RFI-613-23-000001 - Private Sector Collaboration Pathways.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

RFI Number: RFI-613-23-000001

Subject: Input into USAID/Zimbabwe’s Private Sector Collaboration Pathway

Activities

Issuance Date: July 28, 2023

Response Date: August 28, 2023; 5:00PM Harare, Zimbabwe, Local Time

This USAID/Zimbabwe Request for Information (RFI) is issued for the purpose of providing industry and stakeholders an opportunity to comment on and suggest areas related to a potential new activity in support of identifying private sector collaboration pathways in Zimbabwe. As appropriate, USAID/Zimbabwe will incorporate responses to this RFI into the development of future activity designs that may lead to a formal solicitation or announcement;

however, USAID/Zimbabwe is not obligated to do so. This RFI is published in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 and FAR 15.201(e). This information will be used to help make planning decisions and influence activity design to improve future development outcomes.

Background

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) acknowledges that the private sector is an engine for growth, creating nine out of ten jobs in the developing world. As a result, the Agency intends to identify a shared vision of what can be achieved together with private sector partners to build a partnership that taps into our respective strengths, including addressing many of the obstacles that businesses face – from supply chain stability to community investment and workforce development.

Therefore, USAID is implementing a private sector collaboration pathway that will use business models and market forces to address development and humanitarian challenges more sustainably and/or at scale that will enable low-income people, including smallholder farmers in the agroecological region IV and V, and vulnerable communities around protected areas within the USAID/Zimbabwe’s Resilience Focus Zone (see attached concept notes), to have access to improved quality products and services that they can afford. If this market-based solution becomes commercially viable, the private sector will have a financial incentive to continue to operate it at scale without further U.S. government support. The end goal will be that this partnership will empower the private sector partners to attain their core business interests while USAID achieves its development objectives.

USAID/Zimbabwe Mission’s Engagement with Financial Institutions and Private Sector Actors

USAID/Zimbabwe Mission has engaged with seven financial institutions and 15 private sector partners to develop broad parameters for potential new activities focused on Access to Finance and Agriculture Private Sector (see attachment 1 and 2 respectively).

The Access to Finance intervention intends to facilitate a more conducive and inclusive investment environment by incentivizing financial institutions, investors, and private sector partners to increase access to finance for producers, small & medium enterprises, in the agroecological region IV and V, and vulnerable communities around protected areas within the USAID/Zimbabwe’s Resilience Focus Zone to adopt climate smart technologies and practices, and improved conservation practices.

The Agriculture Private Sector intervention aims to strengthen the ability of the private sector partners to deploy and demonstrate climate smart agricultural technologies and practices in rural areas, as well as acquire the knowledge, skills and experience to train smallholder farmers so that they, the smallholder farmers, know more about, and adopt these technologies and practices to improve the production and productivity of their farms.

Invitation to Implementing Partners to engage with Financial Institutions and Private Sector partners

Based on the attached Private Sector Collaboration Pathway Annual Program Statement (APS) No. 7200AA23APS00007, USAID/Zimbabwe Mission would like to invite interested implementing partners to engage with seven financial institutions and 15 private sector partners, which the Mission has engaged and explored collaboration possibilities with, to develop the details of the partnerships as outlined in any or both Interventions. The contact information of these partners will be made available to interested implementing partners who indicate their interest by August 28, 2023.

Note that the Access to Finance intervention will cover the agriculture and environment sectors while the Agriculture Private Sector intervention will cover the agriculture sector only. In addition to the private sector partners already identified for the Agriculture Private Sector intervention, implementing partners should explore engagements with other private sector partners across the agricultural value chains, particularly in agricultural inputs, postharvest handling, processing, marketing and warehousing to ensure demand driven implementation.

Therefore, targeted value chain commodities should be demand driven. However, note that USAID interventions do not include tobacco and sugar cane value chains.

The engagement period between interested implementing partners, the seven financial institutions and the 15 private sector partners will be from the date of release of this Expression of Interest until October 15, 2023. A meeting is tentatively scheduled for the week of October 30 - Friday, November 3, 2023, to discuss progress made during the engagement period and the possibility of a request for concept notes as outlined in the APS.

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-05/Private%20Sector%20Collaboration%20Pathway%20%28PSCP%29%20Annual%20Program%20Statement%20%28APS%29.pdf

Please note that:

• None of USAID/Zimbabwe Mission’s communication during this engagement period should be interpreted as a commitment to make an award.

• The Mission’s invitation to implementing partners to engage with the financial institutions and private sector partners does not commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred for this purpose or any other materials prior to issuance of an award.

• If the Mission requests for concept notes, this does not commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a concept or any other materials prior to issuance of an award.

• Concept notes cannot be submitted unless the Mission requests for them.

This is an RFI, not a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government to issue any solicitation or ultimately award an agreement on the basis of this RFI, nor to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request, nor does it commit the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of any comments.

Any funding proposals submitted in response to this request will not be acknowledged or considered. Responses to this notice must be received no later than the due date and time stated above. All information provided will become the property of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will not be returned, and will not be released publicly.

USAID reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for USAID’s own purposes. Proprietary information must not be sent.

The anticipated duration of the Activity is 2024 - 2029 (five years) with a maximum total estimated funding level of USD20.0 million. This estimated funding level includes anticipated co-investments by interested local, regional and international stakeholders. The technical requirements, level of funding and other requirements may change significantly before the actual solicitation or notice of funding opportunity is released.

Submission Instructions.

Interested parties (local, regional and international) are invited to submit a response to this RFI no later than August 28, 2023; 17:00 Harare, Zimbabwe, Local Time. All responses under this RFI must be submitted to Solomon Chang and Relax Moyo at harareprocure@usaid.gov.

The issuance of this request will not restrict the U.S. Government’s ultimate approach, if any.

Respondents are advised that USAID is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information, answer questions or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. Any information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary. Not responding to this request does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if any is issued.

mailto:harareprocure@usaid.gov

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Debra Nengomasha Administrative Contracting and Agreement Officer

Enclosed:

Attachment 1 - FTF Zimbabwe Access to Finance Concept Note Attachment 2 - FTF Zimbabwe Agriculture Private Sector Concept Note.