RFP - Delivery of Tailored Services to Support Agribusinesses and Market Actors by BDSPs

A. TERMS OF REFERENCE

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

Propcom+,implemented by The Palladium Group, is a £95 million, eight-year (-),

International Climate Finance (ICF), rural and agricultural market development

programme. Propcom+ supports climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture that

benefits people, climate, and nature. It works with Nigeria’s vibrant private

sector to (i) increase productivity, improve nutrition and food security (ii)

enhance climate resilience, pursue lower emissions, and protect and restore

nature, and (iii) help tackle some of Nigeria’s underlying drivers of conflict

and insecurity.

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PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The purpose

of this request for proposals (RFP) is to establish a network of experienced

Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) to support agribusinesses and

market actors across Nigeria’s agricultural sector. BDSPs will be engaged to

deliver tailored services either 1 : 1 or in group settings. Services sought fall

under two windows : Window

1 : General Business Development Support (BDS) . Services under Window 1 are those aimed at improving

a firms’ overall business processes and performance, thereby enabling them to

become more competitive in the market. These include :

• Financial Planning and Management, ., budget development, cash flow forecasting, financial reporting systems, cost control strategies, or multi-year financial modelling.
• Market Expansion, ., market research, entry strategy development, branding and positioning, distribution channel identification, and partnership development
• Technology Adoption , ., ERP and CRM system implementation, e-commerce platform integration, digital marketing tools, data analytics setup, and cybersecurity upgrades
• Operational Efficiency, ., inventory tracking systems , production scheduling, logistics optimization, workflow redesign, and lean management practices.
• Organizational Capacity Assessment / Improvement ., leadership development, HR system upgrades, strategic planning facilitation, team performance assessments, and succession planning
• Environmental Compliance and Safeguarding e. g ., environmental impact assessments, waste management planning, emissions tracking, staff training on compliance, and sustainability reporting

Window

2 : Finance and Investment Facilitation. Services under Window 2 are those that result

in new debt financing (. lending) or non-debt financing through outside

investors. Services under this window may include, but are not limited to, client

coaching, sourcing of finance, deal structuring and mediating with both clients

and financial institutions / investors, post-investment support, or any other

services required to reach transaction close and disbursement.

Offerors responding to this

RFP may submit a proposal to provide services under one or both windows.

Requirements for each window are detailed in Section B of this RFP.

TYPE OF CONTRACT

Propcom+ intends to issue multiple awards

under this RFP. Selected offerors will be issued a blanket agreement with a

specified order ceiling, list of services offered, and cost rates. Following the establishment of the blanket

agreements, Propcom+ will “match” qualified BDSPs with agribusiness partners

seeking support and / or finance and investment or via Task Orders (TO).

At the task order level, a

co-creation meeting will be held with the selected offeror and Agribusiness

client (as applicable) to agree on methodology, timeline, deliverables, and

budget. Specific requirements may vary based on the nature of support provided,

but Illustrative deliverables for TOs under each window are as follows :

Window 1 :

Window 2 :

Note that task orders under this contract

will not be limited to 1 : 1 support firm support. Potential task orders under

both windows may also include, but are not limited to :

Offerors with experience providing

these types of services are encouraged to highlight this support in their

technical application .

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Blanket agreements will be awarded for a

period of approximately 12 months, with the option for renewal based on

performance and availability of funding, at the sole discretion of Propcom+.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The activities to be performed under this

agreement will take place in Nigeria.

TIMELINE

This RFP closes on

September 10, , at 5 : 00pm WAT. Submitted proposals must remain valid for a

period of 60 days following the date of submission. Propcom+ intends to issue blanket

agreements to qualifying offerors within 30 days of the closing date or receipt

of a completed proposal with initial task orders issued shortly thereafter.

B. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Requirements for

proposal submission are outlined below. All required documents must be

submitted no later than the time and date specified on the cover page. Offerors must submit their technical and cost proposals using Propcom+

application templates. To receive a copy of the technical and cost proposal templates,

please email Any non-compliant proposals

or non-compliant proposal sections will not be reviewed by the technical

evaluation committee (TEC) and may negatively impact the final score.

