HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management is seeking to contract a Finnish service provider to provide technical support for organisation of two additional national Open Data Hackathons and to contribute to the National Open Data Forum in Botswana.

As part of the offer, the service provider should allocate resources to contract local support staff or consultant(s) (based in Botswana) to facilitate practical arrangements and coordination.

1. Background

Building on the successful implementation of Phase 1 of Open Data Hackathon activities under the EU Support to Digital Transformation in Botswana project, this second phase aims to sustain momentum in open data innovation and ecosystem development. The Team Europe Initiative continues to support Botswana’s Vision 2036 by promoting inclusive, citizen-centred digital transformation through strategic interventions in open data governance, digital entrepreneurship, and innovation capacity building.

The first phase (June 2025–March 2026) is still ongoing. During the implementation process so far, foundational structures for open data utilisation have been established, including preparatory work for the inaugural National Open Data Hackathon, scheduled for the end of next month. The initiative is already demonstrating the potential of accessible government datasets to catalyse innovation in priority sectors such as agriculture, health, and tourism. The initiative has successfully engaged diverse stakeholders, including government entities, private sector innovators, civil society organisations, and academic institutions, while promoting gender equity and youth participation in the digital economy.

This second phase responds to emerging needs and opportunities in Botswana’s evolving open data landscape. With the anticipated adoption of the national Open Data Policy by Parliament, there is strategic momentum to deepen engagement with open government data, expand the innovation community, and institutionalise best practices for data-driven entrepreneurship. The timing aligns with key national development milestones and provides opportunities to showcase Botswana’s progress in digital transformation to regional and international audiences.

Phase 2 will deliver:

• Two additional National Open Data Hackathons (envisioned for May/June 2026 and September/October 2026) targeting different sectoral challenges and strengthening participation from regions outside Gaborone through hybrid and locally facilitated satellite hackathon hubs.
• Sustained capacity building and mentorship for the growing community of data innovators and entrepreneurs
• Documentation of best practices and lessons learned for long-term sustainability and knowledge transfer

 

The continued collaboration between Expertise France, ESTDEV (Estonia), and HAUS (Finland), in partnership with the Botswana Digital Innovation Hub (BDIH) and SmartBots, ensures technical excellence and alignment with international standards while remaining responsive to local context and priorities.

The hackathons utilise the BDIH setup and its role as a coordinating hub in the innovation ecosystem. Based at BDIH, SmartBots Lab plays a central role in Botswana’s digital transformation agenda by providing a national space for innovation and experimentation in data‑driven public services. Open data forms a cornerstone of the Lab’s analytics functions, enabling evidence‑based insights for government and partners while lowering barriers for innovators to build solutions on trusted datasets. By exposing curated open datasets through secure interfaces, SmartBots Lab acts as a gateway for startups and developers to access the Lab’s sandbox environments in key domains such as cybersecurity, FinTech and AI. This combination of open data and controlled sandbox testing supports rapid prototyping, strengthens the local digital ecosystem, and helps ensure that new services are both innovative and safe to deploy at scale.

While the main hackathon events will be hosted in Gaborone, Phase 2 will introduce a hybrid participation model by enabling satellite hackathon hubs in selected regional towns (e.g. Maun, Palapye). These hubs will be coordinated by local innovation actors and supported through the project budget to strengthen national inclusion and regional innovation capacity.

