Тренер з питань новітніх тенденцій у торгівлі та геоекономіці (Молдова та Україна)

RFP

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is seeking proposals from qualified international consultancies, advisory firms, economic think tanks, individual experts, or consortia of these entities to design and deliver a series of tailored trainings for business associations and policy institutes in Moldova and Ukraine on emerging global trade and geoeconomic trends.

About CIPE

CIPE is a business-oriented nonprofit organization working at the intersection of governance and economic development. Founded in 1983 and based in Washington, DC, CIPE is active in over 90 countries, with a worldwide network of civil society and private sector partners, and field staff in more than 30 countries.

Program Background

As Moldova and Ukraine deepen integration with Western partners and confront the opportunities and challenges of Ukraine’s reconstruction, their private sectors face a rapidly changing global environment. Intensifying geopolitical competition, sanctions regimes, trade realignments, foreign investment screening, and growing economic security concerns increasingly shape how businesses of all sizes operate and compete.

Yet many business associations and economic think tanks in both countries remain primarily focused on domestic policy issues such as taxation, regulation, and labor. While these issues remain critical, leaders and researchers often lack the tools and strategic frameworks needed to assess how global trade and geoeconomic trends affect their members’ risks, resilience, and investment opportunities. Strengthening this capacity is essential not only for private sector competitiveness but also for democratic governance, enabling business associations to engage constructively with policymakers, advocate for market‑oriented reforms, and attract responsible foreign investment from trusted international partners.

The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the ability of business associations and policy institutes to interpret global trade and geoeconomic developments through a private‑sector lens, translate these trends into practical guidance for their members, and engage more effectively with policymakers and international partners on issues related to trade, investment, and economic security.

Scope of Work

The selected organization/consortium will be responsible for:

Pre‑Training Consultations

• Conduct preparatory consultations with CIPE and selected Ukrainian and Moldovan business associations, think tanks, and civil society partners to understand their priorities, capacities, and key knowledge gaps related to global trade and geoeconomic risks.
• Pre‑training consultations should result in a brief needs‑assessment memo (internal), summarizing priority themes, participant profiles, and recommended adaptations to the training curriculum.

Training Design

• Develop a structured, interactive training curriculum focused on emerging trends in international trade and geoeconomics relevant to business associations and economic policy institutes.
• The curriculum should emphasize applied, scenario‑based learning, including case studies relevant to Eastern Europe, and Ukraine’s reconstruction context.

Training Delivery

• Design and deliver in‑person and hybrid, multi‑day workshops in Moldova and potentially Ukraine (dependent on security conditions) bringing together representatives from business associations and economic think tanks.
• Core Training Topics: Trainings should address, at a minimum, the following thematic areas:
  • Global trade realignments, tariff regimes, and sanctions enforcement
  • Economic statecraft and foreign investment screening practices
  • Dual‑use technologies and export control regimes

Additional or cross‑cutting topics may include:

• Implications of geoeconomic fragmentation for SMEs and sectoral associations
• Role of business associations in shaping responsible investment narratives
• Practical tools for communicating trade and economic security risks to members and policymakers.

Final Report

• Provide a concise post‑training summary highlighting key insights, risks, and actionable takeaways for participating organizations.

Deliverables

The activities outlined in the Scope of Work will result in:

• A tailored training agenda and curriculum
• Collaboration with CIPE on pre‑ and post‑training participant surveys
• Delivery of at least two in‑person or hybrid workshops for Moldovan and Ukrainian participants
• A short final report summarizing activities, participant feedback, and key outcomes

Eligibility Requirements

• Be a legally registered organization, research institution, consultancy, think tank, or consortium of such entities; individual experts are also eligible to apply.
• Demonstrated expertise in international trade, geoeconomics, economic security, or geopolitical risk analysis.
• At least five (5) years of experience delivering training, advisory services, or applied research related to global trade, sanctions, investment screening, or economic security.
• Proven experience working with business associations, private sector stakeholders, or economic policy institutions.
• Strong understanding of the political and economic context of Eastern Europe; experience in Moldova and/or Ukraine is strongly preferred.
• Ability to deliver interactive, practitioner‑oriented training in English (additional language capabilities in Romanian, Russian, or Ukrainian are preferred).

Proposal Requirements

Interested parties should submit a proposal that includes the following elements:

Please ensure your proposal includes:

• An overview of the organization/consortium/personal experience, including relevant experience and expertise in implementing similar training
•  A detailed description of the proposed training methodology and approach
• An outline of the proposed training agenda and thematic focus areas
• CVs of key experts or trainers who will be involved in the project
• A detailed budget breakdown using the provided template, including professional fees, travel, and other anticipated costs. The total budget cannot exceed $30,000.
• Proposed timeline for implementation
• CVs of key experts.
• The application contains all the requested documents and is submitted in English.

Important Note: Applicants should submit proposals in their preferred format, ensuring that all requirements outlined in the Proposal Requirements section are met. Applications may not exceed a total length of ten (10) pages.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Quality, clarity, and feasibility of the proposed methodology for training.
• Relevance and depth of expertise in trade, geoeconomics, and economic security
• Demonstrated experience working with business associations or private sector intermediaries
• Qualifications and experience of proposed trainers or experts
• Cost‑effectiveness and realism of the proposed budget
• Ability and availability to travel to Moldova and potentially to Ukraine, dependent on security conditions

Reporting Requirements

• The selected organization/consortium will be required to submit weekly updates during implementation and a final narrative report to CIPE upon completion of the project. The final narrative report will be due no later than July 31, 2026. Please note that CIPE is required to reserve some of the project funds until the final report is accepted to ensure compliance and achievement of objectives.
• The selected organization/consortium/individual will be required to report on:
  • Percentage of workshop participants demonstrating increased understanding of international trade and geoeconomic concepts through pre- and post-training surveys.
  • Number of participants from Ukraine and Moldova trained through workshops as evidence through participant attendance logs.
  • Percentage of associations reporting increased confidence in advising members on foreign investment or international trade risks, as evidenced through participant feedback.

How to Apply

To apply for this opportunity, please send your proposal, including all outlined materials, with the subject: “CIPE – Economic Security Training RFP – [your SURNAME/ORGANIZATION]” to Sydney Millar ([email protected]) by February 27, 2026.

Applicants will be evaluated based on their proposed methodology for conducting training as well as previous experience in conducting training or research on economic security issues. Proposals must include a detailed budget using the provided template.

CIPE is committed to the highest level of business ethics, including the prevention of potential and real conflicts of interest. As part of this commitment, all Offerors must certify that they have not received non-public information from CIPE or its staff in preparing their bid and that no conflict of interest exists that would impair their performance,

CIPE is an equal opportunity employer.