Business Service Providers

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) invites applications for Business Service Providers to support the Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura (RIISA) initiative.

BACKGROUND

MEDA is an international economic development organization whose mission is to create business solutions to poverty. Founded in 1953 by a group of business professionals, MEDA partners with the poor to start or grow small and medium-sized businesses in developing regions around the world.

In the Philippines, MEDA is implementing its five-year Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agriculture (RIISA) initiative. It strives for more resilience and inclusive economic growth for women and men cacao smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Mindanao, Philippines, through strengthened cacao market systems supported by investment. With a focus on Davao region, RIISA responds to multiple challenges in the Philippines cacao sector and draws on MEDA’s experience in market systems development, gender lens investing (GLI), gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), and environment and climate change (ECC).

RIISA is addressing cacao SHFs socio-economic challenges while contributing to market systems resilience (MSR) by i) mobilizing Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG)-focused investment for cacao sector small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and financial intermediaries (FIs); ii) strengthening the capacity, including gender equality and social inclusion GESI, human rights (HR), and ECC, of local FIs and business service providers (BSPs) to deliver better services and products to cacao SMEs and cooperatives; iii) strengthening the capacity of cacao cooperatives and smallholder farmers (SHFs) in environmentally sustainable and inclusive farming and business practices; and iv) improve key enabling environment actors’ awareness of ESG practices in the cacao market system.

RIISA will engage qualified BSPs to provide the technical expertise and facilitation services needed to strengthen the capacity of RIISA clients to embed gendered environmental, social, and governance (G-ESG) principles or practices into their cacao enterprises, operations and projects, as well as collaborate with each other to address market system barriers to have a sustainable and inclusive cacao industry. The BSP/s services are expected to contribute to the following immediate outcomes: i) increased integration of gendered environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into operations of businesses and financial institution serving small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives in Mindanao cacao market system; ii) improved environmentally sustainable and inclusive business performance for SHFs and cooperatives in the cacao market system in Mindanao; and iii) Improved practice of relevant actors to promote best ESG practices in the cacao market system in the Philippines.

This call for proposal is open to a BSP to manage the assignment with a qualified team to meet the deliverables. Technical and local expertise must match the requirements of the deliverables that the BSP is bidding on.

To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org.

Scope of Work

The RIISA Project has been training the gender equality champions (GECs) of cacao cooperatives to conduct community dialogues and increase the awareness of cooperative members and communities on GESI HR. With GECs trained on the broader topics of human rights and gender equality, the goal of this assignment is to focus the gender equality topics as these apply in cacao farming practices. Specifically, this assignment involves enhancing the capacity of these GECs to understand further the gender equality considerations in embedding and adopting best socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable (G-ESG) practices in cacao farming.

MEDA seeks an experienced service provider with local team members to meet the needed services as follows:

1. Training of GECs and dialogue facilitators on G-ESG practices in sustainable cacao farming.

• Using project materials on this topic and including those used during GESI-HR training, the BSP will build the knowledge of the GECs on adopting G-ESG practices in cacao farming.
• Train the GECs as trainers of dialogue facilitators in conducting peer-to-peer dialogues on the adoption of G-ESG farming practices among cacao farmers. Using existing project training materials, the BSP will adapt these for the needs of this assignment. This includes organizing the logistics and coordination with participants.
• Organize and facilitate the conduct of peer-to-peer dialogues by the GECs and dialogue facilitators

2. Conduct monitoring and evaluation to selected cooperatives using the project tool Gender Progress Markers (GPM). This may involve adapting the tool for this assignment.

3. Develop easy-to-use information materials translated in the local language that can be used by the GECs and dialogue facilitators and distributed to the smallholder farmer (SHF) participants of the peer-to-peer dialogues. These will be printed and distributed to the target training and dialogue participants of this assignment.

4. Ensure appropriate coordination with the project team and project partners participating in this activity.

5. Ensure the timely and accurate preparation and submission of the required documentation and reports for this assignment, including client participation records.

Key Responsibilities

Coordinate with the Project Team and work with selected partner cooperatives to meet the following:

A) Report on training of GECs and dialogue facilitators on G-ESG practices and conduct of peer-to-peer dialogues. This includes the training and information materials

• Review project materials and develop training materials for GECs and dialogue facilitators in embedding and adopting G-ESG practices in cacao farming.
• Conduct training of 7 GECs from 7 selected cooperatives in conducting peer-to-peer dialogues on adopting G-ESG practices in cacao farming
• Train 7 GECs as trainers to capacitate 14 dialogue facilitators in conducting peer-to-peer dialogues on adopting G-ESG practices in cacao farming. 60% the GECs and dialogue facilitators trained must be women.
• Organize and facilitate the conduct of peer-to-peer dialogues by trained GECs and dialogue facilitators to target 210 SHFs from 7 cooperatives. 60% of the SHFs participating in peer-to-peer dialogues must be men.
• Develop and disseminate information materials in the local language to the target GECs/dialogue facilitators and SHFs participating in peer-to-peer dialogues.

