Information Pack for Regenerative Agriculture Solutions’ Selection

Eoi No.: SNV/EOI/002/2022
Opening Date: March 6, 2022,
Closing Date: March 25, 2022
Closing Time: 17h00 Kigali time
Description: Information Pack for Regenerative Agriculture Solutions’ Selection
Funded By: SNV Netherlands development organization
Vacancy Contact Details Interested applicants are invited to submit their applications
to rwandaprocurement@snv.org .
by March 25, 2022 @17h00 Kigali time
Contact: rwandaprocurement@snv.org

 Ethical And Business Conduct Requirements
SNV is committed to integrity in procurement, and only selects suppliers based on objective business criteria such as price and technical merit.
SNV does not tolerate fraud, collusion among offerors, falsified proposals/bids, bribery, or kickbacks. Any firm or individual violating these standards will be disqualified from this procurement, barred from future procurement opportunities, and may be reported to both the Office of the Inspector General.

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Employees and agents of SNV are strictly prohibited from asking for or accepting any money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, object of value or compensation from current or potential vendors or suppliers in exchange for or as a reward for business. Employees and agents engaging in this conduct are subject to termination and will be reported to the Office of the Inspector General. In addition, SNV will inform the Office of the Inspector General of any supplier offers of money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, object of value, or compensation to obtain business.
Offerors responding to this EOI must include the following as part of the proposal submission:
• Disclose any close, familial, or financial relationships with SNV or project staff. For example, if an offeror’s cousin is employed by the project, the offeror must state this.
• Disclose any family or financial relationship with other offerors submitting proposals. For example, if the offeror’s father owns a company that is submitting another proposal, the offeror must state this.
• Certify that the prices in the offer have been arrived at independently, without any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other offeror or competitor for the purpose of restricting competition.
• Certify that all information in the proposal and all supporting documentation are authentic and accurate.
• Certify understanding and agreement to SNV’ prohibitions against fraud, bribery and kickbacks.
Information Pack for Regenerative Agriculture Solutions’ Selection
REALMS project
REgenerative Agriculture for Livelihood and Market Systems
March 2022

Background
SNV is an international not-for-profit development organisation, funded from public and private sources, working in 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. SNV specializes in supporting the resourcefulness of development actors by developing local capacities, improving performance and services, strengthening governance systems, helping to create access for excluded groups and by making markets work for the poor. Our global team of advisors use their specialist sector and change expertise in Agriculture, Renewable Energy and WASH to facilitate sustainable change in the livelihoods of millions of people living in poverty.
The REgenerative Agricultural practices for improved Livelihoods and Market System (REALMS) project was designed to create conditions for successful adoption of regenerative agricultural practices in Western Kenya and Western Rwanda. To reach this goal, the project will work with smallholder farmers and their communities, support local service providers (SMEs/Farmer Organisations) and engage with relevant stakeholders influential in creating the necessary enabling environment.
In support of the second outcome, (increased investment, business growth and revenues for local service providers of products and services supporting regenerative agriculture) REALMS has established an Innovation Fund for regenerative and circular agriculture that can be accessed by SMEs/Farmer Organisations on a matching basis.

Overall framework
Financial incentives (subsidies and matching grants) will help to unlock private sector engagement with and investment in regenerative products and services and contribute to commercially viable market development for the regenerative agricultural products and services.
The private sector is a crucial partner in making the application of regenerative agricultural practices possible through the provision of inputs (such as nurseries, seeds, fodder, bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticides, etc.), technologies (equipment) but also by providing stand-alone or related services. Linking SMEs to farmers can be highly beneficial for both: (i) for SMEs it can open a new client base, boosting demand for products and services, and (ii) for farmers it enables them to access these product and services and improve their livelihoods.
REALMS will identify and support local SMEs and commercially oriented farmer organisations with technical assistance and business support to connect them to farmers in need of their products and services to apply regenerative practices.

Goal and objectives
The project’s overall goal is to improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Western Kenya and Western Rwanda through adoption of regenerative agricultural principles.
The objectives of the project are:
1. Adoption of regenerative agricultural practices by smallholder farmers, leading to improved soil and water quality and improved livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
2. Increased investment, business growth and revenues for local service providers of products and services supporting regenerative agriculture.
3. Improved enabling environment, favorable to market driven regenerative agriculture.
Innovations
Innovations are defined as proven products/services, business and service models that have been successfully implemented and marketed elsewhere but are new for Western Rwanda. In addition to new products and services, this may also involve new ways of doing business by providing levels and depth of services and (embedded) skills and knowledge transfer, which are a-typical for input suppliers and services providers that are currently in the market.

The call
SNV invites private enterprises or cooperative societies working directly with or directly impacting smallholder farmers or through last mile distributors to submit proposals that upscale innovative regenerative agriculture and circular farming technologies within the REALMS Districts in Rwanda (Rutsiro, Ngororero, Nyabihu, and Rubavu). Proposals with innovative business and financing mechanisms targeting smallholder farmers will stand higher chances of being considered.
It is expected that selection of business cases under this call will increase smallholder farmers’ access to regenerative agriculture products and services. Additionally, business cases will increase affordability and adoption of regenerative agriculture and circular farming solutions. It will further increase capacity of smallholder farmers to not only reduce agricultural waste but also re-use it to further agricultural production. Finally, it is expected that SMEs will increase their turnover and jobs from regenerative solutions while farmers will increase their acreage under regenerative agriculture and their incomes.

