MSLA RFI.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

RFI Number: RFI-696-25-000001 Issuance Date: November 27, 2024 Due Date and Time: December 19, 2024 (15:00 EST)

SUBJECT: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Rwanda Market Systems for Livestock Activity (MSLA)

Dear Interested Parties, The United States Agency for International Development’s Mission in Rwanda (USAID/Rwanda) posts this Request for Information (RFI) to collect information to strengthen the anticipated Market Systems for Livestock Activity (MSLA) design.

This RFI is issued solely for information-gathering and planning purposes. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and is not to be construed as a commitment by the United States Government (USG) to issue any solicitation or Notice of Funding Opportunity, award a contract or assistance agreement based on this RFI, or pay for any information voluntarily submitted as a result of this request. Responses to this RFI must not be portrayed as proposals and will not be accepted by the USG to form a binding agreement. It should be noted that responding to or providing comment on this RFI will not give any advantage to any organization in any subsequent procurement(s) if such procurement(s) is released. USAID will not provide answers to anything submitted in response to this request. USAID posts its competitive business opportunities on www.beta.sam.gov or www.grants.gov. It is the potential offeror’s/applicant’s responsibility to monitor these sites for announcements of new opportunities. Responses to this RFI may be used by USAID without restriction or limitation.

Responses to this RFI must be addressed, and submitted by email, to the Acquisition and Assistance Specialist, Mr. Eriazel Bagabo at ebagabo@usaid.gov. Please include RFI-696-25-000001 in the subject line. Responders will not receive individualized feedback. All inquiries concerning this RFI must be directed only to the email addresses identified above. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted nor will phone inquiries be entertained.

Thank you for your interest in pursuing business opportunities with USAID Rwanda, and we look forward to your comments.

Best regards, Benjamin Lawrence, Contracting Officer Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) USAID Rwanda and USAID Burundi http://www.beta.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:ebagabo@usaid.gov

Attachment 1: How to Submit a Response

Interested parties wishing to participate should submit their responses to the questions listed in Attachment 3 electronically to Mr. Eriazel Bagabo, at ebagabo@usaid.gov. Responses to this RFI will be accepted within the due date stated above. You will receive only an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response but will not receive individualized feedback or suggestions.

Responses may contribute to upcoming activity design(s). However, this RFI will not be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government (USG) to issue any solicitation, award any grant, or pay for any information submitted as a result of this request.

No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI or from the USG’s use of such information. USAID/Rwanda will not respond to any telephonic or other inquiries regarding this notice.

The submitted response should include:

1. Subject: [RFI Number]- [Organization name] Response Include in the email:

● Name of Contact with email address

● Affiliation/ Organization

● Address and phone number

2. Responses to questions presented in Attachment 3 mailto:ebagabo@usaid.gov

Attachment 2 - Background and Technical Context

While Rwanda is committed to tackling stunting and malnutrition and has made progress in reducing stunting rates, there is still progress that needs to be made. The current national average rate of stunting is high at 33%, particularly in the western parts of the country. According to CFSVA of 2021, food insecurity and malnutrition are mainly caused by limited consumption of nutritionally-diverse foods. Only 19.5% of children (ages 6 to 23 months) and 32% of women of reproductive age (ages 15- 49 years old) meet the minimum dietary diversity.

USAID/Rwanda is willing to partner with the Government of Rwanda (GOR), other donors, the private sector, and civil society to improve health outcomes and inclusive and sustainable private sector-driven growth. The Government of Rwanda (GoR) seeks to improve livelihoods and food security, as well as nutritional outcomes through increased productivity which requires a new approach to address numerous problems with improved land/animal-husbandry and adaptation to climate change, inputs, and services among others. The recent Rwanda National Strategy for Transformation-2 (NST-2) and the Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation-5 (PSTA-5) both prioritize reducing malnutrition and stunting to less than 15% by 2029. PSTA-5 commits to strengthening food security where 89% of Rwandans will be food self-sufficient with improved household dietary diversity scores1 from 5.5 to 8.0.

The anticipated Market Systems for Livestock Activity (MSLA) will support and contribute to the achievement of these targets by developing a profitable market of Animal Source Food (ASF) to increase small scale farmers’ income and improve nutritional outcomes by increasing access to, availability of, and consumption of ASF. The MSLA will use a market system development (MSD) approach to increase sales of livestock, household income, livestock-related goods and services, and consumption of ASF over the life of the Activity in the target districts of Rwanda from the Feed the Future (FtF) Zone Of Influence (ZOI). The Feed the Future ZOI districts include Burera, Gakenke, Nyabihu, Rubavu, Ngororero, Karongi and Rutsiro in the northwest of the country, Nyamasheke and Nyamagabe in the southwest, and Gatsibo, Kayonza, Ngoma, and Bugasera in the east.

The MSLA has four intermediate results (IRs), each with associated sub-intermediate results. At the macro level, the activity expects to increase household income and the reduction of stunting in children under the age of two years.

Intermediate Results (IR) IR 1: Environmentally sustainable private sector-led ASF production and market improved. Under IR 1, MSLA will collaborate with different actors to create sustainable, private sector-led livestock production by enhancing the provision and distribution of inputs, advisory services, technologies, and quality breeds to boost livestock productivity. The Activity will also collaborate with various actors, especially anchor firms such as big companies that are well positioned in the value chains and have interaction with regional and international markets, to create and improve access to markets for small scale producers. This will increase farmers’ income and the availability and affordability of ASF.

