Job Description

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Support to private sector for development and launch of products based on traditional ingredients

Deadline: 9 February 2024, 5pm

This is a call to support work under the BMZ-funded Building inclusive, diverse and quality food systems in Mudzi and Rushinga districts (Pundutso) project, implemented by Welthungerhilfe and Bio-Innovation Zimbabwe.

Project summary
Mudzi and Rushinga are located in a hot, semi-arid climate zone. The soils are only suitable for agriculture to a limited extent. As a result of climate change, the rainy seasons are increasingly irregular, and the growing season is shortened. Water scarcity is a major challenge for people, crops and livestock in the region.

Duties and Responsibilities

The population of both districts consists mainly of smallholder households practising rainfed agriculture. Crop yields are continuously declining due to non-adapted agricultural techniques and the cultivation of maize in monoculture. Agro-ecologically, the region is not suitable for maize cultivation. That it is nevertheless cultivated is due to its popularity as a staple food and the availability of reliable markets.

The rural economy is weak and there are few dynamic local markets, businesses, jobs and income opportunities. The main monetary sources of income for households in both districts are casual labour, crop sales and remittances. Local food processing businesses are almost non-existent in the region. Therefore, local value addition is low, and the prices obtained for food products are low.

Nevertheless, there is enormous potential for developing inclusive food systems that promote the production of nutritious food and that are profitable. Indigenous crops can contribute to strengthening resilience to external shocks, improving dietary diversity, biodiversity and income opportunities for small-scale producers.

Pundutso seeks to establish an inclusive, diverse and valuable food system in Mudzi and Rushinga districts, increasing the production and consumption of a variety of local nutritious foods, improving incomes and conserving the natural resources. The project directly targets 4,000 households in 5 wards each in Mudzi and Rushinga. Focus is on white sorghum, bambara nuts, rosella, mobola plum/hacha and marula nuts. The project also encourages cultivation/propagation and wild harvesting of other species (particularly wild melons, baobab, bird plum/nyii and Indian plum/masau) for local use and sale.

Expression of Interest
Through this Expression of Interest, Pundutso seeks to partner with Zimbabwean private sector players keen to develop a new product or improve or scale-up production of an existing product, incorporating at least one of our focal crops, that a small financial contribution could help realise. Companies will need to commit to sourcing these ingredients from our farmers, and also have distribution channels in place to supply their products to shops in our districts.

Qualifications and Experience

Required Documents for the Expression of Interest
Prospective partners should provide a 2-page overview of their company, their experience working with indigenous ingredients, the proposed product, current product development stage, intended consumers, time frame to product launch, current distribution channels, offtake estimates for raw materials from farmers, and assistance required from the project (up to US$20,000).

The following documents should also be uploaded, in a PDF format:
• Company profile (Link to website may be sufficient.)
• Copy of VAT and registration certificates
• Any document that can prove the qualification of your organisation for the implementation of the project

The EOI tender, all correspondence, and all documents related to the tender must be in English.
All prices must be indicated in US$ only.

Evaluation of the Expressions of Interest
Bio-Innovation Zimbabwe will thoroughly examine each EOI.
Concepts of this kind cannot be evaluated according to strict criteria. The most favourable price is not necessarily the deciding factor. It is the best overall impression that decides.
BIZ reserves the right to request a revised cost offer after presentation and the exchange of mutual expectations.

Anti-Terrorism Policy
BIZ and Welthungerhilfe renounce all forms of terrorism and will never knowingly support, tolerate or encourage terrorism or the activities of those who embrace terrorism or money laundering. Consistent with numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions, including S/RES/1269(1999), S/RES 1368(2001) and S/RES1373(2001) and the European Union, BIZ and WHH are firmly committed to the international fight against terrorism and in particular against the financing of terrorism. It is our policy to seek to ensure that none of our (donor) funds are used, directly or indirectly, to provide support to individuals or entities associated with terrorism or money laundering. Therefore, we will match suppliers and service providers against the sanctions lists on a regular basis. By submitting an offer, suppliers and service providers agree to this.

How to Apply

To Apply
Submissions must be uploaded online through the web tendering portal accessible through the following link:
https://eu.eu-supply.com/ctm/supplier/publictenders?B=WELTHUNGERHILFE
The related EU-Supply RFT ID Reference of this tender invitation is 356059.

If you are a new applicant, to be able to use the EU supply web portal and to submit your application through it, you will have to register as a new supplier through the following web thread: https://eu.eusupply.com/ctm/Company/CompanyRegistration/RegisterCompany.

All inquiries about the call can be submitted through the EU supply platform.
Questions may be asked through the portal until 7 Feb 2024. All questions will be answered by 8 Feb 2024.

Click to Apply