Request for Proposal (RFP): Study of AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Instrument - MyDIGITAL
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Request for Proposal (RFP): Study of AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Instrument

Request for Proposal (RFP): Study of AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Instrument

Procurement Notice

Request for Proposal (RFP): Study of AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Instrument

Introduction:

National AI Office Malaysia (NAIO) under MyDIGITAL Corporation is seeking proposals from experienced and qualified organisations to support the development of the Study of AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Instrument. This initiative aims to establish a unified National AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Framework for Malaysia.

This study will evaluate the current level of AI awareness, readiness, and maturity across government agencies, industries, and relevant stakeholders including representation of business and individuals across Malaysia’s AI ecosystem. It will also develop standardized assessment instruments, scoring mechanisms, and national guidelines, which will serve as the primary framework for AI-related assessments in Malaysia. All relevant parties are expected to adhere to this standardized approach to ensure consistency and alignment nationwide.

The outcome of this study will support the implementation of the National AI Action Plan (AI Nation 2030) and other related national policies by establishing a consistent benchmark for assessing AI readiness across the country. In particular, this study serves as a critical enabler for AI Growth Zones (Foundational Enabler E7) under the AI Nation 2030 agenda, providing the essential intelligence layer to guide targeted, data-driven ecosystem development. It will also help strengthen policy development, improve intervention planning, and support better strategic decision-making at the national level.

Summary Scope of Work:

The appointed organisation will be responsible for the end-to-end development of the Study of AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Instrument, delivering a comprehensive, standardised, and nationally adoptable framework. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  1. Project Initiation and Planning
    • Conduct project inception and planning activities, including the development of a detailed workplan, stakeholder engagement strategy, governance structure, project timeline, and risk management approach. Establish effective coordination mechanisms with NAIO and relevant stakeholders representing businesses and individuals across Malaysia’s AI ecosystem throughout the project duration.
  2. Baseline Assessment and Benchmarking Study
    • Conduct comprehensive desktop research, environmental scanning, and benchmarking of international and national AI awareness, readiness, and maturity assessment frameworks, methodologies, and best practices. Assess the current state of AI awareness, readiness, and maturity across key stakeholder groups in Malaysia.
  3. Stakeholder Engagement and Framework Development
    • Design and implement a stakeholder engagement programme involving relevant ministries, government agencies, industry representatives, academia, research institutions, technology providers, SMEs, and ecosystem partners. Facilitate consultation workshops, focus group discussions, interviews, and engagement sessions to gather inputs and validate findings. Ensure that stakeholder representation reflects a balanced cross-section of Malaysia’s AI ecosystem.
    • Develop a comprehensive National AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Framework comprising assessment dimensions, indicators, maturity levels, scoring methodologies, evaluation criteria, governance mechanisms, and implementation guidelines. Develop standardised assessment instruments, questionnaires, data collection tools, and reporting templates to support consistent implementation across sectors. This initiative will establish clear national guidelines, reference standards, and implementation mechanisms to harmonise and standardise AI-related assessments conducted by third parties, ensuring consistency, comparability, and interoperability of assessment outcomes across sectors.
  4. Validation, Pilot Testing and Refinement
    • Conduct validation workshops and expert review sessions involving relevant stakeholders representing businesses and individuals across Malaysia’s AI ecosystem and subject matter experts. Pilot test the framework and assessment instruments with selected stakeholder groups to assess usability, reliability, and effectiveness. Refine and finalise the framework, methodologies, and assessment instruments based on feedback and validation outcomes.
  5. Strategic Recommendations, Roadmap and Knowledge Transfer
    • Develop strategic recommendations to strengthen AI awareness and readiness across Malaysia. Propose governance structures, implementation mechanisms, monitoring approaches, and a phased national rollout roadmap aligned with the National AI Action Plan (AI Nation 2030) and other relevant national AI-related policies and initiatives.
    • Prepare and submit all required reports and project deliverables. Conduct presentation sessions, stakeholder briefings, and knowledge transfer workshops to ensure effective adoption and sustainability of the framework.

