Bids are hereby invited for the establishment of a panel of researchers on economic development planning three (3) year period as per specifications. Scope: Service providers will be expected to provide research support, which may include the following services: a) Access to the following: Relevant data subscriptions, Statistical software, Digital survey platforms, and Newspaper articles; b) Planning, conducting and reporting on surveys and other research methods as required; to obtain market information, socio-economic, economic and doing business information and essential economic data sets; c) Research on red tape reduction, regulatory reform, regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) etc.; d) Sectoral, industry and labour market analyses and assessments; e) Econometric and other economic modelling, as well as related systems and processes (macro-economic forecasting is specifically included on a range of indicators that are not available to DEDAT); f) Macro and micro economic impact assessments; including Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) and programme evaluation research as prescribed in the National Evaluation Policy Framework; g) Compilation of appropriate economic development and competitiveness indicators and indexes, including indicators of inclusive economic development; h) Development and application of appropriate analytical capacity to rank project options to facilitate resource allocation for the greatest local economic and job creation impact; i) Research on provincial, municipal and local economic growth and development, as well as for emerging economic issues, such as the township economy, informal sector, R&D and innovation, technology disruption, AI and machine learning and the application of principles from behavioural economics; j) Research and planning for spatial constraints and implications for economic development in a local context; k) Evidence-based and locally appropriate recommendations for the promotion of economic resilience and sustainability, with specific reference to the green economy, including the economics of energy, water and waste; l) Identification of options to mitigate or circumvent barriers to economic growth and job creation; m) Identification of international best practice and benchmarking regarding economic development promotion; n) Strategy, policy development, research and planning as it relates to entrepreneurship and enterprise development; Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise (MSME) strategies, township economic development and/or the informal economy. (ЮАР - Тендер #67828106)