RFI: ATI-001 technical and management support to USAID Southern Africa Trade Market Systems Activity
In support of the Prosper Africa, Feed the Future, and other presidential initiatives, the USAID Africa Bureau, Africa Regional Missions, and the Middle East Bureau have established the USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Programme. The purpose of this programme is to mobilise enterprise-driven solutions that increase trade and investment in Africa, including north and sub-Saharan Africa. ATI will support the strengthening of Africa's markets by developing new trade and investment relationships, particularly between the US and Africa, and achieve development outcomes across sectors in line with USAID's Private Sector Engagement policy and the USG Prosper Africa initiative.
DAI, on behalf of the ATI Programme, is seeking information and organisational capabilities from organisations regarding the possible procurement of a subcontract or subcontracts to provide technical and management support to an upcoming multi-year regional activity in southern Africa covering 10 countries: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia. We are seeking information from non-governmental organisations, which can be either US or non-US registered organisations. If services are procured, the subcontractor would provide technical and operational support services in support of an upcoming ATI’s southern Africa Regional Trade Market Systems Activity.
The intent of this RFI is to conduct market research to gain a better understanding of the number of qualified and interested parties who are able to provide either all of a portion of the services described in the attached draft statement of work (SOW). The SOW below describes the currently contemplated scope of services and may vary from any final SOW that may be issued.
ATI engagement
In support of this activity, ATI seeks information from a partner or consortium of partners interested in providing technical and management support to implement the Southern Africa Trade Market Systems Activity. Details on the information requested can be found below, under ‘Response requirements’; the Draft SOW can be found below, under ‘Draft statement of work’.
In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.209 (c), the following clause is incorporated by reference into this RFI:
FAR 52.215-3 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION OR SOLICITATION FOR PLANNING PURPOSES (OCT 1997)
(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to RFI: ATI-001 2 otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
(b) Although “proposal” and “offeror” are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.
(c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of obtaining information from interested parties regarding the purpose and objectives for the launch of the Southern Africa Trade Market Systems Activity discussed below under ‘Draft statement of work’.
This RFI will not be construed as a commitment by DAI or USAID to award any contract or pay for any information voluntarily submitted as a result of this request. Responders are solely responsible for bearing all expenses associated with preparation and submission of the response to this RFI. This RFI does not restrict approaches to future solicitations or notices of funding opportunity.
In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers or proposals and will not be accepted to form a binding contract. Further information may be requested as a result of submissions received.
Interested parties should submit answers to requests below, under ‘Response requirements’ and any other comments in response to the requested information no later than 5pm EAT, 17 June 2022.
Responses should be submitted via email to moc.iad@tnemerucorP_ITA copying Brian Wanyagi (moc.iad@igaynaW_nairB) and Edwin Muli (moc.iad@iluM_niwdE) no later than the date and time shown above, with the subject line: “Response to RFI ATI-001.” Please limit the responses to 10 pages/slides using 11-point font size. Graphics may be included so long as text is clearly legible. Submissions in PowerPoint, Word, or PDF are acceptable. PDF is preferred along with an accompanying PowerPoint/Word document.
Response requirements
We are seeking the following information from interested firms:
- The name and address of the organisation, and primary point of contact, phone number and email address.
- A brief synopsis of your organisation’s technical and management capabilities and activities to support intraregional trade and with the United States, including experience in the three market systems highlighted in the background section, namely trade promotion, trade services, and supply chain management with a focus on agricultural and agribusiness trade.
- Please describe your organisation’s experience and capabilities in recruitment, hiring, and the administration of personnel as it relates to the technical areas and countries outlined in background section and draft SOW (see below). Please provide examples of projects your organisation has undertaken that are similar in nature or address the key areas under ‘Draft statement of work’ below.
- Please explain if the draft SOW provides sufficient information to understand the tasks to be performed in order to fulfil the objectives outlined in the draft SOW. Please reference the page number and specific section of the draft SOW in the response.
- Please note if you would propose alternative approaches and SOW inclusions to achieve the stated objectives than what is outlined in the RFI.