B) GPM Progress Report including four human interest case stories.

• Conduct before and after activity on SHFs from selected cooperatives using GPM
• Collect minimum 4 case stories (from 1 coop as an enterprise, 3 SHFs (1 male, 1 woman, 1 IP) based on the intervention provided by the project

Desired Outcomes

• Enhanced awareness of GESI-HR and G-ESG agriculture practices among SHFs in the cacao market system
• Increased capacity of cooperatives to adopt equitable and inclusive operations and to promote environmentally sustainable practices at the household, farm, community, and cooperative levels

Deliverables and Time frame

• Inception Report: April 2025

• Progress Report including training materials and information materials developed, results of initial GPM conducted, and training report conducted with GECs and dialogue Facilitators: August 2025

• Final Report to include activity report on the peer-to-peer dialogues, final GPM report, final versions of training report and information materials, and the four case stories: January 2026

Qualifications and Selection Criteria

Generic and Mandatory:

• Legally registered in the Philippines and been providing business services to cooperatives or SMEs for at least three years.
• RIISA Project prefers to partner with BSPs that have presence or existing business services in Davao Region.
• Alignment with MEDA’s values, and willing to work closely with MEDA staff.
• Committed to the development and progress of cooperatives and SMEs in the Philippines.
• Committed to contribute to the development of the cacao sector in Mindanao.
• Fulfill MEDA’s due diligence requirements: BSP and staff are not involved in terrorist, illegal or criminal activities, including but not limited to drug, arms or sex trafficking, money laundering, violation of women’s rights and human rights. BSP does not appear on the US, UK, UN, or EU lists of terrorist organizations.
• Local and financially stable organization/company. Need to provide 2-3 years audited FS.
• Can immediately deploy experts/services and be able to finish the deliverables within the indicated timeline

Specific Expertise:

• A business service provider that has been actively doing business in the agrifood system for the last 3 years.
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in developing manuals, training modules, learning materials, event organizing, and workshop facilitations.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in practical knowledge and application or mainstreaming of gender equality, environmental sustainability, social inclusion and good governance practices in agri-foods systems (farm production, post-harvest, food processing, etc).
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in working with government agencies, cooperatives, SMEs, councils, and development-oriented organizations.
• Preference is given to BSP that is based in Davao region, can quickly mobilize the support of RIISA cooperatives and SMEs, and with knowledge or experience working with partners of the RIISA Project

Funding:

Will be discussed with the selected BSP contingent on donor’s final approval of the funding for the activity.

Application Procedure:

Interested BSPs to send application to MEDA via email at RIISA_Submissions@meda.org and cc: rvalones@meda.org, with the PROPOSAL as attachment, by 5:00pm on March 21, 2025. Please indicate “BSP TA on Strengthening Gendered – ESG in Cooperatives”.

A.     Contact Information:

1. Organization’s Legal Name
2. Mailing Address
3. Main Contact Person and Title
4. Telephone
5. Email address
6. Website, if available (Facebook, twitter)
7. SEC/CDA/DTI Registration Number

B.     Proposal Outline:

1. Introduction (maximum half page): provide understanding of the ToR and how your organization or company can respond to the ToR’s requirements. Proponent to add a brief explanation on their motivation to partner with MEDA.

2. Capability Statement (maximum of one page):

• Briefly describe your organization’s business services, in relation to the expertise required by this ToR, in the last three years with specific information on the beneficiaries, contracting company/organization, and the results of your engagements.
• Briefly describe the financial position of the organization/company.
• Please include the contact details (contact person, phone, and email) of at least three (3) organizations/companies/cooperatives who can speak to the capability and credibility of your organization.
• Describe the qualifications of the personnel who will possibly be involved in the engagement.

3. Proposed Methodology (maximum of one page).

• Describe how the proponent will provide the services required and achieve the desired deliverables within the prescribed timeframe.
• Discuss the strategy to ensure meaningful participation of women, youth and Indigenous peoples in the implementation processes and activities.

4. Proposed Work Plan (maximum of one page). Outline the activities, timeline, expected outputs, resources and the expertise needed.

5. Estimated Cost of the Engagement (in matrix format): Itemized cost and unit, and total cost.

6. Annex:

• DTI/SEC/CDA Certificate of Registration
• Resume or CV of BSP staff who will work on this engagement.
• Work sample/s of BSP or the assigned staff.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis when received. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

MEDA welcomes and encourages applications from all genders, backgrounds, religions, cultures, nationalities and abilities. Accommodation is available on request for candidates with disabilities taking part in the selection process.

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