Support site selection and prioritization of initial sites for piloting S34D business models At Catholic Relief Services

https://www.crs.org/about/bid-opportunity Please visit the CRS.org website for the full scope of work and attachments.

BID DOCUMENT

Consultancy Service to Provide for Support site selection and prioritization of the initial sites for piloting proposed Feed the Future Global Supporting Seed Systems for Development (S34D) business models

Open TENDER No. CRS-SC-2022-55

Date & Time for submission of technical & financial documents:

December 18, 2022 up to 3:00pm Eastern Time

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES- ETHIOPIA OFFICE

ADDIS ABABA

CRS Ethiopia seeks a consultant/ firms support site selection and prioritization of the initial sites for piloting proposed business models.Work will include site visits and secondary data analysis, exploring 3 sites in the highlands, 3 in the southern part of the country, and 1 in Afar zone.

• Quotes submitted after the deadline has passed or that do not include all of the information requested may be rejected*.*
• By responding with a quote you are acception the requirements as outlined aboyer, including any delivery requirements and payment terms.
• CRS Ethiopia’s invitation to bid is non-binding and in no way obligates CRS Ethiopia to award any contract. CRS Ethiopia reserves the right to purchase this services, to adjust requirements if necessary, or to make no service purchases. Firm commitment to this service purchase is not established until a written order is issued by CRS Ethiopia or contract is signed. CRS Ethiopia will not pay for vendors’ quote preparation costs.
• CRS Ethiopia employees have an obligation to conduct business within guidelines that prohibit actual or potential conflicts of interest. An employee may not accept or solicit any gift, favor or service that might reasonably tend to influence him/her in the discharge of official duties or with the intent to influence official conduct. Similarly, the contractor shall not give or offer bribes, gifts, gratuities, commissions or any other thing of value to an employee of CRS as an inducement or reward in relation to the contract. If the contractor fails to comply the agreement/contract with the organization will automatically be terminated. If any of the mentioned misconducts occur the contractor can report the incident through phone number: +251 11 278 88 00.

Overview S34D

S34D is a five-year LWA, funded by the Feed the Future through the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security and by USAID through the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. S34D focuses on the livestock sector, seed policies and regulations, forage seed, cultivated forages and feed reserves. S34D is promoting resilient, nutritious, productive and profitable seed systems to contribute to the agriculture-led inclusive economic growth objective of the host government and USAID. S34D is contributing to Ethiopia’s mission to “build modern seed industry to ensure users’ timely access to required seed at the right quality”. There are several factors that contribute to the realization of this mission 1) Effective development, release, and registration of high-quality varieties, and 2) A vibrant market environment which enables public and private producers to produce, market and distribute seed effectively through multiple channels.

Background

Livestock plays a key role in Ethiopia economy and agriculture transformation, but year-round high-quality supply of animal feed is a common challenge that smallholders and commercial entities face in the country. Droughts are common in Ethiopia and their frequency has increased in the last decade, which is attributed to ongoing climate change.

Densification of forages is currently being practiced in many countries, for example Kenya, Tunisia, Mexico, India. S34D conducted analyses of these countries. Results (from surveys conducted by S34D in FY20) show increased interest in the forage densification technologies and high potential for increasing livestock production and productivity and for managing emergency situations.

To improve the quality of feed S34D has examined economics-driven business models that use cultivated forage-based feed. Furthermore, to ensure year-round supply, S34D explored feed preservation technologies that turn forages into pellets or blocks.

Description of Work

The objective of this consultancy is to support site selection and prioritization of the initial sites for piloting proposed business models.To select physical sites for piloting the business models, the consultant will first zero-in on the sites for cultivation of improved forages and in the choice of area-specific forages, involving pastoral communities, federal and regional governments, and site visits by S34D. The consultant will support CRS with on the ground visits. This step will be informed by data gathered by S34D in recent workshops and surveys.

Next, the consultant will zero-in on the warehouse sites for establishing feed banks, and garner government support for such a system. The availability of land, water (irrigation schemes) and electricity, and road networks will be assessed.

Lastly the consultant will conduct site visits, collect site specific details, support S34D with site prioritization, and stakeholder mapping plus validation. Based on initial understanding, the Consultant will explore 3 sites in the highlands, 3 in the southern part of the country, and 1 in Afar zone.

Output: One report with selected sites for piloting business models.

Period of Performance: the period of performance is from January to May 2023. Maximum 65 billable days.

Payment Methodology: First payment after deliverables 1 and 2 are done. Second payment after deliverable 3. Third payment after deliverable 4, 5 and 6. Last and final payment after deliverable 7 and 8.

Note: Travel costs will be reimbursed/ paid for by CRS upon prior written approval.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Master’s degree in economics, sustainable livestock production, sustainable bioeconomy, or another equivalent quantitative field. Ph.D. preferred.
• At least 15 years’ experience working in seed systems, forages and animal feed in Ethiopia.
• Demonstrated experience in leading assessments and conducting Key Informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGD).
• Field experience in Ethiopia, working with national and regional governments, pastoral communities, producers (smallholder farmers), firms (seed and fodder producers) and Implementing Partners, e.g. RiPA, LGA.
• Superb collaboration skills to work with a diverse set of partners, especially with Ethiopian stakeholders.
• Must demonstrate national expertise and leadership.
• Excellent communication in English and a local vernacular.
• Must be an Ethiopian citizen.

Application procedure:

For consideration of this Scope of Work, submit the following information to S34D@crs.org by December 18, 2022: Current Curriculum Vitae, (maximum 4 pages) which specifically addresses the points in the requirements above, three referees; proposed daily rate as well as daily rates/fees for last three clients. All submissions should include subject line: TENDER No. CRS-SC-2022-55