FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
ENGAGEMENT OF SHORT-TERM CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT MAPPING OF VALUE CHAIN ACTORS IN KANO STATE
REFERENCE NO: NCO/SAPZ – 1/IFAD/CS/CQS/002/1

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (The Fund or IFAD) towards the cost of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) program (the client or procuring entity) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the recruitment of consulting services, for which this REOI is issued.

The use of any IFAD financing shall be subject to IFAD’s approval, pursuant to the terms and condition of the financing agreement, as well as IFAD’s rule, policies and procedures. IFAD and its officials, agents and employees shall be held harmless from and against all suits, procedures, claims, demands, losses and liability of any kind or nature brought by any party in connection with Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Program
This request for expressions of interest (REOI) follows the general procurement notice that appeared in Thisday and Dailytrust newspapers on 17th April, 2023 on the IFAD website and on UNDB on 17th April, 2023.

The National Coordination Office of the Special Agro – industrial Processing Zones Program now invites expressions of interest (EOIs) from legally constituted consulting firms (not individual consultants) (“consultants”) to provide the mapping and analysis of all the stakeholders involved in agricultural transformation centers in the selected LGAs viz Kura, Bebeji, Dawaki Tofa, Gezawa and Bagwai LGA of Kano State. More details on these consulting services are provided in the preliminary terms of reference (PTOR) on Annex 1. The consultant may sub-contract selected activities provided that said services do will not exceed 20% of the total consultancy work.

Before preparing its EOIs, the consultant is advised to review the preliminary terms of reference attached as Annex 1, which describe the assignment and Annex 2 that details the evaluation of the technical qualifications.
Note: all expression of interest must be submitted using the expression of interest submission form. Annexes 1 and 2 referred to above. The expression of interest submission form can be obtained from the address below between the hours of 10am – 4pm local time on working days or downloaded from the website: www.sapz.gov.ng
The consultant shall not have any actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest. A consultant with an actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the fund. A consultant including their respective personnel and affiliates are considered to have a conflict of interest if they a) have a relationship that provides them with undue or disclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, b) participate in more than one EOI under this procurement action, c) have a business or family relationship with a member of the client’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of this expression of interest, (ii) the selection process for this procurement, or (iii) execution of the contract. The consultant has an ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during preparation of the EOI, the selection process or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations.
All consultants are required to comply with the Revised IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations (hereinafter, IFAD’s anticorruption Policy) in competing for or in executing, the contract.
a. If determined that a consultant or any of its personnel or agents, or its sub-consultants, sub-contractors, service provider, suppliers, sub-suppliers and/or any of their personnel or agent, has directly or indirectly, engaged in any of the prohibited practices defined in IFAD’s Anticorruption Policy or integrity violation such as Sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse as established in IFAD’s policy to Preventing and Responding to Sexual harassment, Sexual exploitation and abuse in competing for, or in executing, the contract, the EOI may be rejected or the contract may be terminated by the client.
b. In accordance with IFAD’s Anticorruption Policy, the Fund has the right to sanction firms and individuals, including by declaring them ineligible, either indefinitely or for a stated period of time, to participate in and IFAD-financed and/or IFAD-managed activity or operation. The Fund also has the right to recognize debarments issued by other international financial institutions in accordance with its Anticorruption policy
c. Consultants and any of their personnel and agents, their sub-consultants, sub-contractors, service provider, suppliers, sub-suppliers and/or any of their personnel or agents are required to fully cooperate with any investigation conducted by the Fund, including by making personnel available for interviews and by providing full access to any and all accounts, premises, documents and record (including electronic records) relating to this selection process or the execution of the contract and to have such accounts, premises, records and documents audited and/or inspected by auditors and/or inspected by auditors and/or investigators appointed by the Fund.
d. Consultants have the ongoing obligation to disclose in their EOI and later in writing as may become relevant: (i) any administrative sanctions, criminal convictions or temporary suspension of themselves or any of their key personnel or agents for fraud and corruption, and (ii) any commissions or fees paid to agents or other parties in connection with the selection process or the execution of the contract. As a minimum, consultants must disclose the name and contact details of the agent or other party and the reason, amount and currency of the commission or fee paid or to be paid. Failure to comply with these disclosure obligations may lead to rejection of the EOI or termination of the contract.
e. Consultants are required to keep all records and documents, including electronic records, relating to this selection process available for a minimum of 3 years after notification of completion of the process or in case the consultant is awarded the contract, execution of the contract.
The Fund requires that all beneficiaries of IFAD funding or funds administered by IFAD, including the client, any consultants, implementing partners, service providers supplier, observe the highest standards of integrity during the procurement and execution of such contracts, and commit to combat money laundering and terrorism financing consistent with IFAD’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy.

Procedure: the selection process with be conducted using Consultant Qualification Selection (CQS) Method as laid out in the IFAD Procurement Handbook that can be accessed via the IFAD website at www.ifad.org/project-procurement. The client will evaluate the EOIs using the criteria provided in Annex 2. The shortlisted consultant(s) will be provided with the detailed TORs and asked to submit a detailed technical and financial offer. The evaluation will include a review and verification of qualification and past performance, including a reference check, prior the contract award.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

Any request for clarification on this EOI including the PTOR should be sent via e-mail to the address below no later than noon local time on 22nd July 2024. The client will provide responses to all clarification requests by 12noon local time on 25th July 2024.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE: please submit your expression of interest using the forms provided for this purpose. Your EOI should comprise 1 original copy of each EOI form annexed to this document. EOIs shall be submitted to the address below no later than 12noon local time on 29th July 2024. Late submission will not be accepted. The client is not bound to short-list any consultant.

SIGNED: DR KABIR YUSUF
National Program Coordinator, SAPZ
National Co-Ordination Office (NCO)
Federal Ministry Of Agriculture and Food Security
#3 Aguleri Street, Off Gimbiya Street, Area 11 Abuja
admin@sapz.gov.ng; -2348168088308; +2348035949354