Expression of Interest (EoI)
PN: 21.2199.4-105.00
Cosoft: 83424100
The Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS Region (MOVE) project is commissioned by the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and co-financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the European Union (EU). The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The overall objective of MOVE is to build market-oriented and resilient value chains (rice and cashew) that contribute to the creation of income and employment in the ECOWAS region. Specifically, the goals of MOVE are:
MOVE is implemented in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, and represents the merger of two previously well-established regional projects: The Competitive Cashew Initiative (ComCashew) and the Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI). Both respective brands CARI and ComCashew are kept under the umbrella of the MOVE project.
MOVE is implemented in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, and represents the merger of two previously well-established regional projects: The Competitive Cashew Initiative (ComCashew) and the Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI). Both respective brands CARI and ComCashew are kept under the umbrella of the MOVE project.
This assignment is specific to the rice value chain (CARI). Rice is the fastest growing food source in Africa. Demand for rice has been growing faster than anywhere else in the world in recent years and far outstripping the sub-region’s population growth. In West Africa, local production covers only 60% of current demand and yield growth rates lag far behind population growth rates. For this reason, different donor organisations are currently investing in rice projects in West Africa to support ECOWAS Rice Offensive to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2030. For this reason, the ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO) was established with the following three main objectives:
The ERO aims at helping key actors in the West African rice sector better coordinate policy, value chain development, financing, and R&D to work synergistically. The ERO has have a bottom-up structure, acting at a regional level on the strategic priorities identified by national-level stakeholders. Since the official establishment of the ERO in late 2021, the board members met on a monthly basis virtually to discuss and decide on key aspects of the ERO. Now, to connect the regional level to the national level of all ECOWAS countries, the national chapters – so called Competitive African Rice Platforms (CARPs) – need to be established to connect both bodies. So far, the national chapters in Ghana and Nigeria are established while the ones in Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire are in the pipeline. Sierra Leone is meant to join this list soon.
Overall goal
In light if the ECOWAS rice observatory, the national chapters will subsequently be established in all CARI partner countries. The argument was that increasing the competitiveness of locally produced rice is germane to improving the whole value chain. Therefore, a policy platform is needed to advocate for policies and standard practices that will promote sustainability of rice production and ensure competitiveness of the locally produced rice. This is also in line of the ERO, which is a multi-stakeholder platform that aims at involving the private sector of ECOWAS countries at regional level. Each ECOWAS country is expected to have established one national chapter.
To this end, MOVE requires the service of a consultant that will conceptualize the rice policy platform, identify and support the host organization and facilitate the soft launching of the Competitive African Rice Platform (CARP) in Sierra Leone.
Purpose and Timeframe
To ensure a successful implementation and institutionalisation of the intervention, a long duration of the contract is foreseen.
For this assignment, the Service Provider will be required to complete seven (7) clusters of implementation for the period spanning 15th January 2023 until 29th of February 2024
Geographic areas of implementation
There are three geographical zones of implementation under this intervention is mainly Freetown with expectations of traveling within the country if required.
Documents to be submitted
- The service provider provides poof of good standing, commercial qualification, payment of taxes and social benefits: Clearance certificate of NRA and NASSIT
- The service provider is based and registered in Sierra Leone: Certificate of Business Registration
- The service provider(s) should have a minimum of three (3) year experience in the tasks outlined and in the targeted areas in Sierra Leone and show a wide understanding of the topic: A brief company profile that holds details of their experiences in delivering on similar tasks is required.
Submission of Expressions of Interest
Eligible experts, consulting firms and/or institutions should submit their “Expression of Interest” ONLY via Email to SL_Quotation@giz.de not later than 23rd December 2022 4:30 PM local time, clearly marked with “Support the establishment of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO) Competitive African Rice Platform (CARP)Cosoft: 83424100”