- Do you have any other feedback or recommendations on the draft SOW? Please reference the page number and specific section of the draft SOW in the response.
- The name and address of the organisation, primary point of contact, phone number and email address.
- Illustrative non-binding ideas for activities that the respondent might consider doing in partnership with ATI in Southern Africa.
Draft Statement of Work
1. Purpose
The USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Programme seeks a regional partner or partners to provide technical and management support to an upcoming multi-year regional activity in the southern Africa region, titled Southern Africa Trade Market Systems Activity.
2. Background
USAID Southern Africa (USAID/SA) has had an active trade and investment programme running within its portfolio since 2017 and slated to finish in September 2022. The USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub (USAID TradeHub) engages with partners across southern Africa to increase sustainable economic growth, global export competitiveness, and trade. It supports these objectives by increasing exports from southern African countries to South Africa and to the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and boosting capital and technology flows from South Africa to other southern African countries. The USAID TradeHub works with market actors to identify and resolve enterprise constraints and to implement sustainable solutions through market-based trade and investment facilitation services. The USAID TradeHub partners with the USAID Bilateral Missions through the USAID/SA to successfully deliver its three interlinked objectives:
- Exports increased from targeted southern African countries to South Africa
- Investment increased from South Africa to targeted southern African countries
- Sustainable utilisation of AGOA opportunities by targeted southern African countries.
Building on previous work and the successes under the USAID Trade Hub, the Southern Africa Trade Market Systems Activity will take a market systems approach to promote regional economic growth in line with USAID Southern Africa’s 2020-2025 Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS). USAID/SA seeks to sustain the significant progress made on the USAID TradeHub through a buy-in programme activity under ATI from October 2022 to September 2026, titled Southern Africa Trade Market Systems Activity. The USAID TradeHub achieved cumulative exports from the region to South Africa of $49m, $180m from southern Africa to the US and $212m in investment and financing.
To further these successes, the buy-in will focus on:
To do this, activities under the buy-in will address market incentives, behaviours, and relationships that impede the region’s trade competitiveness in three target market systems:
- Trade promotion system refers to mechanisms linking supply with demand and helping exporters identify and meet these demands. Trade promotion activities are about raising awareness of agricultural trade opportunities among market actors.
Trade enhancing services system encompasses the sets of services that increase export competitiveness and functional ability to export. Trade enhancing service include all activities that build the export firms’ capacity to respond to the demand in the end markets in South Africa and the US.
Supply chain management system deals with linking buyers to a robust supplier base and support to meet buyer needs. The activities in this market system relate to the core market functions of linking export firms to buyers with their products and services.While ATI will initially focus on these three market systems, this list may be modified as opportunities and needs emerge and as USAID funding allows. The activity will operate primarily in the following southern African countries: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia.
3. Contract objectives
In order to implement the titled Southern Africa Trade Market Systems Activity and the focus areas outlined above, ATI requires day-to-day technical and operational capacity to support and implement buy-in activities. The overall objective of this contract is to identify regional partner(s) to provide technical and operational support services through a subcontract(s) for the delivery of services in alignment with the objectives of the Southern Africa Trade Market Systems Activity. These services could be provided through personnel and/or other direct costs as proposed by the respondent.
The two objectives to be achieved through the contract are:
Objective 1:
Provide streamlined day-to-day, long-term personnel services with experience in running regional trade activities that will allow the USAID Southern Africa buy-in to meet its technical and operational needs. The services must be delivered in close synchronisation with ATI programming and personnel for seamless delivery. This should include a suite of options such as operations, monitoring & evaluation (M&E), and advanced technical expertise dependent on evolving needs – with a focus on personnel bringing relevant, extensive experience in these areas. This may include, but is not limited to, the provision of services for:
Objective 2:
Provide ad hoc services and support for periodic needs, such as event management support, communications surge support, etc.
The subcontractor(s) will also be responsible for ensuring seamless integration with ATI programming and personnel, as well as ensuring adherence to flow-down clauses from the ATI contract regarding MEL, gender, and environmental and social risk management considerations.
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