[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r6m1UV7bLzZtNZ7IaVyWS9__Ik5yTY4D/view?usp=sharing
Request for Expression of Interest for Provision of ICT and Business Development Services
1.0 PURPOSE
The overall purpose of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Nigeria Feed the Future funded Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity also referred to as the “Extension Activity” is to enhance the productivity, income and nutritional status of 2 million smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Delta, Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Niger, Kaduna and Kebbi states across five target value chains of maize, rice, soy, cowpea and aquaculture.
All procurements or awards as a result of this solicitation and subsequent RFPs are funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and are subject to all applicable Federal Rules and Regulations.
This EOI is the first phase of the procurement process. Subsequent phases are outlined as follows:
- Phase I – EOI Applicants Evaluated and Shortlisted
- Phase II – Winrock will issue the Request for Proposals (RFP) to shortlisted applicants and evaluate and select the full applications.
- Phase III – Winrock may negotiate with eligible applicants and/or issue an award or PO.
2.0 BACKGROUND:
The Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity is a USAID and PIND funded 5 year Extension Activity which works with Nigerian entrepreneurship to facilitate learning, replication, and scale around alternative models of extension to increase access and adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices for two million SHFs in Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states. The Extension Activity works through existing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that focus on the information and service needs of the “average” farming household to support the smallholder farmers enhance their productivity, income and nutritional status in 5 value chain commodities comprising rice, soybean, cowpea, maize and aquaculture.
The main objective of the Extension Activity is to build the capacity of private extension service providers, by leveraging the power of MSMEs, to deliver extension and advisory services to SHFs to increase their production and productivity due to the increased availability and accessibility of private extension services providers. It targets to increase the availability of and accessibility to quality agricultural inputs/ services as well as pilot and scale up use of ICT-enabled extension services platforms to reach value chain stakeholders. It also aims to increase access to financial products and services. The second objective is to strengthen linkages between agricultural research institutions, agro-allied companies, the public and private extension services providers, and agricultural value chain stakeholders.
3.0 THE EXPRESS OF INTEREST
To enhance productivity and incomes of SHFs, the Extension Activity has identified Most Impactful Practices (MIPs) using its innovative Lean Methodology- a process of eliminating waste and inefficiencies in the SHF production system. The Extension Activity intends to expose 2 million SHFs to the MIPs through MSMEs to enhance their productivity, yields, and nutritional status. Under this EOI, the Extension Activity is seeking partners investing in catalytic businesses models to spur uptake and dissemination of the MIPs as well as other business solutions and extension messaging to SHFs.
The Extension Activity has designed the Partnership and Investment Fund (PIF), comprised of a mix of subcontracts and direct procurement, to catalyze change and buy down risk to pilot new products, services, business models, or working relationships. The PIF will enable the Extension Activity to engage with agricultural associations, cooperatives, market integrators, MSMEs, and other actors to address market and business constraints, seize market opportunities, and spur innovation to achieve targeted and sustainable results. The Extension Activity will also identify opportunities to scale up partner firms’ business models by testing new solution delivery models, expand to new client subgroups, including women and youth, and integrating information and communications technology (ICT) into marketing, customer discovery and profiling, and business efficiency, when financing is not yet feasible.
Potential partners may focus on working with the Extension Activity to provide services in the following broad areas:
a. Use of ICT enabled platforms to extend and disseminate extension messaging to SHFs
b. Business development for MSMEs – to help MSMEs develop rural farmers portfolio as an input to establishing their farmers network; expand or improve their business and their products and or service delivery outreach to SHFs; and/or help prepare Return on Investment (ROI) analyses and/or business plans to support expansion, customer segmentation or expanded customer reach, or new product lines to reach SHFs
4.0 SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS:
Application Process: All interested applicants must first submit an EOI form provided as Annex B.
EOI submissions will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis commencing from the issue date to the closing date and time specified above. No Phone calls or unsolicited emails will be accepted and may disqualify the applicant.
Submission Deadline: EOIs must be received no later than (5:00 PM West African Standard Time (WST) on (July, 19, 2021) to [email protected]. All submissions must be labelled using the subject line – EOI-PIF-001. Winrock will not consider applications received after the submission deadline. Only successful candidates will be notified and there are no phone solicitations.
Questions: All questions and requests for clarification regarding this EOI must be submitted in writing by
(5:00 PM West African Standard Time (WST) on (July 12), 2021 to [email protected]. Questions received after this date will not be considered.
