Request for Proposal (RFP)

Project Title: Sa-Dhan Toll-Free Grievance Escalation System

RFP Number: 08/2025

Date Issued: November 20, 2025

Proposal Submission Deadline: December 15, 2025

Contact Person & Contact Number: Mr. Ardhendu Nandi, Ph: 8250136322,

Email: nandi@sa-dhan.org. (For any queries and information, contact Initial first week during office hours between 10 am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday)

Background:

Sa-Dhan has been recognized by the RBI as a Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) for the microfinance sector in the year 2015 to administer industry regulations, tools and performance standards for effective monitoring of MFIs, their compliance with regulations and the Code of Conduct in the best interest of clients. Sa-Dhan has over 200 members across India. As an SRO, Sa-Dhan has been at the forefront to formulate and administer industry regulations, tools and performance standards for effective monitoring of MFIs, their compliance with regulations and Code of Conduct in the best interest of clients. Sa-Dhan is committed to develop the Indian microfinance sector on professional, healthy and ethical lines. As an SRO Sa-Dhan regularly makes Field Assessment Visits, has developed a Self-Assessment and Monitoring Tool, Analyses risk at Institutional level, regularly conducts in-depth study on the status of microfinance at the district level, created Credit Assessment Framework.

Client Protection and CGRM:

Client protection is an important element while working with the people, especially the poor and the vulnerable. As an RBI-recognised Self-Regulatory Organization, Sa-Dhan has a responsibility to uphold and strengthen client protection standards across the microfinance sector. One of the means of strengthening the client protection aspects in microfinance is to listen to the client's grievances and suggestions. The Customer Grievance Redressal Mechanism (CGRM) is a unique feature of the microfinance ecosystem, ensuring client protection and promoting responsible financing practices.  With a view to giving awareness and guidance on CGRM facility in the microfinance sector, Sa-Dhan has established its own CGRM platform as an escalation channel for clients. To further strengthen, Sa-Dhan will implement a nationwide Toll-Free Number for clients of its member organizations. This service will enable clients to register grievances or share feedback easily and conveniently. The facility will be accessible in 11 languages - English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Odisha, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam to cover clients across pan-India, ensuring inclusivity and expanding outreach across the country’s diverse regions.

CGRM process:

The toll-free system will function as a two-step grievance redressal mechanism:

Step 1: Direct Calls from Clients to Sa-Dhan (First-Level Guidance)

When clients call the Sa-Dhan Toll-Free Number without first approaching their primary lenders/MFIs:

• Calls will be received in the client’s preferred language.
• Clients will be informed of the proper grievance escalation hierarchy.
• The caller will be guided to contact their respective primary lenders/MFIs for initial grievance resolution.
• No complaint will be registered at this stage.

This step ensures that all grievances first pass through the lender’s mandated grievance redressal process.

 

Step 2: Escalation to Sa-Dhan After Unsatisfactory Resolution (Complaint Registration)

If clients do not receive a satisfactory response from their lenders/MFIs:

 

• The client may call the Sa-Dhan Toll-Free Number for escalation.
• The call centre agent will collect the following basic information:
  • Client Name
  • Customer ID / Loan ID
  • Contact (Mobile) Number
  • District & State
  • Name of Primary Lender/MFI
  • Type/Nature of Complaint
• The entire conversation will be recorded.
• A Ticket/Complaint Number will be generated.
• The ticket number will be sent to the complainant via SMS.
• All complaints received during the day will be compiled and shared with Sa-Dhan daily for necessary follow-up and action with member MFIs.

 

Quarterly Reporting to Sa-Dhan

Report generation at the end of each quarter:

• A consolidated summary of all complaints received will be prepared.
• The summary will include:
  • Client Name
  • Location (District & State)
  • Contact (Mobile) Number
  • Type/Nature of Grievance
• Sa-Dhan will use this data to generate RBI-required regulatory reports on member MFIs’ grievance redressal performance.

