Request for Proposals (RfP) for Cloud Based Payroll Solution for East and Southern Africa Region.
RfP Reference: IUCN-2025-11-CC
Welcome to this Procurement by IUCN. You are hereby invited to submit a Proposal. Please read the information and instructions carefully because non-compliance with the instructions may result in disqualification of your Proposal from this Procurement.
1. REQUIREMENTS
1.1. A detailed description of the services and/or goods to be provided can be found in Attachment 1.
2. CONTACT DETAILS
2.1. During the course of this procurement, i.e. from the publication of this RfP to the award of a contract, you may not discuss this procurement with any IUCN employee or representative other than the following contact. You must address all correspondence and questions to the contact, including your Proposal.
IUCN Contact: daniel.lekuroito@iucn.org
3. PROCUREMENT TIMETABLE
3.1. This timetable is indicative and may be changed by IUCN at any time. If IUCN decides that changes to any of the deadlines are necessary, we will publish this on our website and contact you directly if you have indicated your interest in this procurement (see Section 3.2).
DATE – ACTIVITY
27th November 2025 – Publication of the Request for Proposals
30th November 2025 – Deadline for expressions of interest
5th December 2025 – Deadline for submission of questions
10th December 2025 – Planned publication of responses to questions
5th January 2026 – Deadline for submission of Proposals to IUCN (“Submission Deadline”)
12th January 2026 – Clarification of Proposals
14th January 2026 – Interviews / site visits / presentations
16th January 2026 – Planned date for contract award
19th January 2026 – Expected contract start date
3.2. Please email the IUCN contact to express your interest in submitting a Proposal by the deadline stated above. This will help IUCN to keep you updated regarding the procurement.
4. COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL
4.1. Your Proposal must consist of the following four separate documents:
Signed Declaration of Undertaking (see Attachment 2)
Pre-Qualification Information (see Section 4.3 below)
Technical Proposal (see Section 4.4 below)
Financial Proposal (see Section 4.5 below)
Proposals must be prepared in English.
4.2. Your Proposal must be submitted by email to the IUCN Contact (see Section 2). The subject heading of the email shall be [RfP Reference – bidder name]. The bidder’s name is the name of the company/organisation on whose behalf you are submitting the Proposal, or your own surname if you are bidding as a self-employed consultant. Your Proposal must be submitted in PDF format. You may submit multiple emails suitably annotated, e.g. Email 1 of 3, if attached files are too large to suit a single email transmission. You may not submit your Proposal by uploading it to a file-sharing tool.
IMPORTANT: Submitted documents must be password-protected so that they cannot be opened and read before the submission deadline. Please use the same password for all submitted documents. After the deadline has passed and within 12 hours, please send the password to the IUCN Contact. This will ensure a secure bid submission and opening process. Please DO NOT email the password before the deadline for Proposal submission.
4.3. Pre-Qualification Criteria
IUCN will use the following Pre-Qualification Criteria to determine whether you have the capacity to provide the required goods and/or services to IUCN. Please provide the necessary information in a single, separate document.
Pre-Qualification Criteria
1. 3 relevant references of clients similar to IUCN / similar work
2. Confirm that you have all the necessary legal registrations to perform the work
3. State your annual turnover for each of the past 3 years
4. How many employees does your organisation have who are qualified for this work?
5. Confirm that you are in good standing with its governing tax authority
4.4. Technical Proposal
The Technical Proposal must address each of the criteria stated below explicitly and separately, quoting the relevant criteria reference number (left-hand column).
Proposals in any other format will significantly increase the time it takes to evaluate, and such Proposals may therefore be rejected at IUCN’s discretion.
Where CVs are requested, these must be of the individuals who will actually carry out the work specified. The individuals you put forward may only be substituted with IUCN’s approval.
