REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

Selection of an Individual Consultant for providing Consulting support to the State Chancellery with monitoring and implementation of the Moldova Growth Plan

World Bank Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Competitiveness Project

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Sector: General industry and trade sector IDA Credit No. 71740 IBRD Loan No. 94230 Project ID No. P177895 Reference No. MD-CEP- 537238-CS-INDV

The Republic of Moldova has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Competitiveness Project (MSME) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include services aimed to providing policy advisory and implementation support to the State Chancellery with a primary focus on monitoring, coordination, and reporting of the Reform Agenda under the Republic of Moldova’s Growth Plan. The Expert will support the tracking of reform progress, contribute to the preparation of implementation reports, facilitate inter-institutional coordination, and assist in identifying operational challenges affecting the timely delivery of reform measures.

The assignment will be implemented in the period April to December 2026 with an estimated level of effort of app. 190 man-days.

The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment is attached to this request for expressions of interest.

The Project Implementation Unit of the MSME Competitiveness Project now invites eligible individual local consultants (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

The qualifications requirements are:

 University degree in Law, European Law or a related field.  Demonstrated experience in developing and monitoring the implementation of public policies, legislative harmonisation, or approximation to the EU acquis having at least ten years of legal practice in business, trade and financial laws.  Prior experience of working in public service, policy advocacy and advisory to government and/or international institutions is an advantage.  Strong analytical skills, knowledge of Moldovan legislative and institutional framework.  Familiarity with EU legislation, institutional architecture, and reform processes.  Excellent communication and stakeholder coordination skills.  Fluency in Romanian and English is required.

The Consultant shall provide relevant references to confirm the experience and qualifications. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” November 2020 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the „Open Competitive Selection of Individual Consultants” method set out in the Procurement Regulations and to be specifically set out in the Request for submission of the technical and financial proposal.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours.

The applications should include a letter of Expression of Interest, CV, and related recommendation letters, if any, together with a copy of CV in MS WORD format.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by March 26, 2026, COBD, indicating the assignment title in subject line.

Project Implementation Unit of the MSME Competitiveness Project 180, Stefan cel Mare Ave., office 815, MD-2004, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova Tel: + 373 22 296-723;

e-mail: piu@mded.gov.md with cc: procurementmgf@gmail.com web: https://uipac.md/   TERMS OF REFERENCE Consulting support to the State Chancellery with monitoring and implementation of the Moldova Growth Plan

A. Background & Project description The Government of the Republic of Moldova (GoM) is pursuing a policy agenda to support export-led economic growth. In this regard, an improved business environment is essential to foster sustainable private sector growth. Significant regulatory and institutional weaknesses in the business environment have been identified by the recently conducted Investment Climate Assessment as major obstacles to the private sector’s ability to perform efficiently and grow, and they also negatively affect investor confidence. The presence of cumbersome regulations undermines the competitiveness of private Moldovan enterprises and prevents increased investment by increasing the cost of doing business. In order to sustain the results of the previous programs implemented and to support the continued implementation of reforms to create a more favourable business environment and facilitate export promotion, the Government of the Republic of Moldova has expressed a strong desire for a project that takes a more comprehensive approach to business competitiveness and has therefore negotiated funding from the International Development Association for the cost of implementing the Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSME) Competitiveness Project. The MSME’s project development objectives (PDO) are: (i) to reduce the regulatory burden, increase access to finance, increase the export competitiveness of Moldovan enterprises, and (ii) in case of an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, to respond promptly and effectively to it. The project consists of the following components: Component 1 – Regulatory reform and Digitization. This component supports GoM in reducing the regulatory burden on businesses by further digitization both at the national and local levels, enhancing and digitizing inspection services, improving interoperability and integrated service delivery for businesses, simplifying the regulatory environment, and improving the National Quality Infrastructure System (NQI). Component 2 – Access to Finance. This component aims to support the CGF under the Organization for Entrepreneurial Development (ODA) in providing financial guarantees to MSMEs, to deliver more effective programs and assistance that have positive spillovers for the growth of MSMEs and export-oriented sectors to expand the business, enter new markets, start new export activities, and introduce new technologies needed for productivity gains. Component 3 – MSME Development and Export Competitiveness, focusing on supporting firms through matching grants, export readiness, supplier linkages, and export promotion programs. The objectives of this component are linked with GoM’s goals of simplifying the rules for MSME operation, supporting business establishment, growth and internationalization, enabling more efficient support programs for MSMEs, as well as facilitating the inflow of investments. Component 4 – Contingency Emergency Response (CERC). This is an unfunded contingency component that can be activated in case of a relevant emergency event. Following an eligible crisis or emergency, the Borrower may request the World Bank to reallocate Project funds to support an emergency response. Once triggered, this component will be drawn from the uncommitted loan resources under the Project to address the emergency. B. Background of the assignment The Republic of Moldova is advancing through a decisive phase of governance transformation driven by European integration commitments, economic modernisation objectives, and institutional reform priorities in line with its European integration objectives. These efforts require coordinated action across central institutions, consistent alignment between strategic priorities and implementation processes, and sustained institutional capacity to deliver reforms effectively. Within this broader reform context, the Moldova Growth Plan serves as a key framework guiding priority actions intended to support economic development, enhance institutional performance, and strengthen Moldova’s preparedness for integration with the European Union. The Growth Plan brings together reform measures, policy commitments, and financial support mechanisms, creating a results-oriented approach that links reform implementation with tangible development outcomes. The implementation of the Growth Plan involves multiple sectors and responsible authorities, requiring structured coordination, preparation of supporting policy and implementation documents, and continuous follow-up on agreed actions. Effective execution depends on clear roles, timely communication among stakeholders, and the ability to translate strategic commitments into operational measures across government. As the central coordination body of the Government, the State Chancellery plays a key role in facilitating cooperation among line ministries and supporting the implementation of government priorities under the Growth Plan Reform Agenda. Within this framework, to reinforce these functions, the Government is seeking the support from MSME to hire and finance a dedicated expert support to contribute to policy coordination, implementation follow-up, preparation of analytical inputs, and engagement with relevant stakeholders, thereby supporting the Government’s efforts to deliver coherent and timely reform outcomes.

