REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Recruitment of a Consulting Firm to Design, Develop, Deploy and Support the Financial Sector

Skills Council (FSSC) Digital Portal and Communication Strategy

(LOCAL FIRMS ONLY)

Brief description of the Assignment:

Rwanda Finance Limited (RFL), under Project RWA/024 supported by the Luxembourg

Cooperation, seeks to recruit a consulting firm to design, develop, deploy, and provide post-Go-

Live support for a comprehensive Financial Sector Skills Council (FSSC) Online Portal, and to

develop and operationalize a Strategic Communication Framework aligned with the Kigali

International Financial Centre (KIFC) vision.

The portal will serve as the central digital infrastructure for FSSC operations, including stakeholder

communication, training management, competency framework publication, professional registry

management, data analytics, and ecosystem visibility. The assignment includes post-deployment

stabilization and user adoption support.

Type: Open Competitive Bid

Place of Assignment: Kigali, Rwanda

Consultancy Type: Local Consulting Firm

Duration of Assignment: 12 Months

Deadline for applications: 14 th April 2026

All Application Documents to be submitted to: procurement@rfl.rw

Contact number: +250783803374

I. Background/Context

Rwanda’s ambition to position Kigali as a competitive International Financial Centre (KIFC)

requires not only strong regulatory frameworks and investment promotion, but also a robust

and visible human capital ecosystem.

Rwanda Finance Limited (RFL) was established to promote Rwanda as a financial services

destination and enhance sector competitiveness. The Financial Sector Skills Council (FSSC) was

established to coordinate and institutionalize financial sector skills development across

regulators, employers, training providers, professional bodies, and development partners.

To implement this mandate, FSSC requires a secure, scalable, and user-friendly digital portal

that:

 Publishes competency frameworks and professional standards

 Hosts and manages training programs

 Maintains professional registries

 Maps and displays capacity-building initiatives

 Provides data dashboards and analytics

 Enhances ecosystem transparency

 Strengthens stakeholder engagement

About Project RWA/024

The RWA/024 project is a 5Year Project the Government of Rwanda has signed with the Grand

Duchy of Luxembourg to support the development of the Kigali International Finance Center. This

project is set to contribute to Rwanda’s ambition to establish and position the country as an

international financial service center through attracting the necessary domestic and international

investments. This assignment forms a critical component of the RWA/024 project support that will

further accelerate the development and promotion of Rwanda’s financial center.

II. Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to:

1. Design and deploy a secure, scalable, and institutionally integrated FSSC Online Portal.

2. Develop and implement a Strategic Communication Framework for FSSC aligned with KIFC

positioning.

3. Ensure successful Go-Live, user adoption, and system stabilization.

4. Transfer technical and administrative capacity to FSSC staff.

5. Provide structured post-Go-Live technical and operational support.

The consultancy firm shall:

 Conduct system architecture design and UX/UI design.

 Develop backend and frontend systems.

 Integrate training management and professional registry modules.

 Develop admin dashboards and analytics tools.

 Develop and implement a communication strategy.

 Conduct user testing and training.

 Provide post-launch technical support and optimization.

III. Scope of Work

The assignment shall be implemented in the following phases:

Phase I – Inception, System Architecture & Design (Months 1–2)

 Conduct a detailed needs assessment with FSSC, RFL, and key stakeholders.

 Develop System Architecture Blueprint.

 Design database structure.

 Develop a cybersecurity framework.

 Develop UX/UI prototypes.

 Develop Communication Strategy Framework (stakeholder segmentation, messaging

architecture, brand positioning).

Phase II – Portal Development & Integration (Months 3–7)

Design and development: All the process should be automated for backend administration

 Public-facing website

 Member registration & authentication system

 Professional registry & certification system or module with automated certificate

generation

 Training management system with

Course Management

 . Course creation & publishing (admin/training providers)

 . Course catalog (public & restricted)

 . Online blended learning support

Learning Experience

 Video, document, interactive modules

 Progress tracking

 Assessments & quizzes

 Auto certification issuance

Training Provider Integration

 Accreditation system for providers

 Ability to upload and manage programs

 Capacity-building database integration

 Admin dashboard & analytics module

 Document management repository

 Role-based access controls

 Audit trail and data governance features

Ensure compatibility with future integration (e.g., regulators, certification bodies).

Phase III – Testing, Validation & Go-Live (Months 8–9)

 Conduct system testing (functional, security, stress testing).

 Pilot with selected user groups.

 Conduct cybersecurity validation.

 Revise and optimize system.

 Deploy Version 1.0 Go-Live.

Phase IV – Communication Strategy Operationalization (Months 4–10)

 Develop brand identity toolkit for FSSC.

 Develop stakeholder communication plan.

