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General Information
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Country:
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International
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City/Locality:
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West Africa
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Notice/Contract Number:
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ARAA/BMGF/2023/SCI/035
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Publication Date:
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Aug 26, 2023
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Deadline (local time):
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September 12, 2023 - 17:00
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Agency:
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Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
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Buyer:
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TOGO - Agence Régionale pour l"Agriculture et l"Alimentation (ARAA)
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Eligibility of Bidders:
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This Consultancy will be carried out by an independent regional consultant with experience and exposure to development projects and rice agricultural value chain financing in the
West African region.
The consultant must meet the following standards:
• Education/training: University qualification (M.Sc.) in Agricultural Economics, International Trade, Agricultural finance, or related fields.
• Solid knowledge and experience on the rice value chain and agricultural value chain financing issues for regional development.
• A good overview regarding relevant actors and partners within the rice agricultural policy, trade/market and financial negotiations in the ECOWAS region.
• Good knowledge of the West African region.
• Solid experience of analyzing project planning, management, and development of comparable projects.
• Profound knowledge concerning cost-efficiency and budget related to projects.
• Excellent writing skills and ability to elaborate evidence-based and contextually anchored activities towards the future.
• Full professional proficiency in English and/or French
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Original Language:
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English
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Contact information
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Address:
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Célestin TIENON
Senior Procurement Specialist
ARAA
83 Rue des pâtures, Super TACO
BP 4817
Lomé BP 4817
Togo
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Telephone:
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+228 22 33 82 82
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E-mail:
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procurement@araa.org
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Web site::
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http://www.araa.org
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Assignments
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77100000 - Agricultural services
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Documents attachés
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- Solicitation (221 KB; Aug 25, 2023)
- Solicitation (224 KB; Aug 25, 2023) Download documents
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Original Text
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FRENCH VERSION IS ATTACHED TO THE NOTICE
Project:
Supporting national rice platforms to deliver on rice import substitution.
Request of expression of interest
Individual Consultant
Reviewing existing studies and making recommendations for scalable financing solutions for millers and other rice sector value chain actors
Reference: ARAA/BMGF/2023/SCI/035
Source de financement BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
Publication date: August 25th, 2023
Submission deadline: September 12th, 2023 – 5 PM GMT
The ECOWAS Commission has received funding from the BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION to finance the costs of the project to support national rice platforms in rice import
substitution and intends to use part of the funding for the payment of the services of an individual consultant to "Review existing studies and make recommendations for
scalable financing solutions for millers and other stakeholders". of the rice value chain."
1. Background
In West Africa, the consumption of high-quality rice outstrips local supply resulting in continued importation of milled rice from Asia to meet demands. Increasing
population growth, urbanization and changing consumer preferences have further widened the gap in supply, and no country in West Africa has been able to achieve rice
self-sufficiency despite having the right agro-climatic conditions and water availability to meet regional demand.
In 2014, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission adopted the ECOWAS Rice Offensive--a strategic framework to engender a sustainable revival of
rice sub-sector in West Africa and to provide support for the National Rice Development Strategies of Member States towards achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2025. To
accelerate the implementation of the Rice Offensive, a Regional Rice Action Plan was developed in 2020. To achieve this goal, ECOWAS, together with several development
partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, BMZ-GIZ, AfricaRice, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), FCDO, AGRA,
JICA/CARD, the World Bank, and others, established the ECOWAS Rice Observatory" (ERO). The aim of ERO is to achieve synergy and better coordinate rice sub-sector-related
programs, public and private investments, and provide inputs for policy harmonization for key decision making. At the national level, ERO is establishing national rice
platforms comprised primarily of private sector stakeholders across the value chain, with additional representation from research, government, and civil society to
coordinate country-specific investments and policies.
ERO is made up of four technical committees that provide sound insight and make recommendations to the board based on strategic priorities identified within the rice
sector and at national levels, facilitate specific research and studies to better influence decisions, and increase rice productivity within the region. One such decision
is the recommendation by the ERO technical committee on finance, mechanization, and donor alignment on the need to review existing studies and make recommendations of
accessible and scalable financing solutions /options for millers and other rice sector value chain actors.
