REQUEST OF PROPOSAL, AUGUST 2022 CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO DRAFT THE END-OF-PROGRAM REPORT FOR THE TANZANIA AGRIBUSINESS WINDOW

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

1. About AECF

The AECF is a development institution that supports businesses to innovate, create jobs, leverage investments and markets to create resilience and sustainable incomes in rural and marginalized communities in Africa. To date, AECF has supported 339 businesses in more than 40 value chains and in 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In the agribusiness sector, it has supported businesses across different value chains from improving seed varieties to livestock vaccines and introducing new farming systems and agribusiness models. In the renewable energy and adaptive climate change sector, we have supported businesses across home solar systems, mini and micro-grids, biogas, financial services, and adaptive climate change technologies.

1. About TZAW

The Tanzania Agribusiness Window (TZAW) seeks to address challenges of the availability, acceptability, affordability, and accessibility of agricultural produce and products by; improving food supply chain dynamics making them more efficient and effective to serve the poor; accelerating the value chains of agricultural inputs such as improved seeds, agrochemicals, and fertilizers, veterinary services, transportation, and information; and enabling the processing infrastructure to be available in both rural and remote areas but also serve the populations in the urban regions recognizing that nearly 40% of the African population currently live in urban areas. The portfolio also seeks to increase the production and productivity of the small-holder farmers thus increasing the availability of food, stabilizing prices of food, and ensuring a healthier population in Africa including women, children, and youth.

TZAW was established to support agricultural businesses in Tanzania to support smallholder farmers to increase their productivity and income. Funded by FCDO and Sida, the programme has invested in 52 enterprises across a wide range of projects, from seed sector research and out-grower schemes to ag-tech investments and vaccine development.

The TZAW consists of four rounds of funding, R1 consists of 10 companies, R2 consists of 10 companies, R3 consists of 17 companies and R4 consists of 15 companies. Rounds 1, 2 & 3 focused on financing more established businesses that were looking to scale the delivery of their innovative services and products while round 4 focused on financing more early-stage businesses and start-ups. The window objectives were to promote pro-poor growth in Tanzania and the outcome remains to ‘facilitate the rehabilitation of agribusinesses and the development of rural finance markets to benefit the lives of the poor. A key focus of the window was to fund agribusiness and finance companies that proved profitable and encouraged other private sector businesses to develop models that serve similar markets.

The programme is coming to an end and there is, therefore, a need to develop a high-quality report highlighting the impacts of the programme and more importantly, lessons learned that can inform future programmes in Tanzania and beyond.

1. Purpose and Deliverables of this assignment

The objective of the consultancy is to prepare the Tanzania Agribusiness Window (TZAW) End of Programme Report.

TZAW has been implemented from (January 2011 – September 2022). This end of the project report will focus on the entire implementation period. The report will be expected to effectively capture lessons learned and provided information on the nature, extent and where possible, the potential impact and sustainability of the TZAW investment focus. The final report will retrospectively examine the project design, scope, implementation approach and finally, the extent to which the project met its objectives. It is expected that the report will collate and analyze the lessons learnt, challenges faced, and best practices obtained during the implementation period.

The assignment will be conducted in collaboration with members of the AECF team.

1. Scope of work

The consultant will be expected to:

• With the support of TZAW staff undertake desktop research and background analysis.
• Review TZAW investees’ progress reports and impact reports.
• Review Investees’ field visits and impact verification reports.
• Review TZAW’s annual narrative and financial reports
• Successes of the programme (noting key impact – intended and unintended brought about by the TZAW investment.
• Actual failures – what did not go as planned, what failed, what lessons were learned
• Case studies and success stories (from both investee and beneficiary perspectives)

1. Deliverables

The consultant shall provide:

• An inception report after 5 days confirming the methodology and scope of work.
• A draft final report after a further 30 days. The main report should not exceed 50 pages excluding annexes. The Consultant will draft a report with the following key areas:
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Overview of TZAW
• Investee Impacts (including Case Studies and Success Stories)
• Key Lessons
• Recommendations
• Conclusion

Once the draft report is developed it will be submitted to The AECF for comments and additional input. The consultant will then incorporate changes, comments, and input from the AECF as well as undertake to refine of the document. The document will then be re-submitted to The AECF for an additional round of comments and input before the final draft is developed, submitted and approved.

1. Qualifications / experience required

The consultant/consultancy firm should possess the following skills and/or credentials.

• Familiarity with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office reporting frameworks and requirements, preferably in Tanzania.
• Previous experience in working with impact investing in the agriculture sector
• Experience in report writing, research, storytelling, communications, or similar fields.
• Knowledge of the development sector and in particular the work of NGOs, and bilateral and multilateral institutions.
• Experience with agriculture projects and programmes in Tanzania
• Demonstrated ability to write with a clear and concise style, while able to convey and present technical ideas/knowledge in an engaging manner for varied audiences.

1. Duration

The assignment will be conducted over two months. Given the scope of the assignment, it is expected that this assignment will be conducted by an individual consultant, or a pair of experts provided skills on gender equality and market-systems approaches are present.

1. Reporting

The consultant will report to the AECF Head of Programmes- Agribusiness and Country Programme Manager – Tanzania.

1. Evaluation Criteria

An evaluation committee will be formed by the AECF which will include employees. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. Bidders should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated. In deciding the final selection of qualified bidder, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria below. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be reviewed. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30% and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total pointsscored.

Evaluation Criteria

Marks

Understanding of the Terms of Reference

5

Methodology and work – plan for performing the assignment

25

Demonstration of years of experience in similar work

25

Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments, at least 3 signed reference letters

15

Financial proposal; clarity, relevance, reality to market of value/ value for money of cost for the assignment (inclusive of any applicable tax).

30

TOTAL SCORE

100

1. Proposal submission:

Interested and qualified (individual or institutional) consultants are invited to submit their proposal(s) comprising the following:

• An understanding of the consultancy requirements.
• Methodology and work plan for performing the assignment.
• Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments.
• Relevant services undertaken in the past five (5) years.
• Letters of reference from 3 previous companies/assignments.
• Registration and other relevant statutory documents (applicable to firms).
• The financial proposal clearly showing the budgeted cost for the work to be conducted by the consultant under the scope of work above.
• Financial and technical proposals must be submitted as separate documents.

1. Pricing

The AECF is obliged by the Kenyan tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees as well as ensure VAT, is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position with regards to provisions of Kenya tax legislation when developing their proposals.

1. Disclaimer

AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.