Expert Sought for Uzbekistan's Unified SME Support Digital Platform Development

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT SELECTION) Republic of Uzbekistan Project: Project Preparation for the Financial Inclusion for Growth, Returns, and Opportunities for Work (FINGROW) MPA Phase 1 Project P181972 (P511700) Assignment Title: Expert on Concept Development for a Unified Digital Platform for State SME Support Measures Reference No.: IC-06 The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MoEF) of the Republic of Uzbekistan, with financing from the World Bank through the Grant Facility for Project Preparation (GFPP Grant No. TF0C8835), intends to recruit an Individual Consultant to support the conceptualization, functional design, and technical documentation for a Unified Digital Platform for State SME Support Measures . The platform will consolidate all financial and non-financial support programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into a single, user-friendly digital portal , enabling SMEs to access information, apply for support, interact with government agencies, and participate in advisory, training, and market access programs. Scope of Services The consulting services (“the Services”) include, but are not limited to:

• Review existing SME support programs (financial and non-financial) and map workflows and interactions with government agencies and financial institutions.
• Analyze international best practices in integrated digital SME support platforms.
• Develop the platform concept, service workflows, user journeys, and functional requirements.
• Provide advisory support to the IT Developer, ensuring proper implementation of business processes, service logic, and IT integrations.
• Recommend institutional arrangements, SME onboarding strategies, and change management practices for platform operation.
• Support functional testing, validation, and readiness assessment of the platform.

Duration and Duty Station

• Duration: 11 months (with possibility of extension based on performance and project needs)
• Duty station: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• Consultant is expected to spend at least 1/3 of working time onsite at the MoEF SME Department and undertake regional field missions for consultations, data collection, and stakeholder engagement.

Eligibility and Qualification Requirements The Consultant should possess:

• Advanced degree in public administration, economics, business administration, IT/digital platform management, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in state SME support programs and digital platform development.
• Experience with government agencies, financial institutions, and integrated business support platforms.
• Fluency in Uzbek or Russian; working knowledge of English is required.
• Regional experience in Central Asia, preferably Uzbekistan, is an asset.

Submission Requirements Interested individual consultants are requested to submit: Required documents:

• Letter of Interest
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) demonstrating compliance with qualification requirements. Submission of CV template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vYxKlKP5TMzJYxlpTQU1FzdeBojESIyB/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102883265367454794668&rtpof=true&sd=true

Optional supporting materials:

• Examples of relevant reports or publications from similar assignments
• Brief description of proposed approach and methodology (max 2 pages)

Detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) can be downloaded from the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xREUFrgHGOOUJHxbW_sXktldxAnCSxRq/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=102883265367454794668&rtpof=true&sd=true Selection Method A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant Selection method set out in the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. Interested consultants are advised to review paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 regarding conflict of interest. Submission Details Expressions of Interest must be delivered in written form (in person, by mail, or by e-mail) to the address below by 17:00 (Tashkent time), 17 March 2026 : Project Management Unit (PMU) Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan 1 Niyozbek Yuli Street, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Attn: Mr. Alibek Narboev, Head of PMU Tel: +998 90 176 8877 / +998 90 047 8227 Email: pmu.fingrow@imv.uz Agency: Project Management Unit under the Ministry of Economy and Finance Procurement method: Individual Consultant Selection Notice type: Request for Expression of Interest Status: Published Value: 80000.0 USD