2. Context
Finance is a significant factor in aiding agricultural value chain (AVC) development, in terms of the availability of financial solutions to ease reaction to changing
market requirements and fulfil the critical needs of VC actors. While the approaches and applications differ, most value chain approaches share several characteristics,
such as a market perspective, a focus on end markets, recognition of the importance of relationships between different links in the chain, attention to improving value
generation for the various participants in the chain and empowering the private sector. They do, however, differ in their abilities to access new markets, achieve higher
market prices, stabilize the market, ensure supply, ensure quality produce, and make the market work for the poor.
Aside from internal arrangements, external elements such as the business environment, particularly the availability of support services, the institutional and policy
environment, and the legal and contractual systems will all influence the chain"s long-term viability. As AVCF expands across Africa, it"s critical to understand the
various limitations and strengths of the various models, as well as the sustainability elements and how to engender them to maximize the prospects of each organizational
model.
It is important to note that a lot has been done on financing value chains recently that has increased considerably our knowledge base. The proposed consultancy,
therefore, plans on drawing specific lessons learnt and recommendations that help advance the rice sector financing in the ECOWAS region. It is important that the study
adds real value and not duplicate what is already known.
3. Objectives
The overall aim of this task is to review and develop tailored recommendations of accessible and scalable financing solutions / options for the rice value chain actors in
West Africa. The specific objectives are as follows:
1. Identify risk-sharing and de-risking models that exist and could be adapted to the rice sector in the ECOWAS region.
2. Review risk sharing models and de-risking facilities to finance input and output rice markets that could be brought to scale in the ECOWAS region.
3. Provide lessons learnt and develop practical recommendations from programmes like CARI, 2SCALE, NIRSAL, GIRSAL, AGRA and others that have and/or are implementing
financing models and mechanisms for the rice sector.
4. Activities Scope
The contractor is responsible for providing the following services:
• Identify the financing requirements of each rice value chain actor, including small and medium-sized producers, farmers cooperatives and associations, agrodealers,
seed businesses, aggregators, millers, and transporters/logistical/warehousing firms. Financing must be defined in terms of duration, amount, use of funds, break-even
interest rate, payback procedures, cash or in-kind credit, and so on.
• Evaluate which financial institutions, agricultural investment funds, and value chain actors (processors, wholesalers, importers, etc.) are participating in or
interested in financing the rice industry from producer to processing. If possible, check on their delivery track record. Talk to partners (e,g, government agencies,
development partners, EBID, Afreximbank, AfDB and others etc..) that have worked with them.
• Document their financing terms, collateral requirements, access to de-risking facilities (guaranteed funds, TA, matching grants, etc.), actual portfolio, commitment to
funding the agricultural sector, knowledge of the rice sector, and so on. This should include Islamic financing products – identify any that have been rolled out
successfully.
• Research existing de-risking or risk-sharing models that could be used in the rice industry. In-kind financing agreements, trade credit, matching grants to reduce
equipment costs, risk sharing among input and output market parties, guarantee and TA facilities, government guarantees, cost of lending, default rates, and other metrics
should be documented for these loans.
• Develop an investable concept note to improve rice sector value chain actor financing via financial institutions, value chain players (trade finance), contract
arrangements between the private sector (e.g., millers) and farmers association for inputs and output markets, and agricultural investment funds.
• Recommendations and requirements for scaling funding and collaborations for each model.
5. Methodology
The assignment plan will be conducted as follows:
Strategy: The bidder is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender. Following this, the bidder
presents and justifies the strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible.
The assignment plan is to be developed through consultation with ERO – Finance, Mechanization, Donor Alignment technical committee and its partners taking into account
the Terms of Reference (ToRs). The methodology adopted should update the preliminary challenges outlined within the ToRs specifying the specific reviewed issues,
questions, methods of data collection and analysis that will be undertaken. It should also allow for wide consultation with all interested partners and stakeholders.
