Request for Proposal (RFP) for a firm to conduct ‘Perception survey to assess regulatory compliance and regulatory bottlenecks for the businesses in Pakistan’   

Proposal Submission Deadline: 5 May 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 Board of Investment (BOI) to undertake a nationwide perception survey of private sector firms. The survey will aim to systematically assess regulatory constraints faced by businesses (domestic and foreign firms) across Pakistan and generate evidence-based insights to inform priority regulatory reforms under the Government’s ongoing reform agenda.

Through this assignment, REMIT will engage a firm to conduct a perception survey of businesses assessing the regulatory compliance and regulatory bottlenecks in all aspects of a business lifecycle – from starting and registering a business to operations and scalability

2. Task Background

Through this assignment, the selected firm will work closely with BOI and REMIT to design and implement a comprehensive firm-level survey assessing regulatory burden across Pakistan’s private sector. The firm will analyse key regulatory bottlenecks and variations across firm size, sectors, and regions to highlight priority areas for reform. Based on these, the firm will support the generation of representative evidence on how businesses experience regulatory requirements in practice, with a particular focus on identifying procedural inefficiencies and administrative constraints. The assignment will further contribute to strengthening data-driven policymaking by developing actionable, evidence-based recommendations for regulatory improvements. The assignment will also capture the perspectives of UK-linked firms to inform targeted policy dialogue and strengthen bilateral economic engagement.

Finally, the assignment will lay the foundation for institutionalising the survey within government systems, enabling periodic tracking of regulatory burden and supporting continuous regulatory reform efforts.

3. Objectives of the Assignment 

The objective of this assignment is to generate systematic evidence on the regulatory burden experienced by private sector firms in Pakistan and to identify priority regulatory bottlenecks affecting business activity.

Specifically, the assignment aims to:

• Assess the perceived regulatory burden faced by private sector firms across key regulatory domains.

• Identify major regulatory bottlenecks affecting business operations, including procedural delays, administrative complexity, and enforcement practices.

• Analyse heterogeneity in regulatory perceptions across firm size, sectors, and geographic regions.

• Capture the regulatory and business experience of UK-linked firms (including subsidiaries, joint ventures, and UK-invested firms) to inform targeted policy dialogue and bilateral economic engagement.

• Provide evidence-based recommendations to inform regulatory reform priorities and policy interventions.

Scope of Work

The scope of work for this assignment includes the design, implementation, and analysis of a firm-level perception survey assessing regulatory burden in Pakistan. Key activities include:

• Design a detailed survey methodology and sampling framework to ensure representative coverage across firm size, sectors, and geographic regions for the overall business sentiment.

• Develop a structured questionnaire covering key regulatory domains affecting businesses. The survey instrument should cover regulatory areas including:

• Design survey modules to capture both objective compliance experiences (time, cost, procedures) and subjective perceptions of regulatory burden.

• Incorporate validation mechanisms such as anchoring scenarios and consistency checks to improve the reliability of responses.

• Conduct pilot testing of the questionnaire and refine the survey instrument based on pilot results.

• Develop a stratified sampling strategy to ensure adequate representation of firms across size categories, sectors, and regions.

• Implement the survey through appropriate data collection methods such as face-to-face interviews and computer-assisted personal interviews with senior firm respondents.

• A purposive and stratified sample of UK-linked firms will be developed in coordination with relevant stakeholders (e.g., BOI, BDHC, DBT), recognising that this population is smaller and structurally distinct from the broader SME universe.

• A core questionnaire aligned with the main survey instrument will be applied to ensure comparability, with targeted additional probes where relevant (e.g., cross-border regulatory issues, investment facilitation, dispute resolution, FX processes).

• Findings for the UK component will be analysed as a distinct analytical cohort, with careful interpretation of structural differences (firm size, sector, formality, regulatory exposure). Comparative insights with domestic firms—particularly SMEs—will be presented where methodologically appropriate, without conflating the two groups.

• Conduct surveys with approximately 700 private sector firms across Pakistan including the designated segment of UK firms operating in Pakistan, in collaboration with REMIT, FCDO (Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office) and DBT (Department of Business and Trade -UK). 

• Where appropriate, utilise established business forums (e.g., UK–Pakistan business councils, chambers of commerce, and similar platforms) to support survey outreach, facilitate engagement with firms, and/or present and discuss key findings with relevant stakeholders.

• Ensure data quality through appropriate supervision, validation, and verification processes.

• Analyse survey data using appropriate statistical techniques to identify key patterns and trends in regulatory burden.

• Conduct comparative analysis across sectors, firm sizes, and geographic regions.

• Identify regulatory bottlenecks and priority areas for policy intervention.

• Prepare a comprehensive analytical report summarising key findings and policy implications.

• Present survey findings through stakeholder consultations and policy roundtables.

• Develop an institutionalisation plan to support repetitive surveys by the GOP. For this the following is expected:

• Develop a standardised survey instrument incorporating learnings from actual first round survey, including clearly defined indicators and modules aligned with key regulatory domains

• Deliver a replication toolkit enabling future rounds (including survey scripts, coding frameworks, and indicator definitions)

• Conduct knowledge transfer sessions with relevant government counterparts (e.g., BOI and associated entities) to support future implementation

• Provide guidance on periodicity and institutional anchoring of the survey within government systems.

4. Functional Requirements

Timeline 

The firm is expected to deliver the following deliverables in 16 weeks after initiation of assignment: 

1. Inception report: detailed methodology, sample design, and draft questionnaire

2. Final Questionnaire: incorporating feedback from BOI, SIFC, REMIT and other relevant stakeholders

3. Analytical Report: key findings, segmentation analysis, and policy recommendations with a segment focused on UK firms operating in Pakistan

4. Stakeholder Consultative Roundtables and Handover for Institutionalization: findings and reform implications

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 

The firm should demonstrate strong experience in designing and implementing enterprise perception surveys and conducting analytical research on business environment and regulatory policy issues. More specifically, the technical skillset of the firm should demonstrate:

• Expertise in designing and implementing large-scale firm-level or enterprise perception surveys.

• Strong experience in quantitative research methods, survey design, and statistical sampling techniques.

• Experience conducting business environment, investment climate, or regulatory burden diagnostics.

• Expertise in regulatory policy analysis, including business licensing, taxation, inspections, trade procedures, and regulatory governance.

• Strong capability in econometric and statistical analysis of survey datasets.

• Proficiency in application of statistical software and familiarity with digital data collection tools.

• Experience managing large-scale field data collection and supervising enumerator teams across multiple locations.

• Demonstrated ability to ensure robust data quality control, validation, and verification processes.

• Experience engaging with private sector stakeholders, including firms, chambers of commerce, and business associations.

• Ability to translate survey findings into actionable policy recommendations for regulatory reform.

• Experience working with governments, international development programmes, or donor-funded research assignments.

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 comprise 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’s 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.