About the Market Development Facility
The Market Development Facility (MDF) is an Australian Government funded multi-country initiative which currently operates in Fiji, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka and has expanded into Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. MDF is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT). It is implemented by Palladium in partnership with Swisscontact. In Fiji, MDF focuses on developing a diversified, inclusive and sustainable tourism industry, as well as improving the competitiveness of Fiji’s high-value agriculture sector and urban industries.
Background
MDF, in partnership with the Fiji Bureau of Statistics (FBoS), is supporting the sustainable growth of Fiji’s yacht tourism sector. Robust, timely, and reliable data is critical for evidence-based planning, policy development, and investment decisions in the nautical tourism segment. Current yacht tourism data systems face challenges related to data consistency, coverage, analytical use, and reporting. To address these gaps, MDF and FBoS will commission technical expertise to strengthen Fiji’s yacht tourism data system and build enduring institutional capacity within FBoS to sustainably collect, analyse, and disseminate yacht tourism statistics.
The commissioned technical expertise will build on the 2018 Economic Impact of International Yachting in Fiji study, which established a baseline of the sector’s economic contribution. The study will be used as a key reference to examine identified challenges and data gaps, assess whether existing tools, methodologies, and frameworks remain fit for purpose, and inform how future yacht tourism statistics can be systematically produced through the Fiji Bureau of Statistics (FBoS).
Objectives of the assignment
The objective of this assignment is to support improved national reporting and understanding of maritime tourism in Fiji by updating existing evidence on yacht and superyacht activity, and to strengthen methodologies, analytical approaches for ongoing maritime tourism statistics within FBoS. Specifically, the assignment aims to:
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- • Identify priority data gaps and methodological improvements required to produce official, annual yacht tourism statistics aligned with international statistical standards;
- • Build FBoS’s technical capability to analyse, interpret, and regularly report yacht tourism statistics as part of national tourism reporting frameworks; and,
- • Assess national level data needs and demand to determine how yachting related data can be improved, integrated, and strengthened within the National Tourism reporting frameworks, including the International Visitor Survey (IVS) for use in policy development support, investment and growth
- • Enhance data governance, coordination, and data-sharing mechanisms across relevant agencies.
Scope of services
The successful service provider will deliver the following services:
1. Diagnostic Assessment of Existing Yacht Tourism Data
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- • Review the 2018 Economic Impact of International Yachting in Fiji study as a baseline document, including its methodology, data sources, assumptions and key findings.
- • Review existing yacht tourism data sources, including administrative datasets from Fiji Immigration, Fiji Inland Revenue and Customs (FIRCS) and other relevant agencies;
- • Engage key marina operators and yacht service providers to test and operationalize data collection approaches, including interview, data capture methods and reporting formats, with the aim of establishing a practical and sustainable mechanism for FBoS to access industry data on an ongoing basis;
- • Map current data type, flows, classifications, coverage, frequency, and limitations;
- • Identify key data gaps (e.g. departures, length of stay, vessel segmentation, expenditure, charter activity) that key stakeholders require to make informed decisions; and,
- • Assess institutional arrangements for data sharing, consolidation, and reporting.
2. Methodological and System Strengthening
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- • Work with FBoS to review, test and where necessary update the economic multipliers and assumptions used to estimate the economic contribution of yacht tourism in the 2018 yacht impact study, ensuring alignment with current data sources and national statistical frameworks;
- • Recommend improved methodologies for consolidating yacht tourism data within the national statistical system;
- • Propose practical approaches to estimating indicators such as length of stay, expenditure patterns, vessel types, and regional visitation;
- • Assess feasibility and pathways for integrating yacht tourism data into existing frameworks (e.g. IVS, TSA or national tourism accounts, where appropriate); and,
- • Develop statistical tools, templates, classifications, and metadata aligned with FBoS systems and dissemination formats.
