Ethiopia: REQUEST for PROPOSALS UNDER THE PROJECT ENTITLED: IMPROVED DELIVERY OF SEED AND SOIL TECHNOLOGIES (IDSST) IN ETHIOPIA, MALAWI AND MOZAMBIQUE

I.BACKGROUND

Founded in 2006, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent.

AGRA has received a Grant from IFAD, its strategic partner to address the challenge of linking new crop varieties and improved soil fertility management research outputs to smallholder beneficiaries of IFAD-supported projects in Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique. Specifically, it will: (i) promote and disseminate improved seed and soil fertility technologies, and (ii) generate, document and share knowledge. To support this strategic partnership, AGRA in close collaboration with IFAD country teams and Project Coordination Units (PCUs) is seeking to strengthened capacities of National Agricultural Research Institutions (NARIs) and rural agro-dealers to support IFAD-supported project. To achieve this, AGRA is requesting for proposals from NARIs and agro-dealers in the three countries. The proposals from the NARIs will focus on developing seed and soil technologies and link them to private sector. The proposals from agro-dealers will focus on delivery of farm inputs to smallholder farmers. Funding request must not exceed $150,000 for NARIs and $75,000 for agro-dealers for a period of three years from 2017 to 2020. No promise explicit or implicit is made to any Institutions/organizations/firms submitting a proposal to AGRA on making any funds available (including reimbursement of document preparation costs).

II. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. Institutions/organizations contemplating submission of applications in response to this request for proposals (RFPs) must determine whether they meet the following requirements to be eligible for AGRA financial assistance:

2. Unless specifically stated otherwise in this section, must be operation in either Ethiopia, Malawi or Mozambique with valid registration documents. 2. Organization’s primary business activity must be in the stated focal countries. 3. Organization’s registration to do business in these respective countries must be current. 4. Organization must be in a sound financial condition. 5. Organization must have sufficient existing capability/capacity to perform new work. AGRA may consider limited financial assistance to fund capacity building only if the proposal is determined to be of interest to AGRA. 6. Organization must have demonstrated favorable past performance record. 7. Organization must have acceptable to AGRA accounting systems and corporate integrity/ethics. 8. Organization must not be excluded from the eligibility to receive AGRA’s donor-provided funds.

If an institution/organization meets the above eligibility criteria AGRA will request additional documentation to be submitted as part of the pre-award process. Organizations are advised that any funds made available are subject to AGRA’s and its donor (IFAD) strict accountability and audit test.

III. ACTIVITIES ENVISIONED FOR FUNDING

The sub-grants to the National Agricultural Research Institutions (NARIs) will cater for capacity strengthening of scientists and technicians in designing and implementing on-farm research trials, production of breeder and foundation seed and then linking these scientists directly to private companies who multiply, package, and distribute the new technologies to farmers via networks of private, village-based agro-dealers and government agencies. The sub-grants awarded to agro-dealers will strengthen their capacity to conduct mass demonstration of improved crop varieties and fertilizers and delivery of inputs to smallholder farmers.

IV. PERIOD PROPOSAL WILL BE ACCEPTED: This RFPs remains open for a period of 15 days (from Date Issued to Expiration Date, shown above). Interested Institutions/organizations may submit their Applications any time up to the submission deadline. Early submission is strongly encouraged.

1. Institutions/organizations/firms must follow the instructions mentioned below and must submit their applications using the proposal concept note template that can be downloaded in the AGRA website at the link: http://bit.ly/2xKbVMl 2. Only those Institutions/organizations/firms whose applications AGRA determined to be of interest will be conducted for further details on the project implementation modalities. 3. AGRA will not return any applications submitted. 5. The projects that will be supported under this call for proposals will start between 1^st and 15^th December 2017. The submission deadline is at 5pm Local Time, 1^st November 2017. Applications made after this deadline will not be considered.

V. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF Applications

1. Applications must identify activity using descriptive activity Title. 2. The Application must be in word. 3. The Application must include the following statements: (a) Period of funding requested – this must not go beyond 31 November 2020 , (b) Funding level expected from AGRA, (c) Whether organization will finance any costs using other source of funding (d) List major projects and sources of funding. 4. Applications in response to this RFPs must be received at AGRA designated point of applications receipt: rfcn@agra.org. Additionally, any inquiry pertinent to this RFP should be submitted to point of Applications receipt. 5. Applications received after RFP Expiration Date (above) will not be considered.