Expression of Interest (EOI): Pre-Qualification of Business Development Service Providers & Financial Intermediaries

Program: Women’s Economic Empowerment through Cashew Processing (WEECAP)
Country: Guinea-Bissau
Issued by: Winrock International
Release Date: December 22, 2025

1. Purpose of the EOI

The WEECAP Consortium invites Expressions of Interest from qualified Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) and Financial Intermediaries (FIs) operating in Guinea-Bissau. This EOI aims to pre-qualify a diverse pool of service providers who can be matched to the specific needs of cashew sector firms, particularly those led by women and youth.

Selected firms will join WEECAP’s BDSP/FI Network and may be called upon to support pre-identified enterprises through tailored scopes of work. This is not a call for immediate service delivery, but an opportunity to be part of a flexible, call-down support mechanism that prioritizes fit-for-purpose engagements.

2. Background

WEECAP is a multi-country initiative implementing in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation that seeks to catalyze inclusive growth in the cashew sector. The program supports job creation, enterprise development, and capital mobilization, with a focus on women and youth.

As part of this effort, WEECAP is establishing a pre-qualified network of BDSPs and Financial Intermediaries to:

• Strengthen the business, investment, and financial readiness of small and medium cashew enterprises
• Facilitate financing for underserved firms, including those led by youth and women
• Expand the reach of high-quality services into rural and undercapitalized regions

For a detailed overview of this strategy, see Annex A.

3. Who Should Apply

Eligible applicants include firms, associations, or individuals with demonstrated experience in any of the following service areas:

WEECAP especially encourages applications from:

• Providers with operational presence in rural areas or willing to deliver services in rural areas
• Women- or youth-led firms
• BDSPs that also have capacity to act as financial intermediaries

4. Selection Process

Phase 1: Pre-Qualification—EOIs  will be reviewed based on the applicant’s:

• Technical and/or financial expertise
• Inclusion track record (especially in supporting women and youth)
• Geographic reach and in-country presence
• Demonstrated results with SMEs or cooperatives, preferably in the cashew sector.

Note on Evaluation:Applications will be assessed based on service relevance, inclusion experience, operational capacity, and demonstrated results. Geographic balance and diversity of service types will also inform final selection decision.

Phase 2: Co-Design—Shortlisted applicants will be invited, on a rolling basis, to co-develop tailored Scopes of Work (SOWs) with pre-identified firms. These SOWs will serve as the basis for future engagements.

5. Submission Requirements

All applicants must complete the EOI Application Form (Annex B) and submit the required attachments listed in the checklist. This includes:

• Narrative description of services, experience, and results
• CVs of key personnel or team leads
• Organizational profile or operational footprint
• Examples of past work with women/youth-led firms or cooperatives
• Client references
• Availability and mobilization capacity
• Indicative fee schedule: Applicants are encouraged to submit an indicative daily or service-based fee schedule for their core BDSP and/or FI services. This information will be used by WEECAP for internal benchmarking and planning purposes only and does not constitute a pricing commitment.
• (Optional) Outcome metrics: estimated number of firms supported, capital mobilized, inclusion ratios

All materials may be submitted in English or French.

6. Timeline

7. Submission Instructions

Submit all documents via email to: weecap.procurement@winrock.org
Use the subject line: “EOI – GB BDSP/FI Network – [Your Organization Name]”
Submissions must be received no later than the submission deadline