Business Development Support Services for MSMEs and Women-Led Enterprises in Vanua Levu Tourism Program

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION) Name of Project Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu or ‘Na Vualiku’ Loan Number IDA-73690 Assignment Title A Program to Support MSME and Women Led Enterprises through Business Development Support Services and Capacity Building Reference Number FJ-MTCA-524717-CS-QCBS Country of Delivery Republic of Fiji The Government of Fiji through the Ministry of Finance has received financing from the World Bank (“WB”) for the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu or ‘Na Vualiku’ and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The consulting services (“the Services”) will support the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (“MTCA”) as the lead Implementing Agency, and its counterparts in conducting MSME and Women Led Enterprises Business Development Services (BDS) Provider for the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu (FTDPVL). The objective of this assignment is to deliver tailored business development services to a portfolio of viable MSMEs and women-led businesses located in or linked to Vanua Levu. The aim is to enhance their operational capacity, resilience, and alignment with tourism sector value chains. The Services are expected to start by March 2026 for a period of up to 16 months. The detailed Terms of Reference (“TOR”) for the assignment is available by contacting Mr. Akshay Chand on Akshay.chand01@mtca.gov.fj or clicking the below link. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10IplGfbIqnsQ5D6c1mA4ck3Ur-Nuc3Pl?usp=sharing The MTCA now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers dated February 2025(“the Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. The evaluation criteria are specified below. Firms responding to the Expression of Interest are encouraged to provide basic information on qualifications against these criteria.

• Demonstrated Institutional Experience and Track Record in MSME Support Programs. Evidence of experience in designing and managing MSME support programs, especially post-2020, with proven delivery in rural or remote SIDS settings, including capacity building, mentorship, and enterprise development.
• Demonstrated Experience Working in Small Islands States, preferably Fiji in delivering similar programs. Experience delivering services in Fiji’s outer islands, integrating local governance structures, indigenous knowledge, and linguistic diversity into program design and implementation.
• Proven ability to deliver a diverse range of business development services. Proven capacity to manage BDS providers, ensuring quality assurance, workload allocation, and accountability through structured oversight and reporting mechanisms.
• Proven Capacity for Stakeholder Engagement, Policy Coordination, and Sectoral Mapping. Ability to coordinate across Ministries, map sectoral initiatives, and integrate complementary support schemes while conducting culturally appropriate stakeholder consultations.
• Proven Institutional Systems for Quality Assurance, MEL, and Reporting. Strong MEL systems with tools for real-time tracking, adaptive management, quality assurance, and data-driven reporting to inform payments and program adjustments.

Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality Cost Based Selection (“QCBS”) method set out in the Regulations and based on the criteria set out in the TOR. Further information can be obtained at the address below. This TOR is subject to further discussion and refinement in consultation with stakeholders to ensure comprehensive coverage and alignment with project objectives. Expressions of interest must be uploaded using the below link before by 20th January 2026 : https://forms.gle/JSzqxQSCnwtmyEHe7 The Consultants are advised to consult the following Guidance Note including EOI template available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10IplGfbIqnsQ5D6c1mA4ck3Ur-Nuc3Pl?usp=sharing Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Attn: Akshay Chand (Mr) Procurement Officer Level 4, Civic Tower Victoria Parade, Suva Tel: +679 3315577 or +679 9906608 E-mail: Akshay.chand01@mtca.gov.fj copy to fj.procurement@outlook.com Agency: Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Procurement method: Quality And Cost-Based Selection Notice type: Request for Expression of Interest Status: Published Value: 1750000.0 USD