Universal Service Fund. (A company set up under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984) Terms of Reference For

Transcription

1 Universal Service Fund (A company set up under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984) Terms of Reference For Hiring of Services of a company/firm/consortium for the Empowerment of SMEs/Artisans Through E-commerce: Design, Developing and Managing the Value Chain Tender ID: USF/SP-ECOMM/ /ARTISANEMPOWERMENT Issued at Islamabad 19 th December 2017 USF Fifth Floor, HBL Tower, Jinnah Avenue, Islamabad Pakistan Tel: Fax: URL:

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3 1. Introduction Through the Universal Service Fund, the Government of Pakistan has embarked on a program to Empowerment of Artisans/SMEs Through E-commerce: Design, Developing, and Managing the Value Chain. The Universal Service Fund (USF) has been established under the Ministry of IT to spread the benefits of the Telecom revolution to all corners of Pakistan. The USF aims, among other things, to utilize Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) in the social and economic uplift and development of the un-served and under-served rural areas so that people living in such areas can get benefits of all basic telecom services as are available to people living in urban metropolitan areas. 2. Background Supporting artisanal craft through harnessing the potential of e-commerce is an opportunity to preserve culture, create cohesion and increase the GDP of Pakistan. At present, there is no proper ecosystem for individuals or groups of artisans, which provides training, technology enhancement, branding and connectivity to sell their products. Many artisans are talented and well trained in producing crafts. However, they are unable to access the internet due to lack of digital literacy and financial constraints and do not have the funds or the know how to create their e-commerce site. There is a strong need to create a common platform, which brings together various groups working in different sectors in isolation. Additionally, there is a need for a centralized marketplace/platform for unique products sourced from the different regions of Pakistan. There is also a need for better practices in the craft sector and improved design innovation within this sector. By following the competitive bidding process, USF intends to invite RFPs from applicants for Empowerment of SMEs/Artisans Through e-commerce: Designing, Developing, and Managing The Value Chain. The interested applicants shall submit required information to USF as per Request For Proposal (RFP). USF shall finalize eligible applicant for the award of contract after evaluation of their technical and financial proposals given the RFP.

4 3. Project Overview and Objectives USF aims to facilitate a comprehensive e-commerce value-chain and ecosystem through assistance in crucial factors determining the functionality of the ecosystem, allowing any partner or player to take advantage of the backbone created by USF for economic opportunities among artisans. The ecosystem proposed by USF will follow an End-to-End E-commerce model, and will include a management firm/company or consortium, bidder, as the facilitating parties in the entire value chain. The project Empowerment of SMEs/Artisans Through e-commerce: Designing, Developing, and Managing the Value Chain is designed to try and address all aspects of creating a successful e-commerce value chain. The objectives include but are not limited to: Only available to registered bidders Detailed Scope of Work a. Proposed Target Areas and Population Artisans from the regions listed below are to be trained and empowered throughout the fiveyear tenure of the project. It is important that best efforts are made to ensure that artisan representation correlates with the respected population of each province and effectively reflects the potential of each province & region. i. Target Area: [only for registered bidders] ii. Total Artisans: [only for registered bidders] iii. Total Artisan trained: [only for registered bidders] iv. Focus Areas: [only for registered bidders]

5 b. Market Assessment & Opportunity Identification To understand the craft sector, both from the demand-side and the supply-side, the bidder will be required to identify the clear opportunities across Pakistan and map them accordingly. A baseline study of artisans from Pakistan needs to be conducted to find out their needs/skills in product development, current income through their craft, e-commerce awareness, computer awareness, mobile use pattern, design and financial status. This should be done through conducting primary research of the representative population across Pakistan Conduct a Market Assessment demand side analysis to identify the products sold in local, national and international markets. The products should rank according to the quality, type of product as well as the sales channels: retail, wholesale, online, etc. The bidder should also identify the kind of buyers of these products and size of the artisan e- commerce market based on the information on Pakistani products both locally and internationally. Conduct a supply-side analysis of the artisan's sector by identifying the geographic clusters of artisans across Pakistan and conducting design-to-sale value chain analysis of the major products to identify major gaps. Benchmark similar international best practices where similar initiatives have been launched and implemented successfully where artisans are actively trading on e- commerce platform Based on demand and supply analysis, identify the potential size of the e-commerce market for artisans in the near-medium and long-term Develop a priority map for targeting specific opportunities and timing Identify specific technical, financial and technology skills interventions by cluster in the near-medium and long-term to achieve market potential Identify a work-plan for getting the artisans ready to start using e-commerce to sell their product Deliverables Primary baseline research and market assessment report along with supporting documents of the current artisan's clusters and readiness of those clusters Demand-side analysis report with current market size of the local and international trade in artisan products

