Request for Information (RFI)

Inquiry for Procurement Digitalization Options

Accelerate Prosperity, Pakistan

1. Background

Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) in Central and South Asia. It aspires to work towards a society that is powered by innovative and successful young entrepreneurs. Through its services, AP extends tailored training, advice, and technical assistance to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to help them launch or expand their innovative business ventures. It also extends tailored financing to start-ups and SGBs to help them unlock external investments by improving their bankability and investment readiness.

2.  RFI Overview

In this RFI, Accelerate Prosperity, Pakistan, intends to identify potential suppliers to gather insights and understand the available options for digitizing and enhancing our procurement processes.

This Request for Information (RFI) is being issued to explore industry solutions in the following areas:

• E-Tendering Platform
• Off-the-shelf procurement software with customization
• Fully customized, end-to-end procurement software development

The objective of this RFI is to conduct market research, understand available technologies, , implementation approaches, and cost.

Please note that this Request for Information (RFI) is for informational purposes only, and no contract will be awarded as a result. This RFI will serve to conduct market research to identify firms capable of providing solutions for the above-stated requirement. A firm or organization’s response to the RFI⁠ or lack thereof will have no impact on the evaluation of responses to any subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) released. Responses will be used solely for information and planning purposes only.

This RFI does not constitute a solicitation or commitment to procure any solution. Any future procurement will be conducted in accordance with Accelerate Prosperity’s applicable policies and procedures.

3.    Requirements / Information requested

The Accelerate Prosperity, Pakistan, is interested in hearing feedback on this Request for Information from the interested vendors and suppliers.

The Accelerate Prosperity, Pakistan, undertakes procurements for goods, services, and consultancies. To improve efficiency, transparency, and accessibility for suppliers, Accelerate Prosperity intends to explore e-tendering platforms that enable the online submission of bids and proposals while continuing to use existing procurement templates and procedures, as well as existing procurement software solutions that can be configured to use organization-specific templates and approval matrices, or the development of a fully customized, end-to-end procurement software solution tailored to address all organizational requirements.

Interested vendors are requested to provide information under one or more of the sections below. Vendors may respond to one, two, or all sections.

4.    Section A: E-Tendering Platform

The interested vendors/suppliers must provide information on the scope of work for the e-tendering platform as below

• Online publication of RFQs, RFPs, and tenders, and the ability to upload and publish organization-owned tender documents (PDF/Word)
• No requirement to use system-generated RFP formats
• Time-stamped submission of quotations and proposals
• Time-stamped opening of bids and proposals
• Secure receipt and storage of bids
• Controlled access to bids until official opening date
• Offer easy supplier onboarding or preferably allow proposal submission without mandatory registration.
• User roles for procurement staff
• Basic logs or reports showing submission history and timelines

 4.1 Proposal Submission Options

    The platform should support:

• Single-envelope submission, where technical and financial proposals are submitted together
• Two-envelope submission, allowing separate submission of technical and financial proposals
•  Restricted access to financial proposals until completion of technical evaluation (where applicable)

5. Section B : Procurement Software (Off-the-Shelf with Customization)

 The interested vendors/suppliers must provide information on the scope of work below: 

• Existing procurement software that provides end-to-end solutions
• It should have Core modules such as (requisitioning, sourcing, evaluation, approvals, contracting, vendor management, payment, data management, etc.)
• Ability to upload and use organization-specific templates (RFQs, RFPs, evaluation forms, contracts)
• Workflow configuration and approval matrix customization
• User roles and segregation of duties
• Reporting, dashboards, and audit logs
• Licensing model and indicative costs

6. Section C : Procurement Software Development (Fully customized)

The interested vendors/suppliers must provide information on the scope of work below: 

• They have the capacity to develop a fully customized procurement software solution as per the requirements of Accelerate Prosperity.
• Ability to embed organization-specific procurement policies, templates, workflows, and approval hierarchies
• Data security, hosting, and ownership
• Implementation timeline and key milestones
• Indicative cost structure (development, implementation, support

7.    RFI Timeline

Please review the RFI timeline. Dates may be modified or amended by the Procurement Unit, which will post an amendment to this RFI notifying prospective respondents of any change.

• RFI Released: 15 January 2026                       
• Deadline for Questions: 23 January 2026
• Responses Due: 26 January 2026
• RFI submission deadline: 29 January 2026