This document is being issued to solicit applications from either an individual consultant or a consulting firm with key technical staff who have substantial experience in the implementation of youth development programs. More specifically, the consultant or lead consultant should have a proven track record in the implementation of innovative youth-focused tech programs. The bidder is free to seek any clarification on the expected deliverables prior to the preparation and submission of the proposal. While Heifer understands that completing this assignment will require the experience of an individual or a single firm with all the requisite expertise, the successful candidate can sub-contract components of the assignment to appropriate qualified firms. However, Heifer Nigeria should be duly informed of the plan from the onset, and this should be clearly stated in the bid as appropriate. It should also be noted that Heifer will make payments to each of the contractors based on submission and Heifer’s approval of deliverables. The award agreement will include a payment schedule with specific deliverables; all payments require 15 business days for processing after approval of deliverables.

II. Background

About Heifer International

Heifer International is a global non-profit organization on a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. Since 1944, Heifer International through its work in 21 countries (in Africa, Asia, and the Americas) has supported more than 39 million people around the world to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way, and millions more now on a pathway to living incomes. Working with rural communities across Africa for 48 years, Heifer International supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income. Heifer’s foundation was built on the belief that ending hunger begins with giving people the means to feed themselves, generate income and achieve sustainable livelihoods for their households. Heifer’s global vision for 2020 - 2030 is to close the living income gap for additional 10 million families. This vision is a focused approach for the African continent to support at least 6 million smallholder farmers in Africa reach sustainable living income. As a part of this commitment, Heifer has expanded its presence in Africa to include Nigeria, with a goal of supporting at least two million households to achieve sustainable living income, through (a) strategic private and public sector partnerships, (b) unlocking demand and market opportunities, (c) investing in priority value chains, and (d) leveraging innovation and emerging agricultural technologies to reach transformational scale. More information about Heifer is available at: www.heifer.org

Heifer Nigeria Country Program

Heifer International established its Nigeria Country Program in 2021, and its Signature Program for Nigeria, named “Naija Unlock”, was designed and launched. Naija Unlock program’s aim is to support the unlocking of the potential in Nigeria’s agricultural sector to achieve food self-sufficiency by working with smallholder farmers and local value chain actors to increase their productivity to meet local demand for food and raw material while closing the living income gap for families in the rice, tomato, and poultry value chains, with plans to add cattle, and small ruminant value chains. Naija Unlock is an evidence-based Signature Program designed to close the living income gap of smallholder farmers at scale with permanence of impact. The goal is to assist more than one million households to achieve sustainable living income by 2025, and scale to two million households by 2030, through strategic private and public sector partnerships to (a) build the social capital of smallholder farmers, (b) unlock farmers’ access to innovative financing, (c) unlock demand and market opportunities, (d) increase farmers access to mechanization and emerging agricultural innovations, and (e) increase farmers knowledge and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. Naija Unlock program activities are being implemented currently in five (5) states in Nigeria (Ogun, Edo, Nasarawa, Benue, and Lagos States) with plans to scale to other states with the potential to make an impact at a transformational scale.

AYuTe (Agriculture Youth and Technology) Africa Challenge Nigeria

There is a transformation going on in the agricultural sector in Africa, Nigeria inclusive. Youth and Technology have been at the heart of these transformations, causing a radical change in the sector. Heifer’s recent survey on The Future of Africa’s Agriculture; An Assessment of the Role of Youth and Technology reveals that youth-led agricultural technology innovations are emerging, capable of transforming the productivity and competitiveness of agriculture in Nigeria. However, poor access to finance and technical assistance is one of the major constraints making it difficult to get them to the scale that would bring about these transformational impacts.

The AYuTe (Agriculture Youth and Technology) Africa Challenge serves as a springboard for identifying outstanding young agritech innovators in various Heifer countries, as well as assisting in the formation of strong partnerships. As a result, the competition will increase visibility for growth and improve smallholder farmers' productivity.

Through a regional competition, Heifer International awards up to US$1.5 million each year to leading agritech innovators across Africa. National competitions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda also award up to $20,000 in each country.

Like the Regional Champions competition, the AYuTe National Champions competition offers prize money and mentorship, helping translate the energy and ideas of young Nigerian agritech innovators into meaningful impact for smallholder farmers across the country, and supporting winners to grow their businesses and profile.

The AYuTe Africa Challenge Nigeria is an opportunity to identify young, creative entrepreneurs who have launched promising new tech solutions to transform African agriculture for smallholder farmers.

Following the successful execution of the 2022 and 2023 editions of AYuTe Africa Challenge Nigeria, Heifer Nigeria seeks the services of a consultant to design and implement the 2024 edition of AYuTe Africa Challenge Nigeria.

III. Description of Expected Professional Services

a. Purpose

The purpose is to identify a consultant to design and implement the 2024 (Fiscal Year 2024) edition of AYuTe Africa Challenge Nigeria.

