Call for EOI: Design and improve capacity for Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) Technique for rice production in the Mekong Delta (Extended deadline)

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)

DESIGN AND IMPROVE CAPACITY FOR ALTERNATE WETTING AND BRYING (AWD) TECHNIQUE

FOR RICE PRODUCTION IN THE MEKONG DELTA

Background

SNV Netherlands Development Organization

SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Building on 60 years of experience and grounded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we work on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance. Together with our team of over 1,600 people, our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

The Project

Building on the 27-year-experience of implementing projects on sustainable agriculture development and market-based agrifood value chain development in Vietnam, and recently, the success of the "AgResults Vietnam Emissions Reduction Challenge Project” (AVERP) in Thai Binh province from 2016 – 2021 with Pay-for-Results mechanism. Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), SNV Netherlands Development Organization continues working with government partners at central and provincial levels to design and implement the project “Transforming Rice Value Chains for Climate Resilient and Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta (TRVC)” (“TRVC Project” or “Project”). The TRVC project is expected to be implemented in three (03) key rice-growing provinces in the Mekong Delta, including An Giang, Dong Thap, and Kien Giang, from 2023 to 2027. SNV, as the TRVC Project Manager (Project Manager), holds ultimate responsibility for the implementation and management of the Project's activities and resources. SNV, coordinating with the Department of Crop Production (DCP) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Provincial People’s Committee, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) of 3 provinces An Giang, Dong Thap and Kien Giang, will co-deploy and supervise the Project activities. The international verifier recruited by SNV (Verifier), along with the advisory council including international and Vietnamese scientists and policymakers (Advisory Council), will jointly monitor and supervise the verification process and results to ensure accuracy and transparency.

The TRVC Project is designed and implemented with the view to supporting the transition of green growth-oriented, multi-value integrated rice production and trading that meets the urgent needs for sustainable development in the context of climate change in the Mekong Delta; and at the same time carries out the national target on reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG). Using the Pay-for-Results (PfRs) mechanism, the TRVC Project will incentivize and attract the participation of private enterprises in the Rice Value Chain, aiming to scale up innovative technologies to achieve higher economic outcomes for smallholder farmers (SHFs) and all Rice Value Chain actors, improve rice quality and inclusive social values while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigating environmental footprints as co-benefits. Thereby, the TRVC Project will support the implementation of the Australian Government's development priorities and commitments on climate finance in the region and a shared commitment with Vietnam on climate action. the Project will play a catalytic role in creating the transformation of rice production and trading towards sustainability and bringing inclusive values ??in the most rice-intensive production provinces in the Mekong Delta; actively contributing to the goals of sustainable development, GHG emission reduction, and climate adaptation of Vietnamese Government in Mekong Delta on the basis of Decree 06/2022/ND-CP dated 11/07/2022 regulating the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) and the protection of ozone layer, Resolution 120/NG-CP dated November 17, 2017, on Sustainable and Climate Resilient Development of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam; Decision 555/QD-BNN-TT dated 26/01/2021 approving the "Scheme for restructuring of Vietnam's rice industry by 2025 and 2030" and Vietnam's priority policies for sustainable development.

The TRVC Project calls for Expressions of Interest from Interested organisations/ consultant teams/ individuals (priority is given to the Consultant Teams with diverse expertise in agronomy, irrigation management, and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions measurement and mitigation strategies) to perform the following two tasks:

1. Develop training content and conduct training sessions for the enterprises so that they understand the principles of effective alternate wetting and drying water management for various rice varieties for 2 crop seasons: Winter-Spring and Summer-Autumn Crops in the Mekong Delta. Use emission measurement data from implemented programs/ projects to illustrate the correlation between flooded rice fields and actual methane emissions. In the training content, it is necessary to provide basic knowledge about crop management, efficient use of inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides) and practical postharvest residue management, leading to circular economic efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
2. Support about 20 enterprises to adopt sustainable rice production practices in specific farming areas through two methods: i) Develop a standard water management form (i.e. Excel) and provide hands-on training for the enterprises in using this form, and applying it in their different rice varieties/ rice growth durations; ii) Provide answers and questions from enterprises within 60 days of the training date through a Technical Support group managed by SNV.

Interested organisations/ consultant teams/ individuals should submit the EOIs with following information/ documents via the link https://smrtr.io/gS2DH

1. Letter of Interest
2. The applicant’s professional qualifications and CVs:

• Staff/lecturers/training specialists have at least 5 years of direct experience implementing training programs on sustainable rice production such as 1 Must – 5 Reductions or SRP for Enterprises, Cooperatives and Product Farmers rice crop in the Mekong Delta
• Documents proving the capacity of individuals and consultant teams in terms of practical experience undertaking and designing training content, materials, and formulated excel water management forms which are suitable for each ecological region (alluvial soil, catalyzed soil, alum soil) and each rice variety with a growing period of 85-110 days.

3. Self-Declaration form via https://smrtr.io/gS2DH
4. Business registration certificate of the company (if any);

Deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest: by 17.00h on Friday, December 16, 2023.

Selection Process

SNV will review all Expressions of Interest received in accordance with the guidelines and criteria in this solicitation. SNV reserves the right to exclude any EOIs that do not meet the guidelines. Please note that SNV is unable to provide detailed feedback to those EOIs that are not selected.

Step 1: SNV will shortlist selected EOIs, and unsuccessful respondents will be notified. Successful applicants will be contacted by SNV.

Step 2: SNV will release Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the specific activities and contract with the selected organizations/ consultants.

Protection of Information

We request that Expressions of Interest responses be free of any intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Should offerors wish to include proprietary intellectual property that they believe would be helpful for SNV, please note the proprietary nature of such information. Costing information will be kept confidential and will not be shared beyond SNV.

Issuance of this EOI does not constitute a commitment, award, or engagement on the part of SNV nor does it commit SNV to any future commitment or engagement.

Note: SNV reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement in the EOI/or solicitation process at any time.