Request for Proposal (RFP) for a firm ‘To Support Board of Investment (BOI) in ‘Identification, Review and Implementation of Reform Packages for Ease of Doing Business (EODB) – Phase II’ and ‘Institutionalise Regulatory Governance under Asaan Karobar Act 2025’   

Proposal Submission Deadline: 30 March 2026   

Terms of Reference

1. Brief overview 

Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade (REMIT) programme is a nine-year (2019- 28) technical assistance programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), United Kingdom to support Pakistan in implementing strategic reforms in the realm of economic development, trade, investment and revenue mobilisation. The key outcomes under the programme will be contributing towards strengthening the macroeconomic stability and improving conditions for high and sustained growth, mutual prosperity, job creation and poverty reduction in Pakistan. More specifically, REMIT programme aims at supporting the Government of Pakistan in the following areas:

1. Enhance revenue mobilisation capabilities and help raise the tax/GDP ratio by increasing the number of taxpayers; 

2. Address the investment climate constraints faced by local and international businesses and support Pakistan in moving towards being one of the top reformer countries to do business in creating ease for businesses;

3. Facilitate trade and drive competitiveness by reducing barriers to trade and reducing Pakistan’s trade deficit by helping increase exports; 

4. Modernise formulation and implementation of macroeconomic policy to avoid future financial crises.

As part of the Investment Climate workstream, REMIT is supporting the Government of Pakistan in advancing regulatory reforms as per the approved roadmap by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and being implemented by the Board of Investment (BOI). 

In addition, the Government of Pakistan has enacted the Asaan Karobar Act (AKA) to institutionalise regulatory governance, improve regulatory quality, and simplify regulatory processes affecting businesses.

Through this assignment, REMIT will engage an international firm to assist the Board of Investment in delivering regulatory reform packages and supporting the implementation of regulatory governance reforms under the AK Act.

2. Task Background

Through this assignment, the selected firm will work closely with BOI, REMIT, and relevant government institutions to support the development and finalisation of three regulatory reform packages by December 2026.

These reform packages will focus on high-priority regulatory reforms identified through engagement with the private sector, regulatory agencies, and existing analytical work undertaken by development partners.

The firm will also support the Government of Pakistan in preparing for and implementing the Asaan Karobar Act, which establishes an institutional framework to strengthen regulatory governance across government.

This includes supporting reforms aimed at:

• improving regulatory quality

• strengthening transparency in regulatory development

• introducing evidence-based regulation through Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)

• strengthening stakeholder consultation mechanisms

3. Objectives of the Assignment 

The objective of this assignment is to support the Government of Pakistan in continuing the delivery of regulatory reforms and strengthening the institutional framework for regulatory governance.

The assignment will focus on:

• Finalising and supporting delivery of three regulatory reform packages by December 2026

• Supporting the implementation of the Asaan Karobar Act

• Strengthening the institutional capacity of BOI to sustain regulatory reforms

• Providing independent technical advice on business environment reform

Scope of Work

1. Work with the BOI technical team to review, refine, and help finalize three regulatory reform packages for submission to the Government by December 2026.

2. Identify and prioritise high-impact regulatory reforms based on engagement with private sector stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and existing analytical work.

3. Support the preparation of reform package documentation, including summaries of reforms and their expected economic and regulatory impact.

4. Assist BOI in presenting reform packages to the Cabinet Committee on Regulatory Reforms (CCoRR) and/or the Prime Minister.

5. Support the development of a structured methodology for regulatory reform, including review checklists, regulatory assessment frameworks, cost-assessment methods, review processes, and legal review mechanisms.

6. Continue to build the institutional capacity of BOI to independently manage and sustain the regulatory reform process under PRMI.

7. Support the implementation of the AKA and provide technical inputs into regulatory governance reforms under the Act.

8. Assist in the establishment and operationalisation of the AK Regulatory Quality Unit to conduct independent reviews of draft regulations.

9. Support development of a National Legal Registry to improve legal transparency and regulatory certainty.

10. Provide technical inputs for the implementation of evidence-based regulation through Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) processes.

11. Support development of a National Consultation Portal and mechanisms for mandatory stakeholder consultation during regulatory development.

12. Assist in designing and implementing capacity-building programmes for regulators on Good Regulatory Practices.

13. Provide technical support for improving inspections and enforcement frameworks, including proposals for decriminalization/compliance facilitation of regulatory violations where appropriate.

14. Ensure reform proposals draw upon existing evidence and analytical work, including the World Bank B-READY report, IFC studies, and other development partner analysis.

15. Support BOI and REMIT in identifying and procuring international and national technical experts required to accelerate reform delivery in specialised areas.

16. Provide independent non-executive advisory support to the Government of Pakistan on business environment and regulatory reform.

17. Advise on the identification of high-impact reforms across key sectors and regulatory domains.

18. Provide technical guidance on Regulatory Impact Assessment methodologies, including integration of private sector consultation.

19. Undertake independent review of reform proposals, policy documents, and regulatory decisions as requested by the Government.

20. Support coordination with relevant government ministries, regulatory agencies, and development partners to ensure coherence and alignment of reform initiatives.

21. Undertake additional complementary and non-duplicative activities as requested by the Government of Pakistan and agreed with FCDO.

4. Functional Requirements

Timeline 

The firm is expected to deliver quarterly reform packages in 9 months (Apr-Dec 2026). The proposed scope and deadline for each reform package is as follows:

Pakistan License, Clearance and Approvals

The prospective vendors will include in the timeline any time needed to obtain any licenses, clearances, and/or approvals required under local legal requirements to produce or deliver the products and/or services described in the Scope of Work.

