Agricultural Value Chains Expression of Interest -Partnerships

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Government of Zimbabwe and OFID are financing the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP). The aim of the programme is to achieve food and nutrition security, and ensure that smallholder communities are resilient to climate change effects and economic shocks by enhancing households’ production and productivity; and income levels as well as improving access to agricultural markets and financial services. To achieve this SIRP focuses on:

1. rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure;
2. promotion of improved smallholder irrigation management;
3. promotion  of good agricultural practices;
4. improved market access and rural financial services and
5. enhanced capacity for irrigation development and market-led production.

SIRP seeks to revitalize about 6,100 ha of existing smallholder irrigation schemes, mostly in communal and old resettlement areas in Natural Regions III, IV and V in the provinces of Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland South, and Midlands.  An estimated 15,000 poor food insecure or food deficit households, representing 75,000 persons, that are engaging in irrigation agriculture in the existing irrigation schemes and 12,500 households with no access to irrigation in the adjacent rainfed areas are expected to directly benefit from SIRP’s intervention.

To ensure full integration of SIRP supported smallholder farmers into agricultural value chains, SIRP seeks to partner with the Private Sector, Non-Governmental Organization, Farmer Unions and Civil Society Organizations working towards smallholder agriculture development. These areas include irrigation development, market linkages (inputs and outputs), value chain development, postharvest management, climate smart agriculture, rural financing, natural resources management, capacity building and community nutrition.

Interested organizations should fill in an expression of interest template (5pages max) that can be downloaded from www.sirpzim.org and submit to Programme Coordinator,  Smallholder Irrigation Revitalization Programme, Ngungunyana Building, No 1 Borrowdale Road Harare by 22 November 2019. Kindly mark on the envelope the type area interested e.g (Rural Financing)

Evaluation Criteria

1. Basic information

2. Background and Objectives

Briefly explain the core business and objectives of your organization, and how it relates to smallholder agriculture development. Also outline scale of your operations and geographical locations where you are active (registration)

3. Legal Status

State the type of your organization (NGO, Parastatal, Private sector, Farmer Union etc), when it started operating in Zimbabwe and whether officially registered or be duly licensed to operate in Zimbabwe by a local authority or have an MoU with the Government of Zimbabwe.

4. Areas of Operation

State how widespread is your organization in terms of areas of operation in Zimbabwe

3.  Area(s) of Partnerships Interested

Describe area(s) of partnership that your organization is interested and explain why you want to partner in this area, and how it fulfils the overall objectives of SIRP.

4. Organization History and Experience

State the period your organization has been operational and work it has achieved to date particularly focusing on smallholder farmer development.

5. Partnerships and collaborations

State current and or previous partnerships or collaborations made in the area of smallholder agriculture development/ area of partnership interested, geographical areas operated. (Please also mention the project(s) partnered). Also comment on the level of success and impact of partnerships

Engagement with Smallholder farmers

Please explain how your organization is/ has been directly or indirectly involved in smallholder farmer agriculture development. This can include among others capacity building, business linkages, contract farming, market access, financing

Gender and Youth Policy

Does your organization have a clear gender and youth policy? Describe how your organization endeavor to promote gender and youth empowerment