Technical Assistance (TA) Facility to strengthen Rwanda's Social Protection Sector: Exiting Poverty Rwanda Programme

{
  "id": "058956-2025",
  "tag": [
    "award",
    "contract"
  ],
  "date": "2025-09-23T15:03:55+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-05a04f",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-FTS-131",
    "name": "Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office"
  },
  "awards": [
    {
      "id": "058956-2025-PROJ_10147-1",
      "title": "TA Facility to strengthen Rwanda’s Social Protection Sector as part of FCDO’s Exiting Poverty in Rwanda Programme",
      "status": "active",
      "suppliers": [
        {
          "id": "GB-FTS-161680",
          "name": "Cowater International"
        }
      ],
      "relatedLots": [
        "1"
      ],
      "hasSubcontracting": true
    }
  ],
  "tender": {
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-05a04f",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "options": {
          "description": "The original contract included options to extend the right to extend\nthe programme by up to 1.5 years with a maximum, potential 50% increase to budget of the initial contracted value.\nThis modification will extend the contract by 15 months from 31 March 2026 to 30 June 2027. It will increase the financial limit by £1.8m. which is within the 50% increase of budget as initially tendered."
        },
        "hasOptions": true,
        "description": "This Notice corrects an error in value of the contract as published under notice 2025/S 000-058840.\nThis is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice. This notice is to indicate that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) proposes to extend the contract with the named supplier for the Technical Assistance (TA) Facility to strengthen Rwanda's Social Protection Sector: Exiting Poverty Rwanda Programme in a manner that is necessary to support a responsible exit from the programme . This contract extension will increase the contractual value by £1.8m as set out in the original contract and a 15 month time extension. \nThe Technical Assistance facility provides technical expertise and capacity building to the Government of Rwanda and support the effective implementation of its Social Protection Sector Strategic Plan (SP-SSP) and ultimately a strengthened national social protection system, as well as the delivery of FCDO's Exiting Poverty in Rwanda (EPR) programme which aims to eradicate extreme poverty and reduce overall poverty.\nThis extension will enable continued delivery of the technical assistance facility which provides technical expertise and capacity building to the Government of Rwanda. Additional information: This contract was awarded to CowaterSogema International Inc as per contract award notice (https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/f822e7a8-824a-4bc6-a559-606a0ce62366?origin=SearchResults&p=1) External ID: f822e7a8-824a-4bc6-a559-606a0ce62366",
        "awardCriteria": {
          "criteria": [
            {
              "name": "Techincal",
              "type": "quality",
              "description": "70"
            },
            {
              "name": "Cost",
              "type": "cost",
              "description": "30"
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    ],
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1",
        "deliveryLocation": {
          "description": "Kigali"
        },
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "RW"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "Technical Assistance (TA) Facility to strengthen Rwanda's Social Protection Sector: Exiting Poverty Rwanda Programme",
    "status": "complete",
    "coveredBy": [
      "GPA"
    ],
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "32014L0024",
      "scheme": "CELEX"
    },
    "description": "This Notice corrects an error in value of the contract as published under notice 2025/S 000-058840.\nThe TA Facility will provide technical expertise and capacity building to the Government of Rwanda and support the effective implementation of its Social Protection Sector Strategic Plan (SP-SSP) and ultimately a strengthened national social protection system, as well as the delivery of FCDO's Exiting Poverty in Rwanda (EPR) programme which aims to eradicate extreme poverty and reduce overall poverty.",
    "classification": {
      "id": "75211200",
      "scheme": "CPV",
      "description": "Foreign economic-aid-related services"
    },
    "procurementMethod": "limited",
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition",
    "procurementMethodRationale": "This Notice corrects an error in value of the contract as published under notice 2025/S 000-058840.\nThe Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) intends to award a 15 month extension to the Technical Assistance (TA) Facility to strengthen Rwanda's Social Protection Sector: Exiting Poverty Rwanda Programme. This amendment is made under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which permits modifications because additional services by the original contractor have become necessary where a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons. FCDO considers that the extension can be awarded without prior publication of a notice under Part 2 of the Public using the procedure in regulation 99(3) (VEAT notice). The modification does not exceed 50% of the original contract value.