The Commission of Economic Communitity Of West African States (“ECOWAS”) has received a financing from European Union (“EU”) and Agence Française de Développement (“AFD”), and intends to use part of the funds thereof for payments under the Agroecology Program in West Africa.

The Services of the consultant shall consist of carrying out a an Identification and diagnosis study of extension structures for technological innovations, agricultural advisory support platforms and partnerships between professional farmers organizations, research centers and training centers in the 15 ECOWAS member states.

The ECOWAS hereby invites Applicants to show their interest in delivering the Services described above..

This Request for Expressions of Interest is open to: Consulting firms.

Eligibility criteria to AFD financing are specified in sub-clause 1.3 of the "Procurement Guidelines for AFD Financed Contracts in Foreign Countries", available online on AFD’s website: http://www.afd.fr.

The Applicant shall submit only one application, either in its own name or as a member of a Joint Venture (JV). If an Applicant (including any JV member) submits or participates in more than one application, those applications shall be all rejected. However, the same Subconsultant may participate in several applications.

If the Applicant is a JV, the expression of interest shall include:

• A copy of the JV Agreement entered into by all members.
• A letter of intent to execute a JV Agreement, signed by all members together with a copy of the Agreement proposal.

In the absence of this document, the other members will be considered as Subconsultants.

Experiences and qualifications of Subconsultants are not taken into account in the evaluation of the applications.

Interested Applicants must provide information evidencing that they are qualified and experienced to perform those Services. For that purpose, documented evidence of recent and similar services shall be submitted.

The Client will also examine the relevance of the Expressions of Interest regarding to the following criteria :

• The contracts size : at least 3 studies for an amount at least equal to EUR 100,000 carried out over the past 5 years;
• The nature of the Services : studies on professional farmers organizations (FOs) in West Africa and / or extension structures and / or agricultural advisory support: diagnostic studies, identification studies, etc.;
• The technical area and expertise : agroecology, sustainable land management, popularization and dissemination of agricultural techniques; establishment, management or strengthening of partnerships, particularly between FOs and research systems, organizational support for FOs;
• The location : proven and recent experiences (in the last 10 years) in several ECOWAS member states.

Due to the security risk in the areas where the Services are to be performed, the evaluation of Expressions of Interest will verify that the applications meet the following criteria:

• The Applicant has at least one experience providing services in an area with a similar security risk, for which it shall provide proof of implementation of security measures (invoice or contract with a security service provider, proof of security awareness training before departure on-site, etc.).
• The Applicant has set up internal security management procedures: it shall provide a description of its monitoring system and crisis management system.
• For services provided abroad, the Applicant has entered into an assistance and repatriation contract for its employees: it shall provide the certificate evidencing such contract.
• The Applicant shall describe its standard preparation process for departure on assignment in sensitive areas, and shall attach documents proving its implementation (service orders with related instructions, certificates of awareness-raising or training actions, etc.).

For a JV, its leader and any member that has its registered office outside the Client's country shall fulfil each of these criteria.

An application that does not meet any of these requirements will be rejected.

Among the submitted applications, ECOWAS will shortlist a maximum of six (6) Applicants, to whom the Request for Proposals to carry out the Services shall be sent.

Interested Applicants may obtain further information at the same address mentioned above.

kindly find attached the Request for Expressions of Interest  with the Statement of Integrity, Eligibility and Environmental and Social Responsibility (To be sumitted with the application, signed and unaltered)

How to Apply

Interested Applicants may obtain further information at the same address mentioned above.

Interested Applicants may obtain further information at the same address mentioned above.