Qualifications and Experience 

Firms should have demonstrated experience in the following: 

1. Proven track record and experience of successfully implementing guillotine method and regulatory reforms internationally, especially in developing and emerging economies.

2. Experience of delivering large scale projects aimed at improving the ease of doing business and stimulating economic growth through regulatory streamlining.

3. The firm should have demonstrated expertise in regulatory impact assessment (RIA) methodologies, including cost-benefit analysis, legal and administrative review to identify the most impact reforms for the packages. 

4. Experience of designing and delivering regulatory reforms in countries with multiple tiered governance systems to eliminate redundancies and enhance efficiency by reforming legislative and administrative frameworks.

5. Experience of designing and implementing regulatory governance structures for institutionalisation of systemic reform processes.

6. Ability to employ successful methods to gather and analyse stakeholders’ feedback including private sector, business associations, governmental agencies and implementation partners.

7. Strong project management skills in managing complex, multidisciplinary teams (legal, economic and technical experts) for large-scale data collection, mapping and analysis to develop a regulatory inventory.

8. Proven record of developing institutional capabilities to sustain the regulatory reforms process.

9. Strong demonstration of embedding digital tools for regulatory mapping, data analysis, and tracking reform progress along with sustainable knowledge management framework to handover regulatory databases to the GoP.

10. Presence of technical team in Pakistan to support the GoP in delivering the reforms packages.

11. Provision of verification by previous contractors or clients that they were satisfied by the service provided by the firm.

12. The firm should clearly understand the services required and then fulfill them in the timelines provided.

13. The firm should ensure one focal person within the team for the REMIT.

5. Instructions to Bidders

Bidders should examine all Instructions, Terms and Conditions as given in the RFP. Failure to furnish information required in the RFP or submission of Bids not substantially responsive or viable in every respect will be at the Bidder’s risk and may result in rejection of the bids. Bidders should strictly submit the Bid as specified in the RFP, failing which the bids will be held as non-responsive and will be rejected. 

Bids shall compromise a single package containing two folders: 

1. Technical Proposal  

2. Financial Proposal 

Bidders should send soft copies of the Technical and Financial Proposal to the following address: 

Soft copies to be sent to: [email protected]

Proposal Weightings 

1. Technical Proposal 

2. Financial Proposal 

Prospective firms must be legally registered under the laws of the country in which they are organized and possess all licenses, permits and government approvals necessary for performance of the work. 

6. Proposal Terms

1. Prospective Firms’ Understanding of the Solicitation

Prospective contractors are responsible for understanding the solicitation in its entirety and each of its elements and should make inquiries to ASI as necessary to ensure such understanding. ASI reserves the right to disqualify any prospective vendor that it determines, at its sole discretion, does not understand the solicitation or any of its elements. Such disqualification shall be at no fault, cost, or liability whatsoever to ASI.

2. Information from ASI

All information provided by ASI in this solicitation is subject to change at any time. ASI makes no certification as to the accuracy of any item and is not responsible or liable for any use of or reliance on the information or for any claims asserted therefrom.

3. Communication

All communications related to the RFP must be in writing to the above-mentioned point of contact. Verbal communication shall not be effective unless formally confirmed in writing by the procurement official listed in a sealed envelope to our designated location in Lahore.

1. Formal Communications shall include, but are not limited to the following:

• Questions concerning this solicitation must be submitted in writing to the contact person mentioned above. 

• Errors and omissions in this solicitation, as well as enhancements. Prospective firms should notify ASI of any discrepancies, errors, or omissions that may exist within this solicitation. Prospective vendors should recommend to ASI any enhancements to the work described in the solicitation which might be in ASI’ best interests.

• Inquiries about technical interpretations must be directly asked from contact person (Bilal Hassan).

2. Addenda: ASI will make a good-faith effort to provide a written response to the questions or requests for clarifications in the form of written responses or addenda in accordance with the Schedule of Events.

3. Posting Online: Copy of this solicitation, will be available online at:  www.BrightSpyre.com.

4. Non-Disclosure Agreement

ASI reserves the right to require the prospective firms to enter into a non-disclosure agreement.

5. No Collusion

Collusion is strictly prohibited. Collusion is defined as an agreement or compact, written or oral, between two or more parties with the goal of limiting fair and open competition by deceiving, misleading, or defrauding a third party.

6. Companies Owned or Controlled by Government

The prospective vendor must disclose in writing with its Response if a government, its agents, or agencies, have an ownership or managerial interest in the company. Failure to disclose a government ownership of managerial interest in the company will result in the prospective contractor’s offer being removed from consideration.

7. Subcontracting

The prospective contractor must disclose in writing with its Response any subcontracting that will take place under an award. Failure to disclose subcontracting relationships will result in the prospective contractor’s offer being removed from consideration. (if permitted by the solicitation)

8. Costs

The solicitation does not obligate ASI to pay for any costs, of any kind whatsoever, which may be incurred by a prospective contractor/vendor or third parties, in connection with the Response.

9. Intellectual Property

Prospective vendors may not use any intellectual property of ASI including, but not limited to, all logos, trademarks, or trade names of ASI, at any time without the prior written approval of ASI.

10.  Prospective Contractors’ Responses

All accepted Responses shall become the property of ASI and will not be returned.

11.  Partial Awarding

ASI reserves the right to accept all or part of the Response when awarding a contract.

12.  No Liability

ASI reserves the right to accept or reject any Response or to stop the procurement process at any time, without assigning any reason or liability. ASI shall not be liable to any prospective contractor, person, or entity for any losses, expenses, costs, claims, or damages of any kind.