 

Purpose and Benefits:

• Strengthens client protection and grievance transparency.
• Ensures compliance with RBI’s SRO guidelines.
• Helps Sa-Dhan monitor systemic issues across MFIs.
• Improves accountability and timely resolution by primary lenders.
• Provides multilingual support to clients across India.
• Provide a reliable toll-free number accessible across India.
• Deliver multilingual call handling and grievance support.
• Enable complaint registration, ticket generation, SMS acknowledgement, and secure daily data transfer.
• Ensure regulatory compliance, data privacy, and robust reporting.

Objectives:

Sa-Dhan invites proposals from eligible and experienced vendors (hereinafter referred to as "Bidders") for the setup, implementation, and management of a comprehensive toll-free number system to enhance customer service and grievance redressal mechanisms. 

Bidders must submit their proposals in two separate documents: a Technical Proposal and a Financial Proposal, as outlined in the

• The technical proposal should demonstrate the bidder's capacity and experience in providing similar services, particularly within the financial or microfinance sector.
• The financial proposal must quote all prices on a unit rate basis in the local currency, inclusive of all applicable taxes and charges.
• Sa-Dhan reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids without assigning any reason. 

Scope of Work for Technical Requirements:

Core Services:

The selected vendor ("Service Provider") will be responsible for providing, installing, and operationalizing a 24x7x365 toll-free number service, ensuring high availability and reliability.  

• Continuation of our existing Toll-Free Numbers: Vendor should continue using our existing toll-free number, ensuring full compliance with applicable TRAI, and other local regulatory guidelines.

• AI-based Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System: Design and deployment of a multi-lingual AI-based IVR system to manage common queries and direct calls efficiently.
• Outbound Calling Facility (Optional/As needed): Provision of standard phone lines for outbound calls, primarily for customer follow-ups and service updates. 

Technical Specifications:

 

• To set up and manage a national multilingual toll-free grievance redressal system

●      The system will support clients of Sa-Dhan’s member MFIs across India and operate in 11 languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Oriya, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam

●      The vendor will provide end-to-end technical and operational support for call management, complaint registration, ticket generation, reporting, and data transfer to Sa-Dhan.

• Procure, activate, and maintain one national toll-free number.
• Ensure network stability with 99% uptime.
• Configure AI-based language selection for 11 languages.
• Enable automatic call routing to agents fluent in the chosen language.

 

• Availability: Guaranteed service availability of at least 99.9% (24x7x365).
• Scalability: The platform must support the transmission of large-scale calls across various networks (landline and mobile) and be easily scalable to accommodate future growth.
• Data Security: The system must operate within a secure network infrastructure, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of customer data.
• Reporting and Monitoring: Provision of a robust reporting dashboard for real-time monitoring, call detailed records (CDRs), call volumes, agent performance, and service level agreement (SLA) compliance.

 

Eligibility Criteria (Pre-Qualification)

Bidders must meet the following minimum criteria:

 

• Legally registered entity with all necessary licenses to operate telecommunication/call center services in India.
• Minimum 5 years of experience (Please attach Reference Letter) in providing similar services to financial institutions or large organizations.
• Must provide a self-declaration stating they have not been debarred or blacklisted by any government agency, bank, or financial institution. 

Evaluation Process and Selection Methodology

The evaluation will be based on a two-stage process (technical and financial). The technical proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria provided in a weighted matrix. Only technically qualified bidders will have their financial proposals opened and evaluated. 

 

 

 

Contractual Terms and Conditions

 

The successful bidder will enter into a formal contract with Sa-Dhan. The contract duration will be for an initial period of 6 months, extendable upon mutual agreement. Key terms will include: 

 

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Specific performance metrics and penalties for non-compliance (e.g., downtime, call drop rates).
• Payment Terms: Payment schedules will be clearly defined based on achieved milestones or monthly service fees.
• Confidentiality and Data Protection: Strict adherence to data privacy and security regulations applicable to the microfinance sector. 

Annexures and Formats

Bidders must use the specified formats for the submission of their technical and financial bids. This section should list all required attachments, including a declaration of undertaking, company profile, and financial statement formats.