Request for proposals for Recruitment of Consultancy Firm to Conduct Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Regulatory & Policy Environment Assessment and Develop Tailored Support Pathways Eight African Countries. Location: Kigali Deadline: Monday, 09/02/2026 17:00 ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND Smart Africa is a bold and innovative commitment from African Heads of State and Government to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent, ushering Africa into a knowledge economy through affordable access to Broadband and usage of Information and Communications Technologies. The Transform Africa Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda on 28th-31st October 2013 culminated in the adoption of the Smart Africa Manifesto document by seven (7) African Heads of States (Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Mali, Gabon, Burkina Faso) in which they committed to providing leadership in accelerating socio-economic development through ICTs. On 30th -31st January 2014, The Smart Africa Manifesto was endorsed by all Heads of State and Government of the African Union at the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa. This development places the Manifesto at the heart of the ICT agenda in Africa beyond just the 7 original signatories at the Summit to all the 50+ African countries. The Smart Africa Alliance has since grown to include 42 African countries that represent 1.1 billion people. The Smart Africa Manifesto aims to put ICT at the center of national socio-economic development agenda of member countries; improve access to ICT especially Broadband; to improve accountability, efficiency, and openness through ICT promoting the introduction of advanced technologies in telecommunication; to put Private Sector first, and to leverage ICT to promote sustainable development. 2. AFRICA-EUROPE DIGITAL INNOVATION BRIDGE 2.0 (AEDIB 2.0) The Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB 2.0) AEDIB 2.0 builds on the shared Africa-EU commitment to digital transformation, innovation, and sustainable development, aligned with Africas Agenda 2063, the Continental STI Strategy (STISA 2024), Education (CESA 16-25), TVET strategies, and the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa 2020-2030 (DTS). EU initiatives, including Global Gateway, Digital for Development (D4D) policies, and the D4D Hub, complement these continental frameworks. Collaboration is reinforced through mechanisms such as the AU-EU Digital Economy Taskforce and high-level summits. The programme focuses on strengthening digital entrepreneurship ecosystems, including Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs), progressive regulation, harmonisation, and human capital development. AEDIB 2.0 links African and European innovation ecosystems by improving enabling policies, building pan-African capacity, promoting entrepreneurship, providing catalytic funding, and fostering exchange of business practices, technology, and training. The overall objective of AEDIB 2.0 is to strengthen digital transformation and the green transition in Africa. The programmes three specific objectives are: SO1: Enhance digital entrepreneurship and innovation policies. SO2: Strengthen Digital Innovation Ecosystems for digital transformation and green transition. SO3: Improve access to finance for innovative ventures, including women-led initiatives, supporting digital transformation and green transition. 3. SANIA BACKGROUND With an estimated population of 1.3 billion people, Africa is a continent brimming with potential, significantly characterized by its young and increasingly educated demographic. Each year, 15 to 20 million well-prepared youths join the workforce, poised to contribute to and reshape the African economic landscape. Recognizing the critical role of technology and innovation in harnessing this demographic dividend, the Smart Africa Alliance, in 2019, earmarked the development of tech startups and innovation ecosystems as a pivotal priority. This decision led to the launch of the "ICT Startups and Innovation Ecosystems for Africa" initiative, championed by Tunisia. This blueprint sets a framework to foster the best conditions for the emergence, growth, and success of African tech entrepreneurs. In line with the blueprints recommendations, Smart Africa has developed the Tech-Driven Entrepreneurship program, focusing on three strategic areas: (1) policy development, (2) ecosystem strengthening and (3) access to capital. The Smart Africa Network of Incubators and Accelerators (SANIA) serves as the operational arm of the tech-driven entrepreneurship program, with a clear mission to transform Africa into a global hotspot for digital entrepreneurship. SANIAs activities are aligned with the following strategic objectives: Facilitate the development of pro-entrepreneurship policies and ensuring the integration of startup ecosystem players in the policymaking process across Smart Africa member states to widen market access. Bolster the support network for incubators, accelerators, and innovation hubs by connecting these entities across the continent through capacity building, funding opportunities, and comprehensive networking. Strengthen and empower African financial and investment entities to create a robust pipeline of investment-ready startups and to design financial instruments tailored for early-stage ventures. 4. PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT In line with the AEDIB 2.0 SO1, the purpose of this assignment is to engage a qualified consultancy firm to deliver: A Country Assessment phase, focused on diagnosing regulatory, policy, and institutional bottlenecks affecting digital entrepreneurship in the countries covered by SO1(Botswana, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Senegal, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia). A Tailored Support Pathways phase, focused on translating prioritised assessment findings into sequenced, actionable support interventions. While closely linked, the two phases are distinct in purpose: the Country Assessment establishes an evidence-based diagnosis and prioritisation of reform needs, while the Tailored Support Pathways define how Smart Africa and partners will support implementation through policy, technical assistance, and capacity-building actions. 1. OBJECTIVES Country Assessment Map national laws, regulations, policies, institutional arrangements, and implementation mechanisms affecting startups and digital entrepreneurs. Identify and prioritise regulatory, institutional, and implementation gaps affecting startups and digital entrepreneurs with a focus on their impact on market entry, growth, scalability, and cross-border operations. Map existing initiatives supporting entrepreneurship policy, including multilateral and bilateral development partner interventions. Integrate entrepreneurs perspectives on regulatory compliance, licensing, taxation, business registration, digitalisation, and market access, ensuring these perspectives directly inform the prioritisation of reform areas. Tailored Support Pathways Translate assessment findings into practical, country-specific interventions focused on policy reform, institutional strengthening, and ecosystem enablement. Define technical assistance and capacity-building programs for government institutions, regulators, and ecosystem actors, based on the priorities identified in the assessment phase. Define sequenced and phased interventions (short, medium, and long-term), clearly identifying reform ownership, responsible institutions, and enabling conditions. Ensure that each support pathway or intervention identifies linkages with existing or planned AEDIB 2.0 activities. Propose monitoring and evaluation tools, including key performance indicators, to track progress, implementation status, and effectiveness of the interventions over time. 5. SCOPE OF WORK 5.1. Country Assessment Scoping & Alignment: Confirm countries, priority themes, and stakeholder groups in coordination with Smart Africa and implementing partners. Desk Review: Review national policies, regulations, institutional frameworks, and donor initiatives; reference AU, Smart Africa, and REC frameworks. Stakeholder Mapping & Consultations: Identify government, private sector, ecosystem actors, and entrepreneurs through structured interviews and consultations. In-Country Workshops: Conduct multi-stakeholder workshops covering scoping, data gathering, and validation of preliminary findings and priorities. Country Analysis & Recommendations: Develop comprehensive country-specific assessments, integrating entrepreneurs inputs. Prioritisation & Validation: Validate and finalise a concise set of priority reform areas per country through participatory processes with national stakeholders. 5.2. Tailored Support Pathways Gap Analysis Translation: Translate prioritised assessment findings into concrete reform and support options. Design of Interventions: Develop actionable support pathways, including policy reform support, institutional capacity-building, and ecosystem strengthening measures. Integration of Entrepreneur Insights: Ensure interventions address real-world challenges. Implementation Roadmap: Develop country-specific implementation roadmaps with clear responsibilities, timelines, and indicative resource requirements, aligned with national reform processes. Monitoring & Evaluation: Develop KPIs and tools to track progress. 6. KEY DELIVERABLES All deliverables shall be explicitly aligned with AEDIB 2.0 SO1 outputs and indicators, in particular Output 1.2.1 (regulatory frameworks assessed) and Output 1.2.2 (policy support roadmaps created). The assignment is expected to be completed over 20 weeks, with activities implemented through parallel and staggered country workstreams to ensure efficiency and timely delivery across all target countries. The following key deliverables are expected: Inception Report Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/request-proposal-rfp-recruitment-consultancy-firm-conduct-digital-entrepreneurship-and
