The application deadline is 25 February 2022 (23:59 time EST).

Industry Acceleration of Adoption of Digital Payment
The Better Than Cash Alliance is working in partnership with leading Fast-Moving Consumer Good companies (FMCGs) in Mexico to digitize payments across their value chains. This project will endeavor to sustain and scale ongoing payment digitization initiatives in the value chain from FMCGs to small merchants, whilst supporting the alignment of these initiatives with the Responsible Digital Payment Guidelines.

The purpose of this request for applications (RFA) is to support such partnership to provide FMCGs inputs for establishing a consolidated industry agenda, including structural changes and accelerators, in which the industry needs to work collaboratively with relevant actors (other FMCGs, government, financial sector, small retailers’ associations, etc.) to reduce external barriers for small merchants to achieve adoption and usage of digital payments.

The Better Than Cash Alliance is seeking applications from qualified technical partners (e.g., commercial for-profit consulting firms, non-profit organizations, social enterprises) with proven experience in conducting primary and secondary data collection including multi-stakeholder interviews, and strong analytical expertise in reviewing information. They need to have experience of facilitating multi-stakeholder workshops and providing action-driven recommendations based on innovative approaches. The service provider needs to have experience working on the establishment, adoption, and usage of digital payment platforms in Mexico, with a particular focus on the adoption of digital payments by small merchants.

Expected outputs are:

• Research strategy, work plan, and structure.
• First, the consultant will be responsible for preparing content and facilitating a brainstorming session on the adoption of digital payments by retailers and consumers, where based on innovation, industry needs (FMCG and retailers), as well as national and international good practices, a list of 3 initiatives to digitize payments across FMCG's value chains will be established, to be implemented by FMCG companies to accelerate the adoption of digital payments by retailers and consumers.
• Second, the consultant will provide 3 proposed proofs of concepts (POCs) according to feasibility and potential value of the initiatives for FMCGs and retailers.
• Third, with a prior workshop on POCs, the consultant will develop a POC Workplan that includes at least two agreed and revised POCs. The workplan must incorporate the feedback and recommendations presented by FMCG members and Consultant. The POC Workplan must develop the next steps in detail.
• UNCDF will contribute a grant of up to USD 40,000 and will award one applicant pending on the investment readiness level and outreach potential of the solution proposed. The selected applicant who will be technically responsive to this Request for Application will sign a Performance-Based Agreement (PBA).

For requests and queries, send an email to gisela.davico@uncdf.org, maria.antonieta.paz@uncdf.org, not later than 23 February 2022 at 23:59 EST

All applications must be submitted online by Friday, 25 February 2022 (EST 11:59 PM, the New York time zone) on UNCDF online platform https://apply.uncdf.org/prog/btca-rfa-mexico_action_research_on_private_sector_scaling_digitization_initiative

To ensure successful application to the RFA. Applicants shall consider the following notes:

• Click on “Save as a draft” and “Save and continue editing” while working online.
• Applicants can add collaborators to the application.
• For successful completion of the application, the applicant shall click on the button "Complete and Submit” of the application.
• Upon the successful submission, applicants will receive automated notification on the successful submission of their application.
• Guidance note on how to apply to the RFA is annexed to the RFA - Annex V (Guidance note on how to apply online using the E-investment Platform)

When applying to the application, applicants will require to complete the two stages:

Stage 1 “Pre-screening Questions”:
Applicants will need to fill in the online pre-screening questions and upload the required documents “where needed”. Note that once the “Mark as completed” button is clicked, you can no further introduce any change to this section.
Stage 2: “Main Application”

1. Under this section, applicants will provide information on the:
2. Address and information of their organization
3. There is a hyperlink “Technical Proposal Template”. Applicants shall click the link to download the proposal template; fill in the information required; click on the button “Upload a file” to upload the proposal.
4. CV template. The applicant will download the templates, fill in the information and upload the filled-in CVs.
5. Project Budget template. Applicants can download the budget template, prepare the budget and upload it to the platform.
6. Sign-off the Declaration of Conformity
7. Click on “Mark as Completed”.
8. Submit

The application deadline is 25 February 2022, Time: 23:59 EST. For more information about this RFA, you can visit UNCDF's website https://www.uncdf.org/article/7480/rfa-mexico-action-research

You can apply online by clicking on the following link: https://apply.uncdf.org/prog/btca-rfa-mexico_action_research_on_private_sector_scaling_digitization_initiative