Call for Proposals for the “Planning work for the Next ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development” Using AMEICC’s FY2022 Supplementary Budget

Under the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 (AEC Blueprint 2025), ASEAN enhances the development and promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in its economic integration initiatives. In alignment with the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016-2025 (SAP SMED 2025), ASEAN through the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME), has strengthened the role of MSMEs in the region by promoting productivity, technology and innovation, increasing access to finance, enhancing market access and internationalization, enhancing MSME policy and regulatory environment, and promoting entrepreneurship and human capital development.

As ASEAN draws close to the end of the implementation period of the AEC Blueprint 2025, the Sectoral Bodies under the AEC are engaged to undertake the following three tasks, namely: (1) commencing the sectoral-level end-term review (ETR) of the current sectoral plans, (2) development of post-2025 sectoral plan, and (3) providing inputs to the draft AEC strategic plan mirrored from the identified measures and activities under the Sectoral Plan(s). The ACCMSME is currently undertaking the ETR of the SAP SMED 2025, and, formulating the new MSME Strategic Plan (“next SAP SMED”). In the development of this plan, it is anticipated that close collaboration with ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat and international organizations will be undertaken with a view to deepen discussions based on studies and recommendations on SME policies. These include the ASEAN SME Policy Index 2024 developed by ACCMSME with the technical support from OECD & ERIA, scheduled to be published in September 2024, as well as the updated KPI report as at 2020.

In addition, Japan is the largest FDI country in ASEAN, with more than 9,000 Japanese companies, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, operating in ASEAN. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan and its Small and Medium Enterprise Agency (SMEA) have been actively supporting SMEs' overseas expansion to date and have been steadily supporting SME development projects contributing to the implementation of the SAP SMED 2025. The list of MSME development projects supported by Japan could be accessed from the JAIF website.

  The formulation and implementation of the strategic plans in ASEAN SME policy will not only contribute to ASEAN's economic development by facilitating ASEAN SMEs to improve their competitiveness, productivity, and resilience, so that they can play an important role in regional and international supply/value chains, but also contributing the development of Japanese SMEs already operating in ASEAN through trade and investment.

Furthermore, supporting the formulation of this strategic plan and thereby creating a business environment that facilitates the activities of Japanese SMEs in the ASEAN region will further contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of the competitiveness of Japanese SMEs. In formulating the action plan, it is also expected to take into consideration the perspective of realizing "economic co-creation" initiatives that combine the strengths of both Japan and ASEAN, while making maximum use of the diversity of ASEAN countries.

The contractor selected through this call for proposals shall be commissioned by the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS) to implement the services (1) through (9).

(1) Create an Inception Report
(2) Update SAP SMED 2025 KPI Figures & Propose KPIs for next SAP SMED
(3) Conceptualize and draft the next SAP SMED
(4) Conduct Stakeholder Workshop to validate findings and recommendations (November 2024)
(5) Wider Stakeholder Engagements through virtual consultations
(6) Conduct hybrid Stakeholder Workshop to get acceptance for the next SAP SMED (April 2025)
(7) Finalize the Next SAP SMED for endorsement by the ACCMSME, Senior Economic Officials, and the ASEAN Economic Ministers.
(8) Develop next SAP SMED Dissemination Kit:
　•    in e-publication format
　•    presentation kit in power-point format
(9) Develop communication kit for the next SAP SMED
　i.    Executive Summary summarizing the MSME Strategic Plan in e-publication
　ii.    Infographics to be published on social media
　iii.    One explanatory video for businesses
　iv.    Op-ed for ASEAN published on ASEAN website and major media outlets.

If you wish to participate in this project competition, you must express your intention to participate by sending an application form by e-mail attachment by 3:00 p.m. in Japan time, Friday, September 20 [must arrive by this date and time]. The Application Letter must be submitted separately with the application documents.

2)    Q&A

(1)    Question deadline: 3:00 p.m. in Japan time, Friday, September 20, 2024
(2)    How to Receive Questions: By e-mail only
(3)    How to Answer Questions: All questions received will be answered by e-mail to those who have expressed their willingness to participate in the proposal competition by 4:00 p.m. in Japan time, Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

6. Contact Information for Submission of Application Documents and Inquiries