C. Objective of the assignment The main objective of the assignment is to provide policy advisory and implementation support to the State Chancellery with a primary focus on monitoring, coordination, and reporting of the Reform Agenda under the Republic of Moldova’s Growth Plan. The Expert will support the tracking of reform progress, contribute to the preparation of implementation reports, facilitate inter-institutional coordination, and assist in identifying operational challenges affecting the timely delivery of reform measures.

D. Tasks to be performed by the Consultant (Scope of the Work) The Expert will work in direct coordination with the Deputy Head of the State Chancellery focusing on the following core tasks: Support to Public Policy and Reform Processes

• Participate in drafting public policy documents and strategic projects relevant to the implementation of the Growth Plan Reform Agenda.
• Contribute to the development, updating, and execution of sectoral reform roadmaps and operational plans.
• Assist in preparing reform-related documentation, including policy briefs, progress reports, and legislative proposals.

Stakeholder Engagement and Consultation

• Facilitate technical consultations on proposed reforms with relevant public and private sector stakeholders.
• Disseminate relevant policy and legal information to relevant stakeholders and support inclusive dialogue on reforms. Monitoring and Implementation Support
• Support the monitoring of reform progress and contribute to the development of performance and progress reports.
• Identify legal and regulatory bottlenecks and propose corrective measures to address challenges in reform implementation.
• Provide day-to-day legal support with the Growth Plan Reform Agenda implementation within line ministries.

E. Reporting Arrangements / Terms of Payment The Consultant will submit monthly reports, which will state activities performed by the Consultant according to the TOR, during the appropriate month, the time spent on each activity. The Consultant will attach to the monthly reports, the materials developed as he/she carried out the activities (deliverables). The Consultant shall coordinate the reports/deliverables with the supervisor at the State Chancellery-level highlighting key achievements and challenges. All deliverables will be provided in electronic form and in hard copies. The language of the deliverables shall be Romanian. The payments will be made by the PIU based on the reports approved by the State Chancellery’ assigned person. F. Period of the Assignment The assignment requires a full-time involvement and will be implemented in the period from April to December, 2026 with an estimated level of effort of app. 190 man-days. The contract can be extended beyond this term, subject to the State Chancellery needs and Consultant’ satisfactory performance. G. Requirements for the assignment The implementation of this assignment will require services of an individual local consultant with relevant expertise in the field of the assignment, who has experience in providing similar or like services, and who has: • University degree in Law, European Law or a related field. • Demonstrated experience in developing and monitoring the implementation of public policies, legislative harmonisation, or approximation to the EU acquis having at least ten years of legal practice in business, trade and financial laws. • Prior experience of working in public service, policy advocacy and advisory to government and/or international institutions is an advantage. • Strong analytical skills, knowledge of Moldovan legislative and institutional framework. • Familiarity with EU legislation, institutional architecture, and reform processes. • Excellent communication and stakeholder coordination skills. • Fluency in Romanian and English is required.