2. Objective

To consolidate and expand the impact of open data initiatives in Botswana by:

• Delivering two additional national Open Data Hackathons that deepen sectoral innovation, expand participant diversity, and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem, building on the results and lessons learned from Phase 1.
• Documenting hackathon experiences so that they inform the National Open Data Forum, which facilitates knowledge exchange, showcases achievements, and builds strategic partnerships for sustainability, and contributes to policy dialogue around the National Open Data Policy.
• Providing technical expertise and capacity building that transfers international best practices while building local capabilities
• Ensuring effective coordination, stakeholder engagement, and operational excellence through combined international technical leadership and local facilitation
• Strengthening regional and international linkages of Botswana’s open data ecosystem by facilitating engagement with European and Southern African digital innovation networks.
• Promoting gender equity, youth participation, and inclusive innovation throughout all activities

3. Scope of Work and Methodology

3.1 International Expert(s)

The Service Provider will assign one or more international expert(s) who will provide high-level technical expertise and strategic guidance for all three major events, with physical presence during event implementation. Total estimated duration: 50 days (April 2026 to December 2026). The hackathon concept, partnership strategy, and core frameworks have already been developed under Phase 1; the International Expert will build on and quality-assure these foundations rather than redesign them.

a) Strategic Planning and Design (Remote – 12 days)

• Provide strategic oversight and quality assurance for Hackathon 2 (envisioned for May/June) and Hackathon 3 (envisioned for September/October), including thematic focus areas, challenge definitions, and sectoral alignment based on existing Phase 1 frameworks
• Contribute to the design of the National Open Data Forum concept, structure, agenda, and expected outcomes in collaboration with project partners and BDIH
• Recommend strategies for progressive deepening of challenges across the three events, building on Phase 1 lessons learned
• Provide guidance on participant selection criteria, mentorship structures, and judging frameworks that promote quality and inclusivity
• Advise on stakeholder engagement approaches for government ministries, private sector partners, and development partners
• Design and operationalise a hybrid hackathon model, including guidance for regional satellite hubs and allocation principles for operational support to local organising partners.
• Oversee end-to-end operational planning and quality assurance for Hackathons 2 and 3, including the call for applications, outreach beyond Gaborone (in coordination with satellite hub partners), application review and scoring framework, participant communication, mentor coordination, team formation support, judging process design, and alignment between the main venue and satellite hubs.

b) Data Standards and Infrastructure Development (Remote – 12 days)

• Support identification and preparation of additional open government datasets for Hackathons 2 and 3, ensuring sectoral diversity and relevance
• Provide technical guidance on data quality, metadata standards (e.g., FAIR principles), and documentation best practices
• Advise on data infrastructure enhancements, including API development, data repositories, and accessibility improvements
• Review and quality-assure dataset readiness for each hackathon event

c) Capacity Building and Training Development (Remote – 8 days)

• Update and enhance training modules on data literacy, design thinking, and digital prototyping based on Phase 1 feedback
• Design capacity-building components for the National Open Data Forum, including workshop sessions and masterclasses
• Provide remote mentorship and guidance to local trainers and facilitators

d) Field Work During Hackathon 2 (On-site in Botswana – 7 days)

• Provide on-site technical mentorship and troubleshooting during Hackathon
• Facilitate real-time problem-solving with participants and teams
• Conduct stakeholder engagement sessions with government data providers and private sector partners
• Provide remote technical oversight and coordination support to regional satellite hubs operating in parallel with the main Gaborone event
• Support the judging process and evaluation of innovations
• Document recommendations on the evolution and maturation of the open data innovation ecosystem

e) Field Work During Hackathon 3 (On-site in Botswana – 7 days)

• Provide on-site technical mentorship and troubleshooting during Hackathon
• Facilitate real-time problem-solving with participants and teams
• Conduct stakeholder engagement sessions with government data providers and private sector partners
• Provide remote technical oversight and coordination support to regional satellite hubs operating in parallel with the main Gaborone event
• Support the judging process and evaluation of innovations
• Document recommendations on the evolution and maturation of the open data innovation ecosystem

f) International and Regional Engagement (4 days embedded across activities)

• Identify and activate relevant European and Southern African innovation networks for engagement in the Hackathons and Forum
• Facilitate participation of international mentors, speakers, or jury members
• Promote cross-border knowledge exchange aligned with the National Innovation Competency Framework (NICF) and SmartBots Lab activities
• Develop recommendations for sustained regional collaboration beyond Phase 2

3.2 Local support/consultant to the service provider

The contracted Finnish service provider must ensure adequate in-country operational and coordination capacity in Botswana for the full duration of Phase 2 (April–December 2026).

