GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE
Name of Borrower`s Country : Sierra Leone
Name of Project : SIERRA LEONE AGRIBUSINESS AND RICE VALUE CHAIN SUPPORT
GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE
- The Republic of Sierra Leone has received a grant from the African Development Fund to finance the SIERRA LEONE AGRIBUSINESS AND RICE VALUE CHAIN SUPPOR The total cost of the project is UA 7.99 million approximately USD11.18 million. The Project will be executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Njala University (NU), Sierra Leone Seed Certification Agency (SLeSCA) and Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) will be key implementing partners ;
- The principal objectives of this project are to: stimulate a viable upstream agribusiness sector in Sierra Leone in order to promote economic diversification, food security, sustainable employment opportunities and improved livelihoods. The project will primarily focus on the rice value chain which is the staple food in Sierra Leone. It will also support the emergence of maize and livestock as secondary value chains which have the strong potential of meeting domestic food demands, import substitution, improving nutrition and farmers’ income. The specific project objective is to transform the agricultural input supply sub-sector as a viable and inclusive business opportunity, in order to promote enhanced production and productivity required to improve the livelihoods of beneficiaries along priority value chains (rice and maize) ;
- The Project includes the following components Component 1: Support to Enhancement of Agricultural Input Production & Distribution Systems ;
- Support to Seed Research, Development & Multiplication :
- Support to production of improved early generation (breeder and foundation) seeds by SLARI in collaboration with AfricaRice ;
- Support to production and distribution of certified seeds through rehabilitation and equipping of two (2) Seed Multiplication Program (SMP) of seed multiplication centres in Kobia and Kenema ;
- Rehabilitation of two (2) seed varietal maintenance centres ;
- Support to SLARI/Njala nutrition promotion program / MAF Women in Agriculture and Nutrition to expand development and dissemination of nutritious food recipes ;
- Training of lead farmers and technicians on improved farming techniques; & technologies; and
- Trainings of women farmer associations on improved farming and marketing techniques.
Support to agricultural input testing, inspection and certification :
- Support to operationalisation of Sierra Leone Seed Certification Agency (SLESCA) through provision of IT equipment, field and laboratory equipment and facilities ;
- Development/rehabilitation of the agricultural input (seed, fertilizer & pesticides) testing and certification laboratory ;
- Capacity building of seed inspectors, seed analysts and seed samplers ;
- Registration of seed industry actors; and
- Training and capacity development.
Support to private sector led input distribution systems :
- Support to the agro-dealer network: register, train, and accredit agro-dealers ;
- Establishment of an e-voucher subsidy system; and
- Training of agro-dealers on supply management and related skills.
Component 2 : Support to Agribusiness Development D. ENABLE/Njala Youth Program established
- Recruitment of an independent Business Development Expert to fine-tune the ENABLE/Njala Youth Program based on international best practice and market demand ;
- Establishment/construction of Songhai model based integrated farm ecosystem production units (comprising of rice, maize, livestock, aquaculture, horticulture production units as well as agro-processing centres) within the Njala University Campus ;
- Intensive incubation and internship (skills and training) of 6 months for youth that are passionate and highly committed to running an agribusiness (200 youth per annum-of which 50% women) ;
- Development of business plans, grant and loan applications for funding ;
- Provision of start-up capital to selected agripreneurs on a competitive basis ;
- Development of linkages to markets and off-taker arrangements for youth run agribusinesses ;
- Support to establishment of Agrifood Research and Innovation Centre by upgrade facilities for agricultural research and training ;
- Establishment of Engineering, Mechanization and Machinery Maintenance Facility which will assist rapid system design and prototyping, fabrication of machines and systems component and provide farm mechanisation support to the NATS program; and
- Development of horticulture industry assessment and business plan.
Support to Farmer Out growers Systems :
- Setting up the legal and regulatory framework for out grower schemes linking farmer cooperatives supported by this project to supply Government programs, the SMP, DP funded projects (specifically the IsDB RVCDP and the IFAD AVCDP amongst others) and private sector agribusinesses ;
- Provision of equipment (power tillers, threshers, winnowers) to farmers participating in seed and grain out grower scheme under leasing arrangements ;
- Support to extension services & training on improved farming/production techniques ;
- Development of linkages to markets and off-taker arrangements for maize farmers with animal feed companies etc ;
- Training of farmers and farmer associations on contract farming; and
- Promotion of ICT for Agriculture.
Component 3 : Institutional Capacity Development and Project Management F. Institutional Capacity Building
- Training/Capacity building of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) other key stakeholders particularly the direct beneficiaries ;
- Support to MAF in setting up a National Development Partners Program Coordination Office (NDPPCO) through the provision of office, IT equipment and training ;
- The project will support the cost of NDPPCO Coordinator and a Financial Management Adviser to ensure coordination, harmonisation and fiduciary management of all agriculture DP funded projects; and
- Development of an up-to-date result-Based monitoring and evaluation framework which will support the generation, collection, analysis and utilization of data (outputs and outcomes) of all agriculture sector DP funded projects.
Project Management : Technical assistance and logistical equipment will also be provided to facilitate project implementation, thus;
- Overall project coordination and administration ;
- Technical Oversight and quality assurance; and
- Supervision of service providers, Monitoring & Evaluation and Reporting.
- Procurement of goods, works and the acquisition of consultancy services for the project, will be carried out in accordance with the “Procurement Policy and Methodology for Bank Group Funded Operations” (BPM), dated October 2015 and following the provisions stated in the Financing Agreements. Bidding documents for the project goods, works and services are expected to be available beginning November 2019 ;
- Interested bidders may obtain further information, and should confirm their interest, by contacting :
The Senior Procurement Officer,
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
1st Floor, Youyi Building
Brookfields, Freetown, Sierra Leone
+232-76-97-97-27
Email : shalpha33@hotmail.com
