Vietnam Employer of Record - RFP
- This RFP had a pre-bid event.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FROM THE
WORLD INITIATIVE FOR SOY IN HUMAN HEALTH (WISHH)
Employer of Record (EOR), Payroll, and HR Services - Vietnam
I. DATE
June 5, 2026
II. PROJECT OBJECTIVE
ASA/WISHH is seeking a qualified Employer of Record (EOR) provider with a registered legal entity in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to engage, employ, and administer locally based personnel in support of WISHH program activities in Vietnam. The selected provider will serve as the legal employer of record for WISHH-engaged staff and will deliver a fully managed suite of HR, payroll, tax, statutory benefits, and compliance services in accordance with Vietnamese law.
Specifically, the objectives of this engagement are to:
Enable ASA/WISHH to lawfully engage personnel in Vietnam without establishing its own local legal entity, branch, or representative office.
Ensure full and ongoing compliance with the Vietnam Labor Code, Personal Income Tax Law, Social Insurance Law, Health Insurance Law, Unemployment Insurance Law, the Law on Foreign Workers in Vietnam, and all related implementing decrees and circulars.
Provide accurate, on-time monthly payroll processing in Vietnamese Dong (VND), including all statutory withholdings, contributions, and reporting.
Administer mandatory and supplementary employee benefits, including Social Insurance and Health Insurance.
Manage the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, contract drafting, work permit and Temporary Residence Card (TRC) sponsorship for any expatriate hires, performance documentation, leave administration, and lawful offboarding/termination.
Provide HR advisory and risk management services consistent with USDA-funded program requirements and ASA/WISHH internal policies.
Deliver transparent, audit-ready monthly reporting suitable for both internal financial controls and external USDA grant compliance.
III. ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND
The American Soybean Association (ASA) was founded in 1920 by soybean farmers and extension workers to promote soy for high protein applications in developmental settings. Overseas activities initiated in the mid-1950s, and to date ASA has worked in over 80 countries. The World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) was founded in 2000 to expand the work of the American Soybean Association (ASA) in developing and emerging markets to improve health, nutrition and food security, building the groundwork for future markets of soy. WISHH provides services in food technology, business development, nutrition services, and program and proposal development. WISHH expertise extends its network into additional areas, such as aquaculture and animal feed.
ASA/WISHH builds opportunity for long-term trade by improving agricultural value chains, human and animal nutrition, and farmer net incomes. ASA/WISHH initiatives broadly fit in two arenas: (1) trade-building long-term, early-stage market development, and (2) trade-building international agriculture and economic development. The St. Louis, U.S. -based program operates in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Central America.
ASA/WISHH offers proven feed sector capacity and decades of accumulated knowledge from ASA programs. Principal approaches include market and economic assessments, technical assistance and capacity building, food and feed trials and demonstrations, farmer field days, youth mentorship programs, food and feed value chain development, and market linkages.
ASA/WISHH relies on decades of experience in food commercial development and agricultural development programming. The Program takes pride in its growing portfolio of success with U.S. government-funded projects, including USDA (Food for Progress, Foreign Market Development, Market Access Program, Emerging Markets Program, Regional Agricultural Promotion Program, America First Trade Promotion Program, and Quality Samples Program) funding in both prime and sub-recipient capacities.
WISHH's objective is to increase the international consumption of soy protein in the human, livestock, and aquaculture sectors in new markets and thereby create new opportunities for soybeans and providing higher economic returns to U.S. soybean producers.
WISHH delivers Food for Progress projects through a small in-country team and a local office but will not registering a local legal entity in this case. The selected EOR vendor will therefore serve as the legal employer of WISHH's local personnel, handling compliant employment, payroll, and statutory administration, so that WISHH can focus on program delivery.
IV. SCOPE OF WORK
The selected Offeror will act as the legal Employer of Record in Vietnam for personnel engaged by ASA/WISHH and will deliver the services described below. Initial scope is anticipated to cover one (1) to six (6) Vietnamese national employees based in Hanoi and/or Ho Chi Minh City, with the possibility of potential inclusion of expatriate staff over the contract term. ASA/WISHH retains operational direction of all engaged personnel; the Offeror serves solely as the legal employer for compliance, payroll, tax, and administrative purposes.
A. Legal Employment & Local Compliance
Serve as the legal Employer of Record in Vietnam, holding a valid Enterprise Registration Certificate and any licenses required to lawfully employ personnel and provide HR/payroll and tax services in Vietnam.
Draft and execute Vietnamese-law-compliant bilingual (Vietnamese-English) labor contracts for each engaged employee, including all statutorily required clauses on probation, working hours, salary, leave, confidentiality, and termination.
Ensure all employment terms comply with the Vietnam Labor Code and its implementing decrees, the Law on Social Insurance, the Law on Personal Income Tax, the Law on Trade Unions, and current Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) guidance.
Register each employee with the relevant District Labor Department, Social Insurance Agency, and Tax Authority within statutory deadlines.
