Procurement Notice

Training Program on Productivity Improvement for the Supporting Industry

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to invite a qualified institute capable of providing comprehensive services to the APO Secretariat to manage the Training Program on Productivity Improvement for the Supporting Industry under a Special Cash Grant from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan. For further information on the program, please refer to “Implementation Guidelines” under METI (https://www.apo-tokyo.org/special-projects/).

The RFP package including Scope of Work for the successful vendor will be provided to applying vendors after signing nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with the APO Secretariat. All information and data provided by the APO Secretariat to applicant vendors and all other documents to which vendors’ employees have access during the preparation and submission of proposals shall be treated as confidential and dealt with in accordance with the signed NDAs. Any oral or written disclosure to unauthorized individuals is prohibited.

The vendor must have proven experience in planning, implementing, monitoring, reporting, and completing training programs in an international setting in Asia, including India and Japan. The vendor should possess all of the following qualifications:

1. 1. Comprehensive understanding of the APO’s international operational framework and its collaboration with member governments and relevant stakeholders.
2. 2. Extensive knowledge of manufacturing practices in the APO region, particularly India.
3. 3. Strong network within the manufacturing industry in India, especially with companies having affiliations with the Japanese private sector and local business partnerships.
4. 4. In-depth understanding of international training schemes like the Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM)/Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC).
5. 5. Rich experience in supporting Japanese-affiliated companies and their local business partnerships in implementing training courses.
6. 6. Expertise in delivering training and guiding beneficiaries in productivity enhancement methods at the organizational level.
7. 7. Ability to consolidate and document the outcomes of activities funded under this Special Cash Grant as part of the final program completion report. This includes both narrative and financial reporting.
8. 8. Business-level proficiency in English and Japanese, facilitating effective communication among diverse teams, and the preparation of the program completion report in both languages.
9. 9. Legal clarity and financial stability to ensure compliance and sustainable operations.
10. 10. Established operational presence in the APO region, particularly in India, such as offices or subsidiaries.
11. 11. Proven capability to sustain long-term service delivery, from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.

1. 1. Language of the proposal and other documents

The proposals prepared by bidders and all correspondence and documents relating to the proposals exchanged by bidders and the APO Secretariat shall be written in English.

2. 2. Cost of proposals

Bidders are responsible for all costs incurred in the preparation and submission of their proposals. This includes costs related to discussions with the APO Secretariat, presentations, contract negotiations, and related travel. The APO Secretariat will not be responsible for these costs, regardless of the selection process outcome.

3. 3. Proposal content

Proposals should contain the following two parts:

• ・A support activity proposal for the training program detailing the proposed methodologies and strategies; and
• ・A financial proposal that details service costs for a one-year contract, including total prices and detailed breakdowns for each activity and expertise area in Japanese yen or US dollars.

Proposals must include an Executive Summary (maximum of two pages) outlining the proposed approach based on past experience.

Note: Bidders are expected to demonstrate their capacity to prepare and submit the final program completion report as outlined in Section 3.9 of the Scope of Work, which includes both narrative and financial reporting, covering current and, where applicable, retrospective activities.

The selected bidder will be awarded a contract with the APO to conduct the training program based on the following selection criteria:

1. 1. Technical Qualifications

• ・Proven Experience in the Field: Demonstrated success in similar international training environments.
• ・Relevant Accreditation: Official recognition or certification relevant to the training and productivity improvement sectors.

2. 2. Additional Qualifications

• ・Capability: Ability to manage and execute projects effectively in the targeted regions.
• ・Availability of sufficient appropriate resources, including financial and legal stability.
• ・Methodology: Innovativeness and effectiveness of proposed training and productivity enhancement methods.
• ・Communication: Proficiency in English and Japanese and ability to manage cross-cultural communication effectively.
• ・Flexibility and Responsiveness: Adaptability to changing project requirements and ability to address unforeseen challenges.
• ・Ability to Grasp Highlights: Competence in identifying and emphasizing the most critical aspects of the training program.
• ・Cultural Competence: Understanding and navigating the complexities of working within diverse cultural contexts.

The APO reserves the right to annul the RFP or the bidder 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 bidders.

The APO is not obligated to respond to any objections or to inform the affected agencies/companies/firms of the grounds for such decisions.

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 successful bidder.

The APO will not bear any costs related to research, planning, design, or any other such activity related to the preparation of proposals in response to this RFP by bidders for sending proposals to the APO.

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.

As part of activity completion, the vendor will be responsible for the proper handover and closure of any publicly accessible communication or dissemination platforms created for the program. All materials, accounts, and data must be archived and transferred to the APO Secretariat prior to contract closure, in accordance with the Scope of Work.

Bidders requiring any clarification of the document or the process itself should submit queries in writing only to the following email address by the deadline of 8 September 2025.

Asian Productivity Organization (APO Secretariat)
1-24-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Email: sip@apo-tokyo.org

A consolidated, anonymous list of all queries received, together with responses, will be shared with bidders who signed NDAs.

Proposals must be submitted via email by the deadline of 17:30 (Japan Standard Time), 8 September 2025 to the APO Secretariat. The selected vendor will be informed by the Secretariat via e-mail during the week of 8 September 2025.

The APO Secretariat reserves the right to amend the RFP prior to the bid closing date. Bidders should check the APO web page (https://www.apo-tokyo.org/procurement-notice/) periodically to ascertain whether any amendments or communications have been posted.