 Develop content calendar and messaging guide.

 Develop social media and digital engagement strategy.

 Launch materials including not limited to brand launch video or a promo video, explainer

video for the portal walk-through, mini documentary for FSSC, event materials for

branding.

 Establish monitoring indicators (KPIs).

Phase V – Post-Go-Live Stabilization & Support (Months 10–12)

 Provide continuous technical support.

 Monitor system performance and user feedback.

 Conduct usability improvements.

 Provide bug fixes and security updates.

 Conduct advanced admin training.

 Develop sustainability and maintenance roadmap.

IV. Deliverables / Outputs

1. Inception Report (Month 1)

2. System Architecture & UX/UI Blueprint (Month 2)

3. Communication Strategy Framework (Month 3)

4. Functional Portal (Beta Version) (Month 7)

5. Version 1.0 Go-Live Portal (Month 9)

6. Communication Toolkit & Implementation Report (Month 10)

7. Post-Go-Live Support & Optimization Report (Month 12)

8. Final Consolidated Report & Sustainability Plan (Month 12)

V. Commitment to Quality Work

The consultancy firm shall:

 Apply international best practices in digital governance and cybersecurity.

 Ensure GDPR-aligned data protection principles where applicable.

 Ensure system scalability and future integration capacity.

 Apply user-centered design principles.

 Ensure institutional sustainability beyond consultancy.

 Ensure clarity of communication and structured stakeholder validation.

VI. Qualifications and Experience of Firm

 Minimum 10 years’ experience in digital system development.

 Demonstrated experience developing institutional portals (preferably in regulated sectors).

 Proven cybersecurity and data governance experience.

 Experience delivering development partner-funded digital transformation projects.

 Demonstrated experience in strategic communication development.

 Experience in financial services, professional bodies, or International Financial Centers is an

advantage.

 Proven post-Go-Live support experience.

VII. Qualifications and Experience of Team

The firm should provide a core team including:

Team Leader – Digital Transformation & Institutional Systems Specialist

 Master’s degree in IT, Information Systems, Business, Finance, or related field.

 At least 10 years’ experience in digital system architecture and institutional

transformation.

 Experience leading similar assignments in at least 3 jurisdictions.

 Experience in the financial sector or regulated environments.

 Strong project management and stakeholder facilitation skills.

Core Technical Experts

Each must have:

 At least a bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, Information Systems,

Communications, or related field.

 At least 8 years’ experience in a relevant area (software development, cybersecurity,

UX/UI, database design, digital communications).

 Experience in at least 3 similar assignments.

 Excellent analytical, editorial, and communication skills.

VIII. Reporting Obligation

The consultancy firm will report to the Chief Strategy Officer under the oversight of the FSSC

Secretariat and LuxDev. All deliverables shall be submitted in English.

IV. Application/Bidder Guidelines

Rwanda Finance invites eligible firms to submit detailed technical and financial proposals to

implement this assignment. These proposals must be prepared as separate files for independent

evaluation and should showcase the firm’s professional capability in performing the services

requested. Such information should be included.

1. A concise technical proposal with.

1.1. The company profile

1.2. The technical approach, including the proposed work plan/schedule and methodology;

work samples of similar assignments completed for agencies of international financial

centres, or financial institutions during the past 10 years; experience of the firm, etc.

1.3. The team, including availability of appropriate qualifications and skills among the team,

expected duration, and profiles of the available team in carrying out this assignment, CVs

recently signed of the proposed team. Key information should include experience.

2. A concise financial proposal providing itemized fees per team member, level of effort for each

team member, and expected expenses to complete the proposed activities under the scope of

work defined above

3. Administrative documents:

• Letter of Interest addressed to the CEO, Rwanda Finance Ltd

• Copy of valid Tax Clearance Certificate

• Copy of Certificate of Incorporation

• Copy of valid Certificate of Good Standing

• Notified Power of Attorney; if the person signing is different from the one on the certificate

of incorporation

• Notified copy of certificate of membership to a professional body if any

• Complete full address and contacts (websites, telephone number, physical office, and fax).

V. Evaluation Process

The tender opening process is private, and firms will be assessed based on the following criteria,

with all evaluations conducted by the Tender Committee (TC). The submission deadline is

…………………………………………….2026, and all documents must be submitted separately as

Administrative, Technical, and financial documents.

1. Firms must submit all the required administrative documents as outlined to proceed to the

next steps. Failure to provide these documents will result in automatic disqualification

from the bidding process, and the bidder will be promptly notified.

