RFP for Selection / Empanelment of Strategic Learning, Capability Building and Training Partner
Description
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Selection / Empanelment of Strategic Learning, Capability Building and Training Partner for Mein Pragati – Assam and Rajasthan (Crisil CSR Programme)
Design, Development and Delivery of Financial Inclusion, Digital Capability, Entrepreneurship and Community Leadership Training for Sakhis
|
RFP Particular |
Details |
|
Issuing Entity |
Crisil Foundation – CSR arm of Crisil |
|
Programme |
Mein Pragati (Crisil CSR Programme) |
|
Geography |
Assam and Rajasthan |
|
Target Participants |
Approximately 2,665 new Sakhis; operational planning provision up to 3,000 Sakhis; and 60–80 NGO field team members |
|
Nature of Assignment |
Strategic training, curriculum development, field delivery, assessment, certification and learning analytics |
|
Assignment Period |
Approximately 5–6 months; trainings to be completed by 31 December 2026 or as per approved implementation calendar |
|
Proposal Submission Deadline |
July 31, 2026 |
|
Proposal Validity |
Minimum 3 months from submission deadline |
Invitation to Bid
Crisil Foundation invites proposals from qualified, experienced and professionally managed organisations to serve as the Strategic Learning, Capability Building and Training Partner for Mein Pragati 2.0 in Assam and Rajasthan. The selected agency will support Crisil Foundation and its NGO partners in building the capabilities of Sakhis as trusted last-mile women agents for financial inclusion, welfare access, digital financial literacy, entrepreneurship, community leadership and household financial resilience.
About Crisil Foundation and Mein Pragati
Crisil Foundation, established in 2013, is Crisil’s corporate social responsibility arm. It implements programmes aligned with Schedule VII of the Companies Act and is focused on empowering socially and economically disadvantaged communities.
Mein Pragati is Crisil Foundation’s flagship financial inclusion programme operating in Assam and Rajasthan through a community-based Sakhi model. The programme engages over 5,200 trained women Sakhis across 5,000+ villages and has strengthened the financial capabilities of over 4.4 million community members, largely rural women.
The programme has evolved through an expansion phase (2018–2023) focused on scale and access, and a consolidation phase (2024–2025) focused on systems, Sakhi capability, data-driven segmentation and financial resilience mapping across five pillars – savings, credit, insurance, investment and pension.
Mein Pragati 2.0 represents the next phase, integrating scale, sustainability of Sakhi livelihoods and deeper community impact. Under this phase, Crisil Foundation intends to onboard and capacitate approximately 2,665 new Sakhis across identified districts, with operational provision up to 3,000 participants.
For more details, visit: https://www.crisil.com/en/home/crisil-foundation.html
Strategic Intent of the Assignment
- Identify a strategic capability-building partner, not merely a conventional training vendor.
- Create a training process which is truly engaging for the Sakhi, which will in turn become a strong pull factor towards training as well as the larger Mein Pragati programme
- Build a confident, skilled and financially capable Sakhi cadre that can facilitate responsible financial inclusion at the last mile.
- Strengthen Sakhis’ and NGO partner field teams’ ability to support communities across savings, credit, insurance, investment, pension and welfare entitlements.
- Build practical digital financial literacy, safe digital transaction capabilities and responsible use of digital and AI-enabled productivity tools.
- Develop entrepreneurial orientation, communication ability, stakeholder engagement skills and community leadership.
- Establish a measurable learning, assessment, certification and MIS framework linked to programme outcomes.
