Questions and Answers: Conducting a Comprehensive Study on Social Cohesion in the Republic of Moldova
: Procedură deschisă
Q1: I am a Director of a company that specialises in research on conflict, security and societal resilience. We work extensively in Moldova and have seen the tender for social cohesion research in Moldova and are interested in applying. We are currently doing research on social cohesion for the UK Government across the region.
We note that there is a requirement to be a legally-registered entity. Does this registration need to be in Moldova? Our company is registered in the UK so we wanted to confirm our eligibility before applying.
Thank you for your assistance.
A1: Thank you for your question.
Yes, a company legally registered in the UK may apply. The requirement to be a legally registered entity does not mean that the company must be registered in Moldova only.
Therefore, your UK-registered company is eligible to apply, provided that it meets all other eligibility and qualification requirements set out in the Terms of Reference.
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Q2: Section IX of the RFP requires inter alia for legal entities: "Portfolio with a detailed description of the experience of the legal entity in which the proposed expert(s) were involved. The portfolio will include at least 3 relevant* research studies and the organizations with which collaboration has taken place." Can you kindly clarify what you need to meet this requirement? Is the expectation that the research studies included in our proposal have been performed by the proposed expert(s) for our organization or for ANY organization? Or is Solidarity Fund simply seeking a summary / past performance of three relevant research studies that our organization has carried out, regardless of which expert(s) performed the research? Finally, by "portfolio," do you simply require a summary with client contact details or are you requesting the entire research deliverable, which may be difficult given propriety of the final deliverable for each client?
A2:
The portfolio requirement will be evaluated following the Section VIII (not section IX). Under Section 8.1(a) concerns the relevant experience of the Bidder/legal entity (or consortium) in implementing research assignments. The 3 relevant research assignments included in the portfolio should demonstrate the Bidder’s organisational experience in relevant fields of research that could have been performed by experts proposed in this bid or by other experts. The qualifications and professional experience of the proposed key experts will be assessed separately in accordance with Section 8.2 of the TOR.
Regarding the portfolio itself, it shall contain a short description of the assignment (topic of the research, country, key issues, client details and if the research is public to provide a link).
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Q3: After reviewing the ToR, we would appreciate clarification on the following points to ensure that our proposed methodology, timeline, and budget are fully aligned with SFPL's expectations:
1.Proposal Template / Annex 1
The ToR refers to Annex No. 1 (Offer Form) in relation to the financial proposal. Could you please confirm whether Annex No. 1 is intended solely as the template for the financial offer, or whether there is also a preferred template or structure for the Technical Proposal that bidders are expected to follow?
2. Budget and Methodological Options
Given the scope of the assignment, could you indicate whether there is an indicative budget range or ceiling for this assignment?
3. Social Cohesion Index
The ToR requires the development of a Social Cohesion Index based on the four pillars of Trust, Identity and Sense of Unity, Intergroup Relations, and Constructive Citizenship. Could you please clarify on what conceptual, methodological, or evidence-based framework these pillars were selected?
4. Focus Group Discussions
The ToR specifies a minimum of six FGDs, with 10 - 12 participants per group. Could you please confirm whether it would be possible for bidders to propose an alternative configuration of FGDs (e.g more FGDs with fewer participants) if considered methodologically justified?
5.Timeline
Given the indicative preference for submission of the Summary of Preliminary Findings by 10 November 2026, we would appreciate clarification on whether this date should be considered a fixed expectation or a preferred milestone. In particular, if the procurement, contracting, and onboarding process extends beyond the anticipated schedule, would corresponding adjustments to the implementation timeline and deliverable submission dates be considered?
6. Coordination with Consortium Partners
- The ToR notes that the research findings will contribute to a broader analytical package and references the Joint Methodological Framework developed by SFPL, GIZ, and eGA. Could you please clarify whether the broader analysis will be shared with the winning bidder, and the expected level of coordination with consortium partners throughout methodology development, tool design, data collection, analysis, and validation of findings?
We would appreciate any clarification you can provide and look forward to your response.
A3:
1.Proposal Template / Annex 1
Annex No. 1 is intended as the template for the financial offer. The technical proposal should contain the details specified in the ToR (mainly Section 9, p. 7) in a free template at the discretion of the bidder.
2. Budget and Methodological Options
There is a budget ceiling for research services, however, due to the nature of the project, it cannot be disclosed publicly.
3. Social Cohesion Index
The four pillars were selected with reference to the SCORE (Social Cohesion and Reconciliation) research framework and its approach to assessing social cohesion (https://scoreforpeace.org/en/moldova/score/2022/1/map?row=tn-255-242). The framework provides a relevant conceptual and evidence-based basis for understanding and measuring different dimensions of social cohesion, including trust, identity and sense of unity, intergroup relations, and constructive citizenship. These dimensions were considered relevant to the objectives and context of the CBSC project and were therefore adopted as the main pillars for the development of the Social Cohesion Index.
4. Focus Group Discussions
FGD's configuration in ToR is tentative, and bidders can propose alternative configuration if methodologically justified.
5.Timeline
The date of 10th November is expected to be met as other project activities depend on the preliminary research findings. We understand the complex nature of procurement process and research itself, and could slightly move the date up to one week, however this is a matter to be agreed by the Consortium of Implementing Partners (SFPL, GIZ, eGA).
6. Coordination with Consortium Partners
The winning bidder is expected to be open to the inquiries from Implementing Partners (GIZ, eGA) in the preparation of a consolidated report (to offer details, clarifications mainly related to the findings of the research). The access to the final consolidated report will be discussed with the Partners and winning bidders.