SDC Call for Concept Notes

Swiss Cooperation Office for Vietnam
Market Access for the Rural Poor- Through value chain promotion
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Background
The Swiss Cooperation Office for Vietnam (SCO) is the representative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). It is responsible for the coordination of Swiss Development Cooperation of the Swiss Government in Vietnam.
Through the Market Access for the Rural Poor (MARP) program (October 2012-June 2016), SDC plans to support organisations that have experiences in value chain and market access interventions, working rather at the upper end of value chains and act as catalysts that enable other actors to participate in the value chain and stimulate significant pro-poor changes in the market system.
The overall objective of MARP is to reduce poverty among households, especially ethnic minorities, through generating additional income and employment in selected value chains in which the poor can participate. MARP is expected to increase market access and participation of poor rural households in selected value chains (in agriculture and non-timber forest products) through providing grants to a number of projects that aim to achieve significant change within a specific value chain by addressing bottlenecks and critical points. Potential interventions include (but are not limited to):
    * Support to organised farmer groups and service providers to increase production and improve product quality to meet market requirements and to so generate extra income (tea, cocoa, cardamom);
    * Provide know-how to enterprises on sustainable business development, pre-processing and product development with the aim to generate local employment (bamboo, pepper)
    * Strengthen co-operation between producer (groups) with other actors to build trust and to share a common vision for sustainable sector development (livestock, cassava,…)
    * Facilitate private public partnerships and policy dialogue to improve regulatory environment (tea, cocoa) including government policies on public investment for transportation and/or on providing loans to poor households.
    * Support (1) analysis to understand potentials and challenges for sector development at micro-economic (household) level, especially for the poor and ethnic minority women (bamboo, livestock); (2) market research to understand changes such as new actors crowding in, or emerging markets for specific products (cardamom, tea, cocoa..); and (3) information on consumer demand and pricing for informed decision making.
Guidance for applicants
Application package: The application package includes (i) Application letter (1 page); (ii) Organisation Eligibility Form (1.5 page); (iii) Fact sheet (1.5 page); (iv) Concept note (5 pages with maximum 5 pages of annexes). Templates of the last 3 documents can be found below or at SDC website www.sdc.org.vn.
Time frame: The projects are expected to end by latest April 2016
Budget: The budget may range from USD 200’000 to 1’200’000 per project. In exceptional cases, a lower limit of USD 70’000 may be applied for promising activities of upcoming qualified Vietnamese organisations. The suggested template can be found below.
Selection criteria: The selection of MARP funded projects will be based on clear criteria to be found below or at the SDC website www.sdc.org.vn. Equal access of men and women, a high participation of poor ethnic minority households will be given high priority as will regional projects.
Short-listed applicants will be invited to submit a full project proposal.
Overall time table: The overall time table of the whole process are as follows:
Submission of the concept note: 26 November 2012, 10am
Selection and confirmation of successful applicants: 7 December 2012
Submission of the full project proposal: 6 January 2013
Announcement of winners: 1 February 2013
Templates and selection criteria, please see the attachments
Submission
To apply, please submit 2 hard copies of completed application package by Monday, 26 November 2012, 10am to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
Swiss Cooperation Office for Vietnam (SDC/ SECO)
Hanoi Central Office Building, 16th Floor
44B Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
Information meeting on 7 November 2012, from 9.00-11.00AM at Hoa Binh hotel, 27 Ly Thuong Kiet street to provide all interested candidates an opportunity for obtaining more information and asking questions. To register for participation to the information meeting, please email to [email protected] by 2nd November 2012.