Procurement Notice

Analyze the educational divide among APO members; evaluate its implications for productivity; explore challenges and opportunities in this field led by technological advances, including AI; and provide policy implications for stakeholders for fostering inclusive economic growth.

For more details, the PN and Implementation Procedures.

The OECD highlights that macroeconomic gains from human capital arise from both increased access to education and improving its quality (2022). Significant educational disparities, such as restricted access and unequal opportunities for high-quality education among certain segments of the population, can lead to the creation and entrenchment of a low-skilled, low-productivity workforce, posing a threat to inclusive productivity.

Recent technological advances, including AI, provide opportunities for improving both educational attainment and quality, but may also widen the educational divide, resulting in skill polarization and exacerbating job–education mismatches due to skill-biased economic growth. This research examines the implications of the educational divide for productivity, explores emerging issues and opportunities, and recommends strategies to reduce disparities and promote inclusive productivity in APO member economies.

The APO will select a research institution with extensive, specialized expertise in the educational divide and productivity as demonstrated through publications and international research.

Impact of the educational divide on productivity; Underlying issues of the educational divide; Opportunities and challenges from technological advances, including AI; and Policy measures by stakeholders to bridge the educational divide.

1. 1. Cover letter of interest (Annex 1).
2. 2. Basic organizational details (Annex 2).
3. 3. Profile of the organization (maximum 1 A4-sized page).
4. 4. Experience in conducting research in similar areas (Annex 3).
5. 5. Financial proposal to indicate the cost of services (Annex 4).
   1. Total costs and breakdowns for conducting the research should be given only in US dollar amounts.
   2. All national taxes and levies applicable should be stated and   included in the total costs. The APO will consider the inclusive costs as the final quoted prices when evaluating proposals.
   3. All rates and costs quoted in financial proposals should be written in both numeric and alphabetic forms, e.g., USD2,500 (two thousand five hundred US dollars).

Download: Annexes.

1. 1. Proposals with all required information specified should only be sent via email in password-protected PDF file attachments signed by authorized representatives no later than 15:00 (Japan Standard Time), 19 December 2025 to rminamoto@apo-tokyo.org and asato@apo-tokyo.org.
2. 2. The subject line of the email message should be:
   Proposal for Research on the Educational Divide and Implications for Productivity by <Institution name>.

1. 1. The selected institution will be awarded a contract with the APO for conducting the research, based on the following selection criteria:

• ・Technical proposal (Proposed scope of work; methodology; timeline; table of contents; and research team composition)
• ・Prior experience in conducting similar projects
• ・Quality of prior publications
• ・Financial proposal (Quotation)

1. 2. Only the selected institution will be notified via email within 1 month of the submission deadline of the acceptance of its proposal.

1. 1. The APO reserves the right to annul the RFP or the vendor selection process, or to accept or reject any or all proposals in whole or part at any time, without stating any reason and without incurring any liability to the affected institution.
2. 2. The APO is not obligated to respond to any objections or to inform the affected institution of the grounds for such decisions.
3. 3. The APO also reserves the right to change the scope of work in case of need or depending upon changes in requirements before or during the implementation phase. However, if changes are made during the implementation phase, the APO will negotiate the costs for the additional work separately with the institution.

1. 1. The APO will not bear any costs related to the research, planning, design, or any other such activity related to the preparation of proposals in response to this RFP by institutions for sending proposals to the APO.
2. 2. The APO may, at its own discretion, extend the submission deadline by notifying all bidders of the extension in writing. Any proposal received after the deadline will be rejected.

A prospective institution requiring any clarification of this document, or the process itself, shall submit its queries in writing only to the following email addresses:

Multicountry Program Division 2
Asian Productivity Organization (APO Secretariat)
1-24-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Email: rminamoto@apo-tokyo.org and asato@apo-tokyo.org