The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs).

With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and localized investments that show how fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development.

Within its economic development mandate UNCDF focuses on public and private financing mechanisms. Effective and efficient finance -in both the public and private sectors- can spur economic growth and make it more sustainable and inclusive. UNCDF’s focus on financing mechanisms has special relevance for least developed countries, where public financial management is often weak and private financial systems are often underdeveloped and inaccessible to the poor.

The UNCDF approach to local development finance in least developed countries recognizes the need to unlock existing sources of capital for local development and attract new investment capital to the local level. To this end UNCDF applies its seed capital and technical assistance to develop innovative solutions that leverage or mobilize, allocate and invest resource flows to the local level for local development, thus meeting the capital funding gap.

To support the described mandate, the Local Development Finance Practice has developed two different tools, both operated and stored on individual computers:

1. an Active pipeline of bankable infrastructure transactions, private investments, Public Private Partnerships (PPPS), and Municipal Investments, which are financially monitored through a Microsoft Excel Data base (Revenue Generating Pipeline database, hereinafter “RGP database”);
2. a Microsoft Access Data base, (hereinafter “LDF database”).

In addition, the UNCDF Corporate Enterprise Resources Planning System (ERP) - ATLAS allows the practice to run specific budget allocations and delivery reports which are at the project level, but not at the investment level.

The RGP database captures each investment with a recording of the investment amount, financing gap, amount of seed capital grants or loans needed, and potential of financing which can be mobilized from domestic banks. It also includes payments schedule, disbursement amount per year. The database also labels each investment on a specific scale which can then categorize investments from hard pipeline, soft pipeline, and the specific stage of investment development. The financial figures or categorization stages change frequently and on daily basis.

The LDF database has a collection of every investment in each country, from 2014 until present. The database captures the country name, year, project name, amounts of UNCDF grant portion of the investment, co-financing received from different levels, theme, description and results of the investment, location and GPS coordinates as well as a photo library. The LDF database is updated semi-annually.

As the portfolio is expanding, it is becoming important that the quality, accuracy an timely access of the pipeline information is further enhanced. In this context, the Local Development Finance Practice aims to develop a simple, yet practical, online based financial Management system (FMS), with two major features:

1. A continuously updated RGP database.
2. LDF database linked with the RGP Database.

Both databases will be online based and possess technical capacity to interchange financial data across them.

Objective of the Project

To support UNCDF’s Local Development Finance Practice as a centre of excellence and innovative fund for local government and local economic development finance in the improvement of the LDF pipeline financial data base management.

The expected output will be a web based 1) simplified RGP financial system, which will enable LDF authorized staff to capture, amend, and run financial reports against the revenue generating pipeline of investable projects, including financial figures related to grants, loans and guarantees, with the aim of improving the quality and timeliness of the information collected which will lead to better decision making on the pipeline of investments. 2) LDF data base which links and interacts with the RGP online data.

Proposals may be submitted on or before Tuesday, December 26, 2017 at or before 11:59 PM EST via email: uncdf.procurement@uncdf.org

Please mention the following in the email subject field while sending any query to UNCDF regarding this RFP. “Queries, “RFP 4286 -Development of Online Based Financial Management System (FMS)”.

Any delay in UNCDF’s response shall be not used as a reason for extending the deadline for submission, unless UNCDF determines that such an extension is necessary and communicates a new deadline to the Proposers.