Funding Opportunities

Request for Proposals: Venture Catalyst Sales and Marketing Cohort Support

Summary
The United Nations Foundation’s Clean Cooking Alliance (“CCA”) is accepting proposals for a Sales and Marketing Capacity Building project. As part of the CCA’s Venture Catalyst program, which provides technical assistance to a portfolio of 33 clean cooking companies across geographies and clean cooking technologies, this project will provide capacity-building support to clean cooking companies to improve their sales and marketing performance. This support may include diagnosis of specific problems or bottlenecks, training in sales and marketing best practices, mentoring, coaching and other methodologies as determined by the proposer. The scope of this project will be to provide support to an initial cohort of 3-5 companies. It is envisioned that the successful implementing organization may be invited to implement additional future cohorts depending on learnings and outcomes from the initial project.

Background of Organization
The Clean Cooking Alliance works with a global network of partners to build an inclusive industry that makes clean cooking accessible to the three billion people who live each day without it. Established in 2010, CCA is driving consumer demand, mobilizing investment to build a pipeline of scalable businesses, and fostering an enabling environment that allows the sector to thrive. Clean cooking transforms lives by improving health, protecting the climate and the environment, empowering women, and helping families save time and money.

In May 2020, CCA launched the Venture Catalyst program, a component of the Cooking Industry Catalyst, which aims to build a stronger pipeline of clean cooking ventures, develop robust demand for clean cooking products, and enhance the enabling environment for a profitable and scalable clean cooking industry. The Venture Catalyst program supports a portfolio of 33 clean cooking companies across multiple geographies and technology areas through a combination of grant funding and technical assistance.

Objective
As part of initial project scoping efforts, several companies in the VC portfolio have identified sales and marketing as a key priority for capacity building support. These companies span multiple geographies, technologies and business models, including both business to business and business to consumer approaches. Further, the portfolio includes companies at various stages of development, from startup to those that are seeking to scale.

While the range of geographies, technologies, and business models is diverse, it is expected that many of the companies in the portfolio will benefit from participation in a cohort training and mentoring approach that supports companies to design and embed best practices that lead to high performance in sales and marketing.

CCA seeks an implementing partner that can deliver a cohort style sales and marketing capacity building model that achieves the following objectives:

1. Rapidly diagnoses high priority issues for companies within the cohort
2. Provides cohort participants with tools and information consistent with best practices for selling in low-income contexts
3. Supports the companies to successfully implement changes in their internal processes and embed them within the company’s operations
4. Minimizes disruption to ongoing operations and is feasible to execute given public health restrictions on travel and in-person gatherings precipitated by COVID-19.

Scope of Work and Deliverables
The scope of this activities included in submitted proposals should include:

Task 1: Develop detailed approach and activity based workplan
This task should include development of a project timeline, key milestones and approaches for delivering support, including technology proposal for remote training and engagement with companies.

Task 2: Identify and recruit 3-5 (see budget notes below) companies from the Venture Catalyst portfolio to participate in the cohort, identify specific needs and bottlenecks for each company, and develop content based on commonly identified capacity gaps
Working with CCA the partner should develop criteria for identification and selection of companies and lead the process of recruiting these companies into the cohort. The partner should develop a robust onboarding process with each company that includes identification of priorities that will be addressed during the training component of the program. The assessment of each company’s needs should be provided to both CCA and the company as an interim deliverable.

Task 3: Deliver training content supported by mentorship, coaching or other approaches to ensure successful change management processes within cohort companies
The implementing partner should design the training and engagement model for the cohort including synchronous and asynchronous components as well as those that are conducted as an entire cohort and those conducted one-on-one with individual companies.

Task 4: Develop a debrief report for each company that outlines issues that were not addressed during the training and subsequent change management support.
At the end of the program the implementing partner should develop an individualized report on the results achieved for each company that will be shared with the company and with CCA.

Project Period of Performance
The project will start on or around December 1, 2020, and should be completed no later than May 31, 2021.

Technical Requirements
Implementing partners should design content to be delivered remotely via videoconferencing platforms while also bearing in mind some participants may have low bandwidth connections or experience interruptions in connectivity.

Timeline

Budget

The budget should include direct costs, as well as indirect costs (overhead). For indirect costs, please indicate a list of expenses covered by the indirect rate. For all direct cost, please include assumptions that were made to arrive at line item costs (e.g. 2 trips @ $1,500/trip = $3,000 or 20 staff hours @ $40/hour = $800).

Please indicate costs associated with a cohort of 3, 4, or 5 participating companies.

If a bid has a mathematical discrepancy, CCA may correct the discrepancy and notify the Consultant of the adjustment. In such circumstances, the Consultant may choose to withdraw their bid.

Evaluation process

The Clean Cooking Alliance will review all written proposals and may request a phone or in-person interview and/or updated submission to address questions or provide clarification.  CCA will use the following criteria in our evaluation.