Maintain a current Internal Labor Regulations (ILR) document registered with the local labor authority where applicable and apply it consistently to ASA/WISHH-engaged staff.
Provide proactive monitoring of and written notification regarding changes to Vietnamese labor, tax, social insurance, and immigration law that may affect ASA/WISHH-engaged employees.
B. Payroll Processing
Process accurate monthly payroll in Vietnamese Dong (VND) on a fixed payroll cycle, with cut-off and pay date to be agreed (typically the last working day of the month).
Calculate and withhold Personal Income Tax (PIT) using current rates and applicable family circumstance deductions, including dependents.
Calculate, withhold, and remit employee and employer contributions for Social Insurance, Health Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, and trade union fees, in line with prevailing rates and salary caps.
Administer mandatory bonuses, allowances, and the 13th-month salary if part of the agreed compensation package.
Process expense reimbursements, per diem, overtime (in accordance with Article 98 of the Labor Code), and night-shift differentials where applicable.
Issue itemized monthly Vietnamese-language pays lips (with English translation available) to each employee via a secure self-service portal.
Remit net salary by local bank transfer in VND directly to each employee's Vietnamese bank account.
File monthly, quarterly, and annual PIT returns; perform PIT finalization for each employee at year end.
Issue annual PIT withholding certificates and other statutory documentation required by employees.
C. Statutory Benefits Administration
Enroll all eligible employees in mandatory Social Insurance, Health Insurance, and Unemployment Insurance programs from the first day of contracted employment.
Manage Social Insurance book issuance, updates, and transfer at termination.
Administer paid annual leave (minimum 12 days per year, with seniority increments per Article 113 and 114 of the Labor Code), public holidays, sick leave, maternity leave (six months under current law), paternity leave, marriage leave, and bereavement leave.
Process maternity, sickness, and convalescence benefit claims with the Vietnam Social Security agency on behalf of employees.
Calculate and pay severance allowance and/or job-loss allowance at termination where required by law.
D. Supplementary Benefits (Optional / On-Request)
Provide a quoted catalog of optional benefits including private health insurance (e.g., Bao Viet, PVI, Liberty, AIA, Pacific Cross), accident insurance, life insurance, dental, and wellness allowances.
Administer meal allowances, transportation allowances, telephone allowances, and remote-work stipends in tax-efficient structures permitted by Vietnamese tax law.
Provide guidance on tax-exempt and tax-advantaged compensation components under current Circular 111/2013/TT-BTC and subsequent amendments.
E. Onboarding & Offboarding
Complete employee onboarding within five (5) Vietnamese working days of receipt of complete documentation from the candidate, including contract preparation, statutory registrations, bank-account setup support, and benefits enrollment.
Conduct background checks (criminal records, education, prior employment) where requested and lawful.
Manage lawful termination procedures, including required advance notice (30 or 45 days depending on contract type), consultative meetings, severance calculation, statutory de-registration with the Social Insurance Agency and tax office, return of the social insurance book, and final settlement.
Provide written guidance to ASA/WISHH on termination grounds available under Vietnamese law and associated risk.
F. Work Permits, Visas & Expatriate Support (Contingent Scope)
Sponsor and process work permits and Temporary Residence Cards for any expatriate personnel ASA/WISHH may engage, including liaising with the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Immigration Department.
Advise on labor-market needs justification, position-approval procedures, and exemption pathways (intra-corporate transfer, etc.).
Manage renewals, dependent visas, and timely de-registration upon contract end.
G. HR Advisory & Employee Relations
Provide a named, English-fluent HR account manager as primary point of contact for ASA/WISHH, with a defined back-up.
Provide first-line employee relations support (English and Vietnamese) including grievance handling, disciplinary process guidance, and policy interpretation.
Advise on performance management documentation that meets the evidentiary standards required by Vietnamese labor courts in the event of dispute.
Support ASA/WISHH-defined remote work, code of conduct, anti-harassment, and whistleblower policies, ensuring local-law compatibility.
H. Reporting, Audit, and USDA Grant Compliance
Deliver standardized monthly reports including payroll register, statutory contribution summary, leave balances, headcount changes, and total employer cost by employee, in both VND and USD (at month-end State Bank of Vietnam reference rate).
Provide ad-hoc reporting on request, including allocation of labor costs by ASA/WISHH project code or grant for USDA reporting purposes.
Maintain auditable employee files for the statutorily required retention period and make them available to ASA/WISHH and its auditors (including USDA OIG, if applicable) upon reasonable notice.
Cooperate with single-audit and grant-compliance reviews, including timely provision of supporting documentation, source records, and reconciliations.
I. Data Protection & Information Security
Comply with Vietnam's Personal Data Protection Decree (Decree 13/2023/ND-CP) and Cybersecurity Law (Law No. 24/2018/QH14), including any cross-border data transfer impact assessment requirements.
Maintain documented information security controls covering access management, encryption in transit and at rest, secure file transfer, and breach notification within 72 hours of detection.
