Technical Assistance for Digital Public Infrastructure Projects in the East African Community

Advisory and Technical Assistance for Digital Public Infrastructure Projects in the East African Community: Provision of highly specialized advisory and technical assistance through the EAC DPI Acceleration Mechanism to support project developers and government agencies in designing, structuring, and scaling Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) use cases to achieve a 'bankable' status for international financing. Support includes four areas: Development Support (technical guidance, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, technical assessments, architectural designs, specifications, environmental impact assessments, regulatory analysis, cybersecurity assessments, hosting/infrastructure needs, capacity assessments); Structuring Support (advising on operation, business, and financing models, evaluating PPP models, revenue streams, potential African and European private sector operators, bundling projects); Access to Finance Support (identifying financing options, aligning project documentation with requirements of European and international institutions like EU Global Gateway instruments); Contract Closing / Transaction Support (assisting with contractual negotiations, drafting financing transaction terms, term sheets, specialized contractual agreements). Services are divided into six work packages: Work Package 1 (Clarification of Assignment): Participation in online alignment sessions and a 2-day physical workshop in East Africa, presentation of initial insights on technical feasibility, financial viability, gap analysis, and implementation risks, outlining a process management approach, developing a preliminary scope of work and effort estimate. Work Package 2 (Expression of Interest Screening): Development of a transparent scoring system, conducting preliminary screenings, identifying opportunities to bundle complementary projects. Work Package 3 (Activity Brief Co-Development): Steering a collaborative process to complete an Activity Brief, reviewing master plans, pre-feasibility materials, and technical designs, conducting project needs assessments, initial due diligence, providing baseline cost estimates, market price benchmarks, sensitivity analyses, financial model operations, recommending project-specific PPP models, drafting Terms of Reference (ToRs) for further studies. Work Package 4 (Technical Assistance Execution): Delivery of detailed technical and financial feasibility studies, evaluation of technology choices, tech stacks, hosting, and architecture for population-scale systems (e.g., e-ID, data-sharing, payment switches), ensuring user-centric design, digital sovereignty, and regional interoperability, analysis of project alignment with DPI Safeguards Framework and Principles for Digital Development, conducting local/regional regulatory checks, cybersecurity assessments, risk analyses, evaluation of telecommunications, energy, device, and storage infrastructure, proposal refinement and deal structuring, assistance with financial projections, market analyses, and risk matrices, crafting tailored financing and capital structures. Work Package 5 (Contract Closing Support): Direct support during contract negotiations with financiers, finalizing necessary supporting documentation (risk matrices, sustainability and impact analyses, inclusivity frameworks), handing over completed project dossiers to investors, providing tailored documentation for state processes for sovereign debt approval. Work Package 6 (Knowledge Management & Communication): Meticulous documentation of all advisory services (time-sheets, rates, expert hours), synthesis of aggregated lessons learned and feedback into two 'Insight-Papers' (after 3rd and 7th supported projects), organization and participation in a 2-day physical mid-term workshop.

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