6 Supply-side analysis report with clear opportunities and GAP identification Benchmark similar international best practices where similar initiatives have been launched and implemented successfully where artisans are actively trading on e- commerce platform Detailed business plan and sustainability plan with future market size, clusters, and products focus and specific skills initiatives across each product cluster Detailed work plan with phases and timeframes A detailed priority map detailing the technology and skills interventions An itemized cost of all deliverables mentioned above c. B2B and B2C e-commerce Platforms and Mobile Application The bidder will be required develop two platforms (B2B and B2C) both on the web and in a mobile app to facilitate the artisans. The scope of the platforms includes but is not limited to: Online Artisan Business-to-Business Platform (B2B) (web-platform and mobile app): This B2B platform will be used to create an online database and a showcase of artisans and crafts from Pakistan, with stories and photographs, where culturally appropriate, of artisans highlighting their skills and crafting processes. It will act as a B2B e-commerce portal to ensure that the artisans are contactable by mainstream industry. It would also serve as a platform for sellers and buyers for facilitation of trade and enable interested parties to procure directly from artisans or artisan groups. Artisan s online E-commerce site (B2C) (web-platform and mobile app): The B2C e- commerce platform would be to bring the artisans in direct contact with individual consumers/buyers where possible. To ensure quality control the team managing the B2C platform will also appoint a real-time customer service team for the B2B platform, ensuring any disputes that could arise between the artisan group, artisans and the buyers are dealt with accordingly. Some of the salient features of the platforms include: The successful bidder will be responsible for reaching out to current online artisans and onboarding them onto the B2B and B2C platforms. The e-commerce platform should be run by a company/firm/consortium that has experience in working in the craft sector including product development and selling of

7 craft products. The day-to-day operations may include but are not limited to uploading new images, managing social media content and the overall branding of the platform. This company/firm/consortium will make e-catalogs of products and facilitate the wholesaling of products internationally for the artisan groups. They will also attend trade fairs, represent the artisans at exhibitions and manage pop-ups or other product-driven initiatives to ensure sales are made. Both the B2C and B2B should be designed, developed, executed and managed by the same company/firm/consortium. This company/firm/consortium will run all operations, ensuring that the project is not limited to the project subsidy, but will continue on the selfsustainable model if and when required. The successful bidder will be responsible to ensure that the B2B and B2C platform can host approximately of 20% additional artisans from the pool of current empowered artisans that already exist in Pakistan for the next five years. The B2B and B2C platforms will be hosted on URL to be provided by USF but the URL link and name is to be proposed by the bidder. The B2B and B2C platforms should be both in English, Urdu and any other local languages deemed appropriate The B2B and B2C platforms source code will be owned by the USF however will be managed by the bidder The e-commerce platforms should allow users to register for both B2B and B2C platforms and perform all necessary e-commerce functions without any difficulty and ease. The e-commerce platforms should include all security, authentication and verification mechanisms to ensure that all data of users on the website are safe, authentic, verifiable & secure. A detailed service level agreement (SLA) will be signed with the winning bidder at the time of the contract which will include but not limited to: project proposal, grant etc. The e-commerce platforms should provide support for comprehensive tracking and database features which should include but are not limited to: Ø Daily transaction logs with historical log files Ø Daily activity reports to highlight all the transactions being processed during the day Ø Daily order reports keeping track of when orders were place

