R&D Group, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Hybrid Designs under the EDGE Program, is seeking qualified consulting firms to provide market-readiness and business-development advisory services.

INVITATION TO BID Tender No.: R&D/EDGE/RFP/014/2026 Offshore Market Readiness and Business Development Support for EDGE-Supported BPO and IT-Enabled Enterprises 1. Background & Context R&D Group, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Hybrid Designs under the Entrepreneurship in the Digital and Gig Economy (EDGE) Program, invites eligible and qualified consulting firms to submit technical and financial proposals for market-readiness and business-development advisory services. The objective of this assignment is to support EDGE-assisted Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and IT-enabled enterprises to access domestic and international markets, refine value propositions, and build client-linkage pipelines. 2. Scope of Assignment & Key Deliverables The selected firm will deliver an end-to-end support package across four key tasks: Task 1: Market & export readiness assessment for assigned enterprises. Task 2: Value proposition refinement, market-entry strategy development, and BPO compliance support (e.g., GDPR, SOC2, PCI, HIPAA). Task 3: Enhancement of client-facing business-development materials and BD team coaching. Task 4: International prospect outreach and structured market/client linkage facilitation. Key deliverables include Enterprise Assessment Reports (D1), Market-Entry Strategies (D2), Client-Ready BD Materials (D3), and Market Linkage Evidence & Completion Reports (D4). 3. Timeline & Target Coverage Contract Duration: Approximately 4 months for the initial cycle. Enterprise Coverage: Up to 23 enterprises based in Addis Ababa and major cities in Ethiopia. Delivery Method: Hybrid (in-person and remote). 4. Eligibility & Key Qualification Requirements Legal: Valid business registration/trade license and Tax Identification Number (TIN). Firm Experience: Minimum 5 years of experience delivering export-readiness or business-development services to SMEs, specifically within BPO, IT-enabled, or digital services sectors. International firms or local firms