Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project

Project No. P175263 GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE • The Government of Liberia received a US$55 million dollars’ loan from the World Bank for the Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP). The RETRAP seeks to increase the income of rural poor households through sustainable agricultural livelihood enhancements and improved rural access and agricultural marketing infrastructure services and received Additional Financing credits in the amount of 30 million from the IDA Crisis Response Window – Early Response Financing CRW-ERF as additional financing (AF) to the Republic of Liberia for the Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP).

The RETRAP-AF seeks to increase the income of rural poor households through sustainable agricultural livelihood enhancements and improved rural access and agricultural marketing infrastructure services. As its focus, the project will support the value chains of Rice, Cassava, Oil-Palm, Rubber, Horticulture, Poultry & Pig husbandry, and Vegetables. The project will be implemented in all 15 counties of Liberia over a period of five years.

The project includes the following components: • Project Components Component 1: Improving the enabling environment for agribusiness development in Liberia. The objective of Component 1 is to improve the enabling policy and regulatory environment necessary for private businesses to increase investment and commercial activities and enhance the delivery of quality support services that can foster an inclusive and competitive development of the sector. This component will finance combinations of specialized technical assistance, training, works, goods, consulting and non-consulting services, and operational expenses.

Component 2: Enhancing Competitiveness and Market Access through Productive Alliances. The objective of this component is to promote the development of organizations of small sized medium-sized agricultural producers participating in “productive alliances” with selected partners with the aim to be able to operate competitively in selected value chains, with strengthened and more reliable linkages with buyers and markets and increased capacity to manage climate risks. The basic approach is to promote investments and collective actions, with the aim of gaining economies of scale, enhancing bargaining power, facilitating knowledge sharing, and reducing costs of production and service delivery.

Component 3: Agri-markets and road Infrastructure Investments. The objective of this component is to improve access to markets through the rehabilitation of existing roads, construction of short-span critical cross-drainage structures, and improvement of agro-logistics centers. Expected outcomes from such investments are improved quality of products and reduced post-harvest losses, reduced marketing costs and better connection between producers and buyers, and improved competitiveness of the domestic production in supplying food products to major consumption centers and export points.

Component 4: Project coordination and Management and Contingency Emergency Relief. The aim of this component is twofold: (i) ensuring that GoL is better equipped to respond to crises and emergencies; and (ii) establishing appropriate coordination, Monitoring, and Evaluation (M&E), and communication regarding Project implementation. Component 5: Support to Food Security.

The component is focusing on stimulating a food supply response through emergency production support to affected communities, while also addressing the underlying vulnerability to any such future shocks on food security. • The project will include the following specific procurement activities: | No. | Description | A | WORKS | 1 | Rehabilitation of 5 mini dams for farm irrigation system | | | Description | B | GOODS AND NON-CONSULTING SERVICES | 1. | Supply and Delivery of Fertilizers for Medium and Large Rice Farmers | 2. | Procurement for the Supply and Delivery of Fertilizers for Cassava & Rubber Farmers | 3. | Supply and Delivery of Agro Chemicals | 4. | Supply and Delivery of Seed Rice for Medium and Large Rice Farmers | 5. | Supply and Delivery of PPEs for Small, Medium and Large Farmers | 6. | Procurement for the Supply and Delivery of Tools | 7. | Supply, Delivery and Installation of small-scale mechanization and post-harvest equipment (threshers, dryers, de-stoners, bag stitching, storage containers, mini mills, etc.) | 8. | Procurement of direct inputs (solar dryers, cassava graters, press, fryer, etc.) | 9. | Procurement for the Supply and Delivery of Cassava Cuttings | 10. | Procurement for the Supply and Delivery of Budded Rubber Stumps | 11. | Procurement for the Supply and Delivery of Terrain Appropriate means of transport - Purchase and distribution of transport tricycles) | 12. | Procurement of a Firm to Provide Event Planning Services for Agribusiness trade fair | 13. | Procurement of Services for Impact Storytelling of MOA projects | 14. | Procurement of Transportation and Distribution Services of Agri-inputs | | | No. | Description | C | CONSULTANCY SERVICE | 1. | Recruitment of an Individual Consultant for the Development of Agribusiness Council of Liberia | 2. | Creation of e-Extension platform for dissemination of information about new technologies | 3. | Recruitment of a Consultancy firm to Establish Relationship with research institutions and Extension Services | 4. | Recruitment of a Consultancy Firm to Provide TA for site-specific farm management | 5. | Recruitment of an Individual Consultant to Provide Technical Assistance to M&E and Communication support of the project | 6. | Recruitment of an Individual Consultant for Nutrition and food security baseline survey | 7. | Recruitment of a firm to facilitate implementation of extension services to young farmers using school-based approach(NGO) | 8. | Recruitment of A Firm for Community Development and Agricultural Infrastructure Intervention | 9. | Recruitment of a firm to review and evaluate the entire LACF implementation including processes, procedures and impact of the grant. | 10. | Recruitment of a Consultant for Design and Supervision for the construction of 4 standard 500-ton grain storage facilities | | | • Procurement of Goods, Works Non-consulting Services and Consulting Services will be conducted through the procedures specified in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, Procurement in Investment Project Financing, Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services dated July 2016 Revised November 2017, August 2018 and November 2020 (“Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest, and is opened to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the Procurement Regulations. • Specific Procurement Notices (SPNs) for the procurement of agricultural equipment and supplies, small works and consultants’ contracts under the World Bank’s procedures will be published later, as and when they become available, in the UN Development Business online and in local newspapers. •.

Individual consultants who have the requisite qualifications in any of the above consulting services may submit their CVs to be part of the mailing as and when the solicitation of CVs is required. • Interested eligible bidders who wish to be included on the mailing list to receive an invitation for bid under Competitive Bidding procedures, and interested consultants who wish to receive a copy of the advertisement for Expressions of Interest for consultancy contracts, or those requiring additional information, should contact the address below: Galah Toto National Program Coordinator) Project Implementation Unit (PIU) Ministry of Agriculture Rural Economic Transformation Project (Retrap) Somalia Drive, Gardnersville, Monrovia, Liberia Tel +231-777576980 Email: gtoto@moa.gov.lr and CC: dkulah@moa.gov.lr Approved: ____________________ Galah Toto National Program Coordinator