Request for Proposal of Traceability System Practice and Innovation for Adoption
with Branch of Abt Associates Inc.
Background
Feed the Future Cambodia Harvest III (“Harvest III”) is a five-year USAID-funded activity to promote sustainable, broad-based economic growth through increased diversification, inclusion, resilience, and competitiveness in Cambodia’s agriculture sector. Through private sector engagement in key agriculture market systems, the activity creates better jobs and improves livelihoods, diets, and overall well-being for Cambodians, especially women, youth, and marginalized populations. The project has the following objectives and expected intermediate results (IRs):
Objective 1: Inclusive and sustainable agriculture market systems strengthened.
· IR 1.1: Increased private sector investment to strengthen climate-smart, resilient, and competitive agriculture market systems.
· IR 1.2: Strengthened technical and business capacity of farms and firms, including women and youth farmers and entrepreneurs.
· IR 1.3: Increased incomes, especially for women and youth in the food system, including in climate-smart agriculture.
Objective 2: Strengthened linkages and trust among market actors, for both domestic and international markets.
· IR 2.1: Increased access to markets of agricultural products and services, including women- and youth-owned businesses.
· IR 2.2: Improved food safety, quality, and traceability of agricultural products through the increased use of innovative technologies.
The geographic focus of the project is flexible based on business opportunity and potential.
Context for this assignment
Harvest III wishes to promote safe products to the local and international market. Harvest III aims to increase food safety consumption by promoting the traceability system widely to the consumers, buyers, and producers. The successful company will conduct a survey of traceability system practices in Cambodia, present their traceability systems to market actors, and upgrade the their traceability system accordingly to the market need.
· CATEGORY:Invitation for Bids
· LOCATION:Phnom Penh
Objective & expected outcomes
In this study, the subcontractor will help Harvest III draw lessons about its efforts to survey on the traceability system, in particular:
· Traceability system practices in Cambodia
· Innovation approach for traceability system adoption
· Economic sustainability of adoption the traceability system
Methodology
The general methodology will be to:
· Interview 30 market actors (local and export market)
· Design questionaries for meeting the 30 companies
· Present the company’s traceability system to the 30 companies
· Upon award, Harvest III will provide the names and telephone numbers of 30 market actors; the subcontractor will interview and present their product to the 30 market actors. Then, the subcontractor will present the finding and solution to the Harvest III relevant team.
Relationships with Harvest III team
The subcontractor will report to the Chief of Party or his designee.
Qualifications
The subcontractor’s team must include a team leader who will take primary responsibility for planning and organizing the work, as well as assuring deliverables. He or she may be assisted by other staff. The following qualifications are highly desired of the team leader:
· Registered company in Cambodia
· Experience in implementing traceability system over three years with existing clients
· Own traceability system and willing to change according to the market need in order to promote the adoption
· Strong background in agritech applications and used to develop the agritech platform so far
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS
1. The offeror is requested to submit a proposal directly responsive to the terms, conditions, and clauses of this RFP.
2. Proposals must be received no later than the due date on the cover sheet. Proposals must be signed and remain valid for a minimum of sixty (60) days. The Offeror must submit its proposal by email provided in the contact details with the term “Traceability system practice and innovation for adoption” and the name of the offeror in the subject line.
3. The Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal must be kept as separate parts of the total proposal package. Accordingly, the overall proposal shall consist of Volume I – Technical Proposal; and Volume II – Cost Proposal.
4. Any proposal received in response to this solicitation will be reviewed as submitted and in accordance with the evaluation criteria specified in Part 2 – Evaluation Factors for Award.
5. The person signing the offeror’s proposal must have the authority to commit the offeror to all the provisions of the offeror’s proposal.
6. Abt Associates Inc. is not obligated to make an award or to pay for any costs incurred by the offeror in preparation of a proposal in response hereto.
7. The Offeror should submit its best proposal initially as Abt intends to evaluate proposals and may make an award without delay.
8. Abt Associates Inc. reserves the right to call offerors for an interview in person or online prior to award.
SPECIAL RFP CONSIDERATIONS
The anticipated type of contract to be awarded under this solicitation is a Firm Fixed Price, Deliverables-Based Subcontract.
The period of the contract is on/about April to May, 2024. The decision to award the contract will be based on:
· Demonstrated technical know-how
· Feasibility of approach and methodology
· Offeror’s past experience and implementation of similar assignments
· Cost reasonableness and value for money
Offerors are informed that by submitting a response to this Request for Proposal, they agree to abide by the Flow-Down Terms and Conditions included in Annex 2 of this solicitation.
ATTACHMENT