Date documents can be requested until : 23 July 2024 08:00
Title : Provision of Training and Technical Assistance to 14 Producer Groups in Climate Smart Agriculture, Association Management, and Business Development in El Salvador
Procurement No. : 100010515
Process : RFP

Date documents can be requested until : 15 July 2024 16:00
Title : Provision of Training and Technical Assistance to 14 Producer Groups in Climate Smart Agriculture, Association Management, and Business Development in El Salvador
Procurement No. : 100010515
Process : RFP
Description : GGGI El Salvador is inviting eligible firms/entities to submit their proposals for the Provision of Training and Technical Assistance to 14 Producer Groups in Climate Smart Agriculture, Association Management, and Business Development in El Salvador

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

El Salvador faces a critical need to expand sustainable food production. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices are essential to increase productivity while addressing climate vulnerability and poverty. This requires identifying, demonstrating, and promoting best practices in CSA, along with strengthening technical capacity and value chain integration.
Empowering farmers, especially women and youth, through training and access to relevant tools is crucial. Cooperative and associative models play a vital role in building capacity, enhancing preparedness, and fostering resilience within these vulnerable groups, ultimately improving livelihoods and employability in the agricultural sector.
In this context, GGGI, in collaboration with the Salvadoran government (MAG, CENTA, MARN), is implementing the project: "Strengthening Capacities of Women and Youth for Implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture in El Salvador". This project aims to strengthen technical production and business skills for vulnerable farmers operating under associative models. It supports their sustainability and climate resilience by delivering agricultural inputs for establishing CSA-based agroforestry and silvopastoral systems.
The project utilizes a comprehensive approach, combining training, technical assistance, and provision of materials and inputs. This will develop and strengthen the productive, business, and associativity capacities of agricultural groups in San Miguel and Usulután, prioritizing women and youth. This three-year initiative (2024-2026) aims to reach a minimum of 40 groups or farmer organizations. In the first year (2024), 14 groups will participate in training activities. Of these, at least 10 will benefit from technical assistance and production resources. By providing in-kind support, the project seeks to improve the sustainability of agricultural practices, enhance value chain integration, and contribute to El Salvador's climate change adaptation and resilience goals. The long-term vision is to achieve transformative change by building climate resilience, creating socioeconomic opportunities, and safeguarding vital ecosystem services in the country.
In this context, the project aims to contract specialized technical-administrative services for the implementation of the consultancy "Training and Technical Assistance for 14 Producer Groups in Climate-Smart Agriculture, Associative Management, and Business Development in El Salvador," in accordance with the specifications detailed below.
Proposed Activities and Scope of Work
1) Objectives
Overall Objective
Strengthen the production, entrepreneurial, and association skills of 14 producer groups (up to 15 members each) in San Miguel and Usulután, with a focus on women and youth. This will be achieved by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and value chain integration.
Specific Objectives