5.0 AWARD REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE PIF:
Registration requirements for United States U.S Government Funding:
As all funds that will be used for PIF are funded by the U.S government, applicants will be required to obtain a valid Duns & Bradstreet number (DUNS). Information regarding DUNS registration can be found at http://www.dnb.com/get-a-duns-number.html. The program will notify the applicant of DUNS requirements where applicable.
Eligible applicants are requested to submit their EOIs using the form provided in Annex B. All EOI forms must be submitted prior to the closing date stated above. EOIs that are submitted later than the closing time and date will not be considered for review. Late submissions will be tagged as “late”. Question(s) concerning this EOI should be submitted in writing electronically to [email protected]
6.0 ESTIMATED FUNDS AVAILABLE UNDER PIF:
The expected awards will be between $10,000 and $50,000.
7.0 AWARD MECHANISM:
The type of awards to be issued under the PIF will be through direct subcontracts and purchase orders.
8.0 ELIGIBILITY AND EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Eligible Applicants:
The following category of applicants can express interest for receiving awards under the PIF:
· Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digital firms related to agricultural technology
· Private sector firms
· Digital financial institutions
· Agricultural associations
· Social enterprises such as community-based organizations with commercial business models
· For-Profit Organizations
· Capacity building firms
· Training firms
Minimum Eligibility Criteria:
All applicants must meet the following minimum eligibility criteria before advancing to the next stage:
- Legally registered to do business in Nigeria with complete proof of registration.
· Proof of valid tax compliance certificate from Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or State Inland Revenue Service.
· Established line of business within one of the two categories listed above in Section 3.
· Proof of jobs completed successfully with other International NGO’s or reputable organizations with the name, address, contact details, total amount of award, period of performance and any other supporting documents (minimum of three (3) clients).
Evaluation Process:
EOI submissions will first be screened against the minimum eligibility criteria above. Submissions that meet the minimum eligibility criteria will be reviewed by a technical evaluation team against the full evaluation criteria detailed below.
After the second stage, if an EOI receives a favorable review and the EOI is within the project objectives, the applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal. Successful Applicants will be provided specific requirements and instructions for the full application and be invited to submit a detailed proposal.
Due to the volume of applications expected, Winrock regrets that only successful applicants will be notified.
Evaluation Criteria:
No.
Description
Points Allocated (%)
1
Expected results related to Indicators
20
2
Organizational capability – corporate abilities and expertise
20
3
Management and personnel capability – available staff expertise
20
4
Evidence of past performance and results in areas of interest
15
5
Innovation or solution to private sector extension service delivery – and expected results
25
TOTAL
100
The successful partners will contribute to the following performance indicators
Table 1. PIF Scope-Specific Indicators
No.
Indicator
Definition
Result 1: Smallholder farmers apply most impactful practices, including sustainable farming and nutrition-sensitive practices.
1
Number of individuals in the agriculture system who have applied improved management practices or technologies with USG assistance (EG. 3.2-24)
This indicator measures the total number of agriculture system actors participating in the USG-funded activity who have applied improved management practices and/or technologies promoted by the USG anywhere within the food and agriculture system during the reporting year.
2
Number of hectares under improved management practices or technologies with USG assistance (EG. 3.2-25)
This indicator measures the area in hectares where USG-promoted improved management practices or technologies were applied during the reporting year to areas managed or cultivated by producers participating in a USG-funded activity.
3
Number of hectares under improved management practices or technologies that promote improved climate risk reduction and/or natural resources management with USG assistance (EG. 3.2-28)
This indicator measures the area in hectares where USG-promoted management practices or improved technologies that reduce climate risk and improve land, marine, and other natural resources management were applied during the reporting year to areas managed or cultivated by producers participating in a USG-funded activity.
Sub-R 1.1: Increased availability and accessibility of extension services and nutrition-sensitive messaging
5
Number of microenterprises supported by USG assistance (EG. 5-3)
This is the number of micro-enterprises receiving assistance through a USG-supported value chain or supply chain, as well as micro-entrepreneurs receiving business development services or embedded services.
Sub-R 1.2: ICT-enabled extension services platforms piloted and scaled up to reach value chain stakeholders.
