Background

Feed the Future Bangladesh Aquaculture Activity (BAA) is a five-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), implemented by WorldFish, to sustain positive aquaculture sector growth through an inclusive Market Systems approach. The Activity aims to improve the sustainable livelihoods for a large number of smallholder farmers and other stakeholders engaged in the aquaculture value chain in Feed the Future Zone of Influence (ZOI) and Zone of Resilience (ZoR).

The Activity will stimulate aquaculture sector growth, increase employment and income, and improve food and nutrition security for households. It will serve as a facilitating role by coordinating linkages among the value chain actors in the private, public and civil society sector of Bangladesh.

Objective

This call for application invites organizations who could provide a digital mobile application solution that creates access to information on production, appropriate inputs and offtake markets, strengthen linkages among market actors, and provide feed formulation and nutrition behavior messages to help farmers and other aquaculture market actors. The digital platform is expected to enable its users to acquire necessary production and market information and create access to inputs for fish seeds, fish feeds, and small-scale aquaculture (SSA) technology. Additionally, the platform will provide market linkage opportunities for aquaculture value chain actors (e.g. farmers, hatchery owners, nursery owners, processors, fish marketers etc.) to communicate information that increases productivity, income and improves nutrition.

The selected partner will be an ICT based company or a social enterprise or similar digital solution provider who have proven experience in developing and promoting similar digital solutions, especially in aquaculture sector. 

Scope of Work

  • Develop a mobile friendly, web-based application that supports fish farmers, hatcheries, nurseries, fish traders, processors etc. to access inputs and information on inputs and markets, feed formulation, SSA technology and improved nutrition.
  • Create and upload necessary contents to create access to information.
  • Provide customized features that can support farmers and the Activity team to track pond productivity and profitability.
  • Add features to improve knowledge and skills on low-cost feed formulation using locally available ingredients, feeding regimes and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR).
  • Pilot testing of the application among selected farmers and other aquaculture market actors before full-scale rollout.
  • Create linkages with private sector actors by organizing various events to ensure uptake and adoption of the digital application.
  • Deliver training to the Activity and partners’ staff to ensure wider use of applications among the Activity participants (farmers, traders, etc.).
  • Design interactive marketing and promotional activities (online and offline) to have strong engagement among the target audiences.
  • Develop a business sustainability plan to ensure continuity of the app beyond the project.

Key Deliverables

  • A customized and functional digital application solution in local language (Bangla) with necessary contents and functions with source code.
  • Market linkages with relevant stakeholders, especially with private sector actors.
  • Training to WorldFish and Partner organization staff for effective rollout of the App.
  • Reports (technical and financial) in the Activity approved templates.

Expected Results

  • The app will be used to formulate optimized Carp, Tilapia and Catfish feed recipes and other farm management information.
  • The users will get information on better management practices and improved nutrition including effective nutrition behavior messages.
  • Farm performance can be assessed and they can be linked to input suppliers via a user-friendly back-end system.

BAA Offers

BAA will provide both technical and financial support to execute the proposed and agreed upon business models/ideas:

  • Financial support to leverage the companies’ investment. If short-listed, the final agreement will be negotiated with selected, qualified companies.
  • Facilitation and co-development of the proposed business models or strategic plans.
  • Technical support as needed for successful implementation of the proposed models/initiatives.
  • Facilitation of identifying or developing business linkages with other market actors.

 

BAA Fund Is Not For

  • Working capital (e.g. day to day operational costs, salaries of regular staff, rent of buildings, office, warehouse, storage houses, regular purchases)
  • Direct payments/subsidies to producers/aquaculture farmers
  • Common IT and fixed assets (e.g. computers, cameras, projectors, vehicles, machineries and equipment)
  • Common physical assets (e.g. buildings, warehouses, storage rooms)

 Eligibility Criteria

  • Have an experience and proven success on similar intervention
  • Have commercial and profit interest and incentives in the capacity development of aquaculture stakeholders.
  • Proposed business models/concepts which satisfy and support one or more of the following will be given preference (i) new and innovative business models, (ii) expansion of successful business models into new and underserved geographic markets and (iii) expansion of the business models targeting underserved customers in the rural areas, such as youth and women
  • Proposed business models must demonstrate continuity and sustainability.
  • Cost-share amount must be verifiable and it should not come from other USAID assisted projects or programs.
  • An active certificate of incorporation (for individual companies, a trade license);
  • Joint stock registration certificate (if applicable);
  • An organizational organogram of key personnel, inclusive of the names of such personnel;
  • Tax Identification Number (TIN);
  • VAT registration number;
  • Proof of a segregated bank account (providing the name and address of such an account);
  • The consulting firm must bear all annual income tax (AIT).
  • Percentage of VAT and total amount of VAT should be mentioned in the proposal.
  • Other valid papers (provided by government institutions).

 

GRANTS AWARD PROCESS

grant awarad process

EVALUATION 

evaluation

SUBMISSION DETAILS 

Interested parties should submit application by using the attached application form and budget template on or before 31 January 2022 to: wfbanaproject@cgiar.org mentioning the title of solicitation or Request for Application (RFA) in the subject line.