Delivery partners to support Financial Year 5 GGF TAF EP projects implementation

Call for Expressions of Interest

1. Background

The Good Governance Fund (GGF) is a Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) funded by the UK government (UK International Development), which provides the detailed design and delivery of tailored technical assistance and capacity-building building projects primarily operating in Ukraine.

The focus areas of the are as follows:

• Reform to the regulation of the business environment and economic governance, to support alignment with international standards and promote broad-based economic growth and job creation, including through small- and medium-sized enterprise development and attraction of foreign direct investment.
• Institutional capacity building to develop more effective governance, public administration, and management of public finances, in order that governments in target countries become increasingly accountable and responsive to the needs of citizens.
• Anti-corruption measures and judicial reform to strengthen the rule of law, reduce opportunities for corruption and increase the capacity of countries to address corruption when it does occur.
• Modernisation of key sectors (such as energy, banking) and reform of state-owned enterprises to support transition to market-driven, modern economies.
• Stronger and more independent media and civil society to ensure that the public can engage in active, informed debate and to enable governments to effectively communicate the benefits of reforms to its citizens.

To align with the wider UK technical aid agenda, the GGF TAF EP project pipeline for Financial Year 5 (FY5) should reflect the UK strategic priorities that are recurrent themes in the British government’s policy papers. Both the recently published White Paper for International Development (2023) and the Integrated Review Refresh (2023) see women’s empowerment as the cornerstone of economic growth and building social resilience; and cement the need to advance policy responses to the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. Both strategic priorities are viewed as central to economic growth and sustained recovery from the conflict, which is particularly applicable in Ukraine’s case.

2. Scope of this call

GGF TAF EP is seeking Expressions of Interest for FY5 funding of projects design and delivery by think-tanks, academia, research organisations, companies, not-for-profit organisations/partnerships, which aim to assisting Ukraine’s reforms aimed at the EU accession, green reconstruction agenda, gender mainstreaming and women’s greater economic participation, as well as building on UK’s profound expertise on financial services and enabling Ukrainian entrepreneurs to become a source of sustainable economic growth. The projects might be also focusing on expanding the mainstreaming of gender equality, conflict sensitivity, social inclusion and climate-related priorities across policy development processes relating to economic development and locally led reconstruction. A strong focus on green-based small and medium enterprises (SME)/private sector growth could be added to the list. Whilst a robust political commitment to a green transition is not possible at present due to the ongoing war, project-funded assessments on plausible green-growth options for SMEs, tech sector, etc. could be pursued in the FY5.

This call focuses on seeking delivery partners that have expertise and proven track records in the priority areas[1] GGF had in previous financial years:

• Revitalising Ukrainian business. This includes support of small and medium-sized enterprises, green business, and empowering the role of women in Ukraine’s economic growth and recovery;
• Women Economic Empowerment through financing and consultancy support tailored to the needs of women-run businesses, boosting female participation in business associations and support of women-led associations, expansion of training programmes, incubators and accelerators for female entrepreneurs etc.;
• Boosting Ukraine’s tech sector as one of the most vibrant sectors of the economy suited to generate export revenue and contribute to inclusive reconstruction;
• Attracting foreign investments by modernising Ukraine’s capital markets and introducing innovative financial services;
• Supporting macro-economic stability through prudent public financial management and strengthening financial controls to improve financial discipline, fight corruption, and maximise the impact of external financing aimed at the early recovery and reconstruction;
• Building on a political momentum to support a bottom-up recovery and reconstruction planning by working with Ukrainian local communities (hromadas);
• Providing constructive and complementary support to the public administration reform focused on Ukraine’s accession negotiations with the EU.

3. What we are looking for

GGF TAF EP expects that applicants will have the following features: 

1. Organisational aim: An established organisation or partnership which develops products or technologies that focuses on the priority areas stated above.
2. Structure: Organisations may draw on the joint strengths of a wide range of global partners which include academia, industry, NGOs and other public sector partners. 
3. Status: The applicant must be a registered legal entity.  
4. Track record: The applicant should have proven track record of the projects design and implementation in the priority areas stated above. 
5. Number of proposals: The same organisation must not submit more than one application to this call. 

