguards the economic, cultural and natural environment, creates many incomes and chains of enterprises, is nurtured by an enabling policy environment, and builds indigenous institutions that involve and empower the citizenry. Development is sustainable when it permanently enhances the capacity of a society to improve its quality of life, enlarges the range of freedom and opportunities." Accordingly, the Agency's strategic objective of broad-based, economic growth focuses on (1) strengthening markets, (2) expanding access and opportunity, and (3) investing in people. To meet this mandate, the Bureau forGlobal Programs, Research and Mission Support has consolidated all technical support under an "umbrella" project to enhance economy and efficient response capability. The Economic Growth and Agricultural Development Center's Office of Emerging Markets (G/EGAD/EM) has consolidated its varied research and technical support activities into a single project called SEGIR. SEGIR supports USAID economic growth activities in five areas: (1) Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Alleviation and Economic Institutions and Analyses, (2) Privatization, (3) Financial Sector Development, (4) General Business, Trade & Investment, and (5) Legal Institutional Reform. [Note: These RFPs pertain to area three (3) and four (4); Financial Sector Development, and General Business, Trade & Investment.] RFP No. OP/B/PCE-98-001 -- Financial Sector Development: USAID intends to award an estimated 4-6 five-year IQCs to provide rapid, high-quality, service-oriented, broad-gauged, support to the Economic Growth Center and to its clients -- USAID Field Missions, Bureaus and other client groups on a global level. Successful bidders will provide technical assistance in a large number of diverse areas to make available to USAID a wide range of long-, medium-, and short-term technical support and training in all areas related to financial services. The purpose of these instruments is to promote more efficient capital mobilization, allocation, and intermediation through improved strategic planning, regulatory policies, institutional reform and the creation and/or introduction of financial mechanisms and instruments and the provision of wide dissemination of relevant, updated information. Illustrative areas of focus include: strengthening commercial banking systems, institutions and supporting infrastructures in developing countries; supporting financial policy and regulatory reform; restructuring public and private banks; developing and implementing systems of prudential regulation and supervision of financial intermediaries; developing and strengthening capital markets for equity and debt; assessing, examining and/or instigating fiscal and monetary policy reform; developing and applying innovative financial instruments; creating and sustaining linkages, electronically and otherwise, between the US financial community with cooperating country counterparts; establishing and/or encouraging broad-based participation in formal financial sector institutions including capital markets, banking and credit systems; and creating, developing and applying innovative models and mechanisms to link financial sector reforms to the private delivery of services such as "medical pension plans". RFP No. OP/B/PCE-98-002 -- General Business, Trade & Investment: USAID intends to award an estimated 4-6 five-year IQCs to provide rapid, high-quality, service-oriented, broad-gauged, support to the Economic Growth Center and to its clients -- USAID Field Missions, Bureaus and other client groups on a global level. Successful bidders will provide technical assistance in a large number of diverse areas to help create an environment to permit a competitive, market-oriented private sector to contribute to economic growth. Illustrative areas include private enterprise/economic growth-oriented strategies, result package designs, program incubation (design and start-up), sectoral and special assessments, job creation/poverty reduction strategies, industrial diversification, "enterprise funds", venture capital funds, trade and investment, development applications of electronic technologies, business policies and regulatory reforms, business financing (debt and equity), trade finance, transfer of state-owned assets to private business, institutional development and donor coordination. The SIC Code for the above awards is 8742. Subcontracting with small business concerns and socially and economically disadvantaged entities: While no "set-aside" awards for small and disadvantaged businesses will be made under either of these RFPs, small business and small disadvantaged business subcontracting plans, pursuant to FAR 52.219-9, are required to be included in submitted proposals. All offerors' Plans must address subcontracting with small business concerns, with small disadvantaged business concerns and with women-owned small business concerns. The Plans must include a percentage goal of at least 15% of total planned subcontracting to small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns and women-owned small business concerns. The RFPs' evaluation criteria will include an assessment of submitted Plans. Accordingly, USAID encourages all offerors to include the participation through subcontracting agreements, to the maximum extent possible, of U.S. entities that are qualified as "small business" concerns, "small disadvantaged business" concerns, and "women-owned small business" concerns. To help identify potential subcontractors, a list of all organizations requesting a copy of the RFP will be attached to each RFP. By providing the list, USAID does not endorse the listed organizations as being capable of carrying out the activity, nor does USAID verify the claimed status of the organizations. Necessarily, the list will contain the names of only those organizations known prior to the issuance of the solicitation document. All organizations are encouraged to indicate whether they are small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, or women-owned small businesses so that their status may be indicated on the list. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the Internet or by request of a solicitation on a 3.5" floppy disk (WordPerfect 5.1/5.2 format). This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded using the Agency Web Site. The RFPs, once issued, can be downloaded from the Agency web site. The Worldwide Web address is http://www.info.usaid.gov. Select Business and Procurement Opportunities from the home page, then "USAID Procurements." On the following screen, select "Download Available USAID Solicitations." Receipt of the RFPs through INTERNET must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from INTERNET in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Interested parties may also request a written copy of the RFPs by mailing a request for the RFP to: U.S. Agency for International Development, M/OP/B/PCE, Ronald Reagan Building, Room 7.09-140, Washington, D.C. 20523, Attn: Joe Lentini. Please indicate on the request, which of the two RFPs is being requested. Parties requiring both RFPs must submit a separate request for each. All written requests must include four self-addressed mailing labels. The RFPs will be mailed and available on the Agency Web Page not less than 15 days after this notice is issued. No phone requests will be accepted. No RFPs will be available for pick-up. No walk-ins. Questions must be directed to Joe Lentini, Contract Specialist, U.S. Agency for International Development, M/OP/B/PCE, Ronald Reagan Building, Room 7.09-140, Washington, D.C. 20523, (Phone 202-712-1799). (0009)

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