REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

CONCEPT SUMMARY

Project name: Exploring Financial Products to Reduce Modern Slavery in the Informal Garment Sector in Bangladesh

Total funding to be disbursed: $52,000 [inclusive of any sales taxes]

Project objectives: Develop an understanding of the financial lives and pain points of informal factory workers and owners; leverage these insights to generate ideas for financial products -- such as credit, savings, insurance, payments, education finance, supply chain finance, etc-- with meaningful potential to impact the prevalence of forced labor.

Target geographies: Hubs of informal apparel production in Bangladesh; for instance Narayanganj; Gazipur; Chattogram; and Dhaka (Keraniganj, Savar).

Total addressable cohort: The total cohort working in the informal apparel sector in Bangladesh is unknown; however in one hub alone, Keraniganj, there are approximately 240,000 informal workers. 50% of them are below 18. Across Bangladesh, there are several hubs similar to Keraniganj; the size of the total addressable cohort is significant.

INSTRUCTION TO THE RESPONDENTS

GFEMS anticipates awarding one (1) award as a result of this solicitation.

The ideal recipient will have:

• Knowledge of and experience with both modern slavery and financial services;
• An existing network in financial services in Bangladesh, including microfinance;
• An existing network within the informal garment industry in Bangladesh, or access to an organization which could facilitate introductions;
• Experience conducting trauma-informed interviews with vulnerable groups;
• An understanding of the anti-slavery context in Bangladesh, preferably, or in another country;
• A track record of completing similar scoping and ideation projects, in particular around financial services;
  

Interested respondents should submit a proposal following the prescribed format in the Submission Requirements section of this RFP.

Adherence to the proposal format by all respondents will ensure a fair evaluation with regard to the needs of GFEMS. Respondents who do not follow the prescribed format may be deemed non-responsive.

Please limit your proposal to no more than 10 pages, excluding CVs or resumes and required forms. Proposals must be submitted electronically to proposals@GFEMS.org with a subject line noting the solicitation title found on page one of this RFP, “RFP – G09 – Financial Products to Reduce the Prevalence of Modern Slavery”. No phone calls please. Proposals received after the closing date stated on the top the cover page of this RFP will be rejected.

Technical and contractual questions concerning this solicitation must be directed to proposals@GFEMS.org.

All communications must include the solicitation title, G09- Financial Products to Reduce the Prevalence of Modern Slavery, in the subject line.

No communication intended to influence this procurement is permitted except by contacting the designated contact email above. Contacting anyone other than the designated contact (either directly by the Respondent or indirectly through a lobbyist or other person acting on the respondent’s behalf) in an attempt to influence this procurement: (1) may result in a Respondent being deemed a non-responsive Respondent, and (2) may result in the Respondent not being awarded a contract.

This solicitation in no way obligates GFEMS to award a contract nor does it commit GFEMS to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal.

GFEMS bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. GFEMS appreciates your responsiveness and look forward to a mutually beneficial business relationship.

Click Here for detailed RFP