SME FINANCE CURRICULUM AND TRAINING OF TRAINERS

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38489 Regional

Not Yet Determined Consultancy Services Invitations for expressions of interest (CSU) 15 Nov 2012 06 Dec 2012 London

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SME Finance Curriculum and Training of Trainers

Assignment Description: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD or the Bank) seeks to engage a consultant to design a comprehensive training on SME lending and conduct a training of BFA trainers (the 'Assignment'). The EBRD is currently implementing a 5-year Support to SME Development in Mongolia (the 'Project'). One of the key Project interventions is to build the capacity of the financial sector to better serve SMEs. The Project is partnering with the Banking and Finance Academy ('BFA') to design a comprehensive training on SME lending that will ultimately lead to certification. BFA is a Mongolian training organization targeting financial institutions and SMEs. The SME lending training will be targeted to bank and NBFI staff. The next step is to design the curriculum and conduct a training of BFA trainers (the 'Assignment'). The Assignment will be undertaken by an individual (the 'Consultant') hired under EBRDs competitive procurement procedures. The consultant would work in Mongolia. The objectives for this Assignment would include, inter alia, the following: 1. Design an SME lending curriculum, to be provided by BFA on a financially sustainable basis; 2. Conduct a training of Mongolian trainers; 3. Identify baseline indicators to measure the impact of the intervention. The primary expected outcome is an improved understanding of SME lending fundamentals by bank and NBFI staff. The Consultant shall begin the Assignment by conducting some background research, focused on stakeholder interviews with BFA and lender staff. The Consultant shall then use this information to design a relevant and comprehensive curriculum centered upon each stage of the loan process. The specific tasks would include, inter alia: 1. Finding customers: marketing, customer screening, application processing, file building 2. Underwriting and closing: credit analysis, financial statement analysis, cash flow analysis, breakeven, debt service, ratio analysis, collateral analysis, loan structuring, loan documentation 3. Loan servicing: portfolio management, monitoring, nonperforming loans 4. Customer service: integrating customer service into the loan process

The course should include examinations that will ultimately lead to a certificate in SME lending. BFAs intention is for this course to be recognized as the gold standard for SME lending in Mongolia. The Consultant will work in conjunction with the EBRD and BFA staff during the course of the Assignment. This will involve periodic meetings between the EBRD and the Consultant on the progress of the Assignment. The Consultant will take ultimate responsibility for the deliverables of the Assignment within the specified timeframe and will implement it in the following manner: 1. Research: Conduct stakeholder interviews and other research to gather relevant information on the local market 2. Curriculum: Design all educational materials for the curriculum on SME lending, including course agenda, PowerPoint slides, activity instructions, examinations, case studies, problem sets, and any other materials deemed necessary 3. Training: Train Mongolian trainers on how to conduct the SME lending course, including a participant ranking to help BFA make staffing decisions 4. Final Report: Write a final briefing with observations and practical recommendations to EBRD and BFA on how to ensure the course is successful and financially sustainable. Follow on work may include developing an online version of the course. Assignment Start Date and Duration: The assignment is expected to start around in the first quarter of 2013. This is a part-time role and the Consultant is expected to spend not less than 37 working days in Mongolia to complete the Assignment. The duration of the Assignment will be negotiated with the shortlisted Consultant.. Cost Estimate for the Assignment: the Cost Estimate will be negotiatied with the shortlisted Consultant during the negotiation of the Contract. The consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the Bank's special status as an IFI and state this to the Bank in their response to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest. To the extent that a consultant incurs input VAT on goods and services purhcased in connection with the provision of services (e.g. VAT on airline ticket) which is not otherwise recoverable by the consultant from the local tax authority, the gross cost to the consultant of such expenses shall be treated as a reimbursable expense. Funding Source: It is anticipated that the contract will be financed with funding by the European Union under 'Support to SME Development in Mongolia' programme. Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions; however, consultant selection and contracting will be subject to availability of funding from an appropriate donor. Consultant Profile: Individual services are sought. Firms may propose candidates but the evaluation will be based on the skills and experience of the individual and not the firm. The successful individual should be able to demonstrate the following: 1. Previous project experience in the design of bespoke training programmes covering similar training subjects, 2. Preferably previous project experience in the design of bespoke training programmes for individual consultants or micro and small consulting firms, 3. Preferably previous experience of delivering any, or ideally all, of the above in relation to the

EBRD's countries of operation, or similar business environments, 4. Good written and oral communication skills in English, Submission Requirements: Interested individual Experts or firms proposing an individual Expert are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest. In order to determine the qualifications and competence of experts seeking to be appointed to the panel, the Expert or the firms proposing an Expert must provide an expression of interest containing the following information: 1. Cover letter including full contact details, inclusive of address of the individual (or company), phone and fax numbers, and email address; 2. Detailed curriculum vitae; 3. Details of the Experts prior relevant experience in the subject matters and/or geographical area listed under section Consultant Profile in the last 5 years; 4. Not more than 4 pages of methodology, highlighting the Consultants ideas for how best to design an SME lending course(e.g. summary course agenda/outline lectures, classroom discussions, case studies, group exercises). The course should be comprehensive yet financially viable. The above information must not exceed 20 pages, including the CV. Firms as well as individuals may apply, but firms must clearly identify the expert they propose. In case firms wish to submit more than one CV, they must register each CV with a unique e-mail address through eSelection. Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through eSelection, in PDF format or electronic formats compatible with Microsoft Office 2003 not later than 6th of December 2012 at 23:59 hrs. (London time). Consultants are advised to do not send expressions of interest to the EBRD's contact person. Further request of clarification on this Procurement Notice may be addressed to the EBRD contact person. EBRD Contact: Nicola DI Pietro CSU Advisor European Bank for Reconstruction and Development One Exchange Square London EC2A 2JN Tel: + 44 20 7338 6329, Fax: +44 20 7338 7451 e-mail: PietroN@ebrd.com Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews, before the completion of the selection process. Please title your expression of interest '38489 - SME Finance Curriculum and Training of Trainers'. Note: Selection and contracting will normally be made from responses to this notification. The consultant will be selected from a shortlist, subject to availability of funding.