Job Description

Background

HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals and providing global leadership on biofortification evidence and technology. HarvestPlus works across CGIAR as part of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

HarvestPlus is interested to procure the services of vendors (preferred NGOs) to work closely with government agencies and private sectors to improve nutrition security and livelihoods of vulnerable people especially women of reproductive age, adolescent girls, and children (boys and girls) 6-59 months. It is a four-year project "Expanding Nutrients in Food Systems (ENFS)" which is being implemented to popularize biofortified crops in Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Rangpur, and Lalmonirhat districts of northern Bangladesh. The project period will be from April 2024 to March 2025.

The project activities are as follows:

Outcome 1: Increased consumption of biofortified foods by vulnerable women, girls, and children under five

Activity	Unit	Deliverables	Total Quantity
Capacity building of community-based women seed producer groups	MT	Produce foundation/certified/TFL seed. Support provided to CBOs to achieve individual seed targets.	112
Capacity building of national seed companies	MT	National seed companies to produce quality seeds of biofortified zince rice by providing support production, processing, packaging, and selling. National seed companies contracted to achieve the foundation/certified/TFL seed target.	50
Train and mobilize community-based women seed producer groups	Trainee	Training for women seed producers to enhance skills in quality rice seed production through best practice adoption.	150
Loudspeaker announcements for promoting seed sales	Event	Using horn speaker/video show, disseminate message in target area to increase awareness about zinc rice seed and grain.	45
Workshop with seed retailers	Event	Seed retailers sensitized on zinc rice benefits in human health and motivated to collect and sell zinc rice variety seed to local farmers. Each retailer will fix a target to sell seeds in Boro season.	4
ToT to community health workers	Trainee	Identify 25 community health workers (CHWs) in each batch to be trained on zinc rice/zinc wheat benefits in human health and motivated to counsel women and adolescents to consume biofortified foods. A medical doctor and scientist will be the resource speakers.	100
Participatory demonstration plot establishment	Plot	Participatory block demonstrations will be established in at least one-acre continuous/clustered land. Inputs like seeds, fertilizers, signboards, crop cut and data collection must be ensured. Farmers will use various inputs and do proper crop mangement, harvesting, etc.	20
Training to farmer leaders	Trainee	The farmer leaders will be trained on production technology of biofortified crops. Each partner will identify 25 farmer leaders, in each batch. A Sub-Assistant Agricultural Officer of DAE will be the trainer.	100
Distribute early generation seeds (EGS) to community based seed businesses, especially women-owned businesses	Kg	The vendor will purchase EGS of biofortified zinc rice varieties from BRRI and distribute to community-based women owned seed producer groups who have the license from the ministry as producers and will be able to produce quality seeds.	600
SBCC material development and/or multiplication	Lump Sum	Develop IEC/SBCC materials and distribute/circulate video documentary (1), calendars (500), one-pager/flyer/brochure (10,000), etc.
Farmer field day	Unit	Crop cut and field day event will be conducted in the presence of around 150 participants (farmers, DAE personnel, seed dealers, retailers, local leaders, media personnel, etc.)	4
Workshop with policy makers and influential stakeholders at regional/divisional level	Event	Workshop consisting of 40 influential stakeholders; held at regional/divisional level	1
Nutrition counselling to women and adolescent girls through community nutrition promoters (CNPs)/health workers (CHWs)	Event	The trained CHWs and CNPs will educate women and adolescent girls about the benefits of biofortified crops and how to incorporate them into their diets. 25-30 farm families trained in each batch.	16

Outcome 2: Increased economic empowerment of women and women-led SMEs

Activity	Unit	Deliverables	Total Quantity
Capacitate VCAs and SMEs, especially women, on the production and marketing of biofortified crops and foods	Trainee	The contractors will identify 25 women-led SMEs/VCAs for each event/batch. SMEs/VCAs will be trained in business management including product packaging, pricing, marketing, record keeping, etc.	50
Promotional campaign on grain/food whole seller and retail shops	Shop	Partners will decorate selected SMEs processing plant, whole seller, and retailers' shops with digital box signboards	20
SMS messaging with nutrition facts	Person	Nutritional message of biofortified crops will be disseminated to the target people in the project area through the leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh	200,000
Support SMEs with production/processing/ packeting/branding of biofortified food/product	MT	Biofortified food production/processing/ packeting/branding and marketing support provided to processors/SMEs	500
Capacitate SMEs (preferred women led SMEs), for making food available in the market	MT	Prtners will select and sensitize well-established SMEs/grain whole sellers and retailers to encourage working with biofortified crops for selling.	200

Preferred Qualifications

Dedicated workforce (project coordinator & volunteers) to deploy in the working area
Capital to incur expense for said activities in advance
Experience working with value chain actors/CBOs/SMEs/millers/women groups
Expert for providing agricultural support to farmers
Tools and ability to work virtually
Ability to communicate in report writing in English
Ability to organize events and trainings
Objective to work in nutrition development field
Ability to complete activities in tight time frame

To Apply

Submit their expression interest with the following documents to the IFPRI website:

Cover letter showing interest on detailed activities
Creative, cost-effective, and complete work proposal describing the strategy against each activity (how you will implement the activities, achieve the targets, etc.)
Comprehensive workplan and reasonable proposed time frame
Summary table mentioning preferred working districts and upazila
Identification of possible challenges and creative approaches to addressing them
Expected detailed budget, with a focus on cost-effectiveness and return on investment of proposed activities
Roles and responsibilities of each team member shall be clearly defined, with one main contact person for HarvestPlus clearly defined in the proposal
Organizational profile (no more than 1 page)
Contact information for current business and number of employees deployable
Copy of legal documents (VAT certificate, TIN certificate, Social Welfare certficate, Trade license, etc.)

Special Notes:

Incomplete, conditional tenders, and alternative offers shall not be considered
All documents should be send in PDF format and should be visibly clear
HarvestPlus reserves the right to accept or reject any or all tenders partly or wholly without assigning any reason
Physical documents will not be accepted in the office

This position is no longer open.