USAID/BANGLADESH FEED THE FUTURE RICE AND DIVERSIFIED CROPS ACTIVITY


Request for Applications

Procurement Systems

The USAID/Bangladesh Feed the Future (FtF) Rice and Diversified Crops (RDC) activity is 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 and improve food security and nutrition in the Khulna, Barisal, and southern districts of Dhaka divisions of Bangladesh (FtF zone). RDC’s goal is to increase rural incomes by catalyzing a process that leads to competitive and inclusive rice based market systems. RDC aims to facilitate strategic, market system-strengthening interventions to improve rice intensification and diversification.

As part of this program, RDC is working with agribusiness companies to improve/develop mutually beneficial procurement models that interact more directly with farmers. Examples of these models include procurement hubs, collection points and contract farming. RDC is inviting food processors, exporters, traders, and other firms (that source rice, maize, pulses, or oil seeds from producers) interested in developing/ improving such models in the FTF zone to apply for funding presenting:

  1. A description of the procurement model you would like to pilot
  2. How this model will differ from or improve upon your existing model(s)
  3. The crops, season, and specific geographic zones in the FtF zone you are targeting
  4. Description of the activities that you would like to undertake (with technical and/or cost share support from RDC) to develop/improve your procurement model
  5. How this new/improved procurement model will benefit your company, intermediaries (if part of the model) and farmers in the FTF zone.

The application for funding should reflect innovative procurement models that: a) are different or improve upon models that the company is currently using, or: b) replicate an innovative, existing model that the company wants to introduce in the FtF zone.

As a prerequisite to being supported for a pilot program companies must participate in a “procurement model strategic planning exercise” with RDC staff. The objective of this exercise will be to identify the policies, strategies, operations and costs related to the procurement model’s pricing, staffing, capacity building/TA to farmers, collection and aggregation, input supply, and credit.

The applicants can find an application for funding form at the following web site: Click here

Applicants must complete all sections of the request for funding application and submit them to the following email address info@acdivocardc.org by September 30th, 2018

* Issuance of this request for concept papers in no way constitutes a commitment by RDC to execute any agreement or to pay any costs incurred by firms that respond to this request.