8 Ø Dashboard tracking new user-signups and account deletions Ø Any other database features deemed necessary for smooth execution of the project The platforms shall be capable of handling online functionalities for a database of at least 2 million artisan product entries The database architecture should be such that the system is available to users 24 x 7 x 365 days a year without any unapproved downtime. Given the network infrastructure challenges in Pakistan, the solution must support low bandwidth and "near-no" bandwidth conditions for the services defined in the functional requirements. The backup and restoration policy should be framed and provided by the bidder. The bidder shall be responsible for monitoring all backups of the portals that are stored within the system as outlined in the backup policy during the project period. At the time of bid-submission, the bidder shall be asked to provide a dummy prototype of the B2C and B2B platforms with demonstrable functionalities of the platforms The platforms may have the following functionalities but are not limited to: Marketing, Promotions and Conversion Tools Ø Related products, up-sells and cross-sells Ø Catalogue promotional pricing with the ability to restrict to stores, categories or products. Ø Flexible Coupons (pricing rules) with the ability to restrict to stores, customer groups, period, products, and categories. Ø Ability to generate a set of unique coupon codes for each promotion and export the list of codes for offline distribution, , newsletters and more. Easily manage and monitor coupon usage and generate detailed reports. Ø Multi-tier pricing for quantity discounts Ø Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) Ø Landing page for categories Ø Customer groups Ø Product bundles Ø Recently viewed and compared products Ø New items promotional tool Ø Persistent shopping cart

9 Ø Free shipping options Ø International shipping options Ø Newsletter management Search Engine Optimization Ø 100% search engine friendly Ø Google Site Map Ø Search engine friendly URL s Ø URL Rewrites give full control of URL s Ø Meta-information for products, categories, and content pages Ø Auto-generated sitemap for display on site Ø Auto-generated popular search terms page Ø Google Content API for shopping Site Management Ø Control multiple websites and stores from one Administration Panel with the ability to share as much or as little information as needed Ø Administration permission system roles and users Ø Support for multiple languages and currencies. Ø Web Services API for easy integration between third-party applications Ø Batch import and export of catalog and customer information Ø Content Management System for informational and landing pages Ø Tax rates per location, product type or customer group (i.e., wholesale vs. retailer) Ø CAPTCHA functionality to help prevent automated software from attempting fake logins. This auto-generated test ensures that the login is being attempted by a person and can be enabled in both the admin and customer login areas Catalog Management Ø Simple, configurable (e.g., size, color, etc.), bundled and grouped products Ø Create different price points for different customer groups, such as wholesalers and retailers Ø Virtual products Ø Downloadable/digital products with samples Ø Unlimited product attributes Ø Attribute sets for quick product creation of different item types

10 Ø Inventory management with back ordered Ø Items, minimum and maximum quantities Ø Batch updates to products in admin panel Ø Automatic image resizing and watermarking Ø Advanced pricing rules and support for Ø Special prices Ø Search results rewrites and redirects Ø Moderated product tags and reviews Ø Customer personalized products ability to upload images and text (i.e., for embroidery, monogramming, etc.) Ø Customer sorting define attributes for customer sorting by category (price, brand, etc.) RSS feed for low inventory alerts Catalog Browsing Ø Layered/faceted navigation for filtering of products in categories and search results Ø Filter products by price and display a range of prices based on even increments or by a similar number of products within each range Ø Static block tool to create category-landing pages Ø Product comparisons with history Ø Configurable search with auto-suggested terms Ø Breadcrumbs Ø Ability to assign designs to category and product level (unique design per product/category) Ø Recently viewed products Ø Popular search terms cloud Ø Product listing in grid or list format Product Browsing Ø Multiple images per product Ø Product image zoom-in capability Ø Related products and upsell Ø Stock availability Ø Multi-tier pricing upsell Ø Product option selection Ø Grouped products view

