NSDC Skills Outcomes Fund Tender – Key Details

The official procurement schedule specifies 28 August 2026 as the commencement date, 7 September 2026 for the virtual pre-bid meeting, 17 September 2026 at 3:00 PM as the submission deadline and 3:30 PM as the technical proposal opening. It also expressly states that proposal security is not applicable.

Important: The ₹530 crore figure is the proposed overall Skills Outcomes Fund programme size, not an estimated contract value for the Transaction Management Partner. The RFP's financial form asks bidders to quote their own lump-sum cost for the complete four-year engagement, and the document does not specify a separate estimated tender cost.

Scope of Work

The selected Transaction Management Partner will have a broad strategic and operational mandate covering the complete transaction-management architecture of the Skills Outcomes Fund.

1. Programme Design and Fundraising

The Transaction Manager will work with NSDC to convert the approved SOF objectives into a launch-ready operating and transaction-management framework.

Key responsibilities include:

1. Defining the core outcome-based financing (OBF) design components.
2. Developing the outcomes framework and payment metrics.
3. Defining milestones, eligible sectors and job roles.
4. Designing fund-flow and cash-flow arrangements.
5. Developing MEL and verification timelines.
6. Designing technology-enabled monitoring and verification systems.
7. Providing specialist OBF advisory and supporting innovation.
8. Developing and implementing a fundraising strategy.
9. Engaging domestic and international philanthropic funders.
10. Preparing funder-facing investment materials.
11. Supporting funder due diligence.
12. Securing matching outcome funding and technical assistance grants.
13. Maintaining relationships with participating funders.

The RFP states that the government has committed ₹225 crore towards outcome funding, while the Transaction Manager is expected to support mobilisation of a matching amount from private and philanthropic funders.

2. Fund Administration

The Transaction Management Partner will support establishment of a legally compliant and operationally viable fund administration structure.

This includes:

1. Obtaining a formal legal opinion on the proposed fund structure.
2. Supporting transaction structuring.
3. Facilitating private-donor term sheets and framework agreements.
4. Establishing funding mechanisms.
5. Managing arrangements for international philanthropic funding.
6. Supporting onward contracting and disbursement of programme funds.
7. Ensuring compliance with applicable Indian laws, foreign funding regulations and approved programme agreements.

A key deliverable is the formal legal opinion together with agreed term sheet and framework agreements executed by relevant stakeholders before programme launch.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

The Transaction Manager will design and oversee the programme's MEL framework.

Responsibilities include:

1. Developing an integrated MEL framework.
2. Ensuring statistical rigour and data quality.
3. Establishing credible verification of payment-linked outcomes.
4. Selecting and onboarding an independent third-party MEL Partner.
5. Supervising the independent verification process.
6. Monitoring MEL outputs.
7. Supporting dispute resolution.
8. Generating learning and insights for programme improvement.

The independent verification mechanism is particularly important because outcome payments are linked to independently verified results.

4. Governance, Risk and Legal Compliance

The Transaction Manager will support NSDC in establishing and operating programme governance structures, including:

1. Supporting Steering Committee and Executive Committee meetings.
2. Preparing briefing materials.
3. Tracking decisions and action points.
4. Establishing a programme-level risk management framework.
5. Monitoring programme, safeguarding, operational and financial risks.
6. Monitoring legal and regulatory compliance.
7. Coordinating with NSDC and stakeholder legal teams.
8. Maintaining compliance reporting.

A risk management and legal compliance framework is identified as a specific deliverable.

5. Ongoing Programme Management

The partner will provide continuous transaction-level coordination and oversight across:

1. MEL
2. Risk management
3. Legal compliance
4. Financial management
5. Private stakeholder management
6. Communications governance
7. Knowledge management
8. Stakeholder coordination

The RFP also requires the Transaction Manager to establish a common communications framework and programme-level knowledge management framework.

Eligibility and Pre-Qualification Criteria

The RFP is open to eligible organisations from all countries, subject to applicable sanctions, export-control regulations and Government of India requirements. Only bidders meeting the eligibility criteria will proceed to technical evaluation.

