WOMEN FOOD SECURITY LOGISTICS ACTIVITY_RFI-675-22- WFSLA.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Request For Information (RFI) No. RFI-675-22-WFSLA-02

Release Date June 8, 2022

RFI Closing Date & Time June 29 at 8:00 AM (GMT)

Activity Title Women Food Security Logistic Activity (WFSLA)

Posting Websites https://www.grants.gov https://beta.sam.gov https://www.usaid.gov/guinea

Dear Interested Parties:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Guinea, hereby issues a

Request for Information (RFI) to gather feedback to strengthen the design of the activity with the preliminary title: Women Food Security Logistic Activity (WFSLA). The anticipated goal of the activity is to improve the women produce collectors (Dioula Mosso) entrepreneurship skills through training, access to finance, market access, and business development in the Siguiri prefecture and surrounding area.

This RFI is issued solely for information, research, and planning purposes. It does not constitute a

Request for Proposal nor a Request for Application. The RFI does not commit the U.S.

Government to issue a solicitation. Furthermore, USAID/Guinea is not at this time seeking proposals or applications and will not accept unsolicited proposals or applications. When a solicitation is issued, it will be announced on https://www.grants.gov or https://sam.gov in the coming months. It should be noted that responding to this RFI will not give any advantage to any organizations in any subsequent procurement. Proprietary information should not be sent.

Organizations and individuals interested in participating in this RFI can respond in writing or recorded voice or video messages. Written responses to this notice must not exceed three pages.

They should be directed via email to Albert P. Asante, Regional Contracting and Agreement

Officer, at aasante@usaid.gov, with a copy to conakryoaa@usaid.gov by the date and time specified above. The subject line must read "RFI Women Food Security Logistics Activity." Voice or video recordings must be 3 minutes in length at a maximum and should be sent via WhatsApp to the following number: +224 629-00-04-34 by the date and time specified above. Submissions can be in either French, English, or local languages (Malinke, Pular, Kissi, etc.). Please note that video or audio recordings sent after the submission hours or exceeding the maximum length will not be accepted. ONLY use the number to send audio/video recordings, and please DO NOT call the number.

You will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response. Hard copy responses are not required and are discouraged. Please consider the following when preparing your answers and comments:

https://www.grants.gov/ https://beta.sam.gov/ https://www.usaid.gov/guinea https://www.grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/

• Please ensure that your organization is aware of the Women Food Security Logistic

Activity (WFSLA) (Attachment A).

• Responses and comments should be concise and specific to the question in Attachment B.

All organizations are invited to respond to this RFI for market research purposes, whether they currently work with USAID.

USAID/Guinea is not obligated to utilize submitted information or issue a solicitation due to this

RFI. USAID/Guinea is not obligated to procure any of the services described herein, nor should the release of this request be construed as such a commitment on the part of USAID/Guinea.

Sincerely, Albert P. Asante

Regional Contracting and Agreement Officer

USAID/Office of Acquisition and Assistance

Attachment A: Summary of Women Food Security Logistic Activity

I. Background

Like most less developed countries, women's contribution to the food logistics value chain is central to Guinean food security. Women produce collectors known as the "Dioula-mosso" travel long distances to purchase produce from farmers and then transport them to rural and urban marketplaces to sell. Their journey to buy, produce and sell it in marketplaces is hampered by logistical obstacles that hinder their business growth. As a result, Dioula

Mosso's efforts are not optimized to improve socio-economic conditions.

To address Dioula-Mosso's concerns and boost women's economic opportunities, USAID/Guinea anticipates employing a participatory and inclusive approach to design the

Women in Food Security Logistics activity through a series of workshops attended by the market system stakeholders. The activity is intended to improve Dioula Mosso's entrepreneurship skills through training, access to finance, market access, and business development.

II. Purpose of RFI

USAID/Guinea is seeking information on food logistics market system actors to help inform the design of the Women in Food Security Logistics activity. The Mission intends to employ a participatory and inclusive approach to design the Women in Food Security Logistics activity through a series of workshops which will be attended by the market system stakeholders.

The focus of this RFI is to identify, locate, and gather information on women produce collectors (Dioula Mosso) in the Siguiri market and its surrounding areas, as well as other market actors who contribute to food chain dynamics including law enforcement agents, heads of local agriculture and trade administration, quality control and customs agents, producers ‘organizations, transporters, cooperatives, individual farmers, etc. whose actions influence the dynamics of the food chain. The collected information is intended to assist

USAID/Guinea in the preparation of a series of listening workshops with the aim of gaining insights on the opportunities and/or challenges the Dioula Mosso face as market actors and propose suitable interventions to mitigate the obstacles that hamper women producers' economic conditions.

Attachment B: Requested Information

USAID/Guinea seeks written, recorded voice or video message responses in either French, English or local languages to the following information:

● Name and address Organization or of the Individual

● Organization or Individual points of contact (include names, telephone numbers, and email address)

● Brief description of the organization's activity, type (local, region or national), years of operation, and any other information deemed necessary and useful.

● Explain in one paragraph what do you see as the biggest challenges facing the Dioula

Mosso

● Explain in one or two paragraphs, why you are interested in this activity