REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

[KENYA]
Project Name:            The Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) for Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology
Grant No.:                  D347-3A
Assignment Title:      Consultancy to facilitate and deliver grants proposal writing workshop for RSIF African Host Universities
Reference No:           KE-ICIPE-141202-CS-INDV
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.
The consulting services (“the Services”) include: Positioning the RSIF as the premier sustainable pan-African science fund, focused on building high quality applied research capacity in Africa. It aims to develop a comprehensive communications, outreach and branding strategy and related products for the RSIF.  The strategy and products should serve different stakeholders in managing, implementing and overseeing RSIF
icipe intends to hire the services of an individual consultant to deliver a series of grants proposal writing training workshops to selected teams from the RSIF African Host Universities.The training should equip participants with skills on how to write winning grant proposals especially related to research, innovation and capacity building in higher education in the ASET  fields and enable them to submit high quality proposals in line with the requirements of relevant funding opportunities such as the European Union, Japan SATRAPs as well as RSIF calls.
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website:
www.icipe.org/rsif-consultancy-grants-proposal-writing

The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology now invites eligible consulting individuals (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are:

1. The consultant must be sufficiently qualified, with at least a master’s degree.
2. The applicant should have and must demonstrate at least 5 years’ experience in managing proposals for research grants, innovation projects or related business projects.
3. He/she should also have a demonstrated capacity or experience in delivering grant proposal writing training in any of the areas mentioned above. Attach at least three (3) relevant assignments undertaken in the last five (5) years.
4. The consultant should have proficiency in speaking English. Proficiency in French will be an added advantage.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other consultants to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub- consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the criteria laid down in “Selection Based on Consultants Qualification” (CQS) method set out in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, Revised November 2017 and August 2018 which can be found at the following website: www.worldbank.org
Further information can be obtained at this address (rsiftenders@icipe.org) during office hours 08:00 – 17:00 hrs East Africa Time.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person and deposited in the icipe Tender Box, located at icipe Duduville campus, Kasarani, Nairobi (Caroll Wilson Building, Ground Floor) on or before November 8th, 2019 at 11:00 hrs, East Africa Time. The bids will be opened the same date and time, in the presence of those submitting. The submissions in hard copy should be clearly marked: ‘Expression of Interest – Consultancy to facilitate and deliver grants proposal writing workshop for RSIF African Host Universities”. Electronic submissions can be sent via email to:  rsiftenders@icipe.org

International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)
Attn:  Susan Kariuki, Procurement Manager
Duduville campus, Kasarani, Nairobi
P.O. Box 30772, 00100 GPO
NAIROBI, KENYA
Tel:  +254-20-8632000 , Fax: +254-20-8632001/2
E-mail:  rsiftenders@icipe.org
Website:  www.icipe.org
  
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES
To facilitate and deliver grants proposal writing workshop for RSIF African Host Universities
[KENYA]
Project Name : The Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund for Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (RSIF)
Reference No : KE-ICIPE-141202-CS-INDV
Grant No.:  D347-3A
Expected duration: 28 days
Expected start date: December 2, 2019
Application deadline: November  8, 2019
Background
The Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) is the flagship programme of the African Government led Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET). It aims  to double the number of African Ph.Ds in the applied sciences, engineering and technology fields over a 10 year period, raise the quality of Ph.D training and applied demand-driven research in competitively selected African universities through international partnerships and closer linkages with the private sector and industry.

RSIF is implemented through African host universities that will host RSIF scholars, be eligible to apply for RSIF research and innovation grants, and access opportunities for strengthening the design and management of PhD programmes and partnerships with world class research institutions. RSIF systematically nurtures research capacity by fostering partnerships between universities and domestic and international firms to find solutions to local challenges. RSIF has an explicit focus on building the sustainable institutional capacities of African universities to train postgraduates to doctoral level with a parallel aim of increasing the participation of women in science in Africa. For more details see www.rsif-paset.org.

RSIF is currently funded by contributions from African governments, the World Bank and the Government of Korea. It is managed by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya, as the RSIF Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU).  Besides an RSIF research and innovation grant scheme that the African Host Universities are eligible to compete for, icipe as the regional coordination unit is facilitating network building and multi-stakeholder consortia development, signing of MOUs and joint funding proposal writing with the AHUs and international partner institutions.

icipe intends to hire the services of an individual consultant to deliver a series of grants proposal writing training workshops to selected teams from the RSIF African Host Universities.The training should equip participants with skills on how to write winning grant proposals especially related to research, innovation and capacity building in higher education in the ASET[1] fields and enable them to submit high quality proposals in line with the requirements of relevant funding opportunities such as the European Union, Japan SATRAPs as well as RSIF calls.
It is proposed that the trainings be held at icipe Headquarters in Kenya as a residential workshop over 5 days with up to 35 participants per workshop from the African host universities and possible representatives from international partner institutions. The consultant would be expected to engage with participants before and after the training for maximum impact.

