RFP: Engaging a Scheduled Bank/Financial Institution for CDRI Financial Operations

Background

About CDRI

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.

Vision

CDRI seeks to rapidly expand the development and retrofit of resilient infrastructure to respond to the SDG of expanding universal access to basic services, enabling prosperity and decent work.

Mission

To support countries to upgrade their systems to ensure disaster and climate resilience of existing and future infrastructure.

Strategic Work Plan 2023-2026

CDRI's Strategic Work Plan 2023-26 describes the broad contours of its priority actions and planned initiatives in the next four years. The Strategic Work Plan sets out a clear direction for the Coalition to pursue a transformational agenda for DRI in response to a changing risk landscape and evolving on-ground realities of its members. In the next four years, the Coalition will continue to leverage the expertise of its Member Countries and partners to develop context-specific, innovative solutions for resilient infrastructure towards the achievement of national priorities and global commitments of its members.

With the Strategic Work Plan for 2023 - 2026, CDRI has set out the following strategic outcomes.

Strategic Outcome 1: A strong Coalition that has the membership, resources, and global leadership to drive global, national, regional, and local DRI action.

Strategic Outcome 2: Global DRI research, Coalition-led peer engagement, and CDRI-curated and generated knowledge promote risk-informed policy and practice.

Strategic Outcome 3: Enhanced capacities of government, private enterprises, and communities to implement post-disaster recovery and DRI action at scale.

CDRI Headquarters (Secretariat)

The CDRI Headquarter is established in New Delhi, India, to act as the Secretariat of the Coalition.

Objective

The primary objective of this engagement is to select a scheduled bank for opening Bank Accounts, issuance of Corporate Credit Cards, and related services.

Scope of Work

The selected bank will be responsible for the following tasks:

For Bank Accounts:

1. Account Management:
   1. Open and manage current, savings, and fixed deposit accounts as instructed.
   2. Facilitate seamless domestic and international transactions.
   3. Provide online banking facilities, including bulk payment processing
2. Transaction Services
   1. Handle all incoming and outgoing payments.
   2. Ensure timely processing of all transactions.
   3. Provide transaction alerts and confirmations.
3. Financial Reporting:
   1. Generate and deliver periodic financial reports (monthly, quarterly, and annually).
   2. Provide customized reports as required by CDRI.
   3. Ensure transparency and accuracy in all financial reports.
4. Compliance and Risk Management:
   1. Ensure compliance with all local and international banking regulations.
   2. Implement robust risk management practices to safeguard CDRI's funds.
5. Value-added Services:
   1. Offer advisory services for investment and financial planning.
   2. Provide cash management solutions and services.
   3. Facilitate foreign exchange and trade finance services.
   4. Provide Multi-Currency Forex Cards with the best features.
   5. Best featured Salary Accounts for CDRI Staff.

For Corporate Credit Cards:

1. Corporate Credit Card Issuance:
   1. Issue corporate credit cards to designated CDRI employees.
   2. Set credit limits as per CDRI's requirements.
   3. Provide physical and virtual credit cards, as needed.
2. Transaction Management
   1. Facilitate domestic and international transactions.
   2. Ensure secure and reliable processing of all transactions.
   3. Provide real-time transaction alerts and notifications.
3. Expense Reporting and Reconciliation
   1. Offer online platforms/tools for tracking and managing expenses.
   2. Generate detailed monthly statements for each cardholder.
   3. Enable easy reconciliation of credit card expenses with CDRI's financial systems (ERP).
4. Compliance and Security
   1. Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory and statutory requirements.
   2. Implement robust security measures to protect against fraud and unauthorized use.
   3. Provide 24/7 customer support for reporting lost/stolen cards and handling disputes.
5. Value-added Services
   1. Suitable & best reward points for the card holders
   2. Offer travel and insurance benefits associated with corporate credit cards.
   3. Provide expense management tools and software integration options.
   4. Deliver training and support to CDRI staff on using corporate credit cards effectively.
6. Additional Scope from an International Organization's Perspective:
   1. The bank must have a significant international presence with branches or partnerships in the CDRI member countries.
   2. The bank must have correspondent banking relationships that facilitate smooth cross-border transactions.
7. Global Presence:
8. Foreign Exchange Services:
9. The bank must offer competitive foreign exchange rates and have robust foreign currency management services.
10. The bank should provide hedging options to manage currency risk.
11. SWIFT Membership:
12. The bank should be a member of the SWIFT network, enabling secure and reliable international payments.
13. The bank should be able to demonstrate its capabilities in handling SWIFT payments and its efficiency in processing these transactions.