11 Ø Send to a friend with Ø Share on Facebook Checkout, Payment, and Shipping (payment features in-line with SBP rules and regulations) Ø One-page checkout Ø Guest checkout and checkout with account to use address book Ø Shipping to multiple addresses in one order Ø Option for account creation at the beginning of checkout Ø SSL security support for orders on both front-end and back-end Ø Saved shopping cart Ø Accept gift messages per order and item Ø Shopping cart with tax and shipping estimates Ø Saved credit card method for offline payments Ø Configurable to authorize and charge, or authorize only and charge on creation of invoices Ø Integration with multiple payment gateways Ø Integration with Authorize.net Ø Accept checks/money orders Ø Accept purchase orders Ø Cash on delivery payments Ø Additional payment extensions Ø Offer Bill Me Later as a payment option Ø Shipping integration with label printing - view, edit, print labels for all major carriers Ø Integrated for real-time shipping rates from different shipping vendors Ø Ability to specify allowed destination countries per method Ø Flat rate shipping per order or item Ø Free shipping Ø Table rates for weight, sub-total, destination, and number of items Ø On-site order tracking from customer accounts o Customer Accounts Ø Account dashboard Ø Merchant/Seller Account Ø Buyer/Purchaser Account Ø Address book with unlimited addresses

12 Ø Wishlist with ability to add comments Ø Order status and history Ø Re-orders from account Ø Recently ordered items Ø Default billing and shipping addresses Ø or send RSS feed to wishlist Ø Newsletter subscription management Ø Product reviews submitted Ø Product tags submitted Ø Downloadable/digital products Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions Ø Disclosure of information Ø Terms and Conditions Ø Reasonable security practices Customer Service Ø Contact Us form Ø Chatbot module Ø Create and edit orders from the admin panel Ø Feature-rich customer accounts Ø Order history with status updates Ø Order tracking from account Ø Password reset from front-end and admin panel Ø Order and account update s Ø Customizable transactional s International Support Ø Support for localization, multiple currencies, and tax rates Ø Support for accented characters and right to left text Ø Configurable list of allowed countries for: - Site registration - Shipping destination addresses with ability to specify per shipping method Ø Analytics and Reporting Ø Integrated with Google Analytics Ø Admin dashboard for report overview Ø Sales report

13 Ø Tax report Ø Abandoned shopping cart report Ø Best viewed products report Ø Best purchased products report Ø Low stock report Ø Search terms report Ø Product reviews report Ø Tags report Ø Coupon usage report Ø Total sales invoiced Ø Total sales refunded o Microfinance Loan Approval Ø Option to request loan with appropriate forms Ø Integration of microfinance institution apps for users Ø List of all microfinance institutions close by Ø FAQs and Live Help Support Ø List of frequently asked questions Ø Troubleshooting live support o Online Dispute Resolution Mechanism Ø E-mediation Ø E-conciliation Ø E-arbitration Ø E-negotiation Setting up, maintenance of IT & hosting infrastructure The bidder will also be responsible for providing hosting services of the e-commerce portal and on cloud-based infrastructure to support 100,000 users online at any time. The bidder will have backup stored on a cloud server only accessible by the USF and not the bidder. The bidder is responsible for ensuring that underlying infrastructure of web-portal and app should be able to support the platforms performance and scalability level as mentioned in the ToRs

14 Testing The bidder will upload and test the web-platforms and mobile app on a development and production server. The platform will only be allowed to go live on the production server after the approval of the USF. The bidder s solution must provide for both a test and production environment so that no development occurs in the production environment. The bidder must conduct acceptance testing with and remediate any problems encountered. This will include: Ø Usability testing Ø Functional testing Ø User acceptance testing Ø Load testing Ø Recovery testing Ø Security testing Deliverables Up and running live B2B and B2C platforms in English and Urdu as per required specifications with all operational manuals and documents required for the smooth operation of the platform. List and implementation all requirements for setting up and maintenance of it & hosting infrastructure Access to all platform backup servers All appropriate testing reports and activity logs with schedule Potential names and URL for the B2B and B2C platform A platform specific backup and restoration policy manual Initial and recurring updated source code of the B2B and B2C platforms A report with evidence of a 40% of all artisans transacting on both platforms each year for the tenure of the project. An itemized cost of all deliverables mentioned above

