Australia Solicitations
Abt Associates is defined by its mission: to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. Our global staff works in more than 60 countries and our work is funded by governments, international organizations and the private sector.
We depend on a variety of partner organizations, businesses, and independent contractors to support client projects. We focus on selecting the right partner by conducting competitive procurements to obtain the best value. Depending on the need and requirements, we issue tenders for quotations (RFQs), requests for proposals (RFPs), requests for information (RFIs), requests for applications (RFAs), and independent contractor opportunities. Our grant and tender processes are competitive and are consistent with the Australian Commonwealth Procurement and Grant Guidelines.
We do not accept unsolicited applications for opportunities that are not specified here.
Request for Proposal: IW-RFP-05 – Impact Investing Partnership – Local Fund Managers
Background / Overview
Abt Associates Pty Ltd (ACN 091591294) is managing Investing in Women (IW), an Initiative of the Australian Government Department, on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT, as the Client). Launched in 2016, IW promotes women’s economic empowerment by redressing socio-cultural barriers to women’s full economic participation, whether in leadership positions, access to capital, labour force participation, or workplace equality. From its regional base in the Philippines, IW also operates in Indonesia, Vietnam, and – to a certain extent – Myanmar.
IW has undergone a comprehensive external review to assess its blended finance model to incentivise investments for women’s SMEs. Further information on the IW external review can be found at this website:https://investinginwomen.asia/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/190206-C2-Review-Report_Catalytic-Capital-for-WEE_final_online-version.pdf. Informed by this evaluation, the program will diversify the pool of partners to include South East Asian-based investors, entities providing non-traditional financing solutions, and new market players moving into the region.
IW is seeking to develop 10-year partnership arrangements with Local Fund Managers active in one or more of the Target Countries.
Objective
Abt Associates, through IW, seeks to incentivise and catalyse investments into this underserved market segment. Addressing supply-side constraints of capital, IW intervenes directly in the market to support impact investors with blended finance instruments. These partnership arrangements contain the following components: Investment Capital, Operational Support, and Technical Assistance (TA) for women’s SME investees.
(a) Investment Capital. At the core of its support to impact investors, IW provides catalytic Investment Capital, which positions IW as a direct market participant, stimulating the impact investing market in Target Countries to crowd in more private capital over the long term. The program provides seed funding to establish proof of concept investment vehicles and blended finance structures that de-risk investments to address the financing gap for women’s SMEs, particularly at the early stage of their growth cycle.
(b) Operational Support. Integral to its partnerships with impact investors, IW offers Operational Support, which addresses the challenges faced by impact investors in developing promising women’s SME deals.
(c) Technical Assistance (TA) Facility. A part of the partnership support to impact investors includes TA for the women’s SMEs investees, as managed by the partners directly.
Engagement Deliverables
Local Fund Managers that partner with IW are expected to invest with a gender lens, make impact investments into women’s SMEs, and leverage investment capital from various sources of private capital, especially from across South East Asia and the Asia Pacific region.
Approach to Market
Request for Proposal submissions closes on Friday, 17 January 2020 at 4:00 PM, Philippine standard time (PhST).
Enquiries
Enquiries should be made to: IW Contracts at procurement@iwa.asia
RFP documentation:
Request for Proposal: IW-RFP-04 – Influencing Gender Norms Partnerships
Background / Overview
Abt Associates Pty Ltd (ACN 091591294) is managing Investing in Women (IW), an Initiative of the Australian Government Department, on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT, as the Client). Launched in 2016, IW promotes women’s economic empowerment by redressing socio-cultural barriers to women’s full economic participation, whether in leadership positions, access to capital, labour force participation, or workplace equality. From its regional base in the Philippines, IW also operates in Indonesia, Vietnam, and – to a certain extent – Myanmar.
IW has developed an Influencing Gender Norms Strategy with the overall goal of positively shifting gender norms related to workplace gender equality within formal sector workplaces and amongst urban millennials.
Abt Associates, through IW, is seeking innovative proposals for interventions from organisations or consortia of multiple organisations that are interested in partnering with IW to influence gender norms that act as barriers to women’s participation as employees and entrepreneurs in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Objective
IW aims to positively shift gender norms that inhibit women’s economic participation as employees and as entrepreneurs, particularly normalising women’s role in the economy and promoting men’s role at home.
Engagement Deliverables
Influencing Gender Norms Partnerships that will contribute to an increased public awareness of the ways in which gender norms are limiting women’s economic opportunities and a greater volume of well-informed conversations influencing positive shifts in media and social media.
Approach to Market
Request for Proposal submissions closes on Monday, 06 January 2020 at 5:00 PM, Philippine standard time (PhST).
Enquiries
Enquiries should be made to: IW Contracts at procurement@iwa.asia
RFP documentation:
Request for Proposal: PSLR-2019-012 - National Public Service GESI Policy Review & Advisory Services
Background / Overview
Abt Associates on behalf of the Australian Government through the Public Sector Leadership and Reform Partnership is seeking submissions from suitable organizations (consulting firms, non-profit organizations, academic institutions etc.) with the expertise and capability to provide policy review advisory services to support the Department of Personnel Management to review and revise the National Public Service Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Policy.
In 2012, the National Public Service Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Policy was approved by the National Executive Council. GESI is a key PNG Government policy that applies to all national government departments at provincial, district and local level governments. The policy is based on the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity and commits PNG Government to ensuring that at least 30% of people in decision-making roles within the public service are women, and to achieving a 15% overall increase of women public servants.
Objective
Provision of review, research and advisory services to support Department of Personnel Management to revise the GESI Policy.
Engagement Deliverables
Research and Delivery of final report and presentation to Government of Papua New Guinea and Australian High Commission through the Public Sector Leadership and Reform Partnership.
Approach to Market
ADDENDUM 1: Closing date extended from Monday 21/10/2019 at 5pm to Friday 25 October 2019 at 5pm PNG local time.
RFP documentation:
Enquires should be made to procurement@amspng.org
Request for Proposal: EGIG-2019-015 - Provision of Research Services to Determine the Cost of Gender Based Violence in the Public Sector of PNG
Background / Overview
Abt Associates on behalf of the Economic Governance and Inclusive Growth (EGIG) Partnership is seeking submissions from suitable organizations (consulting firms, non-profit organisations, research and academic institutions etc.) with the expertise and capability to provide research services to determine and estimate the economic cost of gender-based violence (GBV) to the public sector in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The Economic Governance and Inclusive Growth (EGIG) Partnership is funded by the Government of Australia (GoA), through the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Objective
The research will assist in the development of a comprehensive estimation to determine the costs of gender-based violence to the PNG public sector. Furthermore, the research will raise awareness for gender-based violence prevention, advocacy and response across the public sector, with the intention to inform policy makers in evidence-based decision making to determine allocation of resources in Government service delivery to address this issue and the implementation of the National Strategy to prevent and respond to GBV.
Engagement Deliverables
Research and delivery of final report and presentation to Government of Papua New Guinea and Australian High Commission through the Economic Governance and Inclusive Growth Partnership.
Approach to Market
Request For Proposal submissions closes on Monday 21 October 2019 at 5:00 PM, PNG local time.
RFP documentation:
Enquires should be made to procurement@amspng.org