Memberships and Certifications

1. Regulatory Compliance:
2. The bank should comply with international banking regulations and standards, such as those set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
3. The bank must have strong anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) policies.
4. ISO Certification:
5. Banks with ISO 9001 certification for quality management or ISO 27001 certification for information security management will be given preference.
6. Multilateral Organizations and Development Banks:
7. Membership in organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank will be an added advantage.
8. Banks with work experience with multilateral development banks (MDBs) or having any partnerships with international financial institutions will be preferred.

Services and Support

1. Transaction Speed and Reliability:
2. The bank should be able to substantiate the average processing time for international transactions and their success rate.
3. Having a track record of minimal delays and issues in cross-border payments will be an added advantage.
4. Customer Support:
5. The bank should provide dedicated support for international transactions, including multilingual support if necessary.
6. The bank should offer a 24/7 customer service helpline for international banking issues.
7. Eligibility Criteria

The scheduled bank must meet the following criteria to be eligible for engagement:

• Must be a recognized scheduled bank with a strong financial standing.
• Must demonstrate a robust IT infrastructure for secure and efficient banking/credit card operations.
• Must have experience in managing funds for INGOs, non-profits, UN Organizations, or similar organizations.

CDRI hereby invites you to submit your proposal with the following details in a password-protected PDF file attached in one email since the evaluation will be conducted through the QBS method.

• An overview of the bank's profile and relevant experience including network of branches and ATMs globally.
• Detailed description of the services offered.
• Case studies or references from similar engagements.
• Details of the team that will be handling CDRI's account.
• Fee structure and any other associated costs.
• Any additional information deemed relevant.

Other Terms & Conditions

• The proposals should be valid for 90 days after the final submission date.
• CDRI reserves the right to cancel this call for proposal before or after the receipt of proposals or after opening the proposal and call for fresh proposals. CDRI also has the right to reject any proposal without assigning any reason.
• Proposals incomplete in any respect will not be considered.

Evaluation Process

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevant experience and expertise as per the scope mentioned above.
• Range and quality of services offered including value-added services such as online banking, investment advisory, and cash management solutions. expense tracking, fraud protection, and customer support.
• Compliance and risk management capabilities.
• Technological infrastructure and online banking capabilities.
• Financial strength and stability.
• Cost-effectiveness and fee structure.
• Reporting and reconciliation of credit card transactions.

Proposals will be evaluated from a technical standpoint following a Quality Basis Selection (QBS)

Evaluation Criteria (100 marks)

Points

Bank background and relevant clientele: 15

Technological infrastructure and online banking capabilities: 30

Cost-effectiveness and fee structure: 20

Dedicated team of experts: 20

Add on Services: 15

Total: 100

CDRI, if required, may ask banks for a presentation/discussion on the proposal submitted. Failure on the part of banks to arrange the presentation/discussion on the date & place fixed shall result in the rejection of the bids. Also, if it is found after presentation/discussion that the solution offered does not meet the specifications prescribed by such banks shall be treated as substantially non-responsive. CDRI's decision shall be final in this regard. The place for presentation/discussion shall be conveyed to the banks at an appropriate date.

The banks are requested to submit their proposal in a PASSWORD-PROTECTED PDF file through email to tender.projects@cdri.world by 23:59 hrs (IST) on 07 August 2024. The PDF file password MUST NOT BE SHARED ALONG WITH PROPOSAL. The proposal password will be requested separately. Responses received after the stipulated time or not in accordance will be summarily rejected.

Please ensure that your proposal is sent ONLY to ABOVE MENTIONED email ID before the closing date & time. Proposals sent/copied to any other email ID (other than above) OR received after the bid closing date & time (mentioned above) will not be entertained.