Section 1 – General Information

Section 2 – Scope of Procurement 

1. Introduction to offerors: CNFA is an international agricultural development organization that specializes in the design and implementation of sustainable, enterprise-based agricultural initiatives. CNFA implements the FtF Rwanda Hinga Wunguke Activity in Rwanda, a USAID-funded $29.75M five years (January 2023-Junuary 2028) initiative with the objective to increase incomes and improve nutritional outcomes by sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and strengthening domestic consumption of and markets for safe, nutritious food products (raw and processed).

The activity applies a market systems development (MSD) approach to strengthen private-sector engagement through co-investments and partnerships to improve agricultural productivity, markets, farmer incomes, and nutrition. Hinga Wunguke has four complementary Intermediate Results (IRs) referred to as activity components: 1) Sustainably Increase Agricultural Productivity; 2) Access to Finance for Farmers and Agribusinesses Increased, 3) Improve Producers’ Market and Nutrition Outcomes, and 4) Strengthen the Enabling Environment to Foster Market Driven Agriculture. 

Hinga Wunguke is focusing its interventions on the 13 USAID Feed the Future Zone of Influence (ZOI) districts: Bugesera, Burera, Gakenke, Gatsibo, Karongi, Kayonza, Ngoma, Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, Nyamasheke, Ngororero, Rubavu, and Rutsiro to align with global efforts to end hunger, reduce poverty and malnutrition, and increase climate-smart resilience livelihood. However, interventions can expand beyond these districts if actors within the Hinga Wunguke zone of intervention benefit.  In Years 1 and 2, Hinga Wunguke will focus on the following 11 value chains: maize, beans (including High-Iron beans (HIB)), irish potatoes, sweet potatoes (including, orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP)), soybeans, peas, tomatoes, carrots, passion fruits, avocado, and mangoes.

Undernutrition and eating a diverse diet of healthy foods is still a challenge for the average rural Rwandan. Hinga Wunguke will work to increase the availability, accessibility, and consumption of nutritious foods through a market systems development (MSD) approach. This approach will engage market actors (public and private) to improve access to markets for farmers and MSMEs, improve post-harvest handling and value addition processes, and support agri-food enterprises to respond to consumer preferences, address constraints, increase consumer demand and consumption of nutritious foods at small holder households. 

Under Component 3, Hinga Wunguke will foster partnerships with market actors working across the 11 value chains to increase availability, affordability and consumption of safe, nutritious foods. Each year, Hinga Wunguke will measure annually its nutrition-related outcome indicators by improvements in dietary diversity among female and children aged 6-23 months from baseline (Year 1) to final assessment (Year 5) (HL.9.1-d & HL.9.1-a). Note: Individual consultants are not eligible to apply for this assignment. 

The purpose of this Solicitation is to solicit firms with experience conducting participatory research in nutrition, food systems, food environment in Rwanda, including the  Social Behavior Change (SBC) and social marketing strategies to conduct Consumer Preferences and Consumption Study.  This entity will be working in  Rwanda  to inform Hinga Wunguke’s FY2024 (Year 2) private-sector driven strategy to improve marketing of nutritious foods, and increase local consumption of and demand for safe, nutritious foods. The contract will result in an Integrated Social Marketing and Behavior Change (ISMBC) strategy and recommended Year 2 interventions.  

2. Scope of Work: Consumer Preferences and Consumption Study

2.1 Background and Rationale

The Consumer Preferences and Consumption study will build on findings from secondary data review, co-creation meetings with market actors, and the following Hinga Wunguke assessments completed in Year 1: Value Chain Prioritization Study, value chain-specific Market Systems Assessments (maize, beans, Irish Potatoes, tomatoes completed to date) and the Baseline Assessment (Market Systems/Ecological Factors Assessment and Performance Indicator Baseline Assessment). Through this initial research, three main barriers to consuming a healthy diet were identified among rural Rwandans: 1) cost of a healthy diet within rural consumers’ budget, 2) lack of market and nutrition information, and 3) physical distance to food markets. This study will validate and expand on findings from initial assessments, and conduct additional research related to consumer preferences and behaviors related to consumption to identify strategic constraints and opportunities that will inform Hinga Wunguke SBC strategy and year 2 interventions. 

The Hinga Wunguke team is using the Food Environment Conceptual Framework (Turner et al., 2018) to frame expcted outcomes of this study (please see Figure 1 below). The Consumer Preferences and Consumption Study is intended to complement initial research with information related to individual consumer preferences, consumption and constraints (i.e., the personal domain: accessibility, affordability, convenience, desirability). However, this study is limited to actors working across the 11 target Hinga Wunguke value chains and/or generalist actors that influence a wide range of crops grown in Rwanda, including those targeted by Hinga Wunguke. 