The Administrative evaluation, which is the 1 st phase of evaluation, will be based on the following

• Letter of Interest addressed to the CEO, Rwanda Finance Ltd

• Copy of valid Tax Clearance Certificate

• Copy of Certificate of Incorporation

• Copy of valid Certificate of Good Standing

• Notified Power of Attorney; if the person signing is different from the one on the certificate of

incorporation

• Notified copy of certificate of membership to a professional body if any

• Complete full address and contacts (websites, telephone number, physical office, and fax).

2. Once bidders have submitted all the necessary administrative documents, they will be

invited to participate in the technical evaluations, which is the 2 nd phase. Bidders who

achieve a minimum score of 70% will proceed to the next stage of evaluations, while those

who fail to meet the 70% threshold will be notified of their disqualification from the

bidding process.

The technical evaluation will be based on the following

Criteria Sub-criteria Point

s

A. Technical

Approach

System Development Methodology – Does the proposed

methodology demonstrate a clear, structured, and realistic approach

to designing, developing, testing, deploying, and supporting the FSSC

Online Portal? Does it include system architecture design,

cybersecurity safeguards, data governance framework, scalability

considerations, user access controls, integration logic, and post-Go-

Live stabilization support?

15

points

Understanding of the Assignment – Does the proposal clearly reflect

a strong understanding of the institutional mandate of FSSC, KIFC

competitiveness objectives, stakeholder ecosystem needs (regulators,

employers, training providers, professionals, development partners),

and sustainability requirements (institutional ownership beyond

consultancy)?

10

points

Communication Strategy Approach – Does the proposal present a

coherent and strategic communication framework aligned with FSSC

positioning within KIFC? Does it include stakeholder segmentation,

messaging architecture, digital engagement plan, branding

coherence, and measurable KPIs?

10

points

B. Institutional

/ Consultant

Capacity and

Past

Performance

Personnel Qualifications – Does the proposed team meet or exceed

the required qualifications (education, certifications, years of

experience)? Does the team composition reflect appropriate

expertise in system architecture, cybersecurity, full-stack

development, UX/UI design, data analytics, and strategic

communications? Is the allocation of level of effort realistic?

20

points

Personnel Knowledge and Relevant Experience – Does the proposed

team demonstrate strong knowledge and practical experience in

developing institutional digital platforms, preferably within regulated

sectors or financial services environments? Experience in sub-Saharan

Africa and/or International Financial Centers is an advantage.

15

points

Cybersecurity and Data Governance Experience – Does the firm

demonstrate proven experience in secure system deployment, data

protection compliance, audit trail implementation, role-based access

control, and mitigation of cyber risks in comparable systems?

10

points

Organizational Track Record and Past Performance – Does the firm

demonstrate a strong track record delivering similar digital

transformation and communication assignments in comparable

institutional contexts? Does the firm demonstrate experience working

with development partners and implementing post-Go-Live support

mechanisms?

20

points

3. The 3 rd phase of evaluation is the financial evaluation, where bidders who passed the

technical evaluation will be invited to participate and engage in negotiations. Final

decisions will be communicated following the Tender Committee's evaluation, leading to

the awarding of the contract.

4. The financial evaluation will be based on.

The bidder with the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) that not only implies

the lowest price but also the required quality, delivery, and payment terms.

5. The final stage involves contract negotiations and signing with the selected bidder. Before

signing the contract, the successful bidder is required to provide a performance guarantee

equal to 10% of the contract amount, which will be refunded upon successful completion

of the assignment.

The procurement and decision-making process in Rwanda Finance Ltd shall be guided by

Environmental, Social and Governance aspects of our community. The following are the

fundamental principles to be adhered to for Transparency, Competition, Economy, Efficiency,

Fairness, and Accountability.

VI. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1. General Principles

This tender complies fully with the principles of open competition, affording equal treatment to all

economic operators, and ensuring a transparent and non-discriminatory selection process. The

principles include.

 the publication of the call for tenders through written media, the Internet and/or any other

appropriate means of information.

 eliminates discriminatory practices or technical specifications which could hamper wide

participation in the call for tenders on equal terms;

 ensures that the selection criteria are specified in the Tender Documents (TD);

 ensures that the selected tender responds to the selection conditions and criteria set out in

the TD;

 ensures that no criterion which has not been published, or which is unknown to the

tenderers is used in the selection of the successful tender;

 ensures that the successful tender complies with the award criteria specified in the TD;

 ensures compliance with the eligibility and ethical clauses below.

2. Eligibility for Contracts

2.3. Rules of nationality and origin

Participation in call for tenders and contracts financed from contributions made by the

Government of

the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is open on equal terms to:

 Companies or firms, public bodies or semi-public bodies;

 cooperative companies and other legal persons governed by public or private law;

 any joint company or grouping of companies or firms.