IUCN will evaluate Technical Proposals with regards to each of the following criteria and their relative importance:
Description – Information to provide – Relative weight
1.1 Understanding of the Terms of Reference
Demonstrates clear understanding of project objectives and requirements. (10 pts)
Provides a realistic approach and methodology. (10 pts)
Shows understanding of local labor and tax regulations (if applicable). (5 pts)
1.2 Relevant Experience and Track Record
Proven experience developing or implementing payroll systems. (10 pts)
Evidence of similar assignments with reputable organizations. (5 pts)
References and testimonials from previous clients (5 pts)
1.3 Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel
Qualifications of project team (IT specialists, payroll experts, HRIS professionals). (6 pts)
Experience with payroll software, system integration, and configuration. (6 pts)
Roles and responsibilities clearly defined. (3 pts)
1.4 Proposed System Features and Functionality
Compliance with statutory payroll requirements (tax, pensions, social security). (5 pts)
Automation features (leave, deductions, overtime, reporting). (5 pts)
Data security and confidentiality measures (4 pts)
User-friendliness and accessibility (3 pts)
Customization capabilities (3 pts)
1.5 Implementation Plan and Timelines
Clear timeline with realistic milestones. (4 pts)
Training and capacity-building plan. (3 pts)
Support during transition/migration. (3 pts)
1.6 After-Sales Support and Maintenance
Availability of technical support. (4 pts)
Service Level Agreements (SLAs). (3 pts)
Update and maintenance strategy. (3 pts)
TOTAL – 100
4.5. Financial Evaluation and Financial Scores
The financial evaluation will be based upon the full total price you submit. Your Financial Proposal will receive a score calculated by dividing the lowest Financial Proposal that has passed the minimum quality thresholds (see Section 5.3.2) by the total price of your Financial Proposal.
Thus, for example, if your Financial Proposal is for a total of CHF 100 and the lowest Financial Proposal is CHF 80, you will receive a financial score of 80/100 = 80%
4.6*. Total Score*
Your Proposal’s total score will be calculated as the weighted sum of your technical score and your financial score.
The relative weights will be:
Technical: 70%
Financial: 30%
Thus, for example, if your technical score is 83% and your financial score is 77%, you will receive a total score of 83 * 70% + 77 * 30% = 58.1% + 23.1% = 81.2%.
Subject to the requirements in Sections 4 and 7, IUCN will award the contract to the bidder whose Proposal achieves the highest total score.
5. EXPLANATION OF PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE
5.1. IUCN is using the Open Procedure for this procurement. This means that the contracting opportunity is published on IUCN’s website and open to all interested parties to take part, subject to the conditions in Section 7 below.
5.2. You are welcome to ask questions or seek clarification regarding this procurement. Please email the IUCN Contact (see Section 2), taking note of the deadline for submission of questions in Section 3.1.
5.3. All Proposals must be received by the submission deadline in Section 3.1 above. Late Proposals will not be considered. All Proposals received by the submission deadline will be evaluated by a team of three or more evaluators in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in this RfP. No other criteria will be used to evaluate Proposals. The contract will be awarded to the bidder whose Proposal received the highest Total Score. IUCN does, however, reserve the right to cancel the procurement and not award a contract at all.
5.4. IUCN will contact the bidder with the highest-scoring Proposal to finalise the contract. We will contact unsuccessful bidders after the contract has been awarded and provide detailed feedback. The timetable in Section 3.1 gives an estimate of when we expect to have completed the contract award, but this date may change depending on how long the evaluation of Proposals takes.
6. CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROCUREMENT
6.1. To participate in this procurement, you are required to submit a Proposal, which fully complies with the instructions in this RfP and the Attachments.
6.1.1. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have submitted a complete and fully compliant Proposal.
6.1.2. Any incomplete or incorrectly completed Proposal submission may be deemed non-compliant, and as a result you may be unable to proceed further in the procurement process.
6.1.3. IUCN will query any obvious clerical errors in your Proposal and may, at IUCN’s sole discretion, allow you to correct these, but only if doing so could not be perceived as giving you an unfair advantage.
6.2. In order to participate in this procurement, you must meet the following conditions:
Free of conflicts of interest
Registered on the relevant professional or trade register of the country in which you are established (or resident, if self-employed)
In full compliance with your obligations relating to payment of social security contributions and of all applicable taxes
Not been convicted of failing to comply with environmental regulatory requirements or other legal requirements relating to sustainability and environmental protection
Not bankrupt or being wound up
Never been guilty of an offence concerning your professional conduct
Not involved in fraud, corruption, a criminal organisation, money laundering, terrorism, or any other illegal activity.
6.3. You must complete and sign the Declaration of Undertaking (see Attachment 2).
6.4. If you are participating in this procurement as a member of a joint venture, or are using sub-contractors, submit a separate Declaration of Undertaking for each member of the joint venture and sub-contractor, and be clear in your Proposal which parts of the goods/services are provided by each partner or subcontractor.