Technical Proposal

requirements are as follows :

1. Offeror Information :

2. Technical Skills and Approach (5 pages maximum) as outlined below, by window :

Window 1 applicants :

Window 2 applicants :

3. Personnel :

List of personnel or consultants who will provide support under this contract with the following information :

Offerors should attach copies of personnel CVs (max 2

pages each) to the technical proposal. Individual offerors (consultants) are

only required to provide information for themselves.

4. Past Performance.

For each application window, list up to 5 recent and relevant firms supported and briefly summarise the specific support provided to each firm listed. Information provided in this section should :

Offerors may omit client names or specific business

details as required by previously signed confidentiality agreements. However, sufficient

detail should be provided to enable the technical evaluation committee to

assess the relevance and performance.

In addition to the

information provided in the technical proposal, offerors may choose to attach a

supplementary capacity statement (not to exceed two [2] pages) and Annex B to

the technical proposal. This capacity statement is optional but any information provided within

will be considered during the technical proposal.

5.   References.

Contact information for three references who can speak to your suitability for this work. At least one reference should be a current or recent client. Propcom+ will reach out to references as part of the proposal evaluation process.

COST PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Offers must submit their cost proposal

using the template by Propcom+. The required elements in the cost proposal vary

by window :

Window 1 Cost Proposal Requirements :

1. Labor rates for all staff / positions proposed. Each proposed individual / position should include a brief summary of relevant qualifications, including level of education and years’ experience.

2. Case study budget based on the selected case study scenario. The budget should be broken out into the following sub-parts

Offerors should also submit copies of any

established / published commercial rates for specific services or tools applicable

to their BDS services (., ERP platforms, Business Plan Development, certifications),

if relevant.

Window 2 Cost Proposal

Requirements :

1. Success Fees based on the value and type of financial transaction facilitated (debt vs. non-debt), as follows :

Proposed rates should be

based on current / recent commercial rates charged for similar financial

transactions facilitated. Offerors must indicate the party responsible for

payment in the commercial market (.,

financier / investor or financing / investment recipient).

Offerors should also submit copies of any

established / published commercial rates / fees charged for in addition to

transaction fees (., fees that are not dependent on securing financing for

payment).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The following

documents must be submitted with the Technical and Cost Proposals :

For organizational offerors :

For individual (consultant) offerors :

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposals

must be submitted electronically to C. EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCESS

Submitted proposals must clearly

demonstrate alignment with the terms of reference outlined in this RFP and with

the appropriate level of detail. Proposals will be evaluated in two stages and on

a rolling basis, according to the order in which they were submitted.

Proposals submitted under each window will

be judged separately and independently and offerors who apply under both

windows may only be considered eligible for contracting under one window, based

on the technical evaluation.

Eligibility. The first set of criteria is graded on a pass / fail basis. Offerors must have minimum eligibility qualification criteria and provide the supporting documentation below :

Technical evaluation. If the minimum eligibility criteria are met, proposals will be evaluated as follows :

CriteriaPts Possible Quality of the proposed technical approach and methodology. 50 Proposed team’s expertise

and competencies to address programme needs 30 Past Performance 20 Total Points Possible

Offerors whose technical proposals receive

an overall score of 75 and above will be considered eligible for award.

When reviewing cost proposals, Propcom+

will consider the

extent to which the labour rates and proposed case study budget are reasonable

and appropriate in relation to the methodologies and approaches outlined in the

technical proposal and market rates, considering :

Propcom+ reserves the right

to issue awards under this solicitation without further negotiations. As such,

Offerors are encouraged to offer their best terms and prices with the original

submission

D. LIMITATIONS

This Request for Proposal does not

represent a commitment to award a contract, to pay any costs incurred in the

preparation of a response to this RFP, or to procure, or to contract for

services or supplies. Propcom+ Programme reserves the right to fund any or none

of the applications submitted and reserves the right to accept or reject in its

entirety and absolute discretion any proposal received in response to the RFP.

Propcom+ reserves the right to go

back to offerors with questions and / or clarifications on their proposal.

Discussions with one offeror does not obligate Propcom+ to open discussions

with all offerors.

E. MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

The contracted supplier will

report to the Strategy Director, working closely with the Access to Finance

Lead and the technical implementation teams.

Annex A - Traditional BDS Case Study Scenarios

Respond to one of the following scenarios in the

case study response section of the Technical Proposal.

All companies below are fictional and are not

meant to represent any real-life firms or Propcom+ partners. However, the scenarios

described represent some of the general challenges faced by Nigerian

agribusinesses, and responses to this section may be used to match offerors

with firms seeking similar services. As such, offerors are encouraged to select

the scenario most closely aligned to their skill set(s).

Scenario 1 : Financial Planning and Management

GreenRoots Seeds Ltd. is a mid-sized agribusiness based

in Kaduna, Nigeria, specializing in the production and distribution of

climate-smart maize and cowpea seeds. The company has experienced rapid growth

but struggles with cash flow forecasting, budgeting, and financial reporting

which threatens their continued growth and sustainability.

Describe the approach you would take to help GreenRoots

Seeds Ltd improve its financial management and planning and your experience

providing similar support to other businesses. Responses to this case study

scenario should include the following :

a) Methodology and approach .

Detail how you will support GreenRoots Seeds Ltd. to strengthen its financial planning and management systems. Include :

b) Track record of success.

Any relevant experience providing similar financial planning and management support to other businesses, including how financial visibility and decision making improved as a result of your support and any quantifiable outcomes (., cost savings, improved cash flow, access to credit).

Scenario 2 : Market Expansion

VitalSnacks Nigeria Ltd. is a growing enterprise in Kano

State producing fortified snacks from bio-fortified maize and sweet potato to

improve nutritional outcomes for school-aged children and low-income

households. The business seeks to expand into urban retail markets and

institutional buyers (., schools, hospitals).

Describe the approach you would take to help VitalSnacks

Nigeria Ltd. access new markets and your experience providing similar support

to other businesses. Responses to this case study scenario should include the

following :

a) Methodology and approach.

Detail how you would support VitalSnacks Nigeria Ltd. in expanding its market reach. Include :

b) Track record of success .

Any relevant experience providing similar market expansion support to other businesses and any quantifiable outcomes (., new market entry, increased sales, or strategic partnerships formed) resulting from your support.

Scenario 3 : Operational efficiency

AgroNova Inputs Ltd. manufactures improved

organic fertilizers and micronutrient blends in Ogun State. The company faces

inefficiencies in production scheduling, inventory management, and logistics, limiting

their ability to be competitive in the market.

Describe the approach you would take to help AgroNova

Inputs Ltd. improve operational efficiency and your experience providing

similar support to other businesses. Responses to this case study scenario

should include the following :

a) Methodology and approach.

Detail how you would support AgroNova Inputs Ltd. to improve operational efficiency. Include :

b) Track record of success .

Any relevant experience providing similar operational efficiency support to other businesses and any quantifiable outcomes (., improvements in productivity, cost reduction, or turnaround time) resulting from your support.

Scenario 4 : Environmental Safeguarding and Compliance

PalmEco Estates Ltd. is a vertically integrated palm

oil estate and processor in Cross River State. The company is expanding

operations and seeks to ensure environmental compliance and sustainability,

particularly around deforestation, water use, and waste management.

Describe the approach you would take to help PalmEco

Estates Ltd. ensure environmental compliance and sustainability and your

experience providing similar support to other businesses. Responses to this

case study scenario should include the following :

a) Methodology and approach.

Detail how you would support PalmEco Estates Ltd. ensure environmental compliance and sustainability. Include :

b) Track record of success.

Any relevant experience providing similar environmental compliance and safeguarding support to other businesses and any quantifiable outcomes (., reduced environmental impact, improved compliance, or adoption of sustainable practices) resulting from your support.