Scope of business cases eligible to apply
Private enterprises or cooperative societies whose business ideas are focused on promoting regenerative and circular products or services within one or more of the priority values chains, are eligible to apply. Priority value chains under REALMS project are horticulture, livestock (dairy, goats and poultry), and agroforestry including fruit trees.
Regenerative and circular products and services relates to: (i) regenerating soils, (ii) biodiversity and eco-systems, (iii) optimum use of resources, and (iv) recycling and designing out waste.
Business case activities

The selected business cases will undertake some or all the following activities:
1. Sensitization and training of farmers on proposed regenerative technology and practices.
2. Setting up demonstrations in liaison with other project partners.
3. Participating in field days, farmer education days, technology financing clinics where applicable.
4. Work with farmers and farmer organizations to increase access to technologies/services and/or products.
5. Participate in curated events organized by project from time to time.
6. Work with project on innovative technology financing e.g., Lease to own etc.
7. Participate in project’s knowledge sharing platforms.
8. Any other activity that will increase visibility and uptake of technologies.

Eligibility criteria
1. A legal for-profit entity duly registered in Rwanda or Kenya.
2. At least 1year operational experience.
3. Compliant with all national and district laws and regulations.
4. Applicant is a private enterprise or cooperative in Rwanda or Kenya with (potentially) relevant activities in the project area.
5. Business ideas falls into one of the three priority value chains (horticulture, livestock, agro-forestry).
6. Business case is focused on promoting regenerative and circular products and services and supports practices related to: (i) regenerating soils, (ii) biodiversity and eco-systems, (iii) optimum use of resources, and (iv) recycling and designing out waste.
Private enterprises or cooperatives’ own investment should be in line with the requirements in section 8 below
Application process and criteria.
The REALMS Innovation Fund application process comprises the following steps, which are presented in the figure below and briefly described in the following paragraphs.

Assessment criteria
In general terms REALMS will consider applications for funding if the ideas:
1. Are market-led and private sector driven.
2. Leverage resources from the applicant in terms of finance, knowledge, networks, goodwill and social capital.
3. Bring or fast-track innovations which support the uptake of regenerative and circular practices which are scalable.
4. Contribute to sustained market relationships between farmers and other market actors.
5. Enhanced livelihood, income, employment, social inclusion of youth and women.
More specifically the assessment will focus on:
1. The Applicant: the quality of the partner and the partnership: the ability of the partner(s) (e.g., financial, expertise, knowledge) to implement the proposed activity successfully and their reputation/ standing (due diligence).
2. Feasibility: the technical and financial feasibility of the business idea.
3. Impact: the impact of the business idea (social, environmental, economic).
Figure 1: Application Process

Selection process
Activity Timeline Remarks
Notification and opening of application window SNV will send out a request for expression of interest to all interested and eligible parties 6th March 2022 The call for application will be posted in newspapers as well as to SNV & REALMS website and all socio-media platforms of SNV
Submission of applications
by SMEs and Cooperatives Concept note describing the whole idea of the business case submitted by applicants March 25th, 2022 The concept note will be evaluated by the PIC,
shortlisted applicants will be invited to make a face-to-face pitching.
Assessment and shortlisting by Project innovation Committee (PIC) Concept note evaluation and selection process March 25th to April 8th, 2022.
Face-to-face pitch by SMEs, and Cooperatives This pitch will focus on the key assessment criteria (organizational, feasibility and impact).

Applicants pitch their inclusive business idea for max. 20 minutes, with a 40-minute Q&A 20th April to 29th April 2022 Shortlisted candidates will be invited to go through a co-creation of full business plan.
Due Diligence of SME, or Cooperative Due diligence exercises carried out for all shortlisted full business plans.

If applicants are considered eligible and meet all the assessment criteria, a due diligence will be conducted to check the valuation of assets and liabilities and assess the risks to make an informed investment decision. 2nd May to May 13th 2022 Due Diligence report of SME, or Cooperative
Co-creation of business plan by REALMS and SME, or Cooperative
&
Investment readiness coaching / training This is a process of jointly creating a business plan between REALMS team and the applicant. This will be done in a standardized way. Additional capacity strengthening on investment readiness may be conducted in the form of coaching and / or training. 16th May to 17th June 2022 The full business plans will be evaluated by the Project Investment Committee, and shortlisted Candidates will be subject to due diligence.
Full business plan submission by SMEs and Cooperatives
Full business plan evaluation and selection 15th July 2022
Final approval by Project Investment Committee Objective review of shortlisted full business plans and due diligence reports, and final selection of winning proposals August 2022 This review and final decision will be carried out by a panel consisting of SNV management team and external experts when required
Contract negotiation and signing Successful applicants are invited to sign the grant contract. August 2022 Milestones related to disbursements and REALMS support will be agreed upon.
Grant limits

Maximum amounts allowable for grantees for the various activities are as follows:
• The contribution of REALMS will not exceed 50% of the total value of the business case proposal and will not exceed a maximum of twenty-five thousand euros (€25,000, -).
• The own contribution of the private enterprise or cooperative should be at least 50% of the business case proposal. The own contribution can be in cash or kind as follows:
• For cooperatives a minimum of 40% of the own contribution should be in cash and a maximum of 60% of the own contribution can be in kind
• For private enterprises 60% of the own contribution should be in cash and a maximum of 40% of the own contribution can be in kind.
Higher cash contributions will be positively evaluated and have higher chance of winning.

Submission of expression of interest
Interested private enterprises or cooperatives are requested to submit:
1. An application form presenting the applicant, the business idea and the impact.
2. Copy of business registration certificate (mandatory)
3. If available provide copies of the past two years of financial statements
4. If available provide a copy of your most recent business and/or strategic plan.
5. Copy of 1-year statement of financial position.

Submission Procedure
All applications should be addressed to country director of SNV-Rwanda and sent to rwandaprocurement@snv.org
All applications should be received not later than 25th March 2022.
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