1 Household dietary diversity Score (HDDS) is a qualitative measure of food consumption that reflects household access to a variety of foods based on the previous 24 hours.

Sub-Intermediate Results 1.1: Improved access and use of quality breeds, inputs, and climate-smart technologies 1.2: Improved technical and institutional capacity, and increased reach of private extension services 1.3: Improved coordination and network among market actors

IR 2: Increased awareness and acceptance by Rwandans for consumption of animal source foods.

Significant progress has happened in animal sourced food consumption due to social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions. However, cultural beliefs and conservative mindsets remain as barriers to large-scale adoption. The MSLA will adopt a gender-sensitive approach to involve both women and men in ASF supplies and income generation, to stimulate and improve household dietary diversity.

Sub-Intermediate Results 2.1: Provide nutritional education to increase prevalence of ASF in the diet.

2.2: Initiate and/or scale up innovative business models to raise ASF consumption.

2.3: Strengthen Social Behavior Communication Change (SBCC).

IR 3: Sustainably increased access to finance for livestock producers and other market actors. The lack of familiarity with livestock value chains by many financial providers, coupled with the limited application of financial instruments in Rwanda, has limited access to finance in Rwanda’s livestock sector. To maximize business operations and profits, there is a need for business development service and financial literacy. MSLA will enhance financial literacy skills, so that producers and market actors understand how to access and manage finance to increase production, as well as prepare bankable projects.

Sub-Intermediate Results 3.1: Design and increase access of customized financial products to livestock producers and other market actors.

3.2: Facilitate the establishment of a comprehensive, systemic approach for effective and scaled delivery of financial literacy and business development services to livestock producers.

IR 4: Improved policy and enabling environment for livestock production. MSLA will collaborate with the private sector, particularly apex organizations such as Rwanda Poultry Farmers Association, Rwanda Pig Farmers Association and farmers’ associations, to identify issues affecting production, sales, and consumption of ASF. MSLA will also have them lead the process and engage with the GoR through dialogues to promote policies, to strengthen the production and consumption of ASF. The Activity will keep exploring possible innovations for existing and/or new models, to create a conducive environment and increase availability of, accessibility to, and use of ASF.

Sub-Intermediate Results 4.1: Support the development of conducive policies, regulations and/or Standard Operating Procedures to improve private sector engagement in livestock development.

4.2: Capacity building of government staff (central and local level) and market actors to ensure hygiene and safety in ASF.

Attachment 3: Requested Information/Questions

USAID/Rwanda is interested in gathering feedback on the following questions, responses are encouraged to include answers to as many questions as possible:

Level of Industry Interest

1. How interested is your organization in this Market system for livestock work using the below scale:

o 1 = Zero Interest o 2 = Limited Interest (20% probability we will apply) o 3 = Moderate Interest (50% probability we will apply) o 4 = High Interest (75% probability we will apply) o 5 = No Doubt (100% probability we will apply)

2. What is the type of business/organization you represent:

o 1 = US Small Business o 2 = US Medium or Large Business o 3 = US NGO/nonprofit organization o 4 = Local* Rwandan Organization o 5 = Local* Rwandan Business o 6 = Other

* “Local entity” means an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that: 1) is legally organized under the laws of Rwanda; 2) has as its principal place of business or operations in Rwanda, and 3) is (A) majority-owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Rwanda; and (B) managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Rwanda – including, but not limited to, private for-profit, private not-for-profit, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations.

Programming

3. Which type of mechanism (i.e., contract or cooperative agreement) would best address this activity?

4. Are the Intermediate Results clear and appropriate for the objective as articulated? Are the

IRs achievable within a five-year time-frame and is the context realistic?

5. Do you think the IRs complement each other based on the scope and the context? Do you think any other intervention should be added to maximize the impact?

6. What can USAID do to ensure sustainability and scalability of the intervention and successful models?

7. Where in the ASF value chains and food system do you see the greatest potential to create jobs and employment for youth?

IR1 Environmentally sustainable private sector-led ASF production and market improved USAID intends to promote the production of animal-sourced foods (ASF) by improving access to and use of quality breeds, inputs, climate-smart technologies, technical and institutional capacity.

Additionally, the initiative aims at expanding the reach of private extension services and coordination among market actors.

8. What additional challenges or opportunities should be considered for improving ASF production and strengthening market linkages, particularly in underserved or resource-constrained areas?Where does USAID bring a unique comparative advantage in supporting the Government of Rwanda (GoR) in the implementation of its Livestock Development Strategy?

IR2 Increased awareness and acceptance by Rwandans for consumption of animal source foods Under IR 2, USAID seeks to improve the consumption of ASF and change people’s mindset and traditional conception about the consumption of ASF in the FTF Zone of Influence (ZOI).

9. Do you identify any overlooked barriers to ASF consumption that contribute to high stunting rates in the ZOI districts?

10. Are there other districts that should be considered for ASF interventions and why?

IR 3 Sustainably increase access to finance for livestock producers and other market actors USAID aims to increase Financial Institutions’ (FIs) lending capacities and investment in livestock production.

11. What are the potential opportunities that have not been explored so far to improve the livestock financial landscape?

12. Which category of stakeholders was so far neglected or needs more focus to be a game changer in the livestock sector?

IR 4: Improved policy and enabling environment for livestock production.

13. Do you identify any policy and/or regulation gaps that hinder the creation of a conducive environment for ASF production and consumption?

14. Are there any other gaps or issues affecting the enabling environment for livestock production?

No other documents or information are requested currently. USAID/Rwanda asks respondents to not send any additional information other than what is requested above.

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