Objective of the Assignment
The overall objective of the assignment will be to improve the ability of selected university teams to develop ‘winning’ proposals. Specifically, objectives will be to 1) improve proposal writing skills of participating faculty and university staff, 2) increase awareness of the relevant funding opportunities and how to develop winning proposals; 3) support teams to develop their innovative ideas/ challenges into proposals, including through partnership with RSIF international partner institutions and; 4 support the development of relevant long term research ‘consortia’ to respond to the needs of the broader RSIF agenda.

Role of the Consultant

1. Prepare a proposal to icipe for undertaking the proposal writing workshop;
2. Identify potential funding opportunities that could be used as training opportunities for the proposal training workshops;
3. Design two 5-day training programmes for the university led research teams that should be included in the proposal;
4. In collaboration with icipe, facilitate the training workshop and ensure that training skills are shared;
5. Prepare and submit report of the training workshop and related materials to icipe;
6. Support university teams to submit proposals based on the identified relevant calls such as AU/EU calls.

Role of the RSIF Regional Coordination Unit, icipe

1. Make logistical arrangements for the training workshop, including venue, travel and accommodation
2. Communicate with the universities on dates and other details of the training programme
3. Identify a relevant teams/consortium to participate in the training;
4. Make travel arrangements for the consultant
5. Provide relevant RSIF project documents and any other documents that may be required to facilitate the undertaking of the assignment.

Expected Outputs

1. At least twenty (20) quality research proposals drafted in line with identified calls for proposals successfully submitted;
2. At least two (2) workshops facilitated to support teams to prepare proposals;
3. Report on training process and identification of gaps for possible future strengthening and follow-up.

Description of the assignment
Participants in the training who are expected to be engaged prior and after the workshops, comprise faculty and possible representatives from international partner institutions.  Total number of participants is expected to be approximately 35 persons per workshop.
The workshop will entail the use of practical, interactive, participatory and skills/knowledge enhancing training for the participants on how to write a winning grant proposal.  Some of the areas expected to be covered due to their importance for meeting the requirements of competitive research and innovation grant calls for proposals are:

• Identifying potential donors and opportunities for proposal submission
• What to look for and how to respond to a call for grant applications
• Strategies for writing grant winning proposals
• Elements of a good proposal vs. non-fundable proposal
• Linking research to societal impact with particular emphasis on transformative technologies
• Understanding expectations for innovative projects and proposal writing
• Joint proposal writing
• An introduction to result based management
• Relevant trends and expectations in the funding environment, e.g. theory of change, co-creation, consortia and partnerships including with private sector
• Logical and effective budgeting

It is proposed that the consultant could use the European Union Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education call[2] as guide for discussions and bringing in a practical approach during the workshop or alternatively a similar larger call of a regional nature.

Qualifications and experience
The consultant must be sufficiently qualified, with at least a master’s degree. The applicant should have at least 5 years’ experience in managing proposals for research grants, innovation projects or related business projects. He/she should also have a demonstrated capacity or experience in delivering grant proposal writing training in any of the areas mentioned above. The consultant should have proficiency in speaking English. Proficiency in French will be an added advantage.

Deliverables and Timeframe
Each training workshop is expected to be delivered in five days with four days for planning prior to the workshop and five days for support to teams after the workshop (total of 14 days per workshop). before the end of 2019.
The deliverables for the assignment will be as follows:

 Resources
icipe will cater for the consultants’ daily rate as will be agreed by both parties for the contract period as well as travel and accommodation during the training.

Application Guidelines
Interested applicants should submit the following documents to rsiftenders@icipe.org  or  icipe Tender Box, located at icipe Duduville campus, Kasarani, Nairobi (Caroll Wilson Building, Ground Floor) by November 8^th, 2019 at 11.00 am local time.

• Technical proposal

1. Detailed cover letter expressing interest in this assignment, including full contact details (name, tel. e-mail), and physical address.
2. Consultant’s detailed CV.
3. Demonstrate capacity or experience in delivering grant proposal writing training in any of the areas mentioned above. Attach at least three (3) relevant assignments undertaken in the last five (5) years.
4. Provide contacts of at least three references.
5. Clear understanding of the assignment/interpretation of the TORs.
6. Methodology to be used during the assignment.
7. Work plan clearly indicating the maximum time/duration required for the assignment.
8. Should be in English language.

• Financial proposal

1. Provide a competitive and detailed cost breakdown (fee quote in US$) to perform the assignment, including all the chargeable taxes.
2. Terms of payment

Criteria for selection of the best offer
The Consultant will be selected in accordance with the criteria laid down in “Selection Based on Consultants Qualification” (CQS) method set out in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, Revised November 2017 and August 2018 which can be found at the following website: www.worldbank.org.