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The Panama Programme Fund: Call for Bids 2017

The call for bids for The Panama Programme Fund is now open.

From:: British Embassy Panama City
Published: 18 May 2016
Last updated: 20 February 2017 — See all updates

Overview

The Panama Programme Fund will seek to create the right conditions for growth in Panama, seeking to deliver real, measurable outcomes in support of development in the country. Our priorities include improving the business environment, supporting infrastructure development and improving the regulatory environment in the financial services sector. Over time we expect these reforms to create opportunities for international companies, including UK companies.

Project bids

Typical projects should range in value between £20,000 and £60,000 (with a minimum bid size of £5,000) and should aim to work with organisations from the government, civil society and the private sector. Projects must have completed 90% of spend by the 31 December 2017, and completed all activity by the 30 March 2018.

Official Development Assistance

All expenditures must qualify as ODA. Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a term created by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure aid. ODA should be undertaken by the official sector (official agencies, including state and local governments, or their executive agencies) and has promotion of economic development and welfare as the main objective.

Priorities

We are looking for project bids which address any of the following:

Business Environment

Anticorruption and Transparency – Supporting Panama’s work to improve transparency in the country, working towards international standards and initiatives and delivering on its Open Government Partnership commitments, for example around open data and citizen participation.
Ease of doing business – tackling red tape and improving government processes, making it easier to bring goods into and out of the country.

Infrastructure

Project planning/delivery – improve the strategic planning, financing and delivery of Panama’s infrastructure, including through the use of Public-private Partnerships.
Smart Cities – increase the use of ‘smart city’ techniques and technologies, helping Panama use technology to improve its infrastructure delivery.

Financial Services

International standards – to support Panama’s response to November’s report by the Committee of Independent experts on Panama’s financial sector, and the continued adoption of international standards and norms in the financial services sector.
Regulation and enforcement – To provide capacity building and advice on developing and enforcing financial services regulation.

How to bid: General Guidance on Project Proposals

Bidding Process

The bidding process is in two stages: a concept bid and full bid stage.

Concept Bid

Only bids approved through the concept stage will be considered for full bids. Implementers will be advised if a concept bid has been accepted and called to present a full bid.
The project proposal in the concept bid form should be submitted in English with the title “ The Panama Programme Fund 2017: XXX name of the implementer”, to Panama.Prosperity@fco.gov.uk. Deadline to submit concept bids is 19 March 2017.