Background:

Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, governance, and post-crisis stabilization. Based in Chevy Chase, MD (metro DC area) Creative has a field presence in more than 25 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.

Creative is soliciting offers for technical expertise in accordance with the Scope of Work below and Creative’s Renewable Consultant Agreement Terms and Conditions available here. Creative intends to award one or more Renewable Consultant Agreement(s) (RCA(s)) under which work may be negotiated and awarded as fixed price or level of effort performance-based activities. Creative reserves the right to make multiple awards or no award as a result of this solicitation.

Summary:

Creative Associates is seeking Contributing Writer, Integrating Writer, and/or Color Reviewer Consultants to support upcoming business development efforts. Consultant will be expected to have the skills, qualifications, experience, education, and general expertise necessary to design and write technically sound and responsive proposals regarding new business opportunities.

Additionally, Creative is specifically seeking consultants with strong USAID/OTI proposal development experience.

RFQ closing date: June 30,2023 at 6:00PM EST (applications reviewed on a rolling basis)

Estimated period of performance: May 20, 2023 to May 19, 2024.

Estimated Level of Effort: not to exceed 150 days of LOE

Reporting: This will be determined at each individual Work Order.

Travel Anticipated? No.

If yes, travel to Danger Pay locations anticipated? No.

This RFQ is for a ___Renewable Consultant Agreement (RCA) _X__Work Order opportunity + RCA

Tasks To Be Performed:

• Serves as a Contributing, Integrating Writer, or Color Reviewer for assigned sections of the response to selected USAID or other donor procurements;
• Contributes to development of the technical approach—through authoring new material and/or integrating provided material—under guidance of Creative’s Technical Lead Writer and subject matter experts, including participating in design sessions as required;
• Attend and participate in technical design sessions;
• Evaluates proposed solutions to identify weaknesses and ensure responsiveness; suggests and implements improvements;
• Working with proposal teams, contributes original written inputs as assigned technical and/or management sections;
• May also work with pre-existing text or bulleted lists developed by other writers, ensuring they are transformed into clearly articulated, compelling, and compliant proposal sections;
• May be called upon to reorganize proposal sections;
• Participates in color reviews as required;
• Revises drafts in response to color review and other feedback and comments in collaboration with proposal teams;
• Edits, proofreads, and finalizes proposal sections for submission as requested;
• May accompany proposal development teams on capture at the request of the Proposal Manager;
• May serve as a color reviewer on proposal drafts, meeting internal deadlines, providing written and oral feedback, and attending color review sessions; and
• Other similar tasks to be mutually agreed between Creative and the Consultant.

Results and/or Deliverables:

Consultant may be responsible for:

• Written analysis on the terms of reference;
• Written notes from participants of proposal design and review sessions, integrating feedback into proposal drafts;
• Written inputs integrating material and research from capture phase into proposal drafts;
• Drafts and final versions of assigned proposal sections in collaboration with the Technical Lead Writer and Proposal Manager;
• Fully compliant and responsive sections for Blue Team proposal drafts, submitted to the Proposal Manager by the assigned deadline;
• Post-Blue proposal draft integrating reviewer comments of assigned section and overall proposal, as required;
• Fully compliant and responsive sections for the Red Team drafts, submitted to the Proposal Manager by the assigned deadline;
• Post-Red draft integrating reviewer comments of assigned section and overall proposal, as required;
• Fully compliant and responsive sections for the Gold Team and final production and submission, submitting to the Proposal Manager by the assigned deadline;
• Written comments using comment bubbles function in Word as feedback and input on technical and compliance aspects of proposal drafts, as requested by the Proposal Manager;
• Notes of comments shared during color reviews;
• Conduct a thorough review of the proposal, checking for overall proposal compliance and responsiveness to the client;
• Provide written and/or oral feedback to proposal drafts; and
• Other similar deliverables to be mutually agreed between Creative and the Consultant.

Other Matters

Code Approver. The Code Approver will be determined at each individual Work Order.

Special Terms. Oversight of day-to-day activities will be performed by the Technical Lead Writer of each new business opportunity. 

Travel. Work Orders may include travel costs, and meals and incidental costs (M&IE) budgeted in accordance with State Department Foreign Per Diem Rates for travel. All proposed costs, if approved, will be reimbursable only upon submission and Creative acceptance of receipts/supporting documentation. 

Invoicing. Consultant may include incidental costs incurred while working on the assignment (e.g., phone or internet credit). All proposed costs, if approved, will be reimbursable only upon submission and Creative acceptance of receipts/supporting documentation. 

An overarching Renewable Consultant Agreement will be issued based on the capabilities and qualifications listed below as well as those listed in the individual’s submitted CV.

General Capabilities

Consultant will be expected to have the skills, qualifications, experience, education, and general expertise necessary to design, write, and/or review technically sound and responsive proposals.

Required Qualifications (General)

• Strong technical writing, editing, capture, and/or design skills;
• Ability to synthesize large amounts of information into concise narratives;
• Knowledge of competitive proposal processes and the role of a proposal writer in those processes; and
• Strong organizational management skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks, adhere to tight deadlines, and respond with flexibility in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to one-voice writing from different authors into cohesive narrative;

Required Qualifications (OTI-specific)

• All of the above General Required Qualifications, plus:
  • At least five (5) years of experience writing successful proposals to USAID/OTI, including case studies
  • Familiarity with USAID/OTI requirements for proposal compliance and responsiveness;

Desired Areas of Expertise

• Expertise in one or more of the following:
  • Conflict prevention
  • Early grade reading
  • Economic growth
  • Education programming and policy frameworks
  • Education-related training and capacity building
  • Education systems
  • Knowledge of conflict programming and policy frameworks guiding USAID work
  • Knowledge of economic growth programming and policy frameworks guiding USAID work
  • Peacebuilding
  • Stabilization
  • USAID/OTI
  • Workforce development
  • Youth programming

Work Assignment:

Consultants with the requisite qualifications will be given a renewable consulting agreement under which specific work assignments will be ordered on an ad hoc basis, subject to consultant’s availability.  Consultants may be required to compete against other similarly qualified consultants, though generally work will be assigned and negotiated directly with the consultant.

Additional Information:

Please click on the links to download the Terms and Conditions, Annex A (Reps, Certs and Consents form) and W-8; W-9; and Vendor Information form, as applicable. The forms are provided for your information at this stage in the solicitation process. Completed forms will be required only if you have been selected for the consulting opportunity. However, you may complete, sign, and submit the forms as part of your response to this request.

Application Requirements:

Consultant should submit their daily rate and, if applying for a specific Work Order opportunity, a budget inclusive of estimated LOE as well as all required Other Direct Costs, such as travel, materials, etc. A budget template can be downloaded here.

Consultants must also submit an up-to-date CV for all applications.

Selection will be made on the basis of technical capability and overall best value. Modifications to this solicitation, including closing date extensions, will be posted on the Creative website. Please check the website for updates. Please note that RCAs lock in a consultant’s rate for one full year and this rate may not be re-negotiated again until the point of renewal.