Request for Expression of Interest

Conduct a research to generate a Business Case Study on ‘Engaging women in agricultural market systems’

The Feed the Future Bangladesh Rice and Diversified Crops (RDC) activity is a USAID-funded project designed to catalyze market system changes that promote a diversified farm management approach oriented to intensified rice production and higher-value, nutrient-rich crops to increase incomes, for men and women,  and improve food security and nutrition in the rice, maize, pulse (mungbean), oilseed (sunflower) ,mechanization, ICT and finance sectors in the FTF Zone of Influence (ZoI) in southern Bangladesh. RDC is implemented by ACDI/VOCA in partnership Action for Enterprise (AFE).

Cutting across these sectors are opportunities for women’s participation and empowerment that can improve household food security and nutrition as well as business growth and market competitiveness. Private sector stakeholders struggle to identify and leverage on the correlation between strong market system and women’s empowerment. Considering these realities, RDC will conduct a study to develop the business case for engaging women in target RDC sectors. RDC will use the study findings to adjust current activities so that they promote female empowerment and strengthen business’s. RDC is looking for an organization/consulting company to conduct the research to fulfill the following objectives:

  • Examine specific elements of women’s roles in the RDC sectors as well as in input promotion campaigns in the FTF Zone of Influence (ZoI) in southern Bangladesh.
  • Identify cases where businesses have engaged women and leveraged their roles effectively to: improve efficiency; increase customers; establish service centers and marketing hubs; remove supply chain bottlenecks; improve last mile service delivery, and increase overall profits of bottom line.
  • In cases where firms have not been able or willing to leverage women’s involvement in the sector, identify firms’ barriers or perceived barriers to women’s profitable involvement.
  • Based on the findings of Objectives 1-3, identify opportunities to establish business cases and related RDC facilitation strategies, for how lead firms in RDC’s target sectors can better integrate gender and build women’s empowerment, particularly in terms of decision-making and leadership.

The final output of the research will be in the form of a business case study that RDC will expect the consulting company to present in a learning event. Potential candidates are expected to deliver the following:

(1) Scope of exploration (2) Summary of Literature review (3) Proposed methodology for data collection (4) Data collection tools and data collection (5) Final report and presentation.

The expression of interest should be no more than three pages and include the following:

  • Company/organization profile and copy of trade license
  • Specific qualifications and experience that make your organization qualified to organize and manage similar researches on developing business cases
  • Brief description of the methods you propose to use
  • Qualifications of staff or consultants that would conduct this work

Expressions of interest should be sent to the following address in hard copy at RDC project office, Ventura Iconia, Floor # 5th, House # 37, Road # 11, Block# H, Banani, Dhaka-1213 and by email format at infordc@acdivocardc.org clearly mentioning “Engaging women in agricultural market systems” in the subject line of email on or before 13th May 2018. Qualified organizations will receive the comprehensive Scope of Work and be invited to submit a full proposal.

Issuance of this request for expressions of interest (REOI) in no way constitutes a commitment by RDC to execute any agreement or to pay any costs incurred by firms that respond to this REOI.