\nThe extension to 30 June 2027 is necessary to allow FCDO unlock £15m in additional donor funding that is crucial to enable a responsible exit from the programme in a way that minimises harm to its beneficiaries. The nature and scope of the contract remain unchanged. This amendment does not materially expand the contract scope. Cowter International will continue to deliver the same core services.\nProceeding with a new procurement would introduce significant risks, including loss of the additional donor funding, the potential for duplication of costs already borne, reputational risk with host government and adverse development impact on the most vulnerable beneficiaries. Additionally, a change of supplier would be impractical due to technical knowledge of the supplier on the Rwanda Social Protection System, trust, and well established relationships with the host government. These attributes are not readily transferable. \nBefore entering the proposed contract amendment, the Authority will observe the standstill period of 10 calendar days from the day after publication on the UK e-notification service required by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 at regulation 99 before executing the amendment allowing all relevant parties adequate time to review and respond.",
    "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
      {
        "id": "D_OUTSIDE_SCOPE",
        "scheme": "TED_PT_AWARD_CONTRACT_WITHOUT_CALL",
        "description": "The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive"
      }
    ]
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-131",
      "name": "Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UK",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "SW1A 2AH",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "King Charles Street"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "http://www.fcdo.bravosolution.co.uk",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "MINISTRY",
            "scheme": "TED_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions"
          },
          {
            "scheme": "COFOG",
            "description": "Development & Diplomacy"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "wasonga.misumi@fcdo.gov.uk",
        "telephone": "+44 1355844062"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-161680",
      "name": "Cowater International",
      "roles": [
        "supplier"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "CA",
        "locality": "Ontario",
        "postalCode": "KP1P5H9",
        "countryName": "Canada",
        "streetAddress": "275 Slater Street  Suite 1600"
      },
      "details": {
        "scale": "large"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "Cowater International"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "GB-FTS-161681",
      "name": "Foreign Commomwealth & Development Office",
      "roles": [
        "reviewBody",
        "mediationBody"
      ],
      "address": {
        "locality": "East Kilbride",
        "postalCode": "G75 8EA",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office/about/procurement"
      },
      "identifier": {
        "legalName": "Foreign Commomwealth & Development Office"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "telephone": "+44 1355844062"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "contracts": [
    {
      "id": "058956-2025-PROJ_10147-1",
      "title": "TA Facility to strengthen Rwanda’s Social Protection Sector as part of FCDO’s Exiting Poverty in Rwanda Programme",
      "value": {
        "amount": 7677885,
        "currency": "GBP"
      },
      "status": "active",
      "awardID": "058956-2025-PROJ_10147-1",
      "dateSigned": "2021-03-03T00:00:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "description": "This Notice corrects an error in value of the contract as published under notice 2025/S 000-058840.\nThe Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) intends to award a 15 month extension to the Technical Assistance (TA) Facility to strengthen Rwanda's Social Protection Sector: Exiting Poverty Rwanda Programme. This amendment is made under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which permits modifications because additional services by the original contractor have become necessary where a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons. FCDO considers that the extension can be awarded without prior publication of a notice under Part 2 of the Public using the procedure in regulation 99(3) (VEAT notice). The modification does not exceed 50% of the original contract value.\nThe extension to 30 June 2027 is necessary to allow FCDO unlock £15m in additional donor funding that is crucial to enable a responsible exit from the programme in a way that minimises harm to its beneficiaries. The nature and scope of the contract remain unchanged. This amendment does not materially expand the contract scope. Cowter International will continue to deliver the same core services.\nProceeding with a new procurement would introduce significant risks, including loss of the additional donor funding, the potential for duplication of costs already borne, reputational risk, adverse development impact on the most beneficial beneficiaries. \nBefore entering the proposed contract amendment, the Authority will observe the standstill period of 10 calendar days from the day after publication on the UK e-notification service required by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 at regulation 99 before executing the amendment allowing all relevant parties adequate time to review and respond.",
  "initiationType": "tender"
}