Republic of Moldova
Talent Retention for Rural Transformation Project (TRTP)
Assignment Title: Diagnostic survey for value chains
Reference No. (as per procurement plan): C7.1/1.2.1.3
The Government of the Republic of Moldova has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) towards the cost of the Talent Retention for Rural Transformation Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the recruitment of consulting services.
The use of any IFAD financing shall be subject to IFAD’s approval, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the financing agreement, as well as IFAD’s rules, policies, and procedures. IFAD and its officials, agents, and employees shall be held harmless from and against all suits, proceedings, claims, demands, losses, and liability of any kind or nature brought by any party in connection with TRTP.
The consulting services (“the services”) include a Diagnostic survey for value chains during 3 months.
The main goal of the survey is to assess the preliminary concept of a financing package that CPIU IFAD is going to offer to agricultural producer groups.
The selected service Provider will accomplish this survey by carrying out face-to-face interviews with 400 farmers in Moldova as well as with representatives of existing producers groups, banks, and agriculture sector stakeholders (ministry, producer associations, donor projects)
This request for expressions of interest (REOI) follows the general procurement notice that appeared on the UNDB website on 5 August 2021, on the CPIU IFAD website on 16 June 2021, on the MARDE website on 16 June 2021, and on Economic magazine Logos Press no. 25 (1383) from 2 July 2021.
The CPIU IFAD (“the client”) now invites eligible local consulting firms (“consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services. Interested firms should fill the template for expressions of interest and submit found HERE and send it to the address indicated below.
The attention of interested consultants is drawn to IFAD’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy[1] and the Revised IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Activities and Operations[2]. The latter sets forth IFAD’s provisions on prohibited practices. IFAD further strives to ensure a safe working environment free of harassment, including sexual harassment, and free of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in its activities and operations as detailed in its IFAD Policy to Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation, and Abuse.[3]
The consultant shall not have any actual, potential, or reasonably perceived conflict of interest. A consultant with an actual, potential, or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the Fund. A consultant including their respective personnel and affiliates are considered to have a conflict of interest if they a) have a relationship that provides them with undue or undisclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, b) participate in more than one EOI under this procurement action, c) have a business or family relationship with a member of the Purchaser’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of this REOI, (ii) the shortlisting or selection process for this procurement, or (iii) execution of the contract. The consultant has an ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential, or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during the preparation of the EOI, the selection process, or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract, and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations.
A consultant will be selected in accordance with the QCBS procurement method set out in IFAD’s project procurement handbook that can be accessed via the IFAD website at www.ifad.org/project-procurement.
The Service Provider shall possess the following qualifications as a company, which will serve as a basis for the shortlisting criteria:
- Strong capacity and experience in organizing surveys in the agricultural/ agro-processing sectors in Moldova – 20 points;
- Deep knowledge of the value chains in the Moldovan agricultural sector; their strong and weak points; problems they face and opportunities – 20 points;
- Have at least 5 years in conducting quantitative and qualitative surveys (minimum 5 quantitative & qualitative surveys conducted during the last 5 years) – 20 points;
- Strong capacity in data management and statistics, survey analysis, and reporting of results – 10 points;
- Availability of four key professional staff positions: Team Leader, Expert in data analysis and quantitative survey implementation, Expert in agriculture, Expert in agricultural finance; Note: (individual experts’ bio data is not required at this stage and evaluation is done based on company’s capacity to provide a full team of experts with the required background) – 20 points;
- Experience in collaboration with international financing projects (World Bank, EU, CPIU IFAD, UNDP, UN, etc.) will be an advantage – 10 points.
Only companies that will be selected in the Short List will be invited to submit the technical offer and the financial offer.
Consultants cannot associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications.
Any request for clarification on this REOI should be sent via e-mail to the address below procurement@ucipifad.md no later than 16 August 2021, 17:00 (Moldova Time). The client will provide responses to all clarification requests by 18 August 2021, 17:00 (Moldova Time).
Expressions of interest must be delivered in written form using the forms provided for this purpose. EOIs shall be submitted to the address below no later than 20 August 2021, 17:00 (Moldova Time).
CPIU IFAD Moldova
Attn: Nadejda Russu, Senior procurement specialist
E-mail: procurement@ucipifad.md
[1] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/document-detail/asset/41942012.
[2] The policy is accessible at www.ifad.org/anticorruption_policy.
[3] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/document-detail/asset/40738506.