Objectives: this assignment is designed to enable Heifer Nigeria:

Develop and design the project implementation strategy
Develop and fully implement a work plan for the competition
Design and implement a communications strategy for the project
Generate data and reports to inform decision making

Deliverables: The expected deliverables of this project are as follows:

Strategic Counsel and Coordination

Provide technical support and strategic planning around goals and objectives.
Provide updates around key upcoming activities, events, tactics, and outreach.
Provide in-depth stakeholder map that is critical to audience segmentation for the Heifer Country team

Media Strategy and Coverage to Raise Awareness

Provide top-tier Media list
Develop and disseminate press kit to major press houses
Arrange media interviews for Country Director (pre and post competition)
Create a minimum of three (3) press releases (preferably announcing the start of the competition, announcing the top 5 and announcing winners at the end)
Ensure coverage of competition both on Radio, TV, Print and Online
Top-tier news bulletin on at least 20 electronic and print media platforms for all 3 press releases
At least (20) publications one online/digital news media outlets for all 3 press releases
Comprehensive media engagement report

Op-Ed

Review and research background information for at least two Op-eds
Draft the piece, finalize, pitch and ensure publishing.

Social Media/Digital

Paid social media adverts promoting op-eds, national competition, and increased followership of country team social accounts (minimum of 4 sponsored ads including on X, formerly Twitter)
Creation of new, refreshing and engaging copy and visual content, including stories that profile the champions, show impact and generate engagement i.e. video documentary of winners, competition process, graphics etc (minimum of 2 videos, 10 graphics per month)
Provision of winners’ bio, pictures and details to be used on the regional AYuTe website page
Build asset library of images, videos of winners and necessary Heifer key stakeholders
Recruit at least 4 online (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) influencers or influencer accounts to promote competition
Banner ads on websites with high affinity with the target audience
Curate monthly engagement reports covering the different Heifer country social pages

Stakeholder Engagement/Events

Coordinate and implement at least one (1) live chat/fireside chat with winners and Country Director.
Facilitate a minimum of two (2) speaking opportunities at high-level agricultural/development sector conferences or summits for the Heifer Nigeria team
Organise high-level project launch and grand finale/winners’ prize award events, curating a digital-savvy immersive agritech experience for not less than 100 invitees.

Post-Competition Report

For every physical or virtual activity, send a detailed report which will include pictures, an attendance sheet, and other appendixes in line with agreed reporting templates
Send through a thorough and in-depth post-competition/engagement report that details activities, impact, reach, expectations, and key learnings. The narrative report is to be accompanied by a financial report

Duration: The implementation period for the AYuTe Africa Nigeria Challenge 2024 is from February 2024 to May 2024
Expected Roles of Heifer Nigeria

Finalize and sign the contract with the consultant.
Participate in project inception meeting with consultant
Participate in weekly progress meetings with consultant
Provide technical guidance and support
Review and validate all resources that will be proposed by the consultant before deployment
Ensure that all payments are done as stated in the contract

Expertise

Heifer Nigeria is looking for either an individual consultant or a consulting firm with key technical staff who have substantial experience in the implementation of youth development programs. More specifically, the consultant or lead consultant should have a proven track record in the implementation of innovative youth-focused tech programs. The consultant should have expertise in analytical skills and report writing skills in English.

(a) Academic Qualifications

At least a master’s degree in a relevant field in project management, sociology, agroecology, crop science, horticulture science, agricultural economics, or any other equivalent qualifications from a recognized university.
A minimum of 10 years of experience with a proven professional record in organizing similar competitions
The consultant should have a relevant background in journalism/or communication /or marketing/PR and an ability to work with a diverse range of stakeholders
Excellent spoken and written English with a working knowledge of the other local languages

(b) Experience

Experience building positioning strategies for organizations/events, engaging youth, expert and donor audiences
Fast, accurate, creative and versatile writing skills, including for digital media
Strong ability to see newsworthy stories quickly and easily
Experience in creating and engaging social media assets and image editing.
Good understanding of the issues relating to Youth Innovation and agriculture
Ability to analyze information quickly and simply for audiences.
Strong national and regional media contacts and demonstrable experience getting stories picked up by print and broadcast.
Proven record delivering highly visible competitions/events, securing local, national and regional coverage.
Evidence of having undertaken similar assignments; and
Ability to work efficiently and deliver committed outputs under the assignment within agreed timelines and deadlines.
Eligible to work in Nigeria

VII. Application Process

Individual or Consulting Firm Submission Requirements: All interested individuals or firms will submit their organization’s profile with the following information:

Technical Proposal (not to exceed 10 pages)

