Call for EOI - Consultancy to support "Outreach, communication, community management, and knowledge dissemination" for SHIFT Project

About SNV

SNV is a global development partner rooted in the African and Asian countries where we operate. With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, it is our mission to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems to enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995 and currently has over 50 national and international experts. SNV Vietnam implements projects in more than 20 provinces across the country, including the poorest and most remote areas. 

Background and objectives of assignment

Shifting Investment Flows Towards Green Transformation (SHIFT), funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI), is a joint project that aims to accelerate the deployment of green and climate-friendly solutions to support Vietnam achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The outcome of the project is to improve green policy and investment frameworks for enhanced climate action in Vietnam, especially in the energy sector. It addresses both supply and demand aspects of green investment, creating a positive feedback loop that will drive the transition towards a green and climate-friendly economy. SHIFT’s four outputs are supporting the green finance framework, improving policies for the energy transition, supplying green financial products through financial institutions, triggering demand by the private sector, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and disseminating knowledge and raising awareness of a broader set of stakeholders.

Under SHIFT, SNV is establishing and managing the Green Innovation Challenge Initiative (GICI) which selects and supports 15 SMEs in piloting and scaling innovative clean energy solutions in Vietnam, with grants ranging from EUR 15,000 to EUR 25,000 and tailored capacity building activities.

During the GICI implementation, SNV will organise up to two (02) public Calls for Proposals (CfP). For each CfP, SNV will convene up to two (02) launch events to raise awareness of the initiative, provide clarifications to potential applicants, and encourage high-quality submissions. Selected SMEs will have up to one (01) year for piloting and/or scaling their proposed solutions. During this one-year period, SMEs will receive need-based training and coaching to grow their business capacity to scale their solutions. Each CfP will conclude with a closing event to share implementation results and facilitate matchmaking between supported SMEs and financiers. To support the effective delivery of these activities, SNV is seeking an impact-driven service provider to partner with in the implementation of GICI.

Objective 1: The service provider will work closely with SNV to co-organise and support the above-mentioned outreach, and event-related activities, including promotion of the CfPs, engagement with relevant stakeholders (esp. target SMEs), and facilitation of visibility and networking opportunities for participating SMEs.

Objective 2: Beyond direct support to CfP-related activities, the service provider will contribute to strengthening the broader innovation and clean energy ecosystem by promoting supported SMEs and solutions through its networks during and beyond the implementation period of SHIFT, thereby enhancing knowledge sharing, market linkages, and the potential for scaling innovative clean energy solutions.

Assignment overview and scope of work / deliverables

Through its existing channels and networks, the service provider will undertake the following key activities:

• Collaborate with SNV to organise key GICI events, including (but not limited to) these tasks: obtaining in-person event permits, identifying and inviting relevant attendees (SMEs, financiers, industry associations, government agencies, and other stakeholders), inviting guest speakers, contributing to event agendas and content, and preparing event-related documentation and reports.
  • Key GICI events include up to four (04) launch events, two (02) grant agreement signing ceremonies, and two (02) closing and matchmaking events.
  • Please note that SNV will cover all event expenses which include travel-related costs for out-of-town attendees. However, the service provider will need to cover travel-related costs for its staff attending these events and is advised to include those costs in the financial proposal.
• Act as the community manager for GICI community of SMEs by:
  • Developing a short monthly newsletter for SMEs with relevant climate tech / clean energy networking events and policies/regulations in Vietnam and the region
  • Holding a monthly community call where SMEs share updates and lessons learned during the implementation period. The monthly community call can include relevant guest speakers (financier, fellow SME, government agency, etc.) for training purposes.
• Collaborate with SNV to design and organise tailored capacity building activities including up to (02) cohort-style trainings which can be embedded in monthly community calls or existing industry events.
• Facilitate scaling and partnership opportunities for supported SMEs by leveraging the service provider’s network of potential offtakers/customers, financiers, and climate tech / clean energy /green innovation ecosystem actors.
• Provide input into the development of GICI knowledge products (e.g. case studies, promotional videos) and support their dissemination during project implementation and, when feasible, after the SHIFT project ends.
• Support SNV to update the GICI Operations Manual based on insights from delivery.
• Support the promotion and outreach of the GICI and overall SHIFT project through the service provider’s networks, events, newsletters, and other communication channels including social media.

Expected experiences and qualifications

The local service provider should meet the following criteria:

• Legally registered entity in accordance with applicable laws with a valid business license or association certificate/registration (for associations or non-profit organisations) in Vietnam
• Demonstrated access to a strong network of private enterprises (esp. SMEs) in the climate tech / clean energy / green innovation sector, financiers, industry associations, relevant government agencies, development partners, and other climate tech / clean energy / green innovation ecosystem actors in Vietnam
• Proven experience in managing and implementing innovation funds, challenge funds, or business accelerator programmes, preferably with a focus on climate tech, clean energy, and green innovation topics
• Demonstrated commitment to innovation, decarbonisation, and net-zero objectives in Vietnam, with the ability to leverage and sustain outcomes beyond the GICI timeframe
• Experience working with women-led SMEs and start-ups in the climate tech / clean energy / green innovation sector, including coaching or promotion, is considered an advantage.

Submission instructions:

Interested service provider should submit the Letter of Interest via the instructions in this site with the following information:

• A Letter for Expression of Interest with relevant experience related to the assignment (at least 2 past performance references of similar or relevant assignments).
• The organisation’s business licence or appropriate registration (for associations and non-profit organisations)
• A completed Due Diligence document, along with all required supporting documents, click https://c.smartrecruiters.com/sr-company-attachments-prod-aws-dc5/58919688e4b0672cc03331a9/33e63874-438e-40ba-b243-d0686c4be46d?r=s3-eu-central-1

Deadline: EOIs are accepted until 17.00 pm on January 27th, 2025.

All questions regarding this call should be sent to snvvietnamprocurement@snv.org 

Expression of Interest (EOI) Evaluation Criteria:

Due Diligence: Pass/Fail

Qualifications of the organisation: 50 pts

Relevant experience related to the assignment: 40 pts

Demonstrated experience providing consultancy services for international NGOs (INGOs), preferably within Asia: 10 pts

Total: 100 pts

Only Expressions of Interest (EOIs) with a minimum score of 70 will move forward for Full Proposals.

Selection Process

This tender process will take place in two stages. Stage one is an Expression of Interest. Those selected from the Expression of Interest stage will move forward to the Full Proposal Stage and receive a second assignment description ahead of being asked to prepare a more detailed proposal submission for the assignment.

SNV reserves the right to exclude any EOIs that do not meet the guidelines. Please note that SNV is unable to provide detailed feedback to those EOIs that are not selected.

Protection of Information

We request that Expressions of Interest responses be free of any intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Should offerors wish to include proprietary intellectual property that they believe would be helpful for SNV, please note the proprietary nature of such information.

Issuance of this EOI does not constitute a commitment, award, or engagement on the part of SNV nor does it commit SNV to any future commitment or engagement. 

Note: SNV reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement in the EOI/or solicitation process at any time.