- Strengthen skills, enhance knowledge and collaboration: Deliver comprehensive training to improve theoretical-practical understanding as well as provide technical assistance on climate-smart agriculture (CSA), entrepreneurial and associative practices, and association management, including legal assistance. Foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among farmer groups.
- Provision of seed capital fund for agribusiness plans: Establish and implement a competitive fund mechanism to support business plan development through the provision of in-kind seed capital (agricultural inputs).
2) Activities
a) Management and Coordination of Activities
- Establish and maintain communication channels with GGGI's technical team to ensure seamless collaboration and information exchange.
- Design and maintain a record-keeping system for participating producer groups, capturing information on formation, characteristics, and learning progress.
- Develop communication strategies (on-site, virtual, telephone) to stay connected with participating groups and facilitate ongoing engagement.
b) Training and Capacity Building
- Design and deliver capacity building sessions aligned with the GGGI-approved program curriculum. Tailor training modules to be relevant, engaging, and address the specific needs of the women and youth farmers.
- Identify and present successful case studies relevant to the training program content, showcasing real-world examples to inspire and motivate participants.
- Analyze real-world case studies to provide practical insights into challenges and opportunities faced by producer organizations.
c) Competitive Fund and Post-Training Technical Support
- Design the establishment of a competitive fund mechanism to facilitate the selection of beneficiary groups for the technical assistance phase and the provision of non-reimbursable funds.
- Support beneficiary groups in the acquisition of goods and services identified in their production plans.
d) Technical Assistance and Field Support
- Conduct field sessions on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices: water management, soil conservation, climate-resilient crop selection, etc., through hands-on demonstrations and workshops.
- Provide practical training on business skills development (business planning, financial management, marketing, and commercialization) with materials adapted to participants' educational level.
- Facilitate group dynamics and teamwork activities to promote collaboration, idea exchange, and networking among participants.
- Offer individualized mentoring and advisory sessions to participating groups for tailored guidance and support in developing their agricultural business projects.
e) Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
- Conduct technical assistance visits to assess progress and offer hands-on support as participants apply CSA practices and implement business and associative strategies.
- Conduct evaluations to measure participant progress on curricula appropriation and provide constructive feedback.
- Manage the logistics of training and technical assistance, ensuring smooth delivery, timely stakeholder coordination, and efficient resource management.
- Track the total area (hectares), productive diversification associated with agroforestry and silvopastoral systems, agricultural yields, water use, and soil conservation works affected by project activities.
f) Reporting and Documentation
- Generate and submit monitoring and progress reports as required by GGGI.
- Submit interim and final reports for each project phase, providing a thorough overview of progress, outcomes, and recommendations.
3) Scope of Work
This project aims to strengthen the capacity of 14 producer groups in 2024. At least 10 of these groups will be selected for a phase of technical assistance, including production, legal, and business support, along with in-kind resources for production activities. Each group will consist of up to 15 individuals, with a focus on women and youth participation.
Project Phases

• Phase 1: Theoretical-Practical Training (Expected time to deliver the phase:10 weeks)
o Conduct comprehensive training on project themes through a combination of classroom sessions and field activities in demonstration plots (demonstration plots will be established based on the location of the majority of participants).
o Train participants to design and create at least 10 business plans with bankable potential.
o Ensure effective participation by:
 Selecting training facilities accessible by public transportation and centrally located to participants.
 Providing meals or refreshments during sessions, considering group needs and budget.
 Offering transportation assistance for those with mobility challenges and childcare support for women with childcare responsibilities (if needed).
• Phase 2: Establishment and Operation of a Competitive Fund (3 weeks)