The appointed organisation shall produce the following key deliverables across all phases:

PHASESCOPE AREADELIVERABLES
Phase 1Project Initiation & PlanningInception Report, Project Workplan, Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Phase 2Baseline Assessment & BenchmarkingInception Report: Baseline Assessment & Benchmarking Report
Phase 3Stakeholder Engagement & Framework DevelopmentPreliminary Report: Consultation Findings Report, National AI Awareness & Readiness Assessment Framework, Assessment Instruments & Scoring Methodology
Phase 4Validation, Pilot Testing & RefinementValidation & Pilot Testing Report, Refined Framework & Instruments
Phase 5Strategic Recommendations, Roadmap & Knowledge TransferStrategic Recommendations Report, National Rollout Roadmap, Final Report, Implementation Guidelines, Knowledge Transfer Session

All key project deliverables shall be subject to validation, review, and endorsement by a designated Study Committee to be established by the National AI Office (NAIO). The committee will be responsible for ensuring that all outputs meet the required quality standards, align with project objectives, and are fit for purpose prior to final acceptance and approval.

Expected Outcomes:

  • Establishment of a standardised National AI Awareness and Readiness Assessment Framework for Malaysia.
  • Development of scoring methodologies and AI maturity models for nationwide implementation.
  • Baseline benchmarking of AI awareness, readiness, and adoption across key sectors.
  • Strategic recommendations and implementation roadmap aligned with the National AI Action Plan (AI Nation 2030) and other related national policies.
  • Improved AI governance, policy planning, and decision-making across government and stakeholders encompassing a broad cross-section of Malaysia’s AI ecosystem, including businesses of all sizes and sectors, as well as individuals from diverse demographic and professional backgrounds.
  • Strengthened national AI ecosystem and readiness to accelerate responsible AI adoption in Malaysia.

Eligibility Criteria (Qualified vendors should have):

  1. Demonstrated experience in conducting national-level studies, policy research, strategic advisory, or assessment framework development related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation, technology adoption, or emerging technologies.
  2. Proven capability in developing assessment frameworks, maturity models, scoring methodologies, evaluation instruments, guidelines, or benchmarking studies for government agencies, industries, or large-scale organisations.
  3. Strong understanding of AI ecosystems, AI governance, digital readiness, data governance, technology adoption, and relevant national and international AI policies, standards, and best practices.
  4. Experience in stakeholder engagement and facilitation involving government ministries, public sector agencies, industry associations, academia, research institutions, technology providers, SMEs, and private sector organisations across Malaysia’s AI ecosystem.
  5. Ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative research, including data collection, analysis, validation workshops, and policy benchmarking exercises.
  6. Availability of a qualified multidisciplinary project team with demonstrated expertise in AI policy, digital transformation, research and analytics, assessment framework development, stakeholder engagement, governance, strategy, and project management. The proposed team shall comprise a minimum of three (3) core project delivery personnel, including a Project Director/Lead Consultant and other suitably qualified subject matter experts with relevant experience in national-level studies, assessments, policy research, or strategy development. Vendors may deploy additional personnel and specialist resources as required to ensure the successful delivery of the project within the agreed scope and timeline.
  7. Demonstrated experience working with government agencies, Government-Linked Companies (GLCs), regulators, or national-level strategic initiatives will be considered an added advantage.
  8. Vendors must be legally registered entities in Malaysia (or internationally registered entities with a local presence/partner, if applicable) with sound financial standing and the operational capacity to deliver the project within the stipulated timeline of 4 to 6 months.
  9. Demonstrated capability to produce high-quality project deliverables, including inception reports, baseline assessment reports, validation and pilot testing reports, assessment instruments, implementation guidelines, strategic recommendations, and final reporting documentation aligned with national policy requirements, governance standards, and best practices.

Governance & Compliance:

All deliverables and proposals must comply with MyDIGITAL’s procurement policies and relevant Malaysian government financial circulars. No deliverable is considered final without written endorsement from the Chair of the Study Committee. The appointed organisation shall provide monthly progress reports, attend fortnightly steering committee meetings, and submit risk logs. All final reports must be submitted in both editable format (MS Word/PPT) and non-editable (PDF), alongside raw data files in CSV/Excel.

Proposal Submission:

  • Interested organisations are invited to fill out the registration form at link [https://forms.gle/EU9qtZrVCt5gAtfm7] and submit the Non-Disclosure Agreement to the Procurement Secretariat at admin@mydigital.gov.my with email subject: <Company Name> NDA for RFP AI Awareness
  • Please note that only participants who successfully registered their interest and submitted their NDA by the deadline will receive the RFP document and are eligible to proceed with proposal submissions.

Deadlines:

  1. Registration of interest and submission of the NDA is latest by 26 July 2026, 12.00 Noon.
  2. Proposals must be submitted latest by 12 August 2026, 12.00 Noon.

Terms and Conditions:

MyDIGITAL Corporation reserves the right to reject any or all registrations or proposals and to negotiate with any service provider.

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