10009293-Development of inclusive financial services and products

Leistungsbeschreibung

Iraq faces a persistent gap between its people and the financial system.

Banks have long leaned on large state-owned institutions, credit has flowed

mainly to established borrowers, and micro and small businesses along with

women entrepreneurs and displaced communities have been largely left out.

ProDIGI project, full name Promoting Employment in the Digital and Green

Economy in Iraq, is trying to change that in a practical, grounded way.

ProDIGI is a multi-donor initiative commissioned by the German Federal

Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by

the European Union, and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für

Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The project covers central and

southern Iraq as well as the Kurdistan Region, with a focus on areas where

joblessness, displacement, and limited access to services overlap.

Within the project, Output 3 targets the financial inclusion side of the

challenge. The starting point is a clear-eyed look at what the sector lacks:

financial service providers that are capable, willing, and equipped to design

products that fit the people they are supposed to serve. Banks and

microfinance institutions in Iraq today mostly offer standardised products with

high collateral requirements and limited digital capabilities. Reaching women

led small businesses, rural communities, or young entrepreneurs running

green or tech ventures requires a different kind of product, and often a

different kind of institution.

To bridge that gap, the project works directly with Iraqi financial service

providers: banks, microfinance institutions, digital payment companies,

fintechs, and government lending programmes. The approach combines

needs assessments, hands-on advisory services, staff training, product

design support, and pilot testing. The goal is not to deliver a finished product

from outside, but to build the knowledge and process capacity within each

institution so that change remains after the project ends.

By the close of the assignment, at least three new or significantly adapted

financial products must be in place, and these products must be actively

reaching real users at a minimum of 950 individuals and 50 companies. The

work also emphasises gender equality: women-led businesses are a priority

target group, and all capacity-building activities must include a meaningful

share of women participants.

The broader context matters too. Iraq's Central Bank launched the national

financial inclusion strategy that encourages digital payments, SME lending,

and consumer protection improvements. ProDIGI project aligns directly with

those priorities, making it both a practical intervention at the level of individual

institutions and a contribution to the country's wider financial sector

development.

The selected firm will work directly with three to five financial service providers

(FSPs) operating in Iraq. These may include commercial banks, microfinance

institutions, digital payment providers, fintechs, and government lending

schemes. GIZ will have pre-selected up to two FSPs before the contract

starts, so work can begin without delay. The remaining FSPs will be selected

by the contractor and GIZ jointly, based on agreed criteria.

Optionen/Verlängerung: GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

Eignungsanforderungen (Auszug)

• EN-A1: Principles for the execution of orders (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): The eligibility criteria are not from the same category as stipulated above, as there is no suitable category. 1. Self-declaration: name of company and address, tax ID, registration and commercial register number or equivalent register in accordance with the legal provisions of the country of origin. 2. No …
• EN-B1: Technical and professional ability (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): 1. The technical assessment is only based on reference projects with a minimum commission value of 200000 EUR (net). 2. At least 3 reference projects in the technical field development or adaptation of digital financial services and/or FinTech offered by financial service providers AND at least 1 reference …
• EN-C1: Economic and financial standing (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): Average annual turnover for the last three years (last-but-four financial year can be included in case of tenders held within 6 months of end of last financial year), at least: 1000000 EUR (net).
• EN-C2: Economic and financial standing (Mit dem Angebot; Mittels Eigenerklärung): Average number of employees and managers in the last three calendar years, at least 10 persons.

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