Major mandatory requirements

1. Legal Establishment

The bidder must be a legally established entity, such as:

1. Company
2. Corporation
3. LLC
4. LLP
5. Partnership Firm
6. Proprietorship Firm
7. Other legally constituted entity

The entity must possess the registrations, licences, approvals and permits necessary to undertake the services.

Indian bidders: Certificate of Incorporation/Registration, PAN and GST Registration Certificate are required.

Foreign bidders: Certificate of Incorporation, Registration Certificate, Business Registration Certificate, Trade Licence, Certificate of Formation or equivalent legal document is required.

2. Minimum Average Annual Turnover

The bidder must have an average annual turnover of at least ₹50 crore or USD 5 million during:

1. FY 2023-24
2. FY 2024-25
3. FY 2025-26

Indian bidders must provide CA-certified turnover statements with UDIN and audited financial statements. Foreign bidders must provide audited accounts certifying the applicable turnover.

3. Positive Net Worth

The bidder must have a positive net worth for three consecutive financial years ending 31 March 2026.

Audited financial statements certifying net worth are required.

4. Outcome-Based Financing Experience

The bidder must have successfully executed at least three Outcome-Based Financing programmes, each having a value of at least ₹100 crore, with at least one programme in the skilling and employment sector.

Eligible clients include:

1. Government agencies
2. PSUs
3. Autonomous bodies
4. Multilateral agencies
5. Development partners
6. Philanthropic organisations
7. Private sector entities

Evidence may include work orders, agreements, completion certificates, client certificates or proof of satisfactory ongoing performance.

Tender-document note: The RFP contains differing USD equivalents in different sections—USD 11 million in the mandatory eligibility section and USD 10.4 million in the technical evaluation section. For public-facing reporting, the consistent INR threshold of ₹100 crore per qualifying programme is the safer representation.

5. In-House Technical Capacity

The bidder must demonstrate adequate in-house technical capacity to undertake the scope.

Required evidence includes:

1. Organisation structure/chart.
2. Key technical and managerial personnel details.
3. Organisation profile.
4. Technical capabilities and domain expertise.
5. Relevant infrastructure.
6. Employee-strength details certified by an authorised signatory or HR Head.

6. No Blacklisting/Debarment

The bidder and its affiliates must not have been debarred, blacklisted, suspended or declared ineligible by relevant government, regulatory, public-sector, multilateral, bilateral or international authorities during the preceding three financial years.

An undertaking on the bidder's letterhead, signed by the authorised signatory, is required.

Technical Qualification Criteria

The technical evaluation carries 100 marks, with a minimum technical qualifying score of 70 marks (recommended). Only bidders meeting the eligibility criteria will proceed to further evaluation.

The technical proposal and presentation are particularly significant, accounting for 35 marks. Assessment covers understanding of the SOF ecosystem, programme design, transaction management, governance, risk management, fundraising, stakeholder coordination, programme monitoring, verification, learning, work plan and implementation timeline.

The proposed team is expected to demonstrate relevant expertise in transaction management, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, programme management, outcome-based financing, monitoring and evaluation and related fields. CVs of key personnel must clearly demonstrate their qualifications and relevant experience.

Financial Criteria and Commercial Proposal

The RFP follows Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS):

1. Technical Proposal: 80%
2. Financial Proposal: 20%

Only bidders meeting the required technical threshold will have their financial proposals opened. The bidder achieving the highest combined technical and financial score will be invited for negotiations.

The financial proposal must:

1. Be submitted separately from the technical proposal.
2. Quote a total lump-sum cost for the complete engagement tenure.
3. Provide a detailed year-wise cost break-up.
4. Identify costs attributable to components, activities, deliverables, milestones and scope of work.
5. Include all relevant costs such as professional fees, fieldwork, travel, logistics, data processing and reporting.
6. Be quoted in INR or USD.

The RFP does not specify a fixed estimated contract cost; bidders are required to develop and submit their own financial quotation.

Tender Fee, EMD and Proposal Security

Tender Fee

Not specified in the provided RFP document.

Accordingly, SkillCouncils.com should avoid publishing a specific tender-fee amount unless NSDC subsequently specifies one through the e-procurement portal or corrigendum.