Assignment Overview
|
Parameter |
Description |
|
Participants |
Approximately 2,665 new Sakhis, with operational buffer/coverage planning up to 3,000 Sakhis; and 60–80 NGO field team members including Field and Training Coordinators. |
|
States |
Assam and Rajasthan. |
|
District Coverage |
As per Annexure 1. Districts and participant numbers are indicative and may be modified by Crisil Foundation. |
|
Implementation Period |
5–6 months from contract signing / mobilisation, with trainings expected to be completed by 31 December 2026 unless revised by Crisil Foundation. |
|
Parameter |
Description |
|
Delivery Mode |
Predominantly in-person, field-based training at village/block/cluster level, supported by digital learning, refreshers and remote reinforcement. |
|
Training Language |
Assamese, Hindi and context-specific local dialects, as applicable. |
|
Key Partners |
The selected agency will work closely with Crisil Foundation and five NGO implementation partners across the two states. |
Eligibility and Due Diligence
Mandatory Eligibility Criteria
|
Criterion |
Minimum Requirement |
Evidence Required |
|
Legal Status |
Registered legal entity in India including company, trust, society, Section 8 company, LLP, partnership or other legally recognised entity. |
Certificate of incorporation/registration and constitutional documents. |
|
Vintage |
Minimum three years of operational experience in India; active operations during the last three years. |
Registration certificate, annual reports/profile and proof of operations. |
|
Relevant Experience |
At least three assignments during the last five years involving training/capacity building of significant experience with grassroot cadre and community-level training |
Completion certificates, work orders, client letters or case studies. |
|
Women Cadre Experience – especially in Financial Inclusion domain |
Experience with women agents, SHG members, BC Sakhis, community resource persons, rural entrepreneurs or similar last-mile cadres. |
Project documents, case studies and references. |
|
Thematic Expertise |
Experience in financial literacy, digital literacy, financial inclusion, livelihoods, entrepreneurship or welfare access. |
Sample modules, project references and team profiles. |
|
Geographic Capacity |
Ability to deploy qualified trainers and coordinators in Assam and Rajasthan, with local language capability. |
Proposed staffing and state deployment plan. |
|
Financial Strength |
Average annual turnover/budget of at least INR 2 crore during the last three financial years; higher scale will be preferred. |
Audited financial statements for last three years. |
|
References |
At least three institutional references/ testimonials from the client pool |
Reference letters/contact details. |
Submission Instructions
Bidders shall submit technical and financial proposals separately in password-protected files or as per the platform requirements. Financial proposals should not be included in the technical proposal.
|
Submission Item |
Requirement |
|
Technical Proposal |
PDF/Word file containing all technical sections and annexures. |
|
Financial Proposal |
Separate Excel/PDF file with detailed cost break-up. |
|
Subject Line |
Proposal – Mein Pragati 2.0 Training Partner – [Agency Name]. |
|
Submission Email |
Sunil Kumar (sunil.kumar2@crisil.com) Abhishek Neelakantan (Abhishek.Neelakantan@ext-crisil.com) |
|
Contact for Clarifications |
Sunil Kumar (sunil.kumar2@crisil.com) Abhishek Neelakantan (Abhishek.Neelakantan@ext-crisil.com) |
To download the full RFP, click here: RFP for Selection / Empanelment of Strategic Learning, Capability Building and Training Partner
Documents
Description
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Selection / Empanelment of Strategic Learning, Capability Building and Training Partner for Mein Pragati – Assam and Rajasthan (Crisil CSR Programme)
Design, Development and Delivery of Financial Inclusion, Digital Capability, Entrepreneurship and Community Leadership Training for Sakhis
|
RFP Particular |
Details |
|
Issuing Entity |
Crisil Foundation – CSR arm of Crisil |
|
Programme |
Mein Pragati (Crisil CSR Programme) |
|
Geography |
Assam and Rajasthan |
|
Target Participants |
Approximately 2,665 new Sakhis; operational planning provision up to 3,000 Sakhis; and 60–80 NGO field team members |
|
Nature of Assignment |
Strategic training, curriculum development, field delivery, assessment, certification and learning analytics |
|
Assignment Period |
Approximately 5–6 months; trainings to be completed by 31 December 2026 or as per approved implementation calendar |
|
Proposal Submission Deadline |
July 31, 2026 |
|
Proposal Validity |
Minimum 3 months from submission deadline |
Invitation to Bid
Crisil Foundation invites proposals from qualified, experienced and professionally managed organisations to serve as the Strategic Learning, Capability Building and Training Partner for Mein Pragati 2.0 in Assam and Rajasthan. The selected agency will support Crisil Foundation and its NGO partners in building the capabilities of Sakhis as trusted last-mile women agents for financial inclusion, welfare access, digital financial literacy, entrepreneurship, community leadership and household financial resilience.
About Crisil Foundation and Mein Pragati
Crisil Foundation, established in 2013, is Crisil’s corporate social responsibility arm. It implements programmes aligned with Schedule VII of the Companies Act and is focused on empowering socially and economically disadvantaged communities.
Mein Pragati is Crisil Foundation’s flagship financial inclusion programme operating in Assam and Rajasthan through a community-based Sakhi model. The programme engages over 5,200 trained women Sakhis across 5,000+ villages and has strengthened the financial capabilities of over 4.4 million community members, largely rural women.
The programme has evolved through an expansion phase (2018–2023) focused on scale and access, and a consolidation phase (2024–2025) focused on systems, Sakhi capability, data-driven segmentation and financial resilience mapping across five pillars – savings, credit, insurance, investment and pension.