Figure 1:  Food Environment Conceptual Framework (Turner et al., 2018) 

• Study Objectives

The main objectives of this study are to inform Hinga Wunguke’s FY2024 (Year 2) private sector driven strategy to improve marketing of nutritious foods, and increase local consumption of and demand for safe, nutritious foods. By studying the personal domain of the rural Rwandan consumer, Hinga Wunguke will be able to better support market actors increase reach and/or improve marketing to meet consumer demand and preferences.

Based on the food environment framework shared above (see Figure 1), Hinga Wunguke market systems and baseline assessments covered the external domain and began to explore the personal domain. This study will build on these findings with focus on the personal/consumer domain including accessibility, affordability and consumption (convenience, desirability and utilization).

The specific objectives of the study are to:

1. Recommend Year 2 supply and demand-side interventions to improve marketing of nutritious foods to rural Rwandans (supply), and increase local consumption of and demand for safe, nutritious foods (demand).
2. Validate and expand on findings from Year 1 Hinga Wunguke Assessments mainly on the ecological factor assessment. Specifically, Hinga Wunguke is interested in exploring the following thematic areas and questions to make recommendations for the Component 3 strategy:
   • What are the most important household and market-level barriers for women of a reproductive age and children to access and consume safe, nutritious foods (i.e. validate and expand on initial findings of cost of foods or purchasing power, lack of market and nutrition information (both general or basic information awareness on nutrition and nutrition values in food products available in the market) for food processors, sellers/traders and consumers/care givers , physical distance or accessibility)?
   • If nutritious food is available, then why are households not purchasing and consuming it?
   • Why do rural Rwandan consumers choose to purchase certain types of food and what is the rationale behind their choices?
   • What insights can be shared about consumer preferences for, perceptions of and constraints towards purchasing safe, nutritious foods?
3. Analyze location specific consumption, production, purchase, food preparation behaviors and characteristics, including differences and similarities, within the target population and 11 targeted value chains. Findings should be outlined by district/sector and targeted foods (i.e., why individuals in one district consume or do not consume targeted foods). Findings should also address the following characteristics: socio-cultural attributes, occupation, household assets, religion if not covered by Hinga Wunguke assessments.
4. Develop an Integrated Social Marketing and Behavior Change (ISMBC) strategy. Findings from the ISMBC should also help Hinga Wunguke advise businesses on how to increase reach and improve product marketing to meet consumer demand and preferences. Hinga Wunguke recognizes that specific businesses will need tailored social marketing strategies, and the ISMB will present a general approach. The Hinga Wunguke team also recognizes that this ISMBC will be a living document, that will be updated annually based on learning, adaptive management, and developments related to specific partnerships. The ISMBC should :
   • Address the four pillars of the Personal Domain factors in the Food Environment Systems: Accessibility, Affordability, Convenience, Desirability.
   • Identify market-level opportunities for businesses to make safe, nutritious foods more affordable, accessible and desirable to women and children (e.g., changes in packaging, product branding)
   • Propose partnership opportunities to address constraints with innovative solutions.
   • Provide practical intervention recommendations, in line with a MSD approach, for Hinga Wunguke to improve marketing of safe, nutritious foods to rural Rwandans, and increase demand for and consumption of safe, nutritious foods.
   • Consider the role that community nutrition referral agents (existing public sector agents or Community volunteers including CHWs, lead-female and male in existing nutrition or saving groups, used also by the nutrition cabinets that offer paid services as they are known and trusted by the community) can play in promoting safe, nutritious foods and improve nutrition outcomes in the Zone of Influence.

2.3 Tasks:

The Hinga Wunguke team will actively be involved in the study process. If the firm considers enumerators necessary for primary data collection to complete study objectives, please note this in the application. Hinga Wunguke will hire locally qualified and required enumerators if there is sufficient justification. Hinga Wunguke and the selected firm will train and mentor the enumerators to ensure effective data collection.

1. Inception report. A workplan submitted in English within 5 business days of contract signature with an outline of the proposed methodology and a timeline with specific tasks, list of market actors to meet with focus on affordability and consumption, proposed profiles of groups for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and suggested references. The inception report must include a one-day remote design workshop held with the Hinga Wunguke team and resultingly have a draft study protocol completed by day 5. Hinga Wunguke expects the consulting team to have reviewed the previous assessments prior to the remote design workshop. The inception report should include:

• Lists of proposed focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KII) with agri-food industry, private sector nutrition cabinets, health facilities, and other market actors in the Hinga Wunguke prioritized value chain-based food products. Hinga Wunguke will provide input on key actors during the remote design workshop.
• Indicative relevant points to include during primary data collection in FDGs and KIIs (but not be limited to) price trends, types of services and equipment offered, consumer demand trends, inclusion potential, private sector presence, complementary across target districts of Hinga Wunguke, etc.
• Proposed stakeholder interviews and desk review: In-depth desk review of secondary data, such as demographic survey, Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CSFVA) country strategy, Fill the Nutrient Gap WFP study for Rwanda, Food Systems Dashboard for Rwanda, nutrition policy, other existing literature, planned in-person or remote interviews with stakeholders, with the results to be put in the draft final report.
• A detailed Work Plan for the remaining assignment period.