Provide a secure, role-based portal for ASA/WISHH and employees with multi-factor authentication.
J. Service Levels
ASA/WISHH expects the Offeror to commit to the following minimum service levels, to be incorporated into the master services agreement:
Onboarding completion: within 5 Vietnamese working days from receipt of complete candidate documentation.
Payroll accuracy: at or above 99.5% per pay cycle, measured by error-free pay slips.
Payroll on-time delivery: 100% of pay cycles funded and disbursed on the agreed pay date, assuming timely funding from ASA/WISHH.
Account manager response time: within 1 Vietnamese business day for routine queries; within 4 hours for urgent or payroll-impacting issues.
Statutory filings: 100% on-time submission to tax, SI, HI, UI, and labor authorities.
System uptime (employee/admin portal): at or above 99.5% monthly.
K. Out of Scope
The following are explicitly out of scope unless separately negotiated: equity or stock-option administration; co-employment of independent contractors without an underlying labor contract; relocation services; staffing or recruitment fees beyond standard onboarding; and legal representation in labor litigation (advisory support is in scope).
V. TIMING
RFP postedJune 5, 2026
Questions due to ASA/WISHHJune12, 2026
Answers posted to WISHH websiteJune 16, 2026
Proposals due to ASA/WISHHJune 22, 2026
Contract awardedJuly 1, 2026
Contract signed July 20, 2026
Activities beginSeptember 1, 2026
Final deliverables and invoice dueMonthly
VI. SELECTION CRITERIA AND CRITERIA WEIGHTS
Proposals submitted will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Comprehensiveness35%
Consultant skills/experience30%
Cost20%
Timing15%
TOTAL100%
Special consideration will be given to Women or Minority Owned Small Business (WMOSB) entities with SBA certifications (proof of certification must be provided at time of submission).
VII. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
Proposals must contain at a minimum the specific criteria requested in the Request for Proposal:
A description of the bidder's capabilities and experience (Can be submitted as a CV)
A proposal that includes the following sections (10 pages maximum):
oProposal executive summary
oAction plan
oProposed budget
Checklist of additional items that must be submitted:
oAttachment A Technical Proposal Authorization Cover Page Completed and Signed
o100-word executive summary of the proposal
oFull detailed proposal
oProposal detailed budget
oWMOSB Proof of Certification (if applicable)
Proposals should be submitted no later than 5:00 PM CDT on June 19, 2026. To be considered for award, proposals must be submitted by e-mail to the following: Precious Popoola (ppopoola@soy.org) and cc Eric Demerit (edemerit@soy.org ). We will confirm receipt of each proposal; if receipt has not been confirmed, your proposal has not been received.
If your proposal is not authorized by signature on Attachment A Proposal Authorization Cover Page, it will not be considered and will be rejected.
Submission of Questions: All questions regarding the preparation of proposals must be submitted in writing (by e-mail) to Precious Popoola at (ppopoola@soy.or) (cc: edemerit@soy.org) no later than 5pm CDT on June 5, 2026. All questions and responses will be available on the WISHH website on or shortly after June 10, 2026. No questions will be answered over the phone or in person; all questions must be in writing and sent via email.
Non-Discrimination Statement: In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaints filing deadlines vary by program or incident. ASA/WISHH is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The firm or individual selected will be required to sign the ASA/WISHH code of conduct and conflict of interest statement.
Award: This RFP does not commit the ASA/WISHH to award a contract or to pay any costs incurred in the preparations or submission of proposals, or costs incurred in making necessary studies for the preparation thereof or to procure or contract for services or supplies. The ASA/WISHH reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP and to negotiate with any of the vendors or other firms in any manner deemed to be in the best interest of the ASA/WISHH. The ASA/WISHH reserves the right to negotiate and award only a portion of the requirements; to negotiate and award separate or multiple contracts for the elements covered by this RFP in any combination it may deem appropriate, at its sole discretion to add new considerations, information or requirements at any stage of the procurement process, including during negotiations with vendors; and reject proposal of any vendor that has previously failed to perform properly or in a timely manner contracts of a similar nature, or of a vendor that, in the opinion of the ASA/WISHH, is not in a position, or is not sufficiently qualified, to perform the contract.
This RFP contains no contractual proposal of any kind; any proposal submitted will be regarded as a proposal by the vendor and not as an acceptance by the vendor of any proposal by the ASA/WISHH. No contractual relationship will exist except pursuant to a written contract document signed by the authorized procurement official of the ASA/WISHH and by the successful vendor(s) chosen by the ASA/WISHH.
Offerors submitting proposals must (1) be officially licensed to do such business in the country of their business operation, (2) be able to receive USDA funds, and (3) not have been identified as a terrorist prior to being awarded a contract. In addition, Offeror may be required to provide the following information prior to awarding of the contract:
Documentation to verify licensure (i.e., tax id, registration certificate, etc.)
Code of Conduct
Conflict of Interest
Equal Opportunity
