INTRODUCTION

Solidaridad strives to be an organization that understands the signs of modern times, seeking to be a Society Organization (CSO) with its own place and role in society, while simultaneously interacting with Governments and markets. The organization envisions a world in which all we produce, and all we consume can sustain us while respecting the planet, and the next generations. Solidaridad embraces the public-private and people partnerships (PPPP) in order to test innovations, speeding up change and taking success to scale. Globally, Solidaridad works around coffee and other 12 commodities / sectors (http://www.solidaridadnetwork.org).

TO CERTIFICATION AND BEYOND PROJECT

This is a market access focused project that seeks to promote sustainable coffee, horticulture and tea sectors in Tanzania. Funded by the European Union and implemented by Solidaridad, Tanzania Coffee Research Institute and Tea Research Institute of Tanzania, the project reaches 21,000 farmers in Zanzibar (Horticulture), Mbeya, Njombe (Horticulture and Tea) Ruvuma and Songwe (Coffee). The initiative’s sustainability objectives include poverty reduction, use of natural resources sustainably and protecting ecosystems, opening local and international export markets, lowering potential hurdles to development and averting the costs of sustainability compliance.

The overall objective for this project is to address issues surrounding effective use of certification schemes and use of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) to improve and drive market opportunities for Tanzanian “branded” sustainable tea, coffee and horticulture products.

The project’s goal includes supporting producers to increase and diversify their income through good business management and conduct. The support is provided through AMCOS/farmer groups, which are crucial in aggregating and searching markets for members’ produce.

Despite the important roles played by the AMCOS and farmers groups in boosting their members’ income, the groups are faced by challenges such as limited capacity of their staff to manage co-operative/group business, which lead to failure of various goals, lack of vision and even weak management of funds. The groups further lack innovative ideas in coming up with good strategies to promote commodities production and new business to increase revenue in their AMCOS/groups. Other challenges facing the AMCOS/groups are lack of entrepreneurial skills among co-operative leaders, staff and members and resistance to change among members.

The project is looking to provide the AMCOS/groups and board members leaders with training on business plan and business cases development so that they can be able to run cooperative and factory businesses efficiently.

SCOPE OF WORK
To Certification and Beyond Project seeks the services of a qualified firm/consultant to;

Provide business management and planning and business case development to 40 cooperatives and tea factories (7 members from each cooperative/factory)
Provide business management and planning and business case development to 30 horticultural crops producing groups (approximately 100 members of which 25 participants are based in Zanzibar-Unguja and Pemba)
Support each group/AMCOS to develop business case (documented for implementation)
ACTIVITIES
Facilitate training mentioned in the scope of work above
Facilitate development of sound business cases for each group/AMCOS. AMCOS business cases must be tailored to their current business.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES
At Least 40 AMCOS and 30 horticultural groups trained on business plans and business case development.
At least 70 business cases developed
Report that outline all activities that were carried out and the achievements.
INPUTS

Solidaridad shall provide the consultant with background information on the project.
Solidaridad shall introduce the consultant to the relevant project team for preparatory planning. It will be the responsibility of the consultant to make contact with any external relevant organization while keeping Solidaridad in correspondence.
Solidaridad shall identify and propose training participants
The consultant shall refer and adhere to all relevant statutory regulations.
QUALIFICATIONS
The applicant must be a have a good background in business development training and facilitation. Applicant must be registered with Tanzania Revenue Authority and able to provide EFD receipts.

SUPERVISION

The consultant will directly report to Solidaridad East and Central Africa and the Tanzania Country Manager, while working closely with the Project Manager.

PROPOSAL PROFILE
Detailed Technical Proposal
Detailed comprehensive Financial Proposal (budget) costs.
Updated CVs for the consultants and /or the profile of the consulting firm
Company Registration and TIN certificates