Request for Proposals

Capacity building for Integrating Food in Restoration Practices (Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture)

Kenya

Summary of the procurement

The World Resources Institute intends to award a fixed term contract to organizational consultants to provide Technical Assistance services for integrating agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices in ongoing land restoration practices, in The Great Rift Valley landscape in Kenya.

About World Resources Institute

Founded in 1982, The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI’s transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future.

Background of the assignment

Through Restore Local project, WRI and partners invests in community-based organizations to accelerate restoration activities on the ground, deepen their knowledge and skills, propose and implement supportive policies, and provide them with tools to track their progress. As part of the project, WRI is keen to expand the range of restoration and agricultural practices being adopted and implemented locally, with a focus on improving food and nutrition security. Unsustainable agricultural practices are the primary driver of land degradation, which in turn affect the future of food productivity. Sustainable agricultural practices not only increase food productivity by, enhancing soil health, but also contribute to restoring degraded lands. WRI aim to offer context-specific capacity-building support to the local organizations delivering land restoration, henceforth champions, assisting them in integrating sustainable food production practices into ongoing ecosystem restoration efforts. In this context, WRI seeks to partner with Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) to strengthen the capacity of restoration champions in agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices. The TAP provider will facilitate the champions and community members to implement agroecology and regenerative practices that not only restore ecosystems but also improve food productivity, thereby contributing to local food security and livelihoods.

Objectives of the assignment

The main objective of this assignment is to facilitate capacity development of restoration champions and community members to effectively implement agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices. This will include:

1.       Identify a set of best-bet agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices in each landscape to enhance food productivity while restoring degraded lands.

2.       Identify and select Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) - comprised of select staffs of community-based organizations (restoration champions), local extension officials and lead farmers, to be trained on agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices.

3.       Facilitate the capacity development, training ToTs and community members (farmers), thereby equipping them with knowledge and skills to implement agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices effectively (this will include setting up demonstration plots).

4.       Explore opportunities for the development of sustainable value chains opportunities that integrate agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices and enable farmers to access markets for their products.

Scope of service:

The TAP will be responsible for delivering the following services:

1.       Identify and select the 24 Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) for GRV from among the restoration champions, community-based organizations, local extension officers, and community members (farmers); to be trained on agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices.

2.       Train a total of 500 persons (ToTs and community members [farmers]) in GRV on agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices to ensure widespread knowledge transfer. The training materials and the training must be tailored meet the local needs and the needs of trainees.

3.       Identify and deliver support for piloting of the adoption and implementation of agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices by community members.

4.       Facilitate peer-to-peer learning and organize exchange visits among farmers.

5.       Identify and kickstart the development of viable value chains opportunities that integrate agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices and enable farmers to access markets for their products.

6.       Establish a monitoring and evaluation framework to track the progress of capacity-building activities and the piloting of agroecology regenerative agriculture practices.

a)      Conduct periodic follow-up visits to assess the application of knowledge and identify areas requiring further support.

b)      Provide regular progress reports on capacity-building activities, including lessons learned, challenges faced, and recommendations for improvement.

Deliverables

The TAP will be expected to deliver the following:

-          Detailed work plan outlining the approach, methodology, timeline, and resources required to implement the assignment.

-          Comprehensive training materials on regenerative agriculture and agroecology, tailored to the needs of community members and restoration champions.

-          Reports detailing the outcomes of training workshops, including participant feedback, lessons learned, and recommendations for future sessions.

-          A report outlining the market linkage activities, identified opportunities for farmers, and partnerships formed to strengthen regenerative agriculture and agroecological value chains.

-          A comprehensive final report summarizing the implementation of all activities, outcomes achieved, any learnings, challenges encountered, and recommendations for future action.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in regenerative agriculture, agroecology, and sustainable farming practices, with a demonstrated track record of delivering training and capacity-building programs to smallholder farmers. skills in monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge of the local agricultural context.
• Experience is setting up demo plots for farmers’ trainings.
• Experience in supporting farmers build viable value chains and access markets.
• At least 5 years of experience in providing technical assistance services related to agriculture, with a focus on smallholder farmer support.
• Proficiency in Kiswahili and English is required for GRV, along with the ability to work in Kenya.
• The TAP must also have excellent communication abilities for engaging with diverse stakeholders.
• Proof of past similar engagements will be an added advantage.
• Strong background in supporting smallholder farmers with business skills development, market access, and value chain development, including success in increasing income and business sustainability.
• In-depth knowledge of the agricultural challenges and socio-economic context in Kenya, Rwanda, DRC, and Burundi, with sensitivity to local cultural dynamics and farmers' needs.

Duration

This assignment is expected to start in March 2025 through May 2025, for a duration of three months.

Selection Process

The preselected consultants will be interviewed about the content of their proposals.

No proposal development costs shall be charged to WRI / all expenses are to be borne by the bidders. WRI may award the bidder offering best value without discussion. However, WRI reserves the right to seek bidder clarifications and to negotiate with those bidders deemed to be within a competitive range.

WRI may, at its discretion and without explanation to the prospective vendors/organizations/consultants, etc., choose to discontinue this RFP without obligation to such prospective vendors/ organizations/ consultants, etc. or make multiple awards under this RFP. Contracts will not be awarded to vendors/organizations/consultants, etc. debarred by the US government or named on restricted parties lists.

How to Apply

If you meet the above criteria and believe that you can deliver the assignment, please send your Expressions of Interest and proof of experience by February 18th, 2025, to [email protected] for the attention of James Wangu, the Food Systems Transformation Associate, copy [email protected] the Food Systems Specialist (GRV) and [email protected], the Grants & Finance Specialist (Vital Landscapes). Only shortlisted proposals will be contacted.

The expression of interest letter (1-2 pages) should include:

• Your/ your company’s relevant professional experience, including the number of years in Technical Assistance consulting or a related field.
• Specific expertise relevant to the focus of this call (especially agroecology and regenerative agriculture, sustainable agriculture).
• Mention any relevant experience working with non-profit organizations and farmers.
• Mention specific skills or areas of focus you excel in that would benefit the restoration champions and the community members.
• An indicative work plan and budget proposal. The budget should provide a breakdown of the consultant fees and any other costs (e.g., VAT).
• Suggested attachments: Resume or Curriculum Vitae of each proposed team that would be carrying out the proposed activities.
• Optional: Feel free to attach a brief slide deck about your organization.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Evaluation Criteria

The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all proposals submitted in response to this RFP: Completion of all required elements;

• The extent to which the vendor’s/organization’s/consultant’s, etc. proposal fulfills WRI’s
• stated requirements as set out in the RFP;
• Experience with similar projects;
• Overall cost of the vendor’s/organization’s/consultant’s, etc. proposal;
• Debarment and sanctions – WRI will not consider proposals from vendors/
• organizations/ consultants, etc. that are presently debarred by the U.S. government or
• named on any restricted parties lists;
• Sustainability – WRI values sustainability and all other factors being equal, will favor a
• proposal to more sustainably perform the work.

The bidder offering the best overall value will be selected. For this procurement, price and non-price aspects are of importance, at the percentages of 30% and 70% (Financial Proposal and Technical Proposal), respectively. Regardless, the price must be reasonable for the requirements advertised and competitive in relation to the other proposals received.

Selection Process

The preselected consultants will be interviewed about the content of their proposals. No proposal development costs shall be charged to WRI / all expenses are to be borne by the bidders. WRI may award the bidder offering best value without discussion. However, WRI reserves the right to seek bidder clarifications and to negotiate with those bidders deemed to be within a competitive range.

WRI may, at its discretion and without explanation to the prospective vendors/organizations/consultants, etc., choose to discontinue this RFP without obligation to such prospective vendors/ organizations/ consultants, etc. or make multiple awards under this RFP. Contracts will not be awarded to vendors/ organizations/consultants, etc. debarred by the US government or named on restricted parties lists.  US government or named on restricted parties lists.