Consultancy To Develop A Strategic Communications And Market Engagement Framework Tender at Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) 

1. INTRODUCTION 

About Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR)

Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) is a Rwandan not-for-profit company established in 2010 to promote financial inclusion and sector development. AFR is currently funded by Sweden, MasterCard Foundation, and Co-Develop. 

We are part of the broader Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) in Africa that seeks to create a transformative impact on the end of poverty by supporting efforts to improve financial inclusion and financial sector development through helping financial institutions and markets drive a more inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

AFR supports the removal of systemic barriers that hinder access to financial services by low-income people, particularly women, youth, and MSMEs. AFR supports the development and provision of financial services, including savings, credit, insurance, investment, payments, and remittances.

AFR is guided by the Market System Development (MSD) approach, recognizing that efforts to increase financial inclusion and financial sector development must be market-led, profitable, and sustainable.

AFR is guided by the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, recognising that efforts to increase financial inclusion and financial sector development must be market-led, profitable, and sustainable. AFR does not deliver services directly; rather, it works with and through market actors to catalyse large-scale change, building trust as a flexible and honest catalyst that brings public and private actors together to solve financial sector challenges.

1.2 Rationale for the Strategic Communications and Market Engagement Framework

AFR’s communications and engagement must evolve from largely activity-based dissemination toward a strategic function that enables leadership to shape market behavior, influence policy dialogue, convene and align actors, strengthen partnerships and credibility, communicate impact, and accelerate uptake, scalability, and sustainability of market innovations.

AFR’s ambition through strategic communications and market engagement is:

To strengthen its role as the trusted convenor and leading authority on inclusive and sustainable financial sector development in Rwanda - using evidence-based thought leadership and targeted stakeholder influence to shape policy and market reforms that deliver systemic resilience and improved livelihoods for underserved populations. 

To operationalize this ambition, AFR intends to develop a Strategic Communications and Market Engagement Framework that will guide institutional influence and communication priorities over the next 5 years and beyond.

2. Objective of the Assignment

2.1 Overall Objective

To support AFR in developing a Strategic Communications and Market Engagement Framework that strengthens AFR’s position as a trusted convenor and thought leader and ensures communication and engagement function as strategic levers for systemic change aligned to AFR’s strategic framework and MSD approach.

3. Duration of the assignment

The assignment is expected to take approximately 8 weeks from the contract signing date, including all consultations, analysis, and final framework submission.

Interested firms must confirm their intention to submit a proposal by Friday, April 3, 2026, at 17h00 HRS CAT

Any requests for clarifications to the RFP may be submitted by Friday, April 10, 2026, 17h00 HRS CAT.

Bidders should submit their proposals no later than Monday, April 13, 2026, 14:00 HRS CAT

Responding bidders are advised that this solicitation does not in any way obligate AFR to make a contract award or compensate the responding firms for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of their proposals. Additionally, AFR may award a contract without conducting negotiations; all proposals should be submitted initially using your most favorable terms. AFR reserves the right to award any resultant contract to other than the offeror submitting the lowest price proposal based on technical excellence, schedule superiority or client request.

All communications regarding this RFP should be addressed via email: procurement02@afr.rw

Below is the summary planned procurement schedule:

Cordially,

Jean Bosco Iyacu

Chief Executive Officer

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