Other information 

GGF TAF EP expects to allocate funding envisaged for FY5 between 5-7 projects, subject to availability of funding and GGF priorities.

Details of the nature and terms of future cooperation, if proposals were to be successful, will be included in the feedback provided to each shortlisted applicant. Decisions will take account of: organisations’ track record and experience of working with Abt Global; the nature of the organisation’s portfolio and overall relevance to GGF objectives; and the organisation’s financial standing, and approach to management and governance.

Expressions of Interest will be assessed against criteria listed here. Organisations that are successful at this stage might then be invited to submit full applications and will undergo internal Due Diligence procedures. 

4. How to apply

Organisations wishing to compete for GGF FY5 funds should respond to the questions below. Please use font Arial, font size 12, in no more than 10 pages of text (not including cover/title page and table of contents) with no more than two annexes:

1. An organogram, which should be no more than one page. 
2. An objective assessment of what has been delivered over the past 5 years by your organisation, including results of the independent evaluations (if any), which should be no more than two pages.

An electronic version of your application (in PDF format) must be received no later than 14:00, Kyiv time, on 29 February.  Expressions of Interest received after the due time and date will not be considered. 

Expressions of Interest should be emailed to, viktoriia.todorova@ggftafep.org and file names must include the name of the applicant organisation (e.g. ABC-application.pdf).  Receipt of all Expressions of Interest will be acknowledged. 

Please note that any Expressions of Interest not conforming to the guidance given in this document will be rejected without appraisal or further correspondence.

5. Guidance for preparing applications 

When preparing your application please ensure you provide brief answers to the following questions (also see the above guidance under sections 2-4): 

Contact details

• Name and details of CEO
• Name and details of main contact person for GGF TAF EP
• Website address

Organisational arrangements 

• What is your mission?
• When were you established?
• What is the legal status of your organisation?
• A brief description of the organisation, the different areas of work included and details of boards and advisory committees. An organogram should be included as a separate one page as Annex 1.
• Who are your key partners?

Funding of your organisation 

• Who are your key funders? 
• Do you have experience working with international donors (e.g. FCDO, USAID, UN, EU)?
• How much funding have you received to date over the past 3 years (alternatively please add the amount of the largest contract within the last 3 years)?
• What was the total turnover for your last complete financial year?
• What are your projected budgets for the next four financial years (2024/25)? 

What does the organisation do?

• Please give a brief description of your portfolio (including number of projects at the different stages in the pipeline and likelihood of new projects
• How do you manage your portfolio (incl. explicit criteria for selection and prioritisation) and ensure adherence to the quality standards?
• Please provide a description of how you consider and meet beneficiary needs throughout the project development continuum.
• What is your strategy to ensuring equitable access to your project deliverables? 

Achievements in past 5 years (or the lifetime of your organisation if less than five years)

• As Annex 2, please provide an objective assessment of what has been delivered over the past 5 years by your organisation, including results of the independent evaluations (if any), which should be no more than two pages. 

Due Diligence Process

• Please confirm that you’ve read and ready to comply with the FCDO Supply Partner Code of Conduct.

6. Evaluation process

Expressions of Interest will be assessed against our expectations as set out in section 2 and 3 using the following criteria (with equal weighting):

• Alignment with the scope of this call 
• Proven track record of similar projects design and implementation
• Alignment with GGF priorities/expectations
• Organisational structure and governance arrangements

GGF TAF EP will provide feedback only to shortlisted applicants. 

7. Indicative Timelines*

*Estimated and may change 

[1] Applications can respond to one or more of the above areas

Abt Global is a mission-driven, global leader with a proven track record in complex program implementation in the international development sector. We offer bold solutions and technical excellence in Health, Economic Growth, Governance, Research & Evaluation, Environment & Energy, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion. Working with our many partners, we have driven measurable social impact for more than 55 years, to achieve our mission of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. We operate in remote and challenging environments and employ more than 3,700 staff in over 50 countries. For more information about us and what we do, visit our website at www.abtglobal.com

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