Overview:

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL IN RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THURSDAY JUNE 10, 2021 AT 5:00PM.

Dear Madam / Sir,

                  WE KINDLY REQUEST YOU TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL FOR REFERENCE: SLE/RFP/2021/002 DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF A CROWDFUNDING PLATFORM, WHEN PREPARING YOUR PROPOSAL, PLEASE BE GUIDED BY THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 

JOB LOCATION: Freetown – SIERRA LEONE

Bids may be submitted on or before 5:00 p.m., Sierra Leone local time on Thursday, June 10, 2021, via e-mail or courier mail to the address below:

BIDS TO BE SUBMITTED THROUGH EMAIL TO: procure.sle@undp.org

OR, BY HAND DELIVERY AT THE RECEPTION DESK AT UNDP, FOURAH BAY CLOSE, OFF MAIN MOTOR ROAD, WILBERFORCE, FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE.

Clarifications in relation to this RFP:

1. Clarification:  As organization is trying to address the funding needs of the innovative business ideas of youths and women, we understand the whole crowdfunding concept will revolve around a single currency i.e. USD.

Response:  Yes, it will resolve around a single currency (Leones), even though, donations can be in any currency but will be converted at the prevailing exchange rate.

2. Clarification:  How exactly this money collected in the central pool will get distributed to someone developing innovative business say in the North Africa or say country in East Asia.

Response:  As indicated in the ToRs, the main objective of the assignment is to further support the development and management of a locally built crowdfunding platform in Sierra Leone for Sierra Leoneans. Thus, someone developing innovative business say in the North Africa or say a country in East Asia is not eligible to benefit from this crowdfunding platform.

3. Clarification:   When the founders and co-founders from these countries will put up their ideas on the platform, how the platform is going to protect their intellectual properties? Or the youths are supposed to secure their ideas first and then come on the platform for the funding?

Response:  As indicated in response to question 2 above, the founder and co-founders from these countries are not eligible for this crowdfunding platform. For the targeted Sierra Leonean youth and women, Yes, they need to have their innovative ideas, startups first and then come on the platform for funding.

4.  Clarification:   It is also mentioned in the objective that development partners like various govt departments / ministries will help the youths and women with their projects. How exactly this role needs to be captured in the platform. Whether the project owners / product developers need to get the recommendation from these departments at the time of seeking the crowdfunding from the platform or there will be some kind of the workflow, where all the crowdfunding requests need to get the approval from one of these organizations from the respective countries.

Response:  The development partners like various govt departments/ministries will help the youths and women with their projects through contributions in terms of finances. All contributors will be acknowledged on the platform, the details of how will be determined during the development. The project owners do not need to get recommendations from contributors at the time of seeking to access the crowdfunding. An appropriate mechanism with a clear criterion will put in place to allow Sierra Leonean youth and women access the financing.

5.  Clarification:   What mechanism or the framework platform would like to implement to make sure the money raised on the platform is invested in the requested project only and not misused by the stakeholders at the receiving end. (Like escrow mechanism where the SMEs from the respective team has to vet the product before the money is released etc.).

Response:  As indicated above, an appropriate mechanism with a clear criterion will put in place to allow Sierra Leonean youth and women access the financing. The funding raised is strictly for the intended purposes. Part of the mechanism will include vetting before funding is released.

6.  Clarification:   And lastly this application will be looked upon as a philanthropic platform for the national and international business(we)men for investing in the startups or the crowdsourcing partners will get some Realtime equities in the product they have invested. In short how the exit plan (if any) will be defined for the investors. And whether the product owner will have a say in accepting or rejecting such investments?

Response:  The platform is philanthropic and will ensure donations in terms of funding. There is need to separate investing in startups and donating or contributing financial resources towards the platform. The assignment entails further ssupport the development and management of a locally built crowdfunding platform not a call for investing in startups. Eligible startups in Sierra Leone will access funding following a mechanism that will be put in place.

End of Clarification…

United Nations Development Programme

UNDP, Fourah Close, Off Main Motor Road, Wilberforce, Freetown, Sierra Leone
P. O. Box 1011, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Attn: Procurement Unit

E-mail: procure.sle@undp.org

Quotations submitted by email must be limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free and no more than two (2) email transmissions.  They must be free from any form of virus or corrupted contents, or the quotations shall be rejected.