6.5. Each bidder shall submit only one Proposal, either individually or as a partner in a joint venture. In case of joint venture, one company shall not be allowed to participate in two different joint ventures in the same procurement, nor shall a company be allowed to submit a Proposal both on its behalf and as part of a joint venture for the same procurement. A bidder who submits or participates in more than one Proposal (other than as a subcontractor or in cases of alternatives that have been permitted or requested) shall cause all the Proposals with the bidder’s participation to be disqualified.
6.6. By taking part in this procurement, you accept the conditions set out in this RfP, including the following:
It is unacceptable to give or offer any gift or consideration to an employee or other representative of IUCN as a reward or inducement in relation to the awarding of a contract. Such action will give IUCN the right to exclude you from this and any future procurements, and to terminate any contract that may have been signed with you.
Any attempt to obtain information from an employee or other representative of IUCN concerning another bidder will result in disqualification.
Any price fixing or collusion with other bidders in relation to this procurement shall give IUCN the right to exclude you and any other involved bidder(s) from this and any future procurements and may constitute a criminal offence.
7. CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION
7.1. IUCN follows the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The information you submit to IUCN as part of this procurement will be treated as confidential and shared only as required to evaluate your Proposal in line with the procedure explained in this RfP, and for the maintenance of a clear audit trail.
For audit purposes, IUCN is required to retain your Proposal in its entirety for 10 years after then end of the resulting contract and make this available to internal and external auditors and donors as and when requested.
7.2. In the Declaration of Undertaking (Attachment 2) you need to give IUCN express permission to use the information you submit in this way, including personal data that forms part of your Proposal. Where you include personal data of your employees (e.g. CVs) in your Proposal, you need to have written permission from those individuals to share this information with IUCN, and for IUCN to use this information as indicated in 8.1. Without these permissions, IUCN will not be able to consider your Proposal.
8. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint or concern regarding the propriety of how a competitive process is or has been executed, then please contact procurement@iucn.org. Such complaints or concerns will be treated as confidential and are not considered in breach of the above restrictions on communication (Section 2.1).
9. CONTRACT
The contract will be based on IUCN’s template in Attachment 3, the terms of which are not negotiable. They may, however, be amended by IUCN to reflect particular requirements from the donor funding this particular procurement.
10. ABOUT IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Headquartered in Switzerland, IUCN Secretariat comprises around 1,000 staff with offices in more than 50 countries.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 Member organisations and some 10,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN/
11. ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 Specification of Requirements / Terms of Reference
Attachment 2 Declaration of Undertaking (select 2a for companies or 2b for self-employed as applicable to you)
Attachment 3 Contract Template
Terms of Reference
Title: The Supply, Implementation and Commissioning of a Cloud-Based Payroll Solution
Objective of the Consultancy
This consultancy has the following objective(s):
1. To supply, implement, test, and commission a cloud-based payroll solution for IUCN ESARO offices. The proposed system must achieve the following:
Automatically generate and email payslips to all employees instantly.
Provide a secure web portal where staff can log in to access and download their accurate and error – free payslips, P9 forms, and other payroll documents.
Efficiently manage salary changes and automatically calculate arrears with full accuracy.
Calculate PAYE correctly, including pension tax considerations based on the pension deductions applied.
Produce an export file for PAYE that matches the updated KRA P10 format.
Correctly compute all current statutory obligations, including but not limited to: NSSF, SHIF, Housing Levy, HELB, Pension contributions.
Support additional staff deductions such as staff loans, lunch deductions, Sacco contributions, and any other staff deduction.
Ensure robust security features that restrict access to authorized personnel only.
Provide a complete audit trail of all payroll activity and user actions.
Comply with global and Kenyan data protection standards, ensuring secure handling, storage, and transmission of payroll data.
Offer secure cloud hosting with high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
Deliver comprehensive training to relevant users.
Support a smooth transition from the existing system and ensure full integration into current corporate processes.
Background
Project Reference: Cost Centre
Donor reference: N/A
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts.
It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN/
About the Project
IUCN ESARO is seeking for a reputable company to supply, implement, commission and train users on a new cloud-based payroll solution.
