Request for Application of Agro-Dealer expansion to improve Shoat Value Chain input Access (improved animal feeds and veterinary drugs) and advisory services

Poverty Reduced Sustainably in an Environment of Resilient and Vibrant Economy (PReSERVE)

Title:  Request for Application /RFA/ of Agro-Dealer expansion to improve Shoat Value Chain input Access (improved animal feeds and veterinary drugs) and advisory services.

Location:  Amhara Region, South Gondar Zone of Lay Gayint, Tach Gayint and Simada Woredas.

 

REQUEST FOR APPLICATION (RFA)

RTI-PReSERVE

Activity Title:	Identify Local service providers/Agro dealers
Type of award:	Grant/Award from RTI international
Term of grant:	March 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026
This grant/Award supports:	Identify and/or establish Agro-dealers to improve shoat input access and Advisory services in the 3 LD woredas.
Term of Subgrant:	1 year
Award Range:	30,000 USD/10,000 USD each/
Submit Proposal to:	mseffefe@rti.org
Date of Issue of RFA and Closing date	January 3, 2025, to February 2, 2025
Date Questions from Applicants Due:	January15, 2025
Date Proposal Due:	January 30, 2025
Approximate Date for grant issued to successful Applicant (s):	March 1, 2025
Request for Application Number:	RTI-PReSERVE-G-RFA-2024-004

 

Program Description

RTI International (RTI) is implementing the market systems development component of the 5-year USAID-funded Ethiopia, Poverty Reduced Sustainably in an Environment of Resilient and Vibrant Economy (PReSERVE). PReSERVE is an integrated activity to improve food security of vulnerable households in targeted Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) communities in the Amhara Region and contribute to a sustained reduction in rural poverty. The market systems development component of PReSERVE should bring vital market access and growth to livelihoods deepening woredas HHs of South Gondar Zone (Lay Gayint, Tach Gayint, and Simada) and Wag Himra Zone of Sahila district.

Livestock technology input access and services delivery plays key role in improving animal production and productivity. In the livelihood deepening four woredas / Lay Gayint, Tach Gayint, Simada / in South Gondar Zone and Sahila woreda in wag Himra Zone. Sheep, goat, and fish are major sources of the livelihood for the target communities in livelihood deepening woredas. According to the sheep, goat, and fish value chain study revealed that, shoat production and productivity are low input and low output subsistence business. Because limited access to input supply, training, market linkage, credit access, disease and services delivery are identified among the main constraints.

To address these constraints, the PRSERVE project support and leverage local service providers/ Agro

dealers/ to establish and or expand input supply access, advisory services delivery, and training to target shoat value chain participants in the three LD wordas.

 

Overall Objective:

The overall objective of this RFA is to identify local service provider (LSPs) or Agro-dealers that creates access to input supply, and advisory services, for the target shoat VC participants.

 

Intended Results/Outputs

The local service providers/Agro-dealers/ selected will perform the following expected out puts:

1. Improved awareness on the input utilization practices shoat value chain participants via frequent promotion of agro-dealer’s business activities.

1. Conduct sensitization workshops at kebeles level to selected Farmers Learning Platform groups/FLG/ (120 in Lay Gayint; 57 in Tach Gayint and 44 in Simada).
2. Promote 221 FLGs and their followers on input utilization practices.

2. Improved access to shoat inputs supply (improved animal feed, vet drugs, equipment and forage seed) and advisory services delivery to VC participants.

1. Establish/Renovate agriculture inputs supply shop to enhance access to agricultural input supply for shoat VC.
2. Stoke and access veterinary drugs, animal feeds, husbandry equipment, forage seeds to targeted treatment group households.
3. Create input access for at least 3,319 project targeted households (Lay Gayint=1,796; Tach Gayint =861; Simada=662).
4. 2.4. Provide advisory services on improved input utilization practices for at least 3319 HHs in the three woredas.

3. Enhanced knowledge and skills of shoat value chain participants on improved input utilization practices.

1. Promote an improved shoat technology inputs specific to the areas where the agro-dealers shop established, on input utilization practices for at least 221FLGs (in Lay Gayint 120; in Tach Gayint 57 and Simada 44)
2. Promote knowledge and skills for market-oriented/commercial production of sheep, and goats for at least 221 Farmer Learning Groups/FLGs/Conduct three field days and Six demonstrations on proper input utilization and good husbandry practices per agro-dealer.

4. Prepared promotional materials (brochures, flyers, etc.).

1. Prepare and distribute 300 brochures and 300 flyers per woreda on the agro-dealer’s stocked input types, utilization practices, side effects and benefits to shoat VC commodities that are specific to the area where the agro-dealer works.

5.Implementation Plan

A standard Implementation Plan should show how the anticipated results would be achieved. What activities, processes, or strategies are essential to achieve the results? Why will the planned work lead to the intended results? What is the anticipated timetable for the achievement of the results?

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

A standard Monitoring and Evaluation Plan should contain a set of indicators that would permit continuous measurement of progress toward targeted results. For each result, what is the performance indicator? What is the baseline data? What is the performance target? What is the timetable for achieving results? Foreach performance indicator, what is the definition and what is the unit of measurement? What are the plans for reporting and using the performance information?

The framework and scope for monitoring, evaluation and assessment of stated results should demonstrate how implementation of activities will contribute to achieve intermediate outcomes of inclusive use of goat out grower model for men, women, and youth.

Financial

Each application must contain a detailed line-item budget accompanied by a budget narrative explaining all costs. An acceptable budget will have all costsbroken out by unit costs and clearly. show the number of units used for each line item. The narrative will describe how the grantee arrived ateach unit cost and the number of units for each line item. See the grant application form for instructions on submitting a detailed budget and narrative and their cost sharing plan required to the grant.

Past Performance

All applicants are subject to a past performance reference check. Therefore, they must provide the name, address, and other contact information of atleast three (3) past performance references, as requiredby the grant application form.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI, or Unique Entity ID)

All grantees receive award from RTI are required to have a UEI before receiving a grant award. See the Grant Application Form for instructions on requesting a UEI.

Evaluation and Award process 

RTI International will provide award/grant to responsible applicants whose proposals conform to the RFA and will be most advantageous to RTI International, price and other factors considered