The tenderer is required to allocate and budget for a Botswana-based local resource (consultant or equivalent) to ensure effective local coordination, logistical arrangements, stakeholder engagement, and operational delivery of all events and related activities.

This includes coordination with selected regional organisations (e.g. innovation hubs, universities, or civil society actors) that will host satellite hackathon hubs outside Gaborone. The tenderer must allocate part of the budget to support these local partners in covering venue coordination, participant mobilisation, basic facilitation, and on-site mentoring support during the hackathons.

Potential local partners for hybrid satellite hackathon hubs outside Gaborone may also be identified through the Botswana National Innovation Network coordinated by HAUS.

The local resource will implement day-to-day operational coordination, including logistics, stakeholder follow-up, and local communications, under the technical leadership and quality assurance of the International Expert.

4. Deliverables

1. Inception Report (Month 1): Strategic framework for Phase 2 activities, including detailed workplans for Hackathon 2, Hackathon 3, and the National Open Data Forum.
2. Data Package Documentation (Ongoing): Comprehensive documentation of datasets prepared for Hackathons 2 and 3, including metadata, technical specifications, and usage guidelines
3. Training Materials (Month 2): Updated and enhanced training modules, workshop materials, and capacity-building resources for all events
4. Hackathon 2 Event Report (within 30 days of the hackathon): Summary of Hackathon 2 implementation, participant innovations, technical insights, and recommendations for Hackathon 3
5. Hackathon 3 Event Report (within 30 days of the hackathon): Summary of Hackathon 3 implementation, comparative analysis of all three hackathons, and ecosystem development observations
6. National Open Data Forum Concept Note and template agenda (Month 6): Programme design for the Forum, including session descriptions, speaker recommendations, and expected outcomes (to be implemented beyond Phase 2).
7. Final Comprehensive Report (December 2026): Consolidation of all Phase 2 activities, lessons learned, impact assessment, recommendations for sustainability and future programming

All deliverables must be written in English and submitted in editable digital formats (Word/PDF for reports, PowerPoint for presentations).

5. Timeline and Location

Suggested Timeline: April 2026 to December 2026

Activity	Timeframe	Location
Inception and Planning	April 2026	Remote
Hackathon 2 Preparation	April–May 2026	Remote + Botswana
Hackathon 2 Event	May/June 2026	Gaborone, Botswana
Hackathon 3 Preparation	June–August 2026	Remote + Botswana
Hackathon 3 Event	September/October 2026	Gaborone, Botswana
Forum Preparation	September–November 2026	Remote
Final Reporting	December 2026	Remote

Table 1: Phase 2 Implementation Timeline. Note: The “Location” column refers to the primary working location of the International Expert. Remote activities may include virtual coordination with both Gaborone and regional satellite hubs. On-site presence in Botswana is required during the main hackathon events in Gaborone, while regional hubs operate in parallel under local coordination.

Location

• Remote work for strategic planning, technical preparation, training development, and report writing
• On-site in Botswana for the duration of the hackathons

6. Reporting and Supervision

• Report to: Team Europe Initiative Technical Lead on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HAUS)
• Technical guidance from: BDIH, SmartBots, and the Team Europe technical team
• Coordination: Regular virtual meetings (bi-weekly during remote phases, daily during on-site implementation)

The consultants are expected to maintain close coordination and communication throughout the assignment to ensure seamless integration of technical expertise and operational execution.

