Zuwa
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
Development and Implementation of Project50 ERP System for Zuwa
- Background
Zuwa is a fast-growing organization providing clean energy solutions and consumer financing to underserved communities. To support its continued growth and operational efficiency, Zuwa is launching Project50, a digital transformation initiative aimed at simplifying and automating business processes across sales, inventory, finance, and field operations.
Project50 will serve as a centralized ERP platform with integrated mobile applications and real-time reporting tools to support last-mile operations and improve service delivery.
- Objectives of the Assignment
Zuwa is seeking a qualified software development firm to design, develop, deploy, and support Project50. The system must be modular, scalable, and user-friendly. It should support both web and mobile platforms and enable automation of inventory, loan management, sales tracking, field operations, and financial reporting.
- Scope of Work
The selected consultant will be responsible for:
Designing system architecture and user flows.
- Developing core modules including admin panel, mobile apps, inventory, sales, finance, analytics and field operations.
- Integrating GPS tracking, automated notifications, and dashboards.
- Conducting user testing, quality assurance, and system deployment.
- Providing post-launch maintenance and capacity-building support.
- Expected Deliverables
Inception report and final system design blueprint.
Fully developed and tested ERP system with mobile and web platforms.
User and technical documentation.
Training and onboarding for Zuwa staff.
Post-deployment support for a minimum of three months.
- Timeline and Work Packages
The project duration is 8 months, starting from the first week of May 2025 and ending by December 2025. The consultant is expected to work a minimum of 3 full days per week on-site at Zuwa offices.
| Month | Work Package/Phase | Key Deliverables |
| May 2025 | Inception Phase, Requirements Gathering | Inception report, finalized work plan, Requirements Specifications |
| June 2025 | System Design and Development | Final system design, wireframes, use cases |
| July 2025 | Backend and Database Development | Core database schema, backend APIs |
| Aug 2025 | Frontend and Mobile App Development | Web dashboard + Mobile App MVP |
| Sep 2025 | Integrations, Notifications & GPS Tracking | System integrations, alerts, GPS tools |
| Oct 2025 | QA Testing and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) | Test reports, system refinements |
| Nov 2025 | Training and Deployment | System deployment, staff training |
| Dec 2025 | Maintenance & Final Handover | Final report, support documentation |
- Team Composition
The consultant’s team must include at a minimum:
- Team Leader/Project Manager, Software Developer (Full-stack), Business Analyst and Data Analyst
- Eligibility and Experience
Interested firms must demonstrate experience in:
- Developing ERP or similar enterprise-level solutions
- Working with organizations in the energy or financial services sectors
- Understanding of PAYGo-related financial transactions
- Developing mobile and web platforms with intuitive, low-tech-friendly UI/UX and offline functionality
- Knowledge of encryption, secure authentication, and compliance best practices
- Implementing systems with GPS and field data collection features
- Submission Requirements
Interested consultants should submit a detailed proposal including:
Technical approach and methodology
- Detailed work plan with timelines
- Profile of team members and organizational experience
- Financial proposal (itemized and total cost)
- 2–3 references of similar work
- Submission Deadline
Proposals must be submitted electronically to bids@zuwaenergymw.com and copy to gilbert.kondani@zuwaenergymw.com no later than 30th April 2025. Interested bidders should request the bidding documents at bid@zuwaenergymw.com
Terms of Reference (TOR) for Developers: Project50
Background and Context
Zuwa is undertaking a digital transformation initiative aimed at improving the efficiency, transparency, and scalability of its operations. The company currently manages multiple business units across Malawi, with a focus on last-mile sales, PAYGO financing, inventory management, and field-based customer engagement. Given the growth of its operations and the increasing complexity of managing field staff, stock movements, and financial processes, Zuwa is launching Project50—a unified, scalable, and modular enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that will bring together its critical workflows under one digital platform.
Objective of the Assignment
The overarching objective of this assignment is to design, develop, and deploy a robust, end-to-end digital solution that will automate Zuwa’s core business processes, enhance field visibility through GPS and mobile integration, and provide real-time analytics for informed decision-making. The system will include web-based administrative tools, mobile applications for field and sales agents, and dashboards for monitoring performance, stock levels, and financial metrics. In addition to core functionalities such as inventory tracking, sales and lead management, financial operations, and customer support, the system should be built to allow for iterative enhancements and future integrations.
Scope of Work
The selected development team will be responsible for translating Zuwa’s business needs into a flexible, scalable, and user-friendly system. This will include the development of a centralized Admin Panel for user role management, performance tracking, ticketing and workflow approvals; and mobile apps(s) to support Sales Officers in lead generation, order tracking, and GPS logging of customer visits; Loan Officers to facilitate loan repayment tracking and scheduling of customer interactions; Workshop Operations to record and manage battery faults and call center; and dashboards for analytics and tools for Stockists to manage warehouse requests and fulfill orders efficiently.
A key priority is to ensure that the system supports real-time inventory visibility across the central warehouse and all 28 shop locations, enabling automated stock transfer requests, low stock alerts, and improved warehouse planning. The solution must also integrate a comprehensive financial management component to automate staff commissions, allowance requisitions, credit tracking, and financial reporting. Seamless GPS tracking and route planning will be required to support field operations and ensure accountability in staff movements. A reporting engine with customizable dashboards and exportable reports will support ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and decision-making.