General information (not to exceed 2 pages)
- Organization or highly experienced individuals overview highlighting related assignments completed with client name, contact person and mobile number
- Capacity statement
- Legal registration to work in Nigeria
Technical Approach (not exceeding 8 pages)
- A detailed methodology on how the assignment will be conducted, including implementation strategy, media and visibility plan, project participants selection procedures, quality control strategies, etc.
- List and briefly describe the team and its proposed personnel, indicating what role each proposed individual will have; CVs of team members to be provided in an attachment. Maximum of 3-page CV for the Lead Consultant (who will lead the assignment) highlighting related assignments completed, role in the completed assignment. 2 paragraph short CV for other team members (who will be involved in the assignment) highlighting related assignments completed and roles
- A clear and comprehensive work plan (draft), outlining the major activities, people responsible and time schedule.
- Organizational or individual capacity statement, including past experiences and activities related to the theme of the study. Reference information must include the location, award numbers, and brief description of work performed.
- At least three references of other clients for which similar assignments were undertaken with contact information for each.
Financial Proposal (in Naira)
- Itemized budget
- Narrative explanations of line items
Annexes
- Documents in favor of previous relevant projects
- Organization’s/Firm’s Certificate, PIN and VAT registration
- A summary of previous similar assignments undertaken within the last 3 years.

Interested individuals or firms legally eligible to implement this assignment in the Nigeria are requested to submit a proposal. Please include the name of the person in your organization who will be involved in negotiating the contract as well as your telephone and email contact information. Submissions must be in English and typed single-spaced using Times New Roman font size 12, with a complete set of appendices/attachments as applicable. All pages must be numbered and include the SOW reference number in the cover page, and name of the organization at the bottom of each page.

The successful consulting firm will be required to produce the following documents before entering into Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA) with Heifer:

Certificate of Incorporation or Business Registration Certificate.
A Partnership Deed if you are running a partnership business.
Audited financial statements for the last 3 years.
Valid CR12 Certificate where applicable
KRA online PIN Certificate where applicable
Tax Compliance Certificate.
Physical location including town, building, room number and postal address.
Directors’ / Partners’ personal guarantee.
Trade reference and clientele list including their respective contacts.

The technical and financial proposals should be submitted by 29th January 2024 through [email protected] copying [email protected] Please quote “AYUTE AFRICA CHALLENGE NIGERIA FY24” in the subject line

Heifer retains the right to terminate this RFP or modify the requirements upon notification to the Offerors.

VII. Selection Criteria

Submitted proposals must clearly demonstrate alignment with the scope of work outlined above and with the appropriate level of detail. Heifer’s goal is to ultimately sign on with the Offeror whose proposal best follows the instructions in this RFP, includes the strong evaluation team, and is most cost-effective. Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Proposal evaluation focus

Percentage

Accuracy and relevance of the proposed technical approach and methodology

20%

Completeness of proposal according to the RFP (general information, activity plan, budget, team expertise, etc.)

20%

Proposed team: expertise and competencies to address project components

20%

Relevance and capability/skill to implement/manage the assignment

20%

Budget justification and costs realism

20%

The selection committee will evaluate the technical proposal based upon the criteria listed above and they will evaluate the financial proposal based on cost reasonableness and cost-effectiveness in the budget.

VIII. Validity of Proposals

Proposals submitted shall remain open for acceptance for 14 days from the last date specified for receipt of the proposal. This includes but is not limited to, pricing, terms and conditions, service levels, and all other information. If your organization is selected, all information in this document and the negotiation process are contractually binding.

IX. Award Process and Contract Mechanism

No.

Activity

Due date

Proposal reception

January 29th 2024

Selection Committee review

February 8th 2024

Notification of award

February 15th 2024

Award agreement negotiation

February 21st 2024

Signing award

February 23rd 2024

Heifer will issue a fixed award agreement based on the submission and Heifer’s acceptance of deliverables. Once an award is issued, it will include the payment schedule with the deliverables specified above.

X. Limitations

This Request for Proposal does not represent a commitment to award a contract, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP, or to procure or contract for services or supplies. Heifer reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and reserves the right to accept or reject in its entirety and absolute discretion any proposal received in response to the RFP.

XI. Intellectual Property

a. Ownership Generally.

Any intellectual property (including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, service marks, and patents), intellectual property rights, deliverables, manuals, works, ideas, discoveries, inventions, products, writings, photographs, videos, drawings, lists, data, strategies, materials, processes, procedures, systems, programs, devices, operations, or information developed in whole or in part by or on behalf of Contractor or its employees or agents in connection with the Services and/or Goods (collectively, the “Work Product”) shall be the exclusive property of Heifer International. Upon request, the Contractor shall sign all documents and take any and all actions necessary to confirm or perfect Heifer’s exclusive ownership of the Work Product.

b. Prior-Owned Intellectual Property.

Any intellectual property owned by a Party prior to the Effective Date (“Prior-Owned IP”) shall remain that Party’s sole and exclusive property. Regarding any of Contractor’s Prior-Owned IP included in the Work Product, the Contractor shall retain ownership, and hereby grants Heifer a permanent, nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable right and license to use, copy, reproduce, publicly display, edit, revise, perform, and distribute said intellectual property, in any format or any medium, as part of the Work Product.

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Added 6 months ago - Updated 5 months ago - Source: heifer.org