N(N)LE Open Net is announcing REOI for Consultancy Services (“Services”) for the design of a “Digital Inclusion Program”
N(N)LE Open Net is implementing the state program on development of broadband, fiber-optic infrastructure in Georgia (Project Log-In Georgia), the goal of which is to increase access to the high-speed internet throughout the whole country.
Through the Log-in Georgia project, the World Bank will support Georgia's National Broadband Development Strategy for 2020-2025, which was approved by the Government of Georgia in January 2020. The project will help connect up to 1,000 villages, including highland settlements, with high quality and affordable high-speed internet service. The project will benefit approximately 500,000 people who currently live in areas without high-quality, high-speed Internet access.
In addition to increasing rural high-speed internet coverage, the Project will provide nationwide awareness building, training, and capacity building programs, to facilitate the use of digital services and to promote digital inclusion. The project will promote use-cases of improved connectivity such as digital financial services and e-commerce as well as e-government services. In addition, the project will support the increased use of distance learning and telemedicine. These efforts will support the Government to develop an enabling environment for the digital economy. Promoting use-cases and increasing digital inclusion will help increase the use of broadband connectivity by rural users, helping to achieve the Project’s development objective.
The National Communication Commission of Georgia (ComCom) now seeks to define an overall Digital Inclusion Strategy that will bring together different activities towards common objectives to promote citizens’ participation in the digital economy. This also aligns with the development of a new universal service program in Georgia, which will aim to close the supply-side gaps facing households that are socially vulnerable and persons with disabilities.
The main objectives of the assignment are to (1) conduct a digital inclusion gap assessment analyzing economic, social and demographic reasons for exclusion, and as a result of the assessment, come up with a Digital Inclusion Strategy, including actions and recommendations for its implementation; and (2) design a Pilot Program to increase the economic and social inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) and minorities through improved skills and access to digital technologies, to showcase the benefits of investing in digital inclusion for target groups.
To achieve the objective, the Consulting Firm shall analyze and elaborate on the following key questions:
- What is a digital exclusion in a Georgian context?
- Who in Georgia is digitally excluded?
- Why are they excluded / What are the barriers to inclusion?
- What is needed to be digitally included and what are the actions that can enable inclusion?
Duration of the assignment: 5 months
Open Net NNLE now invites eligible consulting firms to express their interest in providing the above Services.
In EOI, the interested Consulting firms are expected to provide general but comprehensive information indicating that they could be qualified to perform the Services (general experience in the field and description of similar assignments, availability and general information of the key staff as required, etc.).
At this stage Consulting firms are not requested and must not present Financial proposal.
A Consulting firm will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrower dated July 2016 (revised on November 2017 and August 2018).
The deadline for submission of EOI is August 05, 2022, 17:30 (local time, GMT +4, Tbilisi, Baku, Yerevan)
More details of the Consultancy Services shall be found in the Terms of Reference: please see the attached file.
Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically to the mailing address: procurement@opennet.ge
The submitted documents must be in pdf format.