7. Qualifications and Experience

7.1 International Expert(s) – Required Qualifications

• Relevant higher education degree in computer science, information systems, public administration, innovation management, or related field
• Minimum 10 years of experience in open data initiatives, digital innovation programmes, or government digitisation projects
• Demonstrated expertise in Finnish and European open data frameworks, standards, and best practices
• Previous experience designing and implementing hackathons, innovation challenges, or entrepreneurship competitions
• Strong understanding of data governance, metadata standards (FAIR principles, org), and data infrastructure
• Experience in capacity building, training design, and mentorship for diverse audiences
• Proven ability to work in multicultural environments and transfer knowledge effectively
• Excellent communication, analytical, and reporting skills in English (fluent oral and written)
• Experience in African contexts (desirable)
• Understanding of gender mainstreaming and inclusive innovation approaches (desirable)

8. Eligibility Criteria and Selection Criteria

Eligibility criteria:

• The service provider is required to be a Finnish entity (registered company)
• The tenderer is required to contract local support staff/consultant (based in Botswana) to facilitate practical arrangements and coordination.
• Financial situation must be rated at least “satisfactory A” according to Suomen Asiakastieto Oy classification, or risk class 1-3, or equivalent, based on financial statements
• Must comply with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ethical business practices
• The Service Provider shall comply with all obligations set out in the Finnish Act on the Contractor’s Obligations and Liability when Work is Contracted Out (1233/2006, as amended). Upon request, the Service Provider shall provide the Client with the documents and certificates required under the Act to demonstrate fulfilment of these statutory obligations throughout the duration of the contract.

Selection criteria (max. 100 points)

Technical Offer (80 points)

• Quality and relevance of technical proposal (40 points)
  • Demonstrated understanding of Phase 2 scope and objectives (15 points)
  • Quality and feasibility of proposed workplan and methodology (15 points)
  • Approach to knowledge transfer and capacity building (10 points)
• Expertise and qualifications (40 points)
  • Relevant experience in open data initiatives and hackathon implementation (20 points)
  • Quality and relevance of two work samples/references (15 points)
  • Additional qualifications and international experience (5 points)

Financial Offer (20 points)

• Financial offers ranked from lowest to highest
• Lowest-cost proposal receives full 20 points
• Higher-cost proposals receive proportionally fewer points based on ranking
• Financial offer must include the daily rate and confirmation of the assignment duration

The opening and evaluation of tenders shall be carried out by the Team Europe project experts in coordination with BDIH management.

9. Budget

Total Phase 2 Budget: €50,000

The maximum available total budget is set at EUR 50,000, including all costs.

Anticipated costs include:

• International expert fees
• Local consultant fees
• Operational support to regional satellite hackathon hubs (allocated budget for local hub delivery through subcontracted local organising partners)
• Travel costs (for the Finnish expert)

10. Payment Terms

Payment shall be made in four instalments upon submission and approval of deliverables:

• 30% upon contract signature and approval of Inception Report
• 30% upon completion and approval of Hackathon 2 Event Report
• 25% upon completion and approval of Hackathon 3 Event Report
• 15% upon approval of Final Comprehensive Report and all outstanding deliverables

11. Application Process

Interested tenderers should submit a proposal for this assignment by 6 April 2026, at 23:59 (EET/UTC +2). Proposals should be sent via email to botsprocurement@haus.fi.

Required Submission Documents

1. Technical Proposal

• Updated CV(s) (maximum 5 pages per CV);
• Workplan and methodology (maximum 10 pages);
• Two relevant work samples or project references in a 1-page summary, including contact information for verification.

1. Financial Proposal

• Total budget, including number of days and daily rates for international and national consultants; travel costs; and any other costs.

During the procurement process, all interested parties are encouraged to submit questions or clarifications via email:

• Email address: botsprocurement@haus.fi
• Question period closes: 29 March 2026, 23:59 (EET/UTC +2)

Only communication through the official email address will be considered. The Contracting Authority cannot respond to queries made by telephone or other means.

All questions and answers will be published anonymously to ensure transparency and equal treatment of all potential bidders.

Note: All proposals and CVs received will be shared with the selection panel. The total budget of the winning proposal will be published in the procurement decision.