As an organization, we understand the importance of having a reliable and efficient payroll system in place. It ensures that our employees receive their salaries accurately and on time, and that we comply with the relevant taxation and regulatory standards in the country. To achieve this, we are seeking a payroll system that meets several standards, including industry standard security protocols to protect our employees’ sensitive data from unauthorized access, breaches, or cyber-attacks. The system should also be user-friendly, providing relevant and timely reports to help us make informed decisions.
Data security is critical to us, and we require the payroll system to comply with data protection regulations in Kenya and provide adequate backup and recovery processes to safeguard data in case of disasters or system failures. The system must also be able to generate accurate and timely tax calculations and payments, including deductions for income tax, National Social Security Fund (NSSF), National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), and other levies or taxes required by law.
In addition, we require the payroll system to integrate with our other HR and financial systems, such as accounting software, to ensure consistency and accuracy in data processing and reporting.
Description of the Assignment
1. The assignment requires sourcing, implementing, testing, and commissioning a cloud-based payroll solution for the East and Southern Africa Region that fully automates the entire payroll process. This includes:
Pay Slips: Automatically generate and email payslips to all employees instantly.
Employee Self-Service (ESS): Provide a secure web portal where staff can log in to access and download their payslips, P9 forms, and other payroll documents.
Salary Revisions: Efficiently manage salary changes and automatically calculate arrears with full accuracy.
Accurate PAYE Computation: Calculate PAYE correctly, including pension tax considerations based on the pension deductions applied.
KRA File Compatibility: Produce an export file for PAYE that matches the updated KRA P10 format.
Other Statutory Deductions: Correctly compute all current statutory obligations, including but not limited to:
o NSSF
o SHIF
o Housing Levy
o HELB
o Pension contributions
P9 Forms: Generate accurate and error-free P9 forms for all staff for annual tax filing.
Other Deductions: Support additional staff deductions such as staff loans, lunch deductions, Sacco contributions, and any other staff deduction.
Ensure robust security features that restrict access to authorized personnel only.
Provide a complete audit trail of all payroll activity and user actions.
Comply with global and Kenyan data protection standards, ensuring secure handling, storage, and transmission of payroll data.
Offer secure cloud hosting with high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
Deliver comprehensive training to relevant users.
Ensure that payroll processing can be conducted efficiently, accurately, and confidentially.
Support a smooth transition from the existing system and ensure full integration into current corporate processes.
Duration of the Assignment
2 months
Deliverables and Activities
The consultant will provide the following deliverables and carry out the following activities:
Deliverable/Activities – Description – Deadline
1. Inception Report – Detailed project plan including methodology – 23 January 2026
2. System Demonstration – Demonstration using sample data provided by IUCN – 10 February 2026
3. Final System Commissioning – A fully developed and functional payroll automation system with all the features as mentioned in this document – 26 February 2026
4. post-development remote security and technical support – Successful rollout technical support to management of the software – 20 March 2026
Payment Schedule
The Timetable below summarises the chronological order of deliverables and indicates milestones at which IUCN will pay the Consultant.
Deliverable – Milestone payment
1. Implementation Plan – 20%
2. System Demonstration – 30%
3. Final System Commissioning – 30%
4. post-development remote security and technical support – 20%
Skills and Experience
The consultant must have the following skills, education and experience as a minimum:
Proven experience implementing cloud-based payroll solutions for large international organizations.
Expertise integrating payroll systems with ERP and HRIS platforms via APIs.
Capacity to support multi-currency, multi-location payroll processing.
Strong references and demonstrated ability to meet security and compliance requirements for data protection and confidentiality.
Ability to provide ongoing support and system upgrades post-implementation
Supervision and coordination
The consultant will report to and work under the supervision of Finance and Administration Manager, Nairobi.
Declaration of Undertaking in Relation to Request for Proposals (RfP) for Cloud
Based Payroll Solution for IUCN East and Southern Africa Region.
I, the undersigned, hereby confirm that I am an authorized representative of the following organization:
Registered Name of Organization (the “Organization”):
Registered Address (incl. country):
Year of Registration:
I hereby authorize IUCN to store and use the information included in the attached Proposal for the purpose of evaluating Proposals and selecting the Proposal IUCN deems the most favorable. I acknowledge that IUCN is required to retain the Proposal in its entirety for 10 years after then the end of the resulting contract and make this available to internal and external auditors and donors as and when reasonably requested.
Where the Proposal includes Personal Data as defined by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I confirm that the Organization has been authorised by each Data Subject to share this Data with IUCN for the purposes stated above.
