Commodity/Service Required:

Trade facilitators to support Rwanda based high value agricultural exporters

Type of Procurement:

Sub-contract

Type of Contract:

Firm fixed percentage

Term of Contract:

Time of Delivery

Contract Funding:

USAID

This Procurement supports:

Feed the Future Rwanda Kungahara Wagura Amasoko

Submit Proposal to:

Link shared in the application details

Date of Issue of RFP:

January 4, 2024

Date Questions from Supplier Due:

March 10, 2024, at 11pm East African Time

Date Responses to Supplier Due:

March 15, 2024, at 11pm east African Time

Date Proposal Due:

March 31, 2024, at 11pm East African Time

Approximate Date Purchase Order Issued to Successful Bidder(s):

To be determined

Method of Submittal:

Respond using the link under the application

Solicitation Number:

FTF KWA 2023-1

Description of Activity/Service:

About Kungahara Wagura Amasoko:

Feed the Future Rwanda Kungahara Wagura Amasoko is a five-year USAID-funded initiative designed to boost Rwanda’s economic growth inclusively and sustainably by increasing the export of high-value agricultural products. Targeted high-value agricultural value chains include coffee, tea, horticulture and spices, dairy products, and other emerging values chains (e.g., stevia, essential oils).

Using a market systems approach, Kungahara Wagura Amasoko works with and through the Government of Rwanda (GOR), the private sector, and civil society organizations to achieve the above goal by implementing the two following strategic objectives: (i) facilitate inclusive and resilience-focused policy reforms that promote agricultural export growth using evidence-based analysis and strengthen advocacy capacity of the private sector organizations, and (ii) support local actors (government and private sector) to attract, mobilize and direct public and private financing resources and/or investment towards increased agriculture and food export.

About Export Promotion Prize (EPP)

In collaboration with Government of Rwanda, high value agri-exporters and respective private sector associations, Kungahara Wagura Amasoko facilitated the design of a Pay for Result (PfR) mechanism to catalyze increased high value agri-exports to regional and international markets and concurrently increase the number of business-to-business connections between Rwanda based high value agri-exporters and buyers in these markets.

The PfR model is dubbed the Export Promotion Prize (EPP) - a reward scheme established to facilitate actual high value agri-export to specific markets/regions. The facilitators of these transactions/exports can either be individual or registered business entities and will be referred to as trade facilitators.  The reward will be given to trade facilitators after successful creation of new trade flow from Rwanda to respective markets. For purposes of this undertaking, EPP refers to a reward that will be given to trade facilitators who successfully facilitate trade of high value agricultural products from Rwanda.

This request for proposal is to recruit trade facilitators (individuals/companies) who will increase sales /exports of Rwandan horticulture, roasted and instant coffee, specialty and value-added teas and other emerging value chains to the selected priority markets.

Please note that EPP will reward new or additional exports to the existing high value of agri exports trade flows.

Product or Service Expectations (both if applicable):

Objectives of the EPP

The objective of the EPP is to:

• Boost Rwandan high value agri-exports to priority markets.
• Generate long term business to business connections between Rwandan high value agri-exporters, and importers of high-valued agricultural products namely, horticulture, roasted and instant coffee, specialty and value-added teas and other emerging value chains, in foreign markets relationships between buyers (importers) and Rwanda exporters of high agricultural value products.
• Increase the awareness of Rwanda’s products in new and/or existing export markets.
• Contribute to creation of a database of players in foreign markets for Rwanda Agri products.
• Identify and highlight tariff and non-tariff barriers in access the priority markets.

Priority Markets 

Specifically, for this EPP program, priority markets are aligned to Rwanda’s diplomatic presence and RwandAir direct flights due to the delicate nature of high value agri-exports.

• Middle East:  Qatar, UAE, Turkey
• Europe: Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Poland
• Africa: South Africa, Ghana, Congo Braza, Nigeria, Gabon, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Djibouti,

Deliverables, Timelines, Special Terms and Conditions:

Trade facilitators scope

It is expected that trade facilitators will;

• Apply their market expertise to identify potential markets in their respective regions and develop a strategy to increase trade flow of Rwanda high value agri-products.
• Conduct a due diligence on potential buyers of Rwanda high value Agri exports.
• Support Rwandan agriculture high value agri-exporters to deal with importers of high value agri export to increase volume value (horticulture, roasted and instant coffee, specialty and value-added teas and other emerging value chains) on AfCTFA and abroad markets including understanding the tariff and non-tariff barriers.

Key deliverables 

The trade facilitator(s) is(are) expected to successfully link a Rwandan exporter with a credible buyer (find a potential buyer, work with Rwandan exporters, do necessary arrangement for a complete commercial transaction, ensure the exporter is paid and all other export processes are concluded.)

Reporting 

The trade facilitator will directly report to the assigned contact person at Feed the Future Rwanda Kungahara Wagura Amasoko as specified in the contract.  The trade facilitator will also be required to work closely with the Rwanda Embassy in their respective countries. 

He/She will prepare and submit a report on concluded deals in export that will indicate:

1. Name of exporters whose trade has been facilitated, the type of product and the volume and value of export and other related information. 
2. Buying companies and agreement signed with exporters indicating volumes and values traded items.
3. Proof of payment

Nature of contract 

Performance based contract guided by value of high value agri-export facilitated to priority markets.

Proposed reward scheme 

Below is a high-level outline of the percentage reward for the corresponding value of export facilitated.  Successful applicants will go through an onboarding session that will provide further guidance on the rewarding process.

Minimum requirements of Trade Facilitators

The required trade facilitators should possess the following qualifications:

• At least 3 years of experience in facilitating high value agriculture products.
• Deep knowledge of high value agriculture export markets and respective buyers mainly for horticulture, roasted and instant coffee, specialty and value-added teas and other emerging value chains.
• Experience in providing trade facilitation on African Market will be an added advantage.

Only bids that meet the minimum requirements shall be marked as qualified to advance to the technical evaluation stage. Bidders that do not meet the minimum requirements will be considered unqualified and will be eliminated. No notification will be given to them. Technical evaluation criteria are seen on page 10 of this document. 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS 

Interested candidates (individual/companies) are required to submit their proposals with the following contents: 

• A 2-page curriculum vitae (for individuals) and a company profile & 2-page curriculum vitae for the top two assignment leads (for companies). 
• Duly completed online application form
• Attachments (i.e., CVs, references and signed RFP) should be submitted to procurementftfkwa@rti.org NO LATER THAN 31 March 2024, with the title “FTF KWA 2023-1/EPP.” No portion of this assignment may be subcontracted. 

NOTE: The deadlines for responding to questions are outlined as follows.

• Any questions received from the release of the RFP until January 24, 2024, will be addressed on January 25, 2024.
• Any questions received from January 26, 2024, until February 25, 2024, will be addressed on February 26, 2024.
• Any questions received from February 26, 2024, until March 15, 2024, will be addressed on March 20, 2024.

All questions and responses will be shared on the same portal as the RFP (Jobs in Rwanda website).

The evaluation of proposals will be conducted on a rolling basis. As proposals are received, they will be reviewed and assessed by the evaluation team following the schedule shown below.

• Proposals submitted in January will be evaluated in the first week of February 2024,
• Proposals submitted in February will be evaluated in the first week of March 2024,
• Proposals submitted in March will be evaluated in the first week of April 2024.

Selection of the qualified bidders will be in the second week of April after consolidating all scores for proposals submitted from January till March 31, 2024.

If you meet the above-mentioned qualifications, submit your dully filled application form   on this link https://forms.office.com/r/aP0Wix6fUC