Foreign economic-aid-related services

Description

LINKS will support development of a vibrant and diversified economy in the 3 key northern Nigerian states of Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa, with these collectively acting as a powerful engine of northern economic growth. Benefits will be both for the states themselves, while also creating real market opportunities for the wider north, counterbalancing the wealth and investment that is currently primarily found in Lagos and the South. Links will raise the incomes of at least 3 000 000 people in northern Nigeria, also supporting the creation of 100 000 full time equivalent jobs, and contributing to a 15 % rise in potentially taxable private sector revenues. DFID intends to award a contractor in circa March 2019 for an initial term of 7 years with a budget of 67 550 000 GBP. DFID may extend the duration up to an additional 3 years with a maximum total contract value of 97 550 000 GBP. DFID will contract a single-legal entity who will be responsible for delivering the full Links programme. This programme will focus on the development of high potential pro-poor value chains, selected during a detailed project preparation study, supporting them to become productive, competitive and attractive for investment at every level. Although retaining an element of high level technical assistance (TA) to strengthen the long-term capability of the different tiers of Nigerian Government to reform, this TA will be highly targeted, with a strong emphasis on practical action with tangible impacts for beneficiaries. The front-line components of Links activity will, for a range of high potential value chains, be 1) Investment promotion and facilitation; and 2) Private sector innovations that increase their competitiveness, productivity and transformational economic inclusivity. Two further supporting components will address; 3) Business environment challenges impacting the investments and innovations; and 4) Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). By March 2026, this will result in: (i) raising the incomes of 3 million people, of which 70 % will be the poor, and 40 % will be women. (ii) Supporting the creation of 100,000 full time equivalent jobs, of which 40 % will be for women, and 6 % will be for those living with disability. (iii) Increasing the number of formalized workers and firms, thus contributing to the raising of potentially taxable private sector revenue by 15 % These targets will be distributed as follows: 40 % Kaduna, 40 % Kano, 20 % Jigawa. These targets constitute the technical minimum requirements which will be tendered upon. The Links programme builds on previously successful GEMS initiatives supported by DfID. GEMS consisted of 4 sub-programmes that utilized an market 4 the poor approach to raising incomes and creating jobs across several sectors and in the wider business environment. GEMS1 worked with the meat and leather sectors, GEMS4 with wholesale retail, and GEMS3 the business environment (with a specific focus on land, tax and investment). By its close GEMS had raised the incomes of over 2 000 000 people, and supported the creation of over 30 000 jobs. Comprehensive GEMS closing reports and supporting documentation are available via the DfID portal.