Company Profile
iDE is an international not-for-profit NGO with a unique business approach to poverty eradication. For 41 years around the world—and 10 years in Ghana — iDE has pioneered innovative market-based approaches to improve access to safe water and sanitation and increase agricultural incomes.
iDE Ghana designs to context sustainable social enterprises in Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Agriculture. Our unique and collective passion to create new market opportunities is unlocking the potential of local entrepreneurs all over the country. Through innovating affordable products and services for our customers we are making a profound social impact in the communities that we live, love and serve. We currently employ or contract more than 200 people across 41 districts in Ghana.
Job Description
Terms of Reference TOR
Identifying Market Linkages for Women in Agriculture
| Proposal & Quotation Submission Date |
No later than 5:00pm, May 16th, 2024. |
| Submit Proposal & Quotation to |
All quotations must be sent electronically to:
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| Terms of Payment and deliverables |
Deliverables and payment terms will be negotiated before awarding a contract to the selected company. |
Background
iDE is currently running a GAC-funded project in Ghana called "Her Time to Grow", focused on empowering women through agricultural value chains. We are halfway through this 4-year project. In Ghana, we are working in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions. The project focuses on leveraging village savings and loan associations (VSLAs), local cooperatives, and rural last-mile entrepreneurs to connect rural women to market opportunities, including via both individual and joint commercial activity (the latter through VSLAs and cooperatives).
The project's prioritized value chains, taking into account risk, profitability, investment and operating costs, time and labor requirements, climate resilience, nutritional benefits, and suitability and desirability for women are: soybeans, rice, maize, peanuts, sorghum, and sesame.
We are targeting 6,000 women in the project. The average land size for the targeted women is 0.25 ha. 100% of the women engage in crop production, 31% in processing/value addition, and 25% in small trade.
A. Objectives
- Identify specific market opportunities within the previously identified value chains and explore additional high-potential value chains for women in agriculture.
- Develop a detailed buyer directory with actionable information for informed decision-making by the women producers.
- Prioritize buyers who value sourcing from women-owned businesses and those committed to sustainable agricultural practices.
- Integrate relevant market and trade trends into the provided information to offer a holistic understanding of the market landscape.
B. Scope of Work
1. Identify Specific Market Opportunities for Women in Agriculture
- Research and identify market-specific opportunities within the target value chains listed below.
- Expand the scope to include additional high-potential value chains if identified during the research process.
- Include opportunities for both raw commodities and value-added products.
2. Develop Actionable Buyer Information
- Develop a methodology for identifying and vetting potential buyers.
- Identify potential buyers who value sustainable agricultural practices and working with smallholder women farmers for all identified crops.
- Compile a comprehensive list of potential buyers based on the criteria above.
- Create buyer profiles to help us identify who to engage first.
- Ensure the information is highly actionable by including:
i. Names of specific buyers
ii. The volume of the product purchased by each buyer (annually or per buying cycle)
iii. Purchasing time frame (seasons or specific periods)
iv. Detailed quality parameters required by each buyer.
v. Information on buyer sourcing channels (direct purchasing, auctions, etc.)
vi. Company ethos
vii. Feasibility and desirability to work with smallholder women farmers.
Deliverables
- A report outlining specific actionable market opportunities within targeted value chains listed below and new opportunities of high-valued crops that may be identified for smallholder women farmers in agriculture.
- Methodology for identifying and vetting potential buyers.
- A comprehensive buyer directory of potential buyers, including detailed information for each buyer as outlined in the scope of work
- A report summarizing any identified buyer services that could benefit women producers.
- A summary report analyzing market trends and trade patterns impacting the identified market opportunities.
- All reports are compiled into one comprehensive report for summarization of overall finding
- Indicative Task/Deliverables and Timelines
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Task
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Key Deliverable
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Number of Days
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|
1. Identify Specific Market Opportunities for Women in Agriculture
- Research and identify market specific opportunities within the target value chains listed below.
- Expand the scope to include additional high-potential value chains if identified during the research process.
- Include opportunities for both raw commodities and value-added products.
|
A report outlining specific actionable market opportunities within targeted value chains from listed below and new opportunities of high-valued crops that may be identified for smallholder women farmers in agriculture.
|
3
|
|
2. Develop Actionable Buyer Information
- Develop a methodology for identifying and vetting potential buyers.
- Identify potential buyers who value sustainable agricultural practices and working with smallholder women farmers for all identified crops.
- Compile a comprehensive list of potential buyers based on the criteria above.
- Create buyer profiles to help us identify who to engage first.
- Ensure the information is highly actionable by including:
- Names of specific buyers
- Volume of product purchased by each buyer (annually or per buying cycle)
- Purchasing time frame (seasons or specific periods).
- Detailed quality parameters required by each buyer.
- Information on buyer sourcing channels (direct purchasing, auctions, etc.)
- Company ethos
- Feasibility and desirability to work with smallholder women farmers.
3. Identify Buyer Services
- Investigate and document any additional services offered by potential buyers that could benefit the women producers.
- Examples include:
- Production contract
- Trainings on sustainable practices
- In-kind financing options
- Insurance options
|
- Methodology for identifying and vetting potential buyers.
- A comprehensive buyer directory of potential buyers, including detailed information for each buyer as outlined in the scope of work.
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6
|
|
4. Prioritize Sustainable and Women-Focused Buyers
- Prioritize buyers who demonstrate a commitment to sourcing from women-owned agricultural businesses.
- Prioritize buyers who value commodities produced using sustainable agricultural practices.
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A report summarizing any identified buyer services that could benefit women producers.
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2
|
|
5. Integrate Market Trends
- Research market trends and trade patterns relevant to the identified market opportunities nationally and internationally.
- Forecast the market of the identified crops.
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A summary report analyzing market trends and trade patterns impacting the identified market opportunities
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4
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Final report on Market Assessment
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All reports compiled into one comprehensive report for summarization of overall findings
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2
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Targeted Value Chains
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Soya
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Baobab
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Groundnuts
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Tigernuts
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Sesame
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Fruit trees
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Mushrooms
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Maize
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Shea
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Rice
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Baskets
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Sorghum
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Required Skills or Experience
Skills and Experience
1. Research and Market Analysis:
- Proficiency in market research, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
- Knowledge of raw commodity and value-added product market dynamics.
2. Understanding of market trends and trade patterns, nationally and internationally.
3. Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness:
- Knowledge of agricultural value chains and economics in developing contexts.
- Familiarity with sustainable agricultural practices and their economic impact.
4. Buyer Identification and Vetting:
- Experience in identifying and evaluating potential buyers and assessing the feasibility of working with smallholder women farmers.
5. Networking and Relationship:
- Skills in establishing relationships with buyers, producers, and other stakeholders, and navigating various channels for connecting farmers with markets.
6. Sustainable Agriculture and Women's Empowerment:
- Understanding challenges and opportunities faced by women in agriculture and commitment to sustainable practices and women's empowerment initiatives.
7. Data Compilation and Reporting
- Proficiency in compiling and summarizing data into comprehensive reports and creating buyer profiles with detailed information.
8. Analytical and Forecasting Skills
- Strong analytical skills for forecasting market trends and the potential of identified crops and interpreting data for effective planning.
