REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

SMALLHOLDER SUPPORT FOR TROPICAL ALMOND AGROFORESTRY PROJECT

NATIONAL COMPETITIVE TENDER - CONSULTANCY FIRMS REQUIRED

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a provider of international cooperation services for sustainable development and international education work, dedicated to building a future worth living around the world. As part of the Ghana-German cooperation, GIZ has been involved in supporting a wide range of sectors for over 30 years. As agreed between the Governments of Germany and Ghana, GIZ is boosting Ghana's potential by focusing its projects on three priority areas: Responsibility for our planet - climate and energy, Training and sustainable growth for decent jobs, as well as Peaceful and inclusive societies. In addition, nearly all the projects in Ghana involve the private sector.

GIZ has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to implement the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation, which operates under the brand Invest for Jobs. The objective is to promote job creation and the growth of enterprises in Ghana. Invest for Jobs Works in three areas of intervention: 'Business & Invest; Cluster approach' and 'Ghanaian SME (Mittelstand). Under the 'Business & Invest', it promotes sustainable investments from German and European companies and investors; the 'Cluster approach' aims to increase the economic attractiveness of business locations and industries; intervenes to support industrial parks, improves export opportunities and addresses various obstacles to investment. The 'Ghanaian SME (Mittelstand)' promotes the SME sector by improving the business environment and enhancing Competitiveness, by promoting advisory and (innovative) financial services for SME and boosting cooperation between German and African companies.

Under its first component, Business and Invest, GIZ is collaborating with Sono Industrial Ghana to implement the Sustainable Almond project.

Sustainable Tropical Almond Cultivation and Processing

The kernels of the tropical almond can be processed into useful food products to enhance food and nutrition security, especially in developing countries. The products can also be traded to generate income. Integration of tropical almonds into production systems, especially in rural areas, could help improve the livelihoods of farmers, women and children. Despite the importance of tropical almonds in relation to nutrition, good health, income and job creation and enhancement of general livelihood, especially of the rural poor, the crop is neglected or regarded as an orphan crop or minor crop in Ghana. No plantations exist, with the majority of trees spatially distributed in the backyards of households. No improved variety is commercially available. The project established 23 elite varieties in the field, which it provides to tropical almond growers under its Tropical Almond Agroforestry Program.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

GIZ Ghana seeks to engage a well-established company with the requisite skills and capacity to undertake this assignment that includes training of about 1000 almond outgrowers in the Volta and Western Region, in relation to GAP, Water utilisation and optimisation, tropical almond planting, nutrient utilisation, pruning and canopy management, irrigation, amongst others.

Area of Assignment: Volta and Western Region

Duration: