External services for Curriculum Development and Training in Laboratory Equipment Maintenance and Repair

Request for Proposal (RFP)
Solicitation Title: External services for Curriculum Development and
Training in Laboratory Equipment Maintenance and
Repair
Solicitation Number: 027
Submit Questions and Proposal procurement_epic.tj@fhi360.org
to:
Date of Issue of RFP: May 04, 2026
Date Proposal Due: May 18, 2026
Duration: The service agreement will be signed between June 2026
and September 2026.
Organizational Background
FHI 360 is a global organization that mobilizes research, resources, and relationships so
people everywhere have access to the opportunities they need to lead full and healthy
lives. With collaborations in over 60 countries, we work directly with local leaders to
advance social and economic equity, improve health and well-being, respond to
humanitarian crises, and strengthen community resilience. We share data-driven insights
and scalable tools that expand access and equity so communities can effectively address
complex challenges, respond to shocks, and achieve thriving futures.
Project Background
Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC), an eight-year global project
funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S.
Government (USG) that provides strategic technical assistance and direct service
delivery to achieve HIV epidemic control among all at-risk populations; strengthen global
health security (GHS), including outbreak response; improve mother, newborn and child
health (MNCH), address malaria; and nutrition. Currently in Tajikistan, EpiC is
implementing HIV, GHS, and MNCH and Nutrition projects.
Purpose:
As part of its efforts in Tajikistan, the EpiC project will support the State Unitary Enterprise
"National Center for Maintenance and Repair of Medical Equipment" (SUE "NCMRME")
under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of
Tajikistan (MOHSPP) in strengthening the capacity of local engineering specialists to
maintain and repair laboratory equipment, helping to address gaps in human resources
and technical capacity.

The EpiC project plans to conduct a training-of-trainers (ToT) program for specialists of
SUE "NCMRME" to build their capacity in maintaining and repairing laboratory equipment,
while enabling them to cascade training to others.
EpiC also plans to introduce a certified training course on the maintenance and repair of
laboratory equipment under SUE "NCMRME", develop training programs and materials,
and establish a practical training center.
The purpose of this RFP is to engage a qualified company or organization to develop,
implement, and sustain a certified training program for the maintenance, calibration, and
repair of laboratory equipment at SUE "NCMRME", in alignment with international
standards and national priorities.
Scope of work
* Design and develop a certified training program on maintenance, calibration, and
repair of laboratory equipment, aligned with international standards and national
priorities.
* Deliver Training-of-Trainers (ToT) for SUE "NCMRME" specialists, ensuring
sustainable knowledge transfer and institutional capacity building.
* Review existing training programs and develop/update curricula and materials, in
collaboration with the Technical Working Group (TWG), incorporating global best
practices and modern technologies.
* Support establishment of a practical training center, including input on
equipment, simulators, and training infrastructure for hands-on learning.
* Provide technical expertise and mentorship during initial training rollout, including
practical sessions on priority laboratory equipment (e.g., ELISA, PCR,
centrifuges, autoclaves).
* Ensure alignment and integration with existing national systems and donor-
supported laboratory programs (e.g., HIV, TB, surveillance systems).
* Support certification and accreditation processes of the training program in
coordination with MOHSPP and relevant institutions.
* Facilitate collaboration with academic institutions, private sector, and technical
partners to strengthen program quality and sustainability.
* Develop monitoring and evaluation tools to assess training effectiveness and
participant performance.
* Provide recommendations for long-term sustainability, including operational
models for fee-based training programs.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
* Proven experience (at least 5-7 years) in developing and implementing training
programs in biomedical engineering, laboratory equipment maintenance, or
related fields, including certified or accredited training programs.
* Demonstrated expertise in maintenance, calibration, and repair of laboratory and
diagnostic equipment (e.g., ELISA, PCR, biochemical systems).
* Experience in Training-of-Trainers (ToT) approaches and capacity-building
initiatives.

* Strong knowledge of international standards and best practices in biomedical
equipment maintenance and biosafety.
* Experience working with government institutions, preferably Ministries of Health
or national training/technical centers.
* Capacity to deploy qualified technical experts/trainers, including international
and/or regional specialists.
* Experience collaborating with academic institutions, private sector, or technical
partners is an asset.
* Strong project management and coordination skills, including ability to deliver
within timelines.
* Fluency in Russian required; English/Tajik language capacity is a strong
advantage.
Contract mechanism:
Service Agreement with a fixed price in U.S. dollars for foreign vendors and in Tajik
somoni for local vendors, will be concluded with the candidate whose proposal most
closely matches the requirements described in this request.
Deliverables/Milestones & Due Dates:
Tasks Deliverables Due date
Review existing training programs Assessment report with gap analysis
June 2026
and conduct needs assessment and recommendations provided
Develop certified training program Training program and curricula
and curricula on maintenance and developed and agreed with EpiC June 2026
repair of laboratory equipment and MOHSPP
Training materials, manuals, and
Develop training materials and ToT
ToT package developed and June 2026
package
finalized
Technical specifications and
Support establishment of practical
recommendations for training center July 2026
training center (technical input)
equipment and setup provided
Conduct Training-of-Trainers (ToT) ToT conducted; at least 5
July 2026
for SUE "NCMRME" specialists specialists trained
Support pilot delivery of training Pilot training conducted and August
program evaluated 2026
Provide final report with Final report submitted, including
September
recommendations and sustainability recommendations and sustainability
2026
plan approach
Location of Work
Dushanbe. No travel is anticipated under this assignment.

Terms of payment:
Payments shall be made based on performance, according to the working schedule. FHI
360 reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is
unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines.
Required Documentation: Applications must include the following components:
1. Technical and financial proposals detailing all requirements for the training (e.g.,
materials, any necessary tools) along with CVs of trainers/experts highlighting
relevant experience;
2. Proof of registration/legal status of the institution/company in its country of
registration (for foreign vendors) or in Tajikistan (for local vendors);
3. Relevant certifications or accreditations of the institution/company in the field of
training on Laboratory Equipment Maintenance and Repair;
4. A detailed training plan, including training program, methodology and proposed
schedule.
Evaluation Criteria: The proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:
1. Proposed technical and financial proposal (60%).
2. Trainers' CV and experience in the relevant area (40%).
Response deadline & format:
1. Responses to this RFP should be submitted by email to
procurement_epic.tj@fhi360.org with the Subject line: External services for
Curriculum Development and Training in Laboratory Equipment
Maintenance and Repair.
2. Responses must be received no later than May 18, 2026, 5:00 PM Dushanbe
time. Proposals received after this date and time may not be accepted and shall
be considered non-responsive.
FHI 360 Disclaimers
* FHI 360 may perform a background check on any selected vendors
* FHI 360 may cancel the solicitation and not award
* FHI 360 may reject any or all responses received
* Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment by FHI 360
* FHI 360 reserves the right to disqualify any offer based on failure of the offeror to
follow solicitation instructions
* FHI 360 will not compensate any offeror for responding to solicitation
* FHI 360 reserves the right to issue award based on initial evaluation of offers
without further discussion
* FHI 360 may choose to award only part of the activities in the solicitation, or issue
multiple awards based on the solicitation activities
* FHI 360 reserves the right to waive minor proposal deficiencies that can be
corrected prior to award determination to promote competition