The system will also require a loan and customer management module to track loan disbursements, repayment schedules, service tickets, and customer interactions. Additionally, a training and support portal should be integrated to serve as a knowledge base for field agents, reducing onboarding time and improving service quality. All modules must be tightly integrated to avoid duplication of effort, ensure data consistency, and support scalability.
Technical Expectations
Developers will be expected to follow modern software engineering best practices, including modular architecture, API-driven design, secure user authentication, GPS integration, offline data syncing capabilities, and mobile-first design principles. The system should be cloud-ready and capable of scaling across multiple branches and user types. Developers will also be expected to implement flexible data models and maintain clean documentation to allow for iterative development and future feature additions as Zuwa’s needs evolve.
Deliverables
While the full deliverables will be discussed in detail during the project inception phase, they are expected to include, but not be limited to: functional system prototypes, mobile applications for Android, a centralized admin panel, backend architecture and API documentation, training manuals, user acceptance testing support, deployment support, and post-launch maintenance services. Developers should also provide a detailed roadmap outlining how the system can evolve to include additional features over time.
Project Management and Collaboration
Developers will work closely with Zuwa’s internal teams—including operations, finance, and field support units—to ensure the solution is aligned with real-world needs. Regular design reviews, demo sessions, and collaborative workshops will be scheduled to gather feedback and refine the system iteratively. A flexible and responsive development approach is encouraged to accommodate business process changes or new feature requests that may arise during the project lifecycle.
Duration and Timeline
The project is envisioned as a multi-phase engagement, with an initial development phase followed by testing, deployment, training, and maintenance. Developers are expected to propose a phased timeline with clear milestones, while maintaining room for flexibility and iteration. The timeline should reflect the delivery of a minimum viable product (MVP) in the early phase, followed by feature enhancements based on real-time feedback.
Post-Launch Support
As part of the engagement, developers must also provide post-launch support to ensure the system remains stable, secure, and responsive to the needs of users. This includes performance monitoring, system updates, bug fixes, and knowledge transfer to Zuwa’s technical staff. Provision of long-term maintenance and service-level agreements (SLAs) will be considered an advantage.
Intellectual Property and Confidentiality
The assignment will be delivered on a build-deploy-transfer model. All intellectual property developed under this assignment is the sole property of Zuwa. Developers must treat all data, processes, and business logic as confidential and must not share or reuse components or architecture without explicit written consent from Zuwa.
Team Qualifications and Experience
The consulting team must demonstrate a strong combination of technical expertise, practical experience, and contextual understanding of Malawi’s digital and operational landscape. The following are the minimum qualifications and experience required for each role:
- Team Leader / Project Manager
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or related field. A Master’s degree is an added advantage.
- At least 5 years of experience managing technology implementation projects, preferably ERP or enterprise-level digital systems.
- Proven experience in leading multi-disciplinary teams and coordinating with clients/stakeholders.
- Excellent communication, planning, and risk management skills.
- Software Developer (Full-stack)
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline.
- At least 4 years of hands-on experience in developing web and mobile applications using modern frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Flutter, Django, Node.js).
- Proficiency in database design and integration (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL).
- Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git), DevOps tools, and cloud-based deployment.
- Knowledge of GPS tracking integration and offline-first design will be an advantage.
- Business intelligence Analyst
- Minimum 3 years of experience in business analysis and system design.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related field.
- Knowledge of energy sector operations, metrics, and regulatory reporting frameworks.
- Advanced proficiency in data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau, etc.) and strong command of SQL and relational databases.
- Proven experience working on ERP implementation or data integration projects.
- Demonstrated ability to design KPIs and dashboards aligned with business objectives.
Language Proficiency
- All team members must be fluent in both English and Chichewa, in order to effectively communicate with Zuwa’s field teams and end-users.
Local Firms Encouraged to Apply
Zuwa strongly encourages local Malawian firms with demonstrated expertise in system development and digital transformation to apply for this assignment. Proposals from women-led or youth-led firms are also encouraged.
Consultant Selection Criteria – Project50
Evaluation Overview
Proposals will be evaluated using a weighted scoring system with the following components:
| Criterion | Weight (%) |
| Technical Approach and Methodology | 30% |
| Experience with Similar Projects | 25% |
| Team Composition and Qualifications | 20% |
| Cost-Effectiveness of Financial Proposal | 15% |
| Work Plan and Delivery Timelines | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Details
- Technical Approach and Methodology (30%)
- Demonstrates a clear understanding of the scope.
- Innovative and flexible approach to feature delivery.
- Ability to design scalable, modular systems.
- Relevant Experience (25%)
- Proven experience in developing ERP systems or equivalent platforms.
- At least 3 successfully completed projects with a similar scope.
- Demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional teams and across sectors.
- Team Composition (20%)
- Qualifications and experience of the proposed team members.
- Balanced skills across project management, software engineering, business analysis, and data analytics.
- Financial Proposal (15%)
- Competitive pricing with value-for-money justification.
- Transparent cost structure and billing plan.
- Work Plan and Timelines (10%)
- Realistic and detailed timeline.
- Alignment with the 8-month delivery deadline.
- Capacity to work on-site 2 days/week.