Request for Proposals

Hiring of competent agency for developing Knowledge Management System for GEF UNEP ILM INDIA PROJECT led by Rainforest Alliance in Andhra Pradesh

Summary Information

• Department: GEF Project India
• Location(s): Andhra Pradesh, India
• Commitment: 180 Days
• Desired start date and duration: June 2024 to November 2024
• Under direction of: Senior Project Manager

This RFP pertains to the RA-led GEF UNEP ILM India project “Transforming agricultural systems and strengthening local economies in high biodiversity areas of India through sustainable landscape management and public-private finance” It requires a competent agency to provide ICT consulting and Project management services for procurement and/or implementation of Knowledge Management System (KMS)

Consultancy Summary

      About the Rainforest Alliance

Rainforest Alliance, a New York-based 501(c)3, and UTZ, an Amsterdam-based foundation, merged in 2018. Together, the new Rainforest Alliance is now a $70 million per year organization with offices in 17 countries (and growing) and over 5000 staff. The merged organization has two main offices—one in Amsterdam and one in New York City.

The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.

We work towards making responsible business the new normal through our certification program, tailored supply chain services, landscape and community work and advocacy.

About the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha

Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), a partner executing organization to this project, established in 2014 under Section 8 of the Companies Act, is a not-for-profit organization that steers farmers away from chemical farming and toward adopting natural farming practices. RySS is implementing APCNF across the state. APCNF is farmer-centric, follows farmer-to- farmer extension system, and is driven by their innovations. RySS’s vision is to saturate AP through APCNF by 2030-31. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has adopted Natural Farming as it is environment friendly and enhances climate change resilience, soil organic matter, soil fertility, water holding capacity of soils, and enhances biodiversity (above ground and below ground).

This consultancy is focused on the project´s aim to promote the adoption of APCNF in AP, where the project aims to technically support 7,00,000 farmers, so that, at the end of the project, they apply at least 50% of the APCNF´s practices Core Requirements, and at least 80% of those that do so find practice adoption profitable (i.e., have a positive benefit-cost).

Overview

Acronyms

AP: Andhra Pradesh

APCNF: Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming

GEF: Global Environment Facility

RySS: Rythu Sadhikara Samstha

ILM: Integrated Landscape Management

IGGAARL: Indo German Global Academy for Agroecology, Research and Learning

KA: Karnataka

RA: Rainforest Alliance

RA SAS: Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard

SLM: Sustainable Land Management

TOR: Terms of Reference

UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme

Project Overview

The project seeks to address two critical challenges that have a negative impact on India’s environmental health and the well-being of its people: land degradation and the loss of biodiversity. Land degradation, defined as the deterioration or loss of the productive capacity of the soil, leads to food insecurity, higher food prices, climate change, environmental hazards, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. It is estimated that 27.77% of India’s total geographical area has been degraded as of 2015-16. Biological diversity underpins the ecosystem goods and services that sustain human societies and generates considerable socio-economic value through the provision of goods such as food, water, and services such as climate regulation, pollination, disaster protection, and nutrient cycling. The Government of India is a signatory to all the major biodiversity and land degradation treaties and conventions. It is committed to restoring twenty-six million hectares of degraded land by 2030, including through sustainable agriculture. The project aims at enabling sustainable agricultural production systems, participatory land use management, and responsible supply chains to reverse the process of land degradation and conserve biodiversity. In addition to building the skills and knowledge of small farmers, it will harness policy development, market demand, and public-private investment to make sustainable land management (SLM) economically viable. At the farm level, there are two main SLM practices endorsed under this project: The first is based on the RA-SAS in Karnataka (KA). The second is based on the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF).

Proposal Process and Format

The letter of interest, technical, and financial proposal should be sent by email to Aniruddha Brahmachari at abrahmachari@ra.org copy to Samik Ghosh at sghosh.consultant@ra.org, Praveen Sriramsetty praveen@ryss.ap.gov.in and Kishore Kumar Illa at killa@ra.org, with the subject line “Knowledge Management System for GEF UNEP ILM INDIA PROJECT in Andhra Pradesh (AP) ”, by 10th May  2024 (IST).

* In addition to submission over email, please upload the application with the details mentioned above by following the application link.  

Any questions and clarifications related to the assessment should be sent to the email mentioned above. 

For detailed information, and apply info please check the complete version of the RFP in the link below