The assignment plan should include:
a) A desk review of all relevant documentation, including (but not limited to):
• ERO documents
• Partner’s consultations and review of activities reports
• Technical Reports on financing of rice sector
b) Interviews and discussions with financial institutions, decision makers of key rice stakeholders involved in the projects to ensure the development is carried out in a
participatory manner. A list of key partners and stakeholders should be identified.
c) Electronic interviews through teleconference or written comments, e.g., emails where partners cannot be reached.
6. Time Schedule, Reporting and Communication
Based on the scope of the work plan development, it is estimated thirty (30) working days for the completion of this assignment.
The Timeframe (will cover the following aspects but will not be limited to):
No. Description Number of days
1. Inception document 2 days
2. Desk review of existing documents 5 days
3. Interviews with partners and stakeholders 8 days
4. Writing the 1st draft of ‘Report and the investable Concept note’ 8 days
5. Debriefing with ERO – Secretariat and Finance, Mechanization, Donor Alignment technical committee 2 days
6 Drafting final ‘Report’ and ‘the investable Concept note’ in English and French 5 days
Total number of days 30 days
This schedule includes travels to meet some partners and stakeholders in the region if required and this will be in agreement with the consultant.
7. Deliverables
- Inception report with list of documents to be consulted, key informants to be interviewed, workplan and research tools (interview guidelines and assessment tools for
financial products and providers) to be approved by the ERO committee.
- Draft report and a concept note that is (max 10 pages) for deployment of relevant products identified including potential implementing partners and funders.
- Final report (max 30 pages including the concept note without annexes)
- PPT deck for public presentations on the findings and concept note.
8. Consultant qualification and experience
This Consultancy will be carried out by an independent regional consultant with experience and exposure to development projects and rice agricultural value chain financing
in the West African region.
The consultant must meet the following standards:
• Education/training: University qualification (M.Sc.) in Agricultural Economics, International Trade, Agricultural finance, or related fields.
• Solid knowledge and experience on the rice value chain and agricultural value chain financing issues for regional development.
• A good overview regarding relevant actors and partners within the rice agricultural policy, trade/market and financial negotiations in the ECOWAS region.
• Good knowledge of the West African region.
• Solid experience of analyzing project planning, management, and development of comparable projects.
• Profound knowledge concerning cost-efficiency and budget related to projects.
• Excellent writing skills and ability to elaborate evidence-based and contextually anchored activities towards the future.
• Full professional proficiency in English and/or French
9. Selection process
The ECOWAS Commission, through the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) hereby invites natural persons to express their interest in providing the required
services by providing information demonstrating that they possess the required qualifications and relevant experience to carry out the mission.
The attention of interested individual consultants is particularly drawn to Article 117 of the revised ECOWAS Public Procurement Code ("Offences by Candidates, Bidders and
Winners"), which provides information on corrupt or fraudulent practices in competition or contract performance. In addition, please refer to the following specific
information on conflicts of interest related to this assignment in accordance with Article 118 of the revised ECOWAS Public Procurement Code.
A consultant will be selected according to the individual consultant selection method described in the ECOWAS "Procurement Regulations". The main following criteria will
be used to evaluate the candidates:
• Conceptual note 10 points
• Consultant qualification: 90 points
• Total 100 points
10. Requirements on the format of the application
The application must include the following documents:
• Document 1. Application letter
• Document 2. Conceptual note: The structure of the conceptual must correspond to the structure of the ToRs. In particular, the detailed structure of the organizational
concept. It must be legible (font size 11 or larger) and clearly formulated. The concept note shall not exceed 20 pages (excluding CVs).
• Document 3. CV: The CVs of the consultant in accordance with qualification and experience sector of the ToRs must be submitted. The CVs must clearly show the position
and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long.
11. Application submission
Applications must be submitted no later than: September 12th, 2023 – 5 PM GMT, through the Dropbox file request: https://www.dropbox.com/request/XFIopTTBsuLugvpQSqUP
All the documents must be included in single PDF file named as follows: “SCI035-Candidate Name.”
12. Request for additional information
Interested consultants can obtain further information by writing to the following e-mail addresses: procurement@araa.org cc: ctienon@araa.org, mnakorba@araa.org ,
badebowale@ecowas.int with the subject "SCI035- ERO-Scalable Financing solutions ".
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More information: Click here
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