REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES - FIRMS SELECTION)
Republic of Serbia
Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Growth Entrepreneurship (SAIGE)
Project ID No. P170185
Assignment Title: Leadership Development and Coaching for RDI Leaders, Reference No. SER-SAIGE-CQ-CS-25-67
Serbia has received a loan from the World Bank (Bank), through the "Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Growth Entrepreneurship Project" (Project), to support the strengthening of the Serbian Innovation and Entrepreneurship ecosystem. The main objective of the Project is to improve (i) the relevance and excellence of scientific research; and (ii) innovative entrepreneurship and access to finance for enterprise growth, as a way of contributing to Serbia’s growth and competitiveness. The European Union Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA-II) is also providing complimentary financing support for the Project. The SAIGE Project Additional Financing which became operational in May 2025, also aims to scale up the ongoing SAIGE activities and to further enhance innovation capacity through better R&D and entrepreneurship in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, to increase the country’s competitiveness on global markets.
The Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation (NITRA) needs to engage Consulting firm
for Leadership Development and Coaching for RDI Leaders.
Objective of the assignment
The Client seeks to engage a Consulting firm to develop and conduct a leadership development and coaching program designed to enhance the leadership capabilities and performance of RDI leaders (Director, Deputy/Assistant Director). Areas of focus should include, but not necessarily be limited to:
• Leadership
• Strategy
• Change & Disruption
• Management
• Team Building
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Private Sector Engagement.
Scope of Work
The Consultant will provide services in two parts to achieve the objectives of engagement as follows:
Part I - Leadership Development group training
Part II - Leadership Development individual coaching
Details of each part are specified below:
Leadership Development group training aims to:
Enhance leadership skills and competencies among participants.
Strengthen strategic thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities.
Foster effective communication, collaboration, and team management.
Develop skills for leading change, innovation, and resilience in dynamic environments.
Cultivate emotional intelligence and self-awareness to improve leadership effectiveness.
Leadership Development individual coaching program aims to:
Strengthen leadership competencies through personalized coaching.
Enhance strategic thinking, decision-making, and emotional intelligence.
Improve interpersonal communication and team leadership skills.
Foster resilience, adaptability, and innovative leadership approaches.
Support RDI senior leaders in overcoming professional challenges and achieving their full potential, and full potential of the teams they lead.
Experience and Qualifications of the Consulting firm and the staff of the Consulting firm
The Consulting firm must possess the following qualifications:
Proven track record with at least ten (10) years of general experience;
At least five (5) years of specific experience and successful completion of at least two (2) assignments in conducting leadership development trainings and coaching with top management.
Previous work with the public R&D sector and support to research and innovation programs implemented by the public sector institutions is considered a strong advantage.
Experience in conducting similar assignments on projects financed by the World Bank, European Union, or other international organizations is preferable.
Required qualifications of the Key Experts :
Leadership development trainers (minimum 2 individuals):
Minimum bachelor’s degree in psychology, HR, social sciences, economy or equivalent (MSc preferred);
At least 8 years of experience in conducting trainings for business, public and/or NGO sector;
Demonstrated knowledge in developing training curriculum and training materials for leadership development programs;
Proven experience in delivery of leadership trainings for top management in similar programs and organizations;
Experience in organizational development, coaching, and capacity building;
Experience working with R&D organizations (preferably public sector) or sector is considered a strong advantage;
Previous experience with World Bank/EU/international organizations funded programs is desirable;
Excellent communication skills and fluency in written and spoken English are required. Fluency in Serbian is considered a plus.
Leadership development coaches (minimum 2 individuals):
Minimum bachelor’s degree in psychology, HR, social sciences, economy or equivalent;
Minimum of 8 years of practical experience in leadership coaching and executive development;
Experience in organizational development, coaching, and capacity building;
Certification in recognized coaching methodologies is considered a strong advantage;
Experience working with R&D organizations or sector is considered a strong advantage;
Previous experience with World Bank/EU/international organizations funded programs is desirable;
Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Fluency in Serbian is considered a plus.
Key Experts will not be evaluated at the expressions of interest stage.
Selection of Consulting firm
The Consulting firm will be evaluated applying the following evaluation criteria:
#
Criteria
Weight
1
General experience of the firm
40
2
Specific experience relevant to the assignment
60
Timing and Duration
The Consultant is expected to be engaged for approximately 100 days until the Project Closing Date, i.e., September 30, 2027.
All trainings will be conducted onsite, in Serbia. The coaches may perform part of their tasks online, but may also have coaching sessions onsite in Serbia. The traveling cost will be covered under the contract аs well as the costs related to venue rental, catering services and printing of training materials.
The detailed Terms of Reference for the above referenced consulting services is posted on the website of the NITRA https://nitra.gov.rs/cir/inovacije/projekat-saige
The Central Fiduciary Unit (CFU) of the Ministry of Finance now invites eligible consulting firms ("Consultants") to indicate their interest in providing the Services.
The Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s Qualifications Based Selection (CQS) method as set out in the
World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers - Procurement in Investment Project Financing Goods, World, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services (September 2023)
("the Regulations").
Interested and eligible consulting firm for this position should send Expression of Interest in English by e-mail to the contact information listed below .
Consulting firms may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.
Expressions of interest from eligible firms/ joint ventures should specify the following relevant information :
project title or relevant assignment; description of the work performed; year of project implementation; country/region; client’s contact (first and last name, e-mail address, telephone number).
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraphs 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the
World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers - Procurement in Investment Project Financing Goods, World, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services (September 2023)
("the Regulations") setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 09:00 to 15:00 hours.
Deadline for submission of expressions of interest is July 31, 2025, 12:00 hours, noon, local time .
When submitting Expressions of interest please indicate assignment and reference number for which you are applying.
Contact:
E-mail:
Address:
To:
Ms Ljiljana Krejovic
Procurement Specialist
Ministry of Finance
Central Fiduciary Unit
Balkanska 53
11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Tel: (+381 11) 7652652
Cc:
Cc: