REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Service Provider for Anchor Firm collaboration for malt barley value chain development, Boor malt Ethiopia PLC (BME)

RFP No: RFP-CATALAYZE-21772-MS4G-2022-0348

USAID CATALYZE (MS4G) is a four-year activity funded by USAID/Ethiopia focusing on creating transformative outcomes in the food security and WASH sectors. MS4G focuses on creating transformative outcomes in the food security and WASH sectors for the benefit all Ethiopian people. To achieve these goals, the activity will engage youth, mobilize capital, increase access to finance, and support stakeholders to self-advocate towards policy change which will promote opportunities for the private sector community.

Company Information:

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact —the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with corporations, governments, foundations, investors, communities, and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental, and financial benefits.

Purpose

Boortmalt Ethiopia PLC (“BME”), a subsidiary of Belgium-based Boortmalt, was established in Ethiopia in 2017 with a total malt barley production capacity of 80,000 MT. BME is engaged in malt manufacturing and certified seed production. Over the past six years, BME has cultivated a presence in Ethiopia to support local barley growers and conduct barley variety trials, helping increase knowledge on growing local barley. Located in the Debre Birhan Industrial Park, the malting facility requires a supply of 80,000 MT of malt barley sourced from local farmers to operate at full capacity. Currently, BME is only able to source 50% of the malt barley needed to operate at full capacity.  BME is currently sourcing malt barley from more than 30,000 farmers and strives to create a reliable and sustainable supply of malt barley in a manner that enables BME to fully utilize its installed plant capacity.

The purpose of this RFP is to select a service provider with agricultural and supply chain management background to support the development of BME’s malt barley supply chain. BME’s ultimate goal is to achieve optimal utilization of malting plant located in Debre Berhan. Through achieving this goal, they aim to support rural smallholder farmers to grow from subsistence to commercial production levels, create employment opportunities for rural youth and women, increase financing to the agricultural sector, and introduce modern farming and supply chain practices. This includes but not limited to:

• Strengthen BME’s current supply chain partners by increasing productivity
• Enhanced cluster development in the sourcing regions
• Organize and hold Farmers Field School (FFS) for 15,000 malt barley farmers not currently in BME’s supply chain 

Type of Contract

Palladium intends to issue a Pay-for-Performance (P4P) subcontract to the selected offeror.

Anticipated Contract Period of Performance

Subcontracts will be offered to winning bidders for a period of 15 months with the option for renewal based on performance and the availability of funding, at the sole discretion of MS4G.

BME Contribution / Resources

BME has a team of 50 agronomists working throughout this region that can be leveraged for support.

Place of Performance

The activities to be performed under this subcontract will take place in Ethiopia. Specifically in Addis Ababa and North Shewa zone of Oromia and Amhara. The team proposed by the offeror would be expected to travel around these areas. For more information, see the Instructions for Submission of Cost Proposal.

Important notes for interested bidders:

1. RFP is released on December 8, 2022, on CATALYZE website, and can be accessed using the link below: https://catalyze-procurement.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/RFP-CATALAYZ-21772-Ethiopia-2022-0348-Anchor-firm-BME-Request.pdf 
2. The full RFP with its relevant Attachments can also be found by visiting the CATLAYZE procurement website the Current Opportunities – My CMS (catalyze-procurement.com)
3. Questions, queries, or clarifications must be emailed to ethiopiams4g.procurement@thepalladiumgroup.com  till Dec 16,2022 at 02:00 PM, Nairobi time (UTC +3).  Late questions will not be accepted and entertained.
4. Virtual bidders conference will be conducted on December 20, 2022, at 2:00 PM, Nairobi time (UTC +3) with bidders who showed interest by sending email to ethiopiams4g.procurement@thepalladiumgroup.com 
5. Question and answer discussed on the virtual bidders conference will be posted on CATALYZE website as well as be shared to those bidders who participated in the virtual bidders conference.
6. Proposals submission deadline is January 06,2023, at 11:59 PM, Nairobi time (UTC+3)
7. Submission of offers: Electronic proposals must be submitted by sending two separate emails to ethiopiams4g.procurement@thepalladiumgroup.com one for technical proposal and one for cost proposal with the RFP number RFP-CATALYZE-217772-Ethiopia-2022-0348 in the subject lines.
8. Late bid submissions will not be considered.

Issuance of this RFP does not constitute an award commitment on the part of USAID CATALYZE MS4G, nor does it commit USAID CATALYZE MS4G to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. Further, USAID CATALYZE MS4G reserves the right to reject any or all applications received. Applications are submitted at the risk of the Applicant, and all preparation and submission costs are at the Applicant's own expense