Employment Promotion Programme IV – Sierra Leone

Call for expression of interest (EoI) from a consulting firm to train a minimum of 120 honey producers to improve on the quality of honey products in Sierra Leone

PN: 20.2105.3-001

Cosoft :83433552

Background

The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in cooperation with the European Union (EU) is supporting the implementation of vocational skills training and local business development in Sierra Leone through the “Employment Promotion Programme IV” (EPPIV). Focus areas of the project are the districts of Koinadugu, Falaba, Kono and Kailahun. The implementing partner is Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoDEP) representing the government of Sierra Leone. The overall objective of the programme is defined as “the employability of young people on both the supply (TVET) and demand (private sector) side has improved”. To achieve this objective until April 2024, the following outputs will be delivered:

1. Rapid Skills: 

Commercial and basic skills are rapidly strengthened

• PPP Education: 

An effective training partnership with the private sector has been established

• TVET Governance: 

The governance of the vocational training sector has been strengthened

• TVET Service Quality: 

The service quality of vocational education and training has improved

• SME Support:

Local SMEs are strengthened

Background

The Output 5 includes the development of 5 non-financial Business Development Services (BDS) that will strengthen micro, small and medium-sized enterprises by overcoming businesses challenges in the areas of market access, business and financial management, infrastructure, policy and advocacy, training and technical assistance, quality input supply, etc. BDS are offered to help business owners to grow their business, e.g., by increasing productivity, lowering production costs, accessing a more profitable market, improving business management practices or making it easier to comply with rules and regulations. EPPIV conducted a desk and a field study on the challenges faced by MSMEs in Sierra Leone and the identification of BDS to tackle these challenges.

One of the challenges identified was the lack of proper extension delivery services that could improve production and productivity by smallholder farmers. Production and productivity in all agribusiness subsectors still remain very low making it practically impossible for many farmers to aggregate and sell their surpluses. Besides, farmers especially smallholders cannot penetrate the market as a result of poor quality of products. This is attributed to poor quality of key inputs, production and processing patterns and above all improper method of packaging, branding and marketing. 

The BDS on improving the quality of honey will focus on out-growers and aggregators and provide them with the relevant knowledge and skills that will help them improve the quality of doing business in the honey subsector.  

Overall objective

The overall objective of the intervention is to is to provide an advanced training to minimum 120 honey producers to improve on the quality of honey products in Sierra Leone for a period of three weeks (15 days).The training will focus on introducing modern beekeeping practices and producing organic honey meeting exportation standards; and will be done in partnership with certificating agency (national, regional and/or international) and exporters. The curriculum will be based on regional and international export standards for organic honey. the training will also focus on fostering exchanges, peer-learning and promoting business partnerships between the trainees. In developing the training curriculum, the contractor will identify and assess key operators along the honey production value chain (input and equipment suppliers, agents, aggregators, exporters, etc.) and ensure their involvement in the development of an advanced training curriculum

Key deliverables 

The Contractor or lead private sector intervener will deliver the following:

• A database of 120 lead honey smallholders registered with the “hub” indicating their contact, addresses, GPS locations, annual production and beehive count
• A training need assessment report addressing the skills gap identified from out-growers 
• A comprehensive beekeeping and production manual
• A training comprehensive curriculum designed together with key actors of the honey sector (production, certification, export, etc.)
• An active digital forum regrouping 120 lead honey producers

EPP IV therefore look forward to partnering with private sector led individual or firm/association wishing to achieve common interests of honey producers in a more effective and efficient manner. In establishing the partnership, factors considered but not limited to it will include geographic coverage, experience in similar intervention, growth potential of your economic model, social and environmental consideration in supporting beekeepers/processors. 

Implementation time frame

From 1^st April 2023 to November 2023

 Eligibility criteria and documents to be submitted by the enterprise

• Eligibility
  • Only service providers and consulting firms based and registered in Sierra Leone knowledgeable in honey business are eligible. Consulting firms/individuals experienced in working in rural areas especially EPP operational districts: Falaba, Koinadugu, Kono, Kailahun and other adjacent districts will stand at an advantage.
  • Should have minimum of four (4) years of experience in training out-growers in the honey subsector.

• Submission condition
  • Proof of good standing, commercial qualification, payment of taxes and social benefits: Clearance certificate of NRA and NASSIT
  • Based and registered in Sierra Leone: Valid certificate of Business Registration.
  • One page on the proposed work plan for the assignment (including timeline) and implementation concept note
  • One page about the enterprise and all contact details (1 page, max. 600words)
  • The 
  • The CVs of the personnel proposed for the assignment

Submission of Expressions of Interest

Enterprises should submit their “Expression of Interest” 

via Email to SL_Quotation@giz.de with the subject “EoI Application for Q-HIP Cosoft No :83433552”

Not later than 17^th March 2023, 5:30 PM local time. Submission should not exceed two pages (excluding copies of documents) using font and font size of Arial and 11 respectively, at line spacing 1.15. 

Only prequalified interested enterprises will be contacted with a template for detailed elaboration of the proposal. However, a brief profile that details your experiences in similar partnership will be required (see “Submission condition” above).