99 -- Provincial Economic Growth for Iraq

USAID announces its intention to solicit for a four year activity named Tijara - Provincial Economic Growth (PEG). (In the Arabic language, Tijara means Trade.) The purpose of this activity is to provide business development and financial services to Iraqi beneficiaries in strategic locations across the country to promote economic diversification and employment, with an emphasis on the growth of the manufacturing and service sectors in provinces throughout Iraq. There will be two components in the resultant contract. In Component One, the contractor shall provide business development services with a focus on sector competitiveness by training businesses in selected industries, supporting effective business associations, promoting association advocacy, creating an enabling environment which reduces current constraints to business operations, developing market information systems, and establishing public-private partnerships. In Component Two, the Contractor shall focus on expansion of commercial lending through microfinance institutions and banks by providing training and technical assistance; disseminating information, education, knowledge management and research; and operating a grant facility. This program will also support the International Compact with Iraq in areas related to Private Sector Development and Investment Promotion as well as Financial Sector Restructuring. The Contractor shall work in coordination with the Government of Iraq, the US Government-managed Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) as well as appropriate US Government agencies and offices in Washington and Baghdad. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are joint civil-military initiatives that assist provincial governments to develop a transparent and sustained capability to govern, promote security and the rule of law, promote political and economic development, and provide the requisite provincial administration to meet the basic needs of the population. It is USG policy to utilize the PRT mechanism in provincial and local government support programs to coordinate assistance at the provincial level. In addition to the PRTs, the Contractor must recognize that the US Government is concentrating reconstruction efforts on strategic cities in Iraq. These cities are currently Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Baquba, North Babil, Fallujah, Kirkuk, Ramadi, and Samarra. The focus under Tijara - PEG will be on the non-agricultural sectors since another USAID-funded activity, the Inma Agribusiness Program, will focus on agriculture issues. Posting of the solicitation is expected before the end of February 2007. Please do not contact the Mission with queries before this time.