EMD / Proposal Security

Not applicable.

The procurement schedule expressly states: “Proposal security is not applicable.”

Therefore:

1. EMD amount: Not applicable
2. EMD exemption: Not applicable
3. EMD payment mode: Not applicable

This should not be described as an “EMD exemption” in the conventional sense because the RFP itself says proposal security is not applicable.

Submission Guidelines

The RFP requires bidders to submit the proposal through the prescribed NSDC e-Procurement Portal.

Portal: https://nsdc.eproc.in/

The bidder must submit:

1. Technical Proposal.
2. Separate Financial Proposal.
3. Required eligibility documents.
4. Technical evaluation documents.
5. Prescribed RFP forms.
6. Supporting experience and financial documents.
7. Required declarations and authorisations.

The technical proposal must not contain financial bid information. A technical proposal containing financial information may be declared non-responsive.

The RFP also specifies that:

1. Only one proposal may be submitted.
2. The proposal must be signed by an authorised representative.
3. A written Power of Attorney must form part of the submission.
4. Conditional proposals may be rejected.
5. The proposal must be submitted before the e-procurement server deadline.
6. The server clock will be treated as the reference time.
7. Cloud links for proposal/document/presentation submission are not accepted.
8. Proposal size should not exceed 20 MB; if necessary, multiple files may be uploaded subject to the portal's attachment limit.

A Class-III Digital Signature Certificate with both signing and encryption components is mandatory for participation in the NSDC e-tendering portal, and bidders must register on the portal before participating.

Important Tender Dates

The pre-bid meeting is scheduled virtually through Microsoft Teams. The technical proposal opening is scheduled for 17 September 2026 at 3:30 PM through the NSDC e-procurement process.

Important: The RFP does not provide a fixed date for financial-bid opening. Financial proposals are to be opened only after technical evaluation and approval for bidders that achieve the required technical score.

Document Checklist for Bidders

The RFP's Form 5 – Check List for Bidders provides the following core submission checklist.

The RFP additionally requires financial capability documentation covering the last three audited financial years, including turnover and net worth, with appropriate certification.

Programme Size and Operating Context

The Skills Outcomes Fund is designed as a large-scale outcomes-based financing programme. The RFP indicates an objective of supporting approximately 200,000 youth over four years, with interventions potentially implemented across India.

The first programme year is expected to enrol approximately 30,000 candidates across 5–8 Training Providers. The programme focuses on youth aged 18–40, with at least 50% women participation targeted. It prioritises NEET youth, candidates with undergraduate education or below, aspirational districts and marginalised youth.

Outcome-linked payments to Training Providers are structured around:

1. Certification – 30%
2. Placement – 40%
3. Retention – 30%

These outcomes are independently verified before outcome payments are released.

Contract Duration

The assignment is for four years from the date of issuance of the Contract Award, with commencement tentatively scheduled for October 2026.

NSDC will review performance annually, with subsequent Purchase Orders subject to satisfactory performance.

The RFP also establishes service-level requirements. For example, the final SOF Design and Transaction Management Framework is required within 90 days from the Notice to Proceed, subject to NSDC approval.

Conclusion

The NSDC Skills Outcomes Fund Transaction Management Partner RFP 2026 represents a significant opportunity for organisations with established capabilities in outcome-based financing, transaction structuring, fundraising, programme governance, MEL and stakeholder management.

Prospective bidders should begin their submission preparation well before the 17 September 2026, 3:00 PM deadline, particularly because the tender requires substantial evidence of previous OBF assignments, audited financial documentation, declarations, technical methodology and a detailed presentation.

Bidders should also monitor the NSDC e-Procurement Portal regularly for corrigenda, clarifications or amendments before submitting their proposals. The RFP specifically advises bidders to check the portal for updated information.

Official NSDC e-Procurement Portal: https://nsdc.eproc.in/
Procurement Email: procurement@nsdcindia.org

Consultation & Advisory

For Tender Consultation and Advisory, please call or WhatsApp: 9630030343
Email: support@skillcouncils.com