Bangladesh: Mid-Term Evaluation for Sustainable Agriculture and Production Linked to Improved Nutrition Status, Resilience, and Gender Equity (SAPLING) project

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) No. 8074

RFP Title: Mid-Term Evaluation for Sustainable Agriculture and Production Linked to Improved Nutrition Status, Resilience, and Gender Equity (SAPLING) project

Issue Date: 21 September 2017

RFP questions to be submitted by: 3 October 2017 17:00 Bangladesh Time

Proposal submission deadline: 14 October 2017 by 17:00 Bangladesh Time

Anticipated decision on awarding the contract: 24 October 2017

The dates above may be modified at the sole discretion of HKI. Any changes will be published in an amendment to this RFP.

Contracting Entity: Helen Keller International (HKI)

Place of Performance: Dhaka and the upazilas of Thanchi, Ruma, Lama, Rowangchari, and Bandarban Sadar, within the Bandarban District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Contents of this document

Annex A: Scope of Work (SOW)

Annex B: USAID Contract Provisions

Annex C: Format of CV to be used for Personnel (one document per person)

Annex D: Cost proposal template (separate Excel spreadsheets)

Annex E: Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Offerors are encouraged to read this RFP in its entirety (including any and all attachments), paying specific attention to the instructions and requirements included herein. Issuance of this solicitation does not, in any way, obligate Helen Keller International to award a contract, nor does it commit Helen Keller International to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. All recipients of this RFP shall treat all information and details included herein as private and confidential.

SECTION 1: Introduction, Eligibility of Offerors, and Definitions

Introduction

Helen Keller International (HKI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and improving the sight and lives of the world's vulnerable by combatting the causes and consequences of blindness, poor health and malnutrition. In September 2015, HKI was awarded a cooperative agreement from USAID Food for Peace to lead the Sustainable Agriculture and Production Linked to Improved Nutrition Status, Resilience, and Gender Equity (SAPLING) project with the goal of reducing food insecurity and malnutrition in all unions of the upazilas of Thanchi, Ruma, Lama, Rowangchari, and Bandarban Sadar, within the Bandarban District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). HKI invites all eligible Offerors to submit proposals for providing consultancy services to perform a mid-term evaluation in the Chittagong Hills Tracts in Bangladesh as described in this RFP.

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for a five-year period, 30th September 2015 to 29th September 2020. The total project value is USD $28,777,000. The project anticipates assisting approximately 55,925 households (HHs) across three project “Purposes” in all unions within the five upazilas.

The three high-level purposes of the SAPLING project are as follows:

i.*Purpose 1: Increased income and access to nutritious foods attained equitably by both women and men;*

ii.*Purpose 2: Improved nutritional status of children under five years of age, pregnant and lactating women and adolescent girls; and*

iii.*Purpose 3: Sustained gender equitable ability of people, households, communities, and systems to mitigate, adapt to and recover from human-induced, and natural shocks and stresses*

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select a vendor who will conduct a mid-term evaluation of the SAPLING project that will provide best value to HKI, when both technical and cost factors are combined. The overall purpose of the Mid-Term Evaluation is to conduct an in-process review focused on implementation methods, inventions management and operational modalities. The MTE will evaluate how closely program activity is in alignment with the implementation plan. It is also designed to determine whether these activities are relevant and indeed appropriate to the determine the underlying root causes of food and livelihood insescurity in SAPLING areas.

Eligibility of Offerors

This RFP is open to consulting firms/agencies or other entities deemed capable of implementing the scope of work, with a solid record of integrity and business ethics, and meet the eligibility requirements stated in this Section.

Offerors submitting proposals in response to this RFP must meet the following requirements:

1) Evaluation consultants/firms or non-government entities (for-profit and non-profit companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), etc.) legally registered under the laws of the country where it is headquartered

2) Have demonstrated capacity and expertise to successfully implement the Scope of Work

3) Have completed the required representations and certifications incorporated in this RFP

4) Willing to comply with relevant USAID rules and regulations and HKI requirements.

5) Offerors of Nationality designated in the authorized Geographic Code, as described in Section 5 “Source of Funding and Authorized Geographic Code.” Nationality refers to the place of legal organization, ownership, citizenship, or lawful permanent residence (or equivalent immigration status to live and work on a continuing basis) of suppliers of commodities and services.

Note: HKI will not award a contract to any firm that is debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by the U.S. Government, or who proposes to do business with firms or firms’ principals who are debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment, in the performance of the requirement of this activity.

SECTION 2: Proposal Instructions

HKI will evaluate all proposals received in response to this RFP in accordance with the evaluation criteria described in this document.

The Offeror’s proposal will consist of two separate parts:

Part 1 - Technical Proposal

Part 2 - Cost Proposal

The Technical Proposal and the Cost Proposal must be submitted separately. The Offeror should not include any cost data in the Technical Proposal.

The proposal should be concisely presented and structured, and should explain in detail the Offeror’s availability, experience and resources to provide the requested services.

Proposals that are incomplete or do not address these criteria may not be considered in the review process. All proposals must be submitted in English.

Both the Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal must be submitted with a Cover Letter which must include the following information and must be signed by an authorized representative of the Offeror organization:

i. Date of proposal submission

ii. Name of the company or organization

iii. Name and title of authorized representative of organization

iv. Type of company or organization

v. Address

vi. Telephone

vii. E-mail

viii. Taxpayer Identification Number

ix. Other required documents that shall be included as attachments to the cover letter:

a) Copy of registration or incorporation in the public registry, or equivalent document from the government office where the offeror is registered.

b) Copy of company tax registration, or equivalent document.

c) Copy of trade license, or equivalent document.

HKI may choose to contact the Contractor prior to making a final decision. Please confirm whether this would be possible, ensuring that full contact details are also included (email, telephone number).

For additional information, please see full text

All submissions must be sent to Bangladesh.procurement@hki.org