15 Desired Outcomes At least 10,000 artisans should be identified and trained per year over five years. Total number of combined artisans for both platforms identified, trained and empowered through the tenure of the project should be at-least 50,000. Suitable products from artisans should be uploaded, displayed and sold through the B2B and B2C platforms. B2B: 50,000 artisans should be represented on the website with 40% transacting and documentation of their craft, background, contact details, minimum quantity produced, products produced, etc. B2C: 50,000 artisans and artisan groups, collectives should be represented on the platform for customers to place product orders through this portal using e-commerce functionalities. d. Opportunity Identification & Products Development Conduct artisan craft and cluster sector assessments on the artisan crafts made in Pakistan. Assess which artisan crafts are the most marketable and identify the issues within the craft sector about quality and production limitations. Conduct market assessment evaluations of local retail and export potential, assessing the feasibility of particular artisan population s products and their viability in the marketplace. Study of existing literature of current products and skill development programs related to artisans. Identify existing artisans, group of artisans, designers and other stakeholders who have craft businesses and can be up-scaled through design or business support, through artisan groups. Work with the identified artisans and groups of artisans to create marketable products for the local market and international market. Provide skills, technology, and business development training where required. Link artisans groups with markets and build awareness of using quality raw materials.

16 Deliverables Report along with supporting documents of opportunity identification and product & market development Inventory list and evidence of raw materials to be purchased for product development by artisans throughout the product development phase of the value-chain. An itemized cost of all deliverables mentioned above e. Marketing Support and Awareness The bidder will be responsible for the growth of the platform through a proper communication, digital and social media marketing plan. The bidder will be responsible for the development of all marketing channels, including but not limited to print, online marketing, TVCs, etc. The bidder will be responsible for the aggregation and dissemination of product and artisan related data and photographs on all marketing channel. The bidder will be responsible for the means of supporting and growing support sales as the e-commerce demand grows including but not limited to pop up shops, trade shows, and exhibitions. Deliverables A branding strategy and plan for the branding and marketing of the entire project and e- commerce platforms A plan including the brand architecture and brand positioning strategy A plan including the execution of a marketing strategy for the marketing and sales of the entire project A plan including the development of a route to market, i.e., internal and external execution plan for the marketing A plan including a communication strategy required for the marketing of the project An itemized cost of all deliverables mentioned above f. Logistics Plan For the B2B and B2C platform to be successful, it is important that the smooth delivery of the products from the B2B and B2C platforms should be ensured domestically and

17 internationally. The bidder should propose a logistics plan for the products, which should include but is not limited to: What would be the policy for transporting & packing perishable and fragile goods? What would be the policy for transporting & packing items from remote areas? What would be the policy for drop delivery (customers homes, etc.)? What would be the policy for cash on delivery? How can the orders be tracked from the consumer or the seller s end? The bidder will be required to implement a management system or provide a dashboard to connect with the logistics partners like courier companies through API domestically and internationally for users on the platform to ship smoothly locally and internationally. Deliverables A report, which includes but is not limited to the logistics plan, logistics mechanism and logistics framework required for the smooth and safe delivery the products to be sold on the B2B and B2C platform An itemized cost of all deliverables mentioned above g. Artisan Capacity Building through training The bidder will be asked to carry out proposed training for 10,000 artisans every year for next five years. Since the envisaged target audience of the program is diverse, it is essential that all the training content be developed in both English and Urdu languages, as required. This is to ensure a larger participation in the program and also to enhance learning and understanding of the majority of the participants. The content shall be developed while keeping in mind requirements of target audiences and desired output and impact of the program. The developed content will be approved by the USF prior being made available for training. i. Each training should have the following components Product and artisan cluster identification defining the technical training requirements required by each cluster Identification and development of the appropriate curricula for conducting the training Identification and development of the instructor requirements for conducting these training