3. Enhancing technical capacity within FBoS
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- • Provide hands‑on mentoring and knowledge transfer to designated FBoS technical staff throughout the assignment, in a manner and at intervals agreed with FBoS;
- • Strengthen FBoS capacity in data quality assurance, analysis, and interpretation of yacht tourism data;
- • Support FBoS staff to participate in and lead engagements with marina operators and private sector stakeholders to strengthen relationships and build confidence in ongoing data sharing.
- • Support FBoS to document methodologies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to enable continuity beyond the assignment; and,
- • Participate in, and provide technical input to, inter‑agency consultations.
The consultant is expected to work collaboratively with FBoS staff throughout the assignment to ensure analytical approaches and methodologies are understood and can be replicated by the Bureau in future reporting cycles.
Experience and qualifications
Interested consultants must meet the following mandatory requirements to be able to participate in this procurement process:
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- • Proven experience in conducting tourism statistics particularly in yachting and/or maritime segment with a good understanding of economic analysis at national levels
- • Strong expertise in data consolidation, statistical methodology and reporting
- • Experience working with FBOS and strengthening official data systems; and demonstrated ability in capacity building, knowledge transfer, and institutional strengthening;
- • Working experience in Pacific Island economies.
- • Good project management skills and ability to work with multiple stakeholders
- • Excellent written and verbal communications skills in English, including the ability to produce concise, digestible analytical report.
Quote / Proposal format
Interested service providers must complete the Response Forms (a) and (b) provided with this RFQ to submit an offer. Submissions that do not use the Response Form will not be considered for assessment due to non-compliance with RFQ format.
Evaluation criteria
1. Technical criteria
MDF will evaluate each submission for adherence to this RFQ, ability to fulfill the specified requirements, and overall cost-effectiveness. The technical response will be assessed based on the following criteria:
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- • Demonstrated capability to deliver the requirements as described in this RFQ. (35%)
- • Approach to delivering the requirements as described in this RFQ. (35%)
- • Qualifications and experience of proposed personnel. (30%)
The technical score will account for 80% of the total score.
2.Financial criteria
Following the assessment of the technical response, MDF will undertake a like-for-like price comparison of all technically suitable offers. The Financial Score will account for 20% of the total score.
Contracting details
The successful service provider will be contracted by MDF and will work under the guidance of MDF and FBoS at all times, providing regular updates to both parties on progress and any problems that may be encountered.
If your quote is successful, you will be required to enter into the Company’s standard contract for the types of goods or services being provided. In the provision of the Goods and Services, you will be required to comply with the Company’s policies, including (without limitation) its Business Partner Code of Conduct and any relevant Project Manual. Potential suppliers must also comply with the Company’s Business Partner Code of Conduct in the submission of any quotes pursuant to this RFQ.
If you are bidding as part of a joint venture, partnership or similar, please make this clear in your submission. Likewise, if you propose to subcontract any part of the goods or services provision, then disclose this fact within your submission. The Company may require additional information from you and approval for subcontracting will not be automatic as subcontractors will be subject to Palladium’s Due Diligence process.
Registration of Interest
Register your interest to submit an offer by sending your organization name, contact person and contact details to the contact person by email on or before Friday, 14th August 2026, 5:00pm Fiji Time
Last date for Queries
Send all queries to the Contact Person by email on or before Tuesday, 18th August 2026, 5:00pm Fiji Time.
Indicate the following: RFQ-FJ26-25 Consultancy Services for Strengthening Yacht Tourism Data
Closing date and time: Friday, 21st August 2026 / 5:00PM Fiji Time
Contact: tenders-MDF@thepalladiumgroup.com
Details for submission
Email your completed Response Forms to the Contact Person on or before the Closing Date and Time. Quote the RFQ Title in the subject line.
Click on “Apply” button below to download the Service Provider Response Forms Part A and B, and submission instructions.
Note: Once the ZIP Folder has been downloaded, please extract the Response Forms A and B, with the submission instructions before proceeding.
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