2. A Draft Consumer Preferences and Consumption Study Report submitted in English within approximately 20 business days addressing and reporting on study objectives 1-3 that are listed in sections 2.2 of this SOW. The findings of this report will inform study objective 4: completion of the ISMBC Strategy.
3. A Draft ISMBC Strategy submitted in English within approximately 20 days in collaboration with Hinga Wunguke staff. Findings from the ISMBC should also help Hinga Wunguke advise businesses on how to increase reach and improve product marketing to meet consumer demand and preferences. Hinga Wunguke recognizes that specific businesses will need tailored social marketing strategies, and the ISMBC will present a general approach. The ISMBC should also:
   • Address the four pillars of the Personal Domain factors in the Food Environment Systems: Accessibility, Affordability, Convenience, Desirability.
   • Identify market-level opportunities for businesses to make safe, nutritious foods more affordable, accessible and desirable to women and children (e.g., changes in packaging, product branding)
   • Propose partnership opportunities to address constraints with innovative solutions.
   • Provide practical intervention recommendations, in line with a MSD approach, for Hinga Wunguke to improve marketing of safe, nutritious foods to rural Rwandans, and increase consumption of and demand for safe, nutritious foods.
   • Consider the role that community nutrition referral agents can play in promoting safe, nutritious foods and improve nutrition outcomes in the Zone of Influence.

4. Presentation (using PowerPoint) of the draft report results to Hinga Wunguke staff and key stakeholders including USAID within approximately 3 days of submission of the draft report and the ISMBC.

5. A Final Consumer Preferences and Consumption Study Report within approximately 5 business days of receipt of feedback, incorporating feedback from Hinga Wunguke and other stakeholders.

6. A Final ISMBC Strategy: within approximately 5 business days of receipt of feedback, incorporating feedback from project staff.

2.2 Deliverables: 

3. Geographic Code Compliance: Items offered must comply with USAID Geographic Code 935. For a list of Source/Nationality countries approved within this USAID Geographic Code, refer to ADS Chapter 310, Source and Nationality Requirements for Procurement of Commodities and Services Financed by USAID. Contact CNFA with any questions regarding Geographic Code compliance. 

Section 3 – Evaluation Methodology and Criteria 

The award will be made to a responsible offeror whose offer follows the solicitation instructions, meets the eligibility requirements, and is determined via a Weighted Trade-Off Analysis based on application of the below evaluation criteria.  Proposed costs must reflect and clearly match the degree of sophistication of the technical approach. 

1. Evaluation Criteria: 

CNFA will use a Weighted Trade-Off Analysis, Including Cost Criteria evaluation methodology for this solicitation. Weighted Trade-Off Analysis selects the offeror providing the best overall value to CNFA, considering both financial and technical factors, according to the assigned weights provided in the evaluation criteria. The Chief of Party will assign the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) to assess the offer acceptability in accordance with the following criteria: 

Section 4 – Offer Format Instructions 

Offers in response to this solicitation must comply with the following instructions:

1. Submissions will be accepted in the following language(s): English
2. Include the following in the offer footer:
   1. Offeror name
   2. Solicitation Number
   3. Page Numbers
3. Offer in the format provided in Annex 1 

Section 5 – Complete Offer 

A complete offer must include the following documents:

1. Completed Annex 1 – Offer Template
2. Copy of the Offeror’s business license
3. CV resume for key individuals 

Section 6 – CNFA Terms and Conditions 

1. Ethical and Business Conduct: CNFA is committed to integrity in procurement, and only selects offerors based on objective business criteria such as price and technical merit. CNFA does not tolerate fraud, collusion among offerors, falsified proposals/bids, bribery, or kickbacks. Any organization or individual violating these standards will be disqualified from this solicitation, barred from future procurement opportunities, and may be reported to both CNFA’s Client – as applicable – and the appropriate Office of the Inspector General. 

Employees and agents of CNFA 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 CNFA’s Client – as applicable – and the appropriate Office of the Inspector General. In addition, CNFA will further inform these agencies of any Offerors’ offers of money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, object of value or compensation to obtain business. 

Please contact the designated Point of Contact on the Solicitation Cover Page with any questions or concerns regarding the above information or to report any potential violations. Potential violations may also be reported directly to CNFA’s Fraud Hotline in writing via email at FraudHotline@cnfa.org or you may make an anonymous report by phone, text, or WhatsApp to the CNFA Global Fraud Hotline at 202-991-0943.