18 Identification and development of training learning resources(tlrs) mandatory for successful training Identification and development of the various channels/ partners for conducting such large-scale training Identification and development of monitoring tools for ensuring training happen Identification and development of the assessment criteria for successful completion ii. Each training design should include the following criteria: Artisan-centered content: The developed content should be relevant and specific to artisans needs, roles and responsibilities in their specific industry. Granularity: The developed content should be segmented to facilitate assimilation of new knowledge. The content should be to the point and concise. Engaging content: Creative instructional methods and techniques should be used to develop an engaging and motivating learning experience for the artisans. Interactivity: The developed content should focus on frequent artisan interaction to sustain attention and effective training Assessment: The developed training program should have the required assessments to ensure the learnings have been successfully transferred. iii. Proposed Types of Training a. Artisans Product and Skills Development training: Some of the important goals of the product and skill development training are the following but not limited to: To increase and acquire the advanced level skills required for better product and skills development performance of artisans through basic and advanced concepts, core skills, and skill enhancement. To provide artisans the required skills and development training to meet the market demand promptly. To provide artisans the required skills to maintain a set standard of product quality.

19 To provide the skills to artisans and polish them so artisans can survive in the competitive environment and generate the means of their livelihood by promoting the handicrafts through e-commerce. To broaden the minds of the artisans by providing them opportunities for trade of domestically and internationally b. Artisans Business Development and Marketing Training: For the artisans to understand the current market trends and economic landscape, it is important for the artisans to be trained in business development and marketing. The objectives of the business development and marketing training are the following but not limited to: To train artisans on life skills and soft business skills which will prepare the potential artisan to be able to meet the demands of the market To equip artisans with the capacities to start their small businesses on ecommerce and strengthen their basic management skills for better performance and profitability To equip the artisans with the business skills and capacity to design, develop and implement a successful marketing plan To train artisans on the relevant pricing strategies of their product and increase their awareness about the cost of raw materials, product cost and other costs related to the development and marketing of their product. c. Artisan B2B and B2C E-commerce Training. The objectives of the E-commerce training are the following: To help artisans groups demonstrate an understanding of the foundations and importance of e-commerce. To help artisans demonstrate an understanding of retailing in e-commerce by: Analyzing branding and pricing strategies Familiarizing with opening e-commerce website accounts Using and determining the effectiveness of market research To help artisans understand and legal obstacles and privacy regulations in e-commerce To help artisans understand how to deal with the logistics requirements of e-commerce effectively. To help artisans understand assess online electronic payment systems.

20 To help artisans understand the potential disputes those are faced in e-commerce. d. Artisan ICT Training The objectives of the ICT training are the following but not limited to: To familiarize artisans with pedagogical considerations for ICT usage To create special apps and learn tools for illiterate artisans to come online To familiarizing artisans with instructional technology applied to ICT usage To help artisans understand the process involved converting existing resources to ICT-mediated learning materials To assist artisans in learning to use the most commons forms of ICT effectively To facilitate use of ICTs for artisans e. Artisan Financial Inclusion Training The objectives of the Financial Inclusion Training are the following but not limited to: To improve the level of financial literacy among potential artisan borrowers To help artisans better manage their finances, optimize savings and consumption, effectively to assess possible risks and make reasonable decisions To educate artisans on the importance of having bank accounts To train artisans on opening different types of banking and money accounts To increasing artisan awareness concerning their everyday expenditures and analyzing good and bad practices To access microfinance when needed to start or grow their business f. Artisan Logistics and Packaging Training The objectives of the Logistics Training are the following but not limited to: To assist artisans in learning the best practices of logistics in ecommerce To assist artisans in learning the safest and most effective industry-wide packaging practices To assist artisans in understanding how to maintain the quality of the product when packaging and shipping g. Artisan Quality Control and Assurance Training