This fund will provide technical assistance and in-kind resources to participating groups from the training phase to strengthen their production, management, and marketing efforts aligned with their business plans.
To administer the competitive fund effectively, an evaluation committee will be established, which will include representatives from MAG, CENTA, GGGI and potentially other relevant stakeholders.
During the program's development phase, participating farmer organizations will be informed about the application process and the criteria used to evaluate their proposals. Applicant producer organizations or groups will be responsible for organizing business plan presentations. The evaluation committee will then individually assess each plan and determine a shortlist of organizations to proceed to the next stage.
Following the selection process, each shortlisted organization or group will receive support in acquiring the necessary materials, equipment, and inputs to effectively utilize the in-kind seed capital and implement their business plan.
• Phase 3: Technical Assistance (8 weeks)
This phase will provide targeted technical assistance (TA) based on each group's specific needs and economic activity. TA will be offered to at least 10 groups that demonstrate a strong commitment during the training sessions, that complete their business plan, and that are willing to develop their production activities.
o Selection Process: Groups will be chosen based on the following criteria: groups’ demonstrated commitment during training, business plan completion, and willingness and motivation to develop their production activities.
o Support Provided:
 Production and CSA-related support will include guidance on identifying and requesting quotes for materials, tools, and supplies, assistance with the purchasing and payment process, support for establishing productive plots using the seed capital, periodic agricultural technical assistance visits, and reinforcement of on-site knowledge on the CSA technologies covered in the training modules.
 Associativity and legal confirmation-related support will include legal advice sessions on the advantages, benefits, and responsibilities of formalizing your organization, assistance in identifying the necessary documents for those groups seeking formalization, and services to prepare legal documents and connect you with the corresponding institutions.
 Entrepreneurship and business development-related support will include individual technical assistance sessions per group to ensure successful implementation of their business plans developed during the training phase. Additionally, advisory sessions will be offered to assist groups in seeking financing for business plans that require additional funding beyond the project's support or their own resources.
o Reporting: Technicians will maintain visit logs and technical assistance sheets to document support provided to beneficiaries.
4) Target Population
The service provider will work with producers over the age of 18, with a special focus on women and youth between the ages of 18 and 35. The beneficiary groups will be identified by GGGI in coordination with MAG and CENTA, and a list and details of each group will be provided to the selected service provider for adaptation of the capacity-building program. This initiative will focus on producers in the departments of San Miguel and Usulután.
5) Pre-bid Meeting
The pre-bid conference for this RFP will be held virtually through M/S Teams on Friday, 14 June 2024, 17:00 (El Salvador Local Time) to address any queries/clarifications relating to the assignment and procurement process.
Interested parties should send the email addresses of the attendees through e-Procurement Portal (Correspondence Tab) to receive the e-invitation.
6) About Terms of reference language
Terms of reference language are both in English and Spanish, when discrepancy, English version will prevail
For more details on the Scope of Work, please refer to the Terms of Reference (TOR) document attached.

IMPORTANT TIMELINES:
This project is expected to be completed in 5.5 months upon contract signing.
The tender submission deadline is 15 July 2024, 16:00 pm KST (Korean Standard Time).
If any bidder has any request for clarification on the TOR or any part of the tender documents, GGGI will be happy to clarify if they are received on or before 7 days before the deadline (namely: if the tender submission deadline is 16:00 15 July KST, then the due date for submission of request for clarification is 16:00 8 July KST).
Interested parties will be required to register their details on the GGGI e-Green Procurement Portal (https://in-tendhost.co.uk/gggi).

HOW TO OBTAIN THE DOCUMENTS:
Documents can be accessed via the e-Green Procurement Portal by selecting ‘View Details’ on the relevant notice and then clicking the ‘Tender Application’ button. If you are a new supplier, you will be required to register your details. If you have an existing account, you will need to login to the portal. Please refer to the guidance documents under the `Supplier Guidance` area of the portal for further information.

ONLINE TENDER MANAGEMENT:
Once in the Tender Management Area for the tender, there are five possible tabs: ‘Tender’, `Tender Documents`, ‘Correspondence’, ‘Clarifications’ and ‘History’. Select the 2nd tab (`Tender Documents`) where you will find useful information regarding the RFP. Scroll down to the heading ‘Tender Documents Received’ where you will be able to view / download the documents.

OPTING IN & OPTING OUT:
Please note that you may be required to ‘Opt In’ before you can start populating your response. The ‘Opt Out’ functionality will also be available throughout the duration of the tender process. Opting out will give you the option of declaring you no longer want to receive any further communication in relation to this tender along with the opportunity of providing comments and feedback for this decision. You can choose to ‘Opt In’ at any time during the tender process if you initially decided to ‘Opt Out’.

SUBMITTING YOUR RESPONSE VIA THE PORTAL:
Please note that you may be required to ‘Opt In’ to be able to submit a response through the portal. Tenderers will be required to upload any mandatory Placeholders (i.e. specified documents) within the `Tender Documents` tab. The ability to attach additional documents may also be available. Your proposal will not be submitted until you click `Submit Return`, located towards the bottom of the screen. On clicking `Submit Return`, you will receive a receipt confirming that your proposal has been submitted to GGGI.
Please read Instructions on How to submit the Proposal.

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