2.2. Circumstances under which parties are excluded from the call for tenders procedure

Applicant or tenderer shall be excluded from participating in the call for tenders if:

 is bankrupt, insolvent, being wound up, has ceased his activities, has his affairs

administered by the court or has entered into an arrangement with creditors or is in any

analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or

regulations;

 is subject to proceedings for the declaration of bankruptcy, for an order of compulsory

winding up, for having his affairs administered by the court, for debt settlement or to any

other proceedings of the same nature provided for in national legislation or regulations;

 has been convicted of an offence concerning his professional conduct by a judgment, which

has the force of res judicata;

 has been convicted by an authoritative judgment for environmental crimes and acts

contrary to environmental regulations (regardless of the country);

 has not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions in

accordance with the legal provisions in the country in which he is established or those of

the country of the contracting authority;

 has not fulfilled his obligations relating to the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal

provisions of the country in which he is established or those of the country of the

contracting authority;

 is guilty of serious misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the

contracting authorities as a condition of participation in a call for tenders or contract;

 has failed to fulfil his contractual obligations in the performance of another contract with

the contracting authority and/or another contract financed by the Financial Backer (FB) in

the country of the contracting authority and/or any other country;

 is banned from participating in tenders with other FB or is excluded from public

procurement in the country of the contracting authority and/or any other country.

 has been the subject of a final judgment or final administrative decision for conduct related

to a criminal organisation;

 is the subject of a final judgment or a final administrative decision for the creation of an

entity with the intention of evading tax, social security, or other legal obligations applicable

under the legal provisions of the country in which it is established or those of the country of

the contracting authority;

 falls, in connection with the call for tenders or contract concerned, into one of the

situations mentioned below in the section on “ethical clauses”.

2.3. Exclusion from the awarding of contracts

 Contracts will not be awarded to applicants and tenderers who, at the time of contract

award procedure:

 finds himself in a conflict of interest.

 is guilty of serious misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the partner

to participate in the tender or has failed to provide this information.

3. Ethical Clauses

 Any attempts undertaken by an applicant or a tenderer to obtain confidential information,

to reach unlawful agreements with their competitors, or to influence the evaluation

committee, the contracting authority, or the partner during the tender examination,

clarification, and comparison procedure must lead to the rejection of their application or

tender.

 When submitting his application or tender, the applicant or the tenderer is required to

declare the absence of any potential conflict of interest and the absence of any specific link

with the other tenderers. Should such a situation arise during performance of the contract,

the contractor must immediately inform the contracting authority.

 For the duration of the contract, the contractor and his staff must respect human rights.

 The contractor may accept no payment connected with the contract other than that

provided for therein. The contractor and his staff must not exercise any activity or receive

any advantage inconsistent with their obligations to the contracting authority.

 If corrupt practices of any kind are discovered at any stage of the contract award

procedure, the partner is required to take all the measures necessary to rectify this

situation. For this provision, “corrupt practices” are the offer of a bribe, gift, gratuity, or

commission to any person as an inducement or reward for performing or refraining from

any act relating to the award of a contract or implementation of a contract already

concluded with the contracting authority.

 All bids will be rejected or contracts terminated if it emerges that the award or execution

of a contract has given rise to unusual commercial expenses. Such unusual commercial

expenses are commissions not mentioned in the main contract or not stemming from a

properly concluded contract referring to the main contract, commissions not paid in return

for any actual and legitimate service, commissions remitted to a tax haven, commissions

paid to a recipient who is not clearly identified or commissions paid to a company which

has every appearance of being a front company.

4. Contracting Authority

The contracting authority is Rwanda Finance Limited, RFL. The completion of all RFP requirements

must be in accordance with the instructions contained in this RFP, which are not public.

Submission to Rwanda Finance, RFL, of the technical and cost proposals will constitute an offer

and indicate the consulting firm’s agreement to the terms and conditions outlined in this RFP. RFL

is not required to accept and/or evaluate proposals that do not conform to the instructions of this

RFP, and, in addition, RFL may reject all proposals and not make an award. RFL reserves the right

to make an award without discussion and/or negotiation; however, RFL also reserves the right to

conduct discussions and/or negotiations, which, among other things, may require the consulting

firm to revise its proposal (technical and/or cost). By submitting an offer, consulting firms agree to

comply with the general terms and conditions for an award, including Representations and

Certifications of Compliance. Consulting firms must provide full, accurate, and complete

information in response to this solicitation. By submitting an offer, consulting firms certify that

they have not and will not attempt to bribe or make any payment to RFL employees in return for

preference.

Issuance of this RFP in no way obligates RFL to render an award, nor does it commit RFL to pay any

costs incurred by the consulting firm to prepare and submit a proposal. RFL reserves the right to

award a contract to one organization or to issue multiple awards based on the results of the

evaluation.