USAID/Philippines FPO AP 96515 or USAID/Philippines, 1680 Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines 1000

R -- TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE RURAL BANKS AND COOPERATIVE RURAL BANKS OF MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES THROUGH THE MICROENTERPRISE ACCESS TO BANKING SERVICES IN MINDANAO (MABS-M) PROJECT SOL RFP 492-97-011 DUE 073197 POC Contact Point: Thea Pura, Acquisition Specialist and Mary Reynolds, Contracting Officer, USAID/Philippines, Tel: (0632) 522-44-11 (Ext. 3460), Fax:0632-522-4337, E-mail:epura@usaid.gov & mreynolds@usaid.gov. The MABS-M contractor will provide assistance to the rural banks and cooperative rural banks of Mindanao in collaboration with the rural Bankers Research and development foundation, inc., the action arm of the rural Bankers Association of the Philippines. The MABS-M is an activity that attempts to significantly increase the access of microenterprises to financial services, both loan and deposit, through the formal financial institutions such as rural banks and cooperative rural banks. This is a pilot activity that will be managed in mindanao, and we believe that the experiences gained through the program will be relevant to the banking system throughout the country. Under the MABS-M activity, assistance will be provided to a limited number (15 to 20) of rural banks and cooperative rural banks to encourage them to significantly increase the amount of services they are providing to the microenterprise sector. As a result of the MABS program, we envision that banks will begin to fully service this segmentof the market as it becomes apparent that, with proper management and technology, providing financial services to microenterprises can be a highly profitable and sustainable commercial undertaking. USAID anticipates awarding a cost reimbursement completion contract for a period of 4 years, with approximately 208 PM for long-term and 110 PM for short-term technical assistance. Detailed information about this solicitation is contained in the RFP documents which will be available on or about May 30, 1997. The estimated closing date is July 31, 1997. To obtain the RFP, send your written request to the Office of Regional Procurement, USAID/Philippines, FPO AP 96515, or Office of Regional Procurement, USAID/Philippines, RMC Building, 1680 Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines 1000. Our telephone and fax numbers are (632)522-4411 (ext. 3403) and (632)522- 4337, respectively. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the internet or by request of a solicitation on a 3.5" floppy disk(wordperfect 5.1/5.2 format). If you require a hard copy of the solicitation, you must ask for it, but you will not receive both a hard copy and a floppy disk. This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded using the Agency web site. The worldwide web address is http://www.Info.Usaid.Gov. Select business and procurement opportunities from the home page, then quote usaid procurement unquote. The RFP can also be downloaded via anonymous file transfer protocol (ftp). The FTP address is FTP.INFO.USAID.GOV. Logon on using the user identification of quote anonymous unquote and the password is your e-mail address. Look under the following directory for the RFP: pub/OP/RFP/49297011/49297011.rfp. Receipt of this RFP through internet must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. (0135)

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