REGIONAL

Risk Assessments for Micro-finance Institutions

Consulting Services

Technical Cooperation No. ATN/ME-7593-RG

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)/Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) has approved a project that will provide financial support to micro-finance institutions interested in purchasing risk assessments from rating- and specialized-assessment firms.

A consulting firm will be contracted to implement the project over a period of 36 months. The primary responsibilities of the consulting firm will include:

$Administration of a matching grant mechanism (Agrant facility@) for Latin American micro-finance institutions

$Design and operation of a website (Ainformation exchange@) that provides information on the grant facility and related topics.

The consulting firm will ensure that the grant facility and the information exchange operate smoothly within the parameters established by the IDB/MIF.

The IDB/MIF now invites eligible consulting firms from the IDB=s member countries to submit expressions of interest for the implementation of the project. Interested firms should provide a brief profile, in English or Spanish, indicating that they are qualified to provide the required services. The brief should detail:

$Previous experience in managing projects of this type, size and nature - that is, regional multilateral/bilateral donor projects in the US$ 1-2 million range, involving matching grants and website design (the technical aspects of the web-site design for the Information Exchange can be sub-contracted)

$Previous experience in micro-finance development in Latin America, particularly as it relates to risk assessments, the promotion of informational transparency, and the access of micro-finance institutions to commercial sources of funding

$Spanish and English language proficiency

Based on the information presented, a shortlist of three to six firms will be prepared. The shortlisted firms will be invited to submit technical and financial proposal for the services. Priority consideration will be given to those firms that, while meeting the qualifications, can reasonably demonstrate that the project and its objectives will be given a high priority within the firm.

Expressions of interest should be sent by 31 December 2001, preferably by e-mail, to Mr. Tor Jansson at the address below. Shortlisted firms will be contacted by the IDB before January 31.

Inter-American Development Bank

1300 New York Ave., NW, Stop B800

Washington, DC 20577, USA.

Tel: (1-202) 623-3725.

Fax: (1-202) 623-2307.

E-mail: torj@iadb.org