R -- Local Development Loan Funding in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Inter-American Foundation, through Department of Treasury, Bureau of Public Debt, intends to issue a simplified acquisition on a sole source basis to Rock Creek Capital LLC, 3547 Quesada Street NW, Washington DC 20015, who will identify and evaluate a potential partner organization Operating Partner and potential donors and negotiate the terms of the partnership agreement for a pilot project establishing a Local Development Financing Fund. The Inter-American Foundation plans to enter into an agreement with an Operating Partner that has a history of successful community-level development loan funding in Latin American and the Caribbean. The IAF will work with the Operating Partner to create a facility (the Facility) to provide loans to selected organizations (Eligible Institutions or EIs). The Facility would primarily fund EIs in Central America, but could also be active in other parts of the region including Brazil. The IAF plans to arrange the partnership in such a way as to attract and facilitate the participation of other donors. The contractor will define the scope of operation of the Facility, identify the Operating Partner, define the type of financing and structure of the Facility, identify other funders and negotiate and document the Facility. The contractor shall have experience in development, public and private interest finance, and portfolio management in Latin America, including specific experience identifying investment opportunities in small enterprises in Latin America and designing appropriate investment structures. In addition, the contractor shall be fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese. No solicitation document is available. Public Debt will consider all affirmative responses received no later that February 5, 2004. The NAICS standard is 541990 at $6.0 million. Affirmative responses shall reference RFQ04-025 and shall be accompanied by sufficient documentation to clearly show the ability to provide the required services or functional equivalent at terms more advantageous to the Government. Requests for more information or a copy of the solicitation will not be considered affirmative responses. If no affirmative response is received that clearly demonstrates the ability to meet all the requirements and that it is more advantageous to the Government, a sole-source award will be made to Rock Creek Capital LLC.