Germany - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support - 81322958_Development_MSME_IT_Platform

In Ukraine, GIZ is providing extensive support for efficient and long-term reconstruction on behalf of the German Government, the European Union (EU) and other donors. It operates in the following areas: · Good living conditions and good governance · Secure energy transition and climate action · A well-performing economy Small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have the potential to become a vital driver of Ukraine"s economy, creating jobs and promoting growth and innovation. However, MSMEs often struggle to access timely and suitable financing, limiting their ability to fully contribute to economic development. The new co-financed Programme "STEP IN 2 EU" will address these topics in various modules - including the promotion of access to finance for MSMEs. Programme focuses on the following priorities: · Support for economic development and corresponding strategies/measures of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Ukraine - especially with regard to the requirements of companies and financial institutions towards EU membership or the implementation of European regulations. This also applies to the continuation of co-operation with the National Bank of Ukraine - NBU - in the gradual implementation of EU regulations for the financial sector. · Technical support in the implementation of the above-mentioned state support measures in selected sectors in the MSME segment as well as a strong focus on reforms in the financial sector (banks and insurance companies). · Regional economic promotion in cooperation with decentralised administrations and districts in the area of MSME promotion. · Promoting the financing of MSMEs via selected financial institutions in Ukraine together with the BDF as a central partner of GIZ. The MSME IT Platform to be expanded will be disseminated via the banking associations in Ukraine, among others. The German Government (BMZ and BMF) is committed to further support the Business Development Fund of Ukraine. Business Development Fund is Ukrainian state-owned institution, aimed to support the financing and development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises with the help of a wide range of programs and financial instruments: soft loans, interest compensation, credit guarantees and grants as well as consulting support for MSMEs and partner financial institutions. BDF operates as a second level financial institution. The business model of BDF could be described as follows. It attracts capital, concessional loans, and quasi-commercial debt from national and international economic development partners, development financial institutions, and other entities supporting private-sector entrepreneurship. These resources are channelled through partner financial institutions (PFIs) to increase access to grants, loans, and additional financial services for SMEs in Ukraine. The support measures are mainly focusing (i) on strengthening and establishing the BDF as a professional, core development institution for Ukraine and (ii) the promotion and digitalization of MSME finance in line with the Ukraine"s SME Strategy. Within this framework, GIZ and KFW as implementing partners will continue and even intensify their trustworthy cooperation with the BDF in the coming years - which will stay to be challenging in view of the political and war-related circumstances. Therefore, the further strengthening and support of the MSME and the financial sector in general, and the direct cooperation with the BDF in particular, will remain crucial for Ukraine"s economic recovery. KFW and GIZ have been aligning their core activities with the BDF closely: · KFW will support and finance the institutional capacity building and further professionalization of the BDF with the aim of developing into a strong and autonomous institution. The institutional capacity building, financed by BMZ and implemented by BDF with the Consulting company Deloitte, represents the first and short-term goal of the "Vision BDF 2.0". Besides clear legal frameworks, independent and gender-balanced governance structure and financially self-sufficiency, also robust processes, including a comprehensive internal core IT infrastructure are envisioned. Part of this target IT architecture for the BDF with all its modules and business solutions is planned to be implemented and rolled-out with BMF-funding via KfW until 2026. This includes for example the automatization and digitalization of internal processes and an automatic data exchange between BDF, banks and ministries. · GIZ will further support BDF in designing, developing and roll-out the "MSME IT Platform". This so-called external IT solution will allow BDF to professionally match demand (MSME) and supply of capital (Development Finance Institutions/banks, Donors, Government programs, etc.). Furthermore, this digital solution will lead to more efficient and transparent processes in MSME financing in Ukraine, including comprehensive overviews, mappings and reports of MSME programmes, provided credit and grant lines and on specific target groups. The service provider will further develop and transform an existing pilot solution-currently offering core features such as electronic registration, MSME self-service functions, an online application process, and basic scoring and tracking-into a production platform that meets BDF"s functional, technical, regulatory, and operational requirements. The enhanced platform will serve as a centralised access point for MSMEs to obtain information on and apply for loans, grants, and other financial products, streamline and standardise application processes, and support data-driven matching of MSMEs with suitable financial instruments, including secure interfaces to government systems and partner financial institutions. Core capabilities include digital application management for grants and loans, matching and processing workflows, complaints handling, and secure user access. Key user-facing functions cover access to comprehensive financing information, secure authentication and onboarding, guided service access, and integrated helpdesk and support. Supporting capabilities encompass analytics, auditing, reporting, IT operations, training, and project management to ensure continuous improvement, compliance, and stable operation. The service provider"s deliverables shall be structured along the software development life cycle and agile IT Project Management implementation, covering at least the following result areas: - Initiation and onboarding: Set up of collaboration structures, onboarding of the service providers team, clarification of roles and responsibilities, refinement and validation of the overall architecture, and definition of the testing and quality assurance approach. - Environment and platform setup: Design, provisioning, and configuration of development, testing, staging, and production environments, including all required supporting systems, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, logging, and security components. - Implementation and iterative development: Execution of continuous, iteration-based development tasks (configuration, integration, and custom development) according to the agreed backlog, including regular refinement, documentation, and alignment with BDF and partner institutions. - Quality assurance and testing: Planning and performing unit, integration, system, performance, and security tests across iterations; managing defects; and ensuring that acceptance criteria and regulatory requirements are met before releases. - Training and capacity development: Design and delivery of training measures for BDF staff, administrators, and key users, including training materials, knowledge transfer sessions, and support for building internal capabilities for long-term ownership. - Operations and user support: Establishment and execution of operational processes for incident, problem, and change management; provision of continuous user support (e.g. service desk, second-level support); and ensuring availability, performance, security, and data protection. - Project and stakeholder management: Ongoing coordination with BDF and stakeholders, reporting, risk and issue management, release and iteration planning, and administrative project management activities. - Business and process consulting: Continuous advisory services on MSME financing processes, product design, and regulatory and market requirements to ensure that the platform remains aligned with BDF"s business model and the Ukrainian financial ecosystem. - Transition and handover: Structured handover of solution, documentation, operational procedures, and knowledge to BDF (and, where applicable, other designated parties), including final training and support during the transition to full BDF ownership and operation.