6
Number of ICT-enabled agricultural extension services platforms identified, piloted, and scaled up (C.7.3.1)
This is the number of ICT-based agricultural extension services platform that the Extension Activity identifies, tests, and scales up within the reporting period.
Sub-R 1.4 Increased access to financial products and services
7
Value of agriculture-related financing accessed as a result of USG assistance (EG.3.2-27)
This indicator sums the total U.S. dollar value of debt (both cash and in-kind loans) and non-debt financing, such as equity financing, disbursed during the reporting year as a result of USG-assistance to producers, input suppliers, transporters, processors, other MSMEs, and larger enterprises that are in a targeted agricultural value chain and are participating in a USG-funded activity.
8
Total number of clients benefitting from financial services provided through USG-assisted financial intermediaries, including non-financial institutions or actors (EG. 4.2-1)
This is the total number of clients (e.g. borrowers, savers, and clients accessing other services, such as, business/agriculture related insurance) served by the USG-assisted intermediaries.
Result 2: Improved coordination and collaboration between agricultural research institutions, agro-allied companies, and public and private extension service providers for increased efficiency and effectiveness.
9
Number of public-private partnerships formed as a result of USG assistance (EG.3.2-5)
This indicator counts the number of public-private partnerships in agriculture or nutrition formed and formalized (with partnership documentation) during the reporting year due to a Feed the Future intervention (i.e. agricultural or nutrition activity, as described below).
Sub-R 2.1: Increased access to value chain stakeholders to research updates through private extension service providers
10
Number of registered users of Community of Practice platform that access research updates (output; custom)
This is the number of organizations (not individual participants representing them on the CoP) using the platform and access research updates provided through the platform.
Cross-cutting results
1
Percentage of female participants in USG- assisted programs designed to increase access to productive economic resources (GNDR-2)
This is the proportion of female participants in the program as productive economic resources include: assets -land, housing, businesses, livestock, or financial assets such as savings; credit; wage or self-employment and income.
2
Percentage of participants in USG-assisted programs designed to increase access to productive economic resources who are youth (15-29) (YOUTH-3)
Proportion of youth participants designed to increase access to productive economic resources, which include assets -land, housing, businesses, livestock or financial assets such as savings; credit; wage or self-employment; and income.
9.0. Other Terms and Conditions:
9.1. DISCLAIMER: The issuance of this EOI does not commit or obligate Winrock or its funders to prequalify or make an award to any prospective applicant responding to this EOI. Applicants will not be reimbursed for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. Winrock reserves the right to reject any and all applications; to cancel the EOI, or to make an award without further discussion or negotiation.
9.2. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Applicants must provide disclosure of any past, present or future relationships with any parties associated with the issuance, review or management of this EOI and anticipated award. Failure to provide full and open disclosure may result in Winrock having to re-evaluate selection of a potential applicant.
Applicants are to click the link above to download the full Expression of Interest (EOI).
How to apply
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r6m1UV7bLzZtNZ7IaVyWS9__Ik5yTY4D/view?usp=sharing
Winrock International was awarded the Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity, hereafter referred to as the “The Activity”.
The activity invites qualified firms to express their interest for the Partnership and Investment Fund (PIF) activities. Applicants that submit EOI that meets the program objectives, and evaluation criteria contained in section’s 2.0 and 8.0 respectively will advance to the next stage of receiving solicitations regarding the PIF.
Awards under the PIF will either be through subcontracts or purchase orders
Application Process: All interested applicants must first submit an EOI form provided as Annex B. EOI submissions will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis commencing from the issue date to the closing date and time specified above. No Phone calls or unsolicited emails will be accepted and may disqualify the applicant.
Submission: EOI’s must be received no later than (5:00 PM West African Standard Time (WST) on (July 19, 2021). All submissions should be made to [email protected], using the EOI no (EOI-PIF-001), as the subject of the email.
Questions: All questions and requests for clarification regarding this EOI must be submitted in writing by (5:00 PM West African Standard Time (WST) on (July 12), 2021 to [email protected] . Questions received after this date will not be considered.
Annex B – EOI form – (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1llf3HRpO-F1hi715Bn-OGLrVkG-ZAUUh/view?usp=sharingo)**
Issuance for this request for EOI does not in any way constitute commitment by the Extension Activity to issue an award nor pay for any costs incurred by any applicant while preparing and submitting applications for this EOI. All costs and risk are incurred by each applicant in submitting this EOI.