I further confirm that the following statements are correct:
1. The Organisation is duly registered in accordance with all applicable laws.
2. The Organisation is fully compliant with all its tax and social security obligations.
3. The Organisation and its staff and representatives are free of any real or perceived conflicts of interest with regards to IUCN and its Mission.
4. The Organisation agrees to declare to IUCN any real or perceived emerging conflicts of interests it or any of its staff and representatives may have concerning IUCN. The Organisation acknowledges that IUCN may terminate any contracts with the Organisation that would, in IUCN sole discretion, be negatively affected by such conflicts of interests.
5. None of the Organisation’s staff has ever been convicted of grave professional misconduct or any other offence concerning their professional conduct.
6. Neither the Organisation nor any of its staff and representatives have ever been convicted of fraud, corruption, money laundering, supporting terrorism or involvement in a criminal organisation.
7. The Organisation acknowledges that engagement by itself or any of its staff in fraud, corruption, money laundering, supporting terrorism or involvement in a criminal organisation will entitle IUCN to terminate any and all contracts with the Organisation with immediate effect.
8. The Organisation is a going concern and is not bankrupt or being wound up, is not having its affairs administered by the courts, has not suspended business activities, is not the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations.
9. The Organisation complies with all applicable environmental regulatory requirements or other legal requirements relating to sustainability and environmental protection.
10. The Organisation is not included in the UN Security Council Sanctions List, EU Sanctions Map, US Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions List, or the World Bank listing of ineligible firms and individuals. The Organisation agrees that it will not provide direct or indirect support to firms and individuals included in these lists.
11. The Organisation has not been, is not, and will not be involved or implicated in any violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, or injustice or abuse of human rights related to other groups or individuals, including forced evictions, violation of fundamental rights of workers as defined by the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, child labour, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment.
< Name and position of authorised representative of the Proposer
Declaration of Undertaking in Relation to Request for Proposals (RfP) for Cloud
Based Payroll Solution for IUCN East and Southern Africa Region.
I, the undersigned, hereby confirm that I am self-employed and able to provide the service independent of any organisation or other legal entity.
Full name (as in passport):
Home or Office (please delete as appropriate) Address (incl. country):
I hereby authorise IUCN to store and use the information included in the attached Proposal for the purpose of evaluating Proposals and selecting the Proposal IUCN deems the most favorable, including Personal Data as defined by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). I acknowledge that IUCN is required to retain my Proposal in its entirety 10 years after the end of the resulting contract and make this available to internal and external auditors and donors as and when reasonably requested.
I further confirm that the following statements are correct:
1. I am legally registered as self-employed in accordance with all applicable laws.
2. I am fully compliant with all my tax and social security obligations.
3. I am free of any real or perceived conflicts of interest with regards to IUCN and its Mission.
4. I agree to declare to IUCN any real or perceived emerging conflicts of interests I may have concerned IUCN. I acknowledge that IUCN may terminate any contracts with me that would, in IUCN sole discretion, be negatively affected by such conflicts of interests.
5. I have never been convicted of grave professional misconduct or any other offence concerning my professional conduct.
6. I have never been convicted of fraud, corruption, money laundering, supporting terrorism or involvement in a criminal organisation.
7. I acknowledge that engagement in fraud, corruption, money laundering, supporting terrorism or involvement in a criminal organisation will entitle IUCN to terminate any and all contracts with me with immediate effect.
8. I am not included in the UN Security Council Sanctions List, EU Sanctions Map, US Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions List, or the World Bank listing of ineligible firms and individuals. I agree that I will not provide direct or indirect support to firms and individuals included in these lists.
9. I have not been, am not, and will not be involved or implicated in any violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, or injustice or abuse of human rights related to other groups or individuals, including forced evictions, violation of fundamental rights of workers as defined by the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, child labour, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment.
How to apply
Step 1: Acquire Tender Documents
Obtain the relevant tender documents.
Step 2: Review Requirements
Thoroughly read the tender specifications, terms, and conditions.
Step 3: Prepare Proposal
Prepare your proposal as guided, ensuring all the required information is included.
Step 4: Submission
Submit your completed proposal by 05/01/2026 via daniel.lekuroito@iucn.org*.***
NB: The email to be used exclusively for this consultancy is daniel.lekuroito@iucn.org*.***