Intent and disclaimer

This RFP is made with the intent to identify a Consultant to deliver results as described in this RFP.  UNF/the Clean Cooking Alliance will rely on the Consultant’s representations to be truthful and as described.  The Clean Cooking Alliance assumes it can be confident in the Consultant’s ability to deliver the product(s) and/or service(s) proposed in response to this RFP.

If the Clean Cooking Alliance amends the RFP, copies of any such amendments will be sent to all respondents to the proposal.

Proposal Guidelines and Requirements

• This RFP is open to multiple partners and is a competitive process.
• Proposals received after 11/15/2020 at 11:59pm EST will not be considered.
• The price provided should be in US dollars, and should contain both pre-tax and net of tax values. If the process excludes certain fees or charges, the applicant must provide a detailed list of excluded fees with a complete explanation of the nature of those fees.
• CCA prefers a single point of contact who manages deliverables. If the execution of work to be performed by the Consultant requires the hiring of sub-contractors, the Consultant must clearly state this in the proposal. Sub-contractors must be identified and the work they will perform must be defined. Subcontractors are subject to vetting and approval of UNF/CCA.
• CCA will not refuse a proposal based upon the use of subcontractors; however, we retain the right to refuse the sub-contractors you have selected.
• Provisions of this RFP and the contents of the successful responses are considered available for inclusion in final contractual obligations.

Format for Proposals

Proposals must include applicant signature as well as a signed declaration form. Proposals must include the full legal name of applicant, as well as legal formation and ownership structure (e.g. incorporation certification, tax status and ID, etc.).

Contracting and Compliance

CCA will negotiate contract terms upon selection. A copy of the contract terms and conditions will be provided upon selection. All contracts are subject to review by the UN Foundation’s Business Services and Budget Reporting team. The project will start upon the complete execution of the contract. The contract will outline terms and conditions, scope, budget, and applicable flow down terms. Selected recipient(s) must comply with CCA, United Nations Foundation, and funder compliance requirements. The selected recipient(s) must also undergo detailed legal, financial, and commercial due diligence.

Release

The Consultant understands that the Clean Cooking Alliance has chosen to solicit an RFP for consulting services, and that the Consultant’s response does not guarantee that the Clean Cooking Alliance will enter into a new contract with the Consultant or continue any current contract(s) with the Consultant.

The Consultant agrees that Clean Cooking Alliance may, at its sole discretion:

• Amend or cancel the RFP, in whole or in part, at any time
• Extend the deadline for submitting responses
• Determine whether a response does or does not substantially comply with the requirements of the RFP
• Waive any minor irregularity, informality or nonconformance with the provisions or procedures of the RFP
• Negotiate with all Consultants UNF deems acceptable
• Issue multiple awards
• Photocopy the responses for evaluation/review

This RFP is not an offer to contract.  The Clean Cooking Alliance assumes no responsibility for the Consultant’s cost to respond to this RFP. All responses become the property of the Clean Cooking Alliance.

The Consultant, by submitting a response to this RFP, waives all right to protest or seek any legal remedies whatsoever regarding any aspect of this RFP.

The Consultant represents that it has responded to the RFP with complete honesty and accuracy. If facts provided in the Consultant’s response change, the Consultant agrees to supplement its response in writing with any deletions, additions, or changes within ten (10) days of the changes. The Consultant will do this, as necessary, throughout the selection process.

The Consultant understands it may receive proprietary and confidential information from the Clean Cooking Alliance during the RFP process (“Confidential Information”).  The Consultant and CCA agree to not use Confidential Information for any purpose other than the Consultant’s participation in the RFP process, and to not reveal Confidential Information directly or indirectly to any other person, entity, or organization without the prior written consent of the other party. The Consultant and CCA further agree to exercise all reasonable precautions to maintain the proprietary and confidential nature of Confidential Information where it can best demonstrate its value and capacity to delivery ecosystem-wide, meaningful value.

Grounds for Exclusion

Material misrepresentations, including omissions, may disqualify the Consultant from a contract award.

Submissions will be rejected in the Clean Cooking Alliance’s sole discretion if it finds that the Consultant has engaged in any illegal or corrupt practices in connection with the award.

The Consultant will be excluded from participation for the reasons below. By submitting a proposal in response to the RFP, the Consultant confirms that none of the below circumstances apply:

• The Consultant is bankrupt or being wound up, is having their affairs administered by the courts, has entered into an arrangement with creditors, has suspended business activities, is subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations.
• The Consultant or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a final judgment.
• The Consultant has been found guilty of grave professional misconduct; proven by any means which CCA can justify.
• The Consultant has not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established, or within the United States of America, or those of the country where the contract is to be performed.
• The Consultant or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have been convicted for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization or money laundering by a final judgment.
• The Consultant makes use of child labor or forced labor and/or practice discrimination, and/or do not respect the right to freedom of association and the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining pursuant to the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Principal Point of Contact

Any questions about this RFP should be directed to investment@cleancookingalliance.org

Submission details

Please email proposals to investment@cleancookingalliance.org no later than 11:59pm EST on 11/15/2020. Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF file.