21 The objectives of the Quality Control and Assurance Training are the following but not limited to: To post high quality and accurate images of products on e-commerce platforms To create accurate products similar to the pictures posted on e-commerce platforms To create a smooth and user-friendly e-commerce experience To create high quality and original products Deliverables for all training programs Development of a training plan with defined curriculum, instructors profiles, and assessment criteria Relevant content and modules in line with the training objectives listed above with content duration mentioned for each training program. Scaling model, implementation plan, and schedule of how training will be conducted throughout the year to train 50,000 artisans by the end of the 5 th year. Monitoring and evaluation plan which will include the following: o Performance monitoring system implementation and procedure Registered artisans Enrolled artisans Training completed reports Training assessment reports o Performance monitoring support implementation and procedure All HR Deployment All Infrastructure Deployment All Services Procured All Activities Performed A training rollout plan that identifies training locations and partnerships across Pakistan to manage large-scale training Details of enrolled and registered artisan trainees with training reports of training completion by aritsans (i.e trainings mentioned above) Development of overarching support services plans to be provided to the artisans during training cycle in order to enhance engagement of trainees for effective participation and completion. An itemized cost of all deliverables mentioned above

22 h. Project Management Plan The responsibility of the project and its governance will lie with the successful bidder. The successful bidder will appoint a project director, project manager and point of contact that will have the relevant experience and qualification of manning and running all elements of the project. The company will also appoint the relevant human resources to run the project and manage the day to day operations of both platforms successfully. Deliverables An extensive human resource and project management plan which includes all project management CVs and relevant documents to satisfy the need of personal to effectively execute the project A list of all personnel to be engaged with the project with a breakdown of each project personals responsibilities A report outlining the implementation and monitoring of the project management plan Documents supporting the monitoring and implementation of the project management plan An itemized cost of all deliverables mentioned above i. Real-time Strategies and Adaptability Plan During the execution of the project, the successful bidder will be required to provide feedback on a real-time basis to keep updating the project for it to remain aligned with the current technology trends and the project objectives. Deliverables A complete real-time strategy and adaptability plan anticipating any key changes in respect to but not limited to: o Change in technology o Change in scope of work o Potential challenges and risk An itemized cost of all deliverables mentioned above

23 j. IPRE for Artisan Product and Design During the execution of the project, the successful bidder will be required to ensure that all artisan products are protected in-line with the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement (IPRE) requirements of the Government of Pakistan IPR Laws. k. Responsibilities and Governance Framework Subsidy Provisions The USF will be responsible for the subsidy of Capital and Operational expenditures to the successful bidder as per the Subsidy Agreement, SLA and Contact and on the completion of stipulated requirements, as per the milestone schedule. Inception of the Project The successful Bidder shall be responsible for the development of all necessary technology and physical infrastructure required to commence the operations of the project within one month of award of the contract. This should include, among other things, market assessment, development of training content, e-commerce portals, cloud and hosting infrastructure and all the requirements mentioned in the project ToRs. IPR & Assets USF will own all Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and assets procured and developed during execution of the project. Duration of the Project The tenure of the project will be for five years. After completion of project tenure, further extension in the project may be decided at that time through mutual consent between company & successful bidder.

24 Technical Proposal - Sample Forms

25 A1. Technical Proposal Submission Application [Location, Date] To: Chief Technology Officer Universal Service Fund 5 th Floor, HBL Tower Islamabad, Pakistan projects.tenders@usf.org.pk Sir, We, the undersigned, offer to provide the services for execution of Empowerment of Artisans through e-commerce by your Request for Proposal dated [ADVERTISEMENT DATE]. We are at this moment submitting our Proposal, which includes this Technical Proposal and Financial Proposal sealed under a separate envelope. Our Technical Proposal shall be binding upon us subject to the modifications resulting from Contract negotiations, up to the expiration of the validity period of the Proposal, which is 180 calendar days from the date of advertisement. We understand you are not bound to accept any Proposal you receive. Yours sincerely, Authorized Signature: Name and Title of Signatory: Name of Firm: Address:

26 A2. Firm/Bidder s Profile: Name of the Company/firm (in case of consortium, name of leader) Date of Registration (in case of company with SECP, in case of firm with Registrar of Firm) Role in Consortium (where applicable) Leader Member Member Member Additional Documents Name of Company/Firm/Consortium Leader Name and contact details of focal person including and telephone numbers Organizational profile of the Company/Firm/Consortium, management structure and proof of financial soundness of the firm Copy of the registration certificate with SECP/Registrar of Firms Proof of Active Filer with FBR (NTN Certificate, STRN Certificate) In case of a consortium, proof of the consortium must be provided; this proof must include an agreement from consortium members delegating all the powers to consortium leader and authorizing the consortium leader to participate in the bid and sign the contract on their behalf. Consortiums must provide the responsibility matrix defining the areas and types of service being provided by consortium members. Any other relevant information to facilitate decision making A2.1 Relevant Experience 1. Name/ Title of Project/Work 2. Description of Project 3. Name of Employer/Organization (In case of No Employer/Organization, write independently. 4. Employer/ Organization Address/Contact Details Contract Duration (Years and Months) Years Months

27 6. Project Value (PKR) 7. Any description detail, which may help Applicant to pre-qualify A bidder may use the same format for all projects. A.3 Description of the Approach, Technology, Methodology and Work Plan Approach Technology Methodology Work Plan Flow Charts

28 A.3.1 Business Plan Introduction/Scope: Description Competitors Analysis: Description Key Stakeholders: Description Target Customers/Beneficiaries: Description Value Propositions: Description Cost Structures: Description Revenue Streams: Description Sales/Marketing Plan: Description

29 A3.2 Training Plans Product and Skill Development Training Description and Plan Method of Training Content if applicable Training Team Artisans Business Development Training Description and Plan Method of Training Content if applicable Training Team Artisans E-commerce Training Description and Plan Method of Training Content if applicable Training Team Artisans ICT Training Description and Plan Method of Training Content if applicable Training Team Artisans Financial Inclusion Training Description and Plan Method of Training Content if applicable Training Team Artisans Packing & Logistic Training Description and Plan Method of Training Content if applicable Training Team

30 Artisans Quality Assurance and Control Training Description and Plan Method of Training Content if applicable Training Team A3.3 Project Approach for B2B and B2C Platform Development Methodology: Choice of Technology: Quality Assurance & Testing Plan: Logistics Plan: Quality Control and Assurance Plan:

31 A4: CV of Project Team with proposed roles Personnel Capabilities Particular Experience Record of Key Personnel Name of Applicant Project Team: Title / Position (please change titles as required) Number PD PM Team Leads Developers Designer Trainers Quality Assurance/Quality Control Add more rows if required Team Structure and Organogram Title/Position (of each member) Role/Key Responsibilities Minimum Qualification Required Expertise / Background Required Minimum Experience Required (years) Detail CVs of all project staff Professional Information Qualifications Work done

32 Financial Proposal - Sample Forms

33 B1. Financial Proposal Submission Application [Location, Date] To: Chief Financial Officer Universal Service Fund 5 th Floor, HBL Tower Islamabad, Pakistan projects.tenders@usf.org.pk Sir, We, the undersigned, offer to provide services for execution of Empowerment of Artisans Through e-commerce by your Request for Proposal dated [ADVERTISEMENT DATE] and our Proposal (Technical and Financial Proposals). Our attached Financial Proposal is for the sum of [Amount in words and figures]. This amount is inclusive of all the local taxes, duties, fees, levies and other charges applicable to our company, our sub-contractors, and collaborations under the Pakistani law. Our Financial Proposal shall be binding upon us, up to the expiration of the validity period of the Proposal, which is 180 calendar days from the date of advertisement. We understand you are not bound to accept any Proposal you receive. Yours sincerely, Name, Signature, and Title of Signatory Name of Firm/Company: Address:

34 B2. Summary of Costs Particulars Activity Based Cost as mentioned in TOR deliverables Cost in PKR Total Lump Sum Cost All applicable Taxes: Grand Total of Financial Proposal B3. Breakdown of Major CAPEX & OPEX CAPEX Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Market Assessment Training & Capacity Building e-commerce Platform Development ICT equipment Cost Any other items Sub Total Subsidy OPEX Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Rent Utilities HR Cost Portal Hosting & Bandwidth Operations, Repair & Maintenance Any other Expenses Sub Total Subsidy

35 OPEX Any other Expenses Sub Total Subsidy Total Subsidy B4. All other Operational Expenses (Itemized List)