Mein Pragati 2.0 represents the next phase, integrating scale, sustainability of Sakhi livelihoods and deeper community impact. Under this phase, Crisil Foundation intends to onboard and capacitate approximately 2,665 new Sakhis across identified districts, with operational provision up to 3,000 participants.
For more details, visit: https://www.crisil.com/en/home/crisil-foundation.html
Strategic Intent of the Assignment
- Identify a strategic capability-building partner, not merely a conventional training vendor.
- Create a training process which is truly engaging for the Sakhi, which will in turn become a strong pull factor towards training as well as the larger Mein Pragati programme
- Build a confident, skilled and financially capable Sakhi cadre that can facilitate responsible financial inclusion at the last mile.
- Strengthen Sakhis’ and NGO partner field teams’ ability to support communities across savings, credit, insurance, investment, pension and welfare entitlements.
- Build practical digital financial literacy, safe digital transaction capabilities and responsible use of digital and AI-enabled productivity tools.
- Develop entrepreneurial orientation, communication ability, stakeholder engagement skills and community leadership.
- Establish a measurable learning, assessment, certification and MIS framework linked to programme outcomes.
Assignment Overview
|
Parameter |
Description |
|
Participants |
Approximately 2,665 new Sakhis, with operational buffer/coverage planning up to 3,000 Sakhis; and 60–80 NGO field team members including Field and Training Coordinators. |
|
States |
Assam and Rajasthan. |
|
District Coverage |
As per Annexure 1. Districts and participant numbers are indicative and may be modified by Crisil Foundation. |
|
Implementation Period |
5–6 months from contract signing / mobilisation, with trainings expected to be completed by 31 December 2026 unless revised by Crisil Foundation. |
|
Parameter |
Description |
|
Delivery Mode |
Predominantly in-person, field-based training at village/block/cluster level, supported by digital learning, refreshers and remote reinforcement. |
|
Training Language |
Assamese, Hindi and context-specific local dialects, as applicable. |
|
Key Partners |
The selected agency will work closely with Crisil Foundation and five NGO implementation partners across the two states. |
Eligibility and Due Diligence
Mandatory Eligibility Criteria
|
Criterion |
Minimum Requirement |
Evidence Required |
|
Legal Status |
Registered legal entity in India including company, trust, society, Section 8 company, LLP, partnership or other legally recognised entity. |
Certificate of incorporation/registration and constitutional documents. |
|
Vintage |
Minimum three years of operational experience in India; active operations during the last three years. |
Registration certificate, annual reports/profile and proof of operations. |
|
Relevant Experience |
At least three assignments during the last five years involving training/capacity building of significant experience with grassroot cadre and community-level training |
Completion certificates, work orders, client letters or case studies. |
|
Women Cadre Experience – especially in Financial Inclusion domain |
Experience with women agents, SHG members, BC Sakhis, community resource persons, rural entrepreneurs or similar last-mile cadres. |
Project documents, case studies and references. |
|
Thematic Expertise |
Experience in financial literacy, digital literacy, financial inclusion, livelihoods, entrepreneurship or welfare access. |
Sample modules, project references and team profiles. |
|
Geographic Capacity |
Ability to deploy qualified trainers and coordinators in Assam and Rajasthan, with local language capability. |
Proposed staffing and state deployment plan. |
|
Financial Strength |
Average annual turnover/budget of at least INR 2 crore during the last three financial years; higher scale will be preferred. |
Audited financial statements for last three years. |
|
References |
At least three institutional references/ testimonials from the client pool |
Reference letters/contact details. |
Submission Instructions
Bidders shall submit technical and financial proposals separately in password-protected files or as per the platform requirements. Financial proposals should not be included in the technical proposal.
|
Submission Item |
Requirement |
|
Technical Proposal |
PDF/Word file containing all technical sections and annexures. |
|
Financial Proposal |
Separate Excel/PDF file with detailed cost break-up. |
|
Subject Line |
Proposal – Mein Pragati 2.0 Training Partner – [Agency Name]. |
|
Submission Email |
Sunil Kumar (sunil.kumar2@crisil.com) Abhishek Neelakantan (Abhishek.Neelakantan@ext-crisil.com) |
|
Contact for Clarifications |
Sunil Kumar (sunil.kumar2@crisil.com) Abhishek Neelakantan (Abhishek.Neelakantan@ext-crisil.com) |
To download the full RFP, click here: RFP for Selection / Empanelment of Strategic Learning, Capability Building and Training Partner