Company Profile

Nathan, a Cadmus Company is a leading provider of analytic and economic consultancy services worldwide. In the past decade, we have implemented more than 120 projects in more than 50 countries leveraging our global presence in Washington DC, London, and India. From improved transparency and deeper stakeholder engagement to more effective policies and more resilient businesses, we deliver results that impact economic growth, human development, and poverty reduction. We are passionate about applying our deep analytical expertise and advanced proprietary tools to generate economic solutions tailored to our clients’ unique challenges.  Nathan focuses on a range of economic development subject matter areas including Trade & Logistics; Economic Policy & Governance; Private Sector Development; Women’s Economic Empowerment; and Financial Solutions. 

Job Description

The Feed the Future Ghana Trade and Investment (hereinafter also referred to as GTI), implemented by Nathan Associates, is accepting applications that include concept notes from qualified applicants under this Annual Program Statement (APS).

Under the Ghana GTI Activity, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has authorized the issuing of Grants under the Contract(GUC) to Ghanaian private and non-governmental organizations, with the objective of implementation activities designed to address the enabling environment for Ghana’s economic growth by (1) facilitating growth in export-oriented trade; (2)improving and developing product standards; (3) catalyzing investments in private enterprises related to high-value commercial crops; (4) promoting job creation, particularly among women, youth and persons with disabilities; (5) promoting economic diversification; and (6) increasing foreign exchange revenues from high-value export crops.

The grants will be awarded and implemented in accordance with USAID and US Government regulations governing grants under contracts and Nathan Associates’ internal grant management policies.

BACKGROUND

The Feed the Future Ghana Trade and Investment activity is a five-year project financed by USAID and implemented by Nathan Associates. Agribusiness SMEs (producers, processors, traders, and service providers) have historically been constrained by several problems, including limited size and economies of scale, poor product quality, a lack of diversification and innovation, poor access to credit, cumbersome customs processes, and high costs of associated with agricultural inputs and logistics. These constraints have the combined effect of deterring competitiveness and export growth; utilization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); and job creation, particularly among women, youth, and persons with disabilities (marginalized populations). The underlying challenges to SME growth and diversification include a struggle to recognize the value of BDS providers’ services due to high costs and a lack of transparent pricing.

In parallel, some BDS providers show limited development of needed service offerings, impact measurement, differentiation based on market segment needs, ability to identify customers, and collection capacity. SMEs are often seen as risky investments given that the transaction costs associated providing SMEs with services are high, and that interest also rates are generally high. Women-owned businesses are further burdened due to property ownership, taxes, and other socially driven constraints. Nevertheless, Ghana’s culture of entrepreneurship and initiative, and Ghana’s diverse range of financers, offer an opportunity to incentivize SME growth; create robust and demand driven BDS services; and incentivize investment.

The lack of SME compliance with international standards, such as sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), can affect public health and continues to undermine the nontraditional export potential of goods sold domestically. Starting at the field and to the point of exit, poor identification and mitigation of pests and diseases lead to the rejection of exports by import authorities. These rejections indicate that challenges related to capacity and awareness exist at all levels of the value chain. These rejections can also result in minimal private sector demand and buy-in for quality assurance and quality control. With private sector demand for standards compliance driven by end-market access and the Government of Ghana’s (GOG) strengthened capacity to regulate and enforce adherence to these standards, Ghanaian SMEs have the opportunity to increase exports to the European Union (EU) and access new export markets, such as the United States.

Improved quality and productivity of exports must be complemented by a trade environment that allows for the secure, efficient clearance of imported and exported goods. Ghana ranks 158th out of 190  countries on the 2020 World Bank Doing Business Trading Across Borders (TAB) indicator, trailing behind neighboring Burkina Faso and Togo.

A 2018 report by USAID/Ghana’s Trade Africa: Trade Facilitation Project found that for a select group of key imports and exports, Ghana’s non-tariff barriers (NTBs) constitute about 55 percent of import prices and 41 percent of export prices. Unfavorable NTBs include duplication of documents and enforcement of border management agencies, slow Customs clearance, and inefficient port clearance processes. The introduction of a new, sophisticated electronic customs management system and Ghana’s position as host of the AfCFTA Secretariat create leverage points for improving its trade regime and position as a leading trade and investment hub in Africa.

Required Skills or Experience

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The program’s purpose is to address these problems by integrating the principles of enterprise-driven development and market systems development that spurs enterprise-level productivity and growth by improving the systems in which firms operate.

Through this approach, Nathan Associates will work to improve the quality of selected high-value agricultural goods and products by strengthening traceability systems, incentivizing SME awareness and use of these systems, and ensuring that SPS enforcement aligns with the national and international level; ii) identify and tackle time-in-trade costs through robust and integrated Risk Management (RM) systems, streamlined clearance procedures, and improved policy formulation through public-private dialogue; and iii) foster SME growth by improving linkages with BDS providers, anchor firms, exporters, and other service providers improving access to credit addressing the root causes of under- investment in agriculture, and building the capacity of marginalized populations to participate more fully in agribusiness and trade.

In this Annual Program Statement (APS), Nathan Associates will collaborate with partners to co-create, to initially test ideas through smaller seed funding and scaling them through performance-based mechanisms tied to measurable results.

TARGETED VALUE CHAINS

• Cowpea
• Mango
• Cashew
• Groundnuts
• Pineapple
• Soyabean
• Shea
• Maize
• Export Vegetables (chilli and okra)

AWARD INFORMATION

Nathan Associates anticipates awarding approximately

$2.5m in total throughout the solicitation period. The duration of any grant award under this solicitation is expected to be no more than 24 months. The total value of each award is estimated up to $150,000 as the amount of an award is dependent upon grant activities and final negotiation.The estimated start date of grants to be awarded under this solicitation is 3rd April 2023. The type of grant will be determined during the negotiation process and potential grantee contribution (i.e., cash or in-kind) will be an added advantage.

ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS

• Applicants must be a registered Ghanaian organization formally constituted, recognized by, and in good standing with appropriate governing authorities, and compliant with all applicable civil and fiscal regulations.
• Applicants may submit more than two concept papers per prime organization under this APS.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate successful past performance in the implementation of integrated development programs related to Nathan Associates’ priority areas.
• Applicants must have established outreach capabilities with linkages to the beneficiary group(s) identified in the program description.This should be reflected by the incorporation of the beneficiary perspective in the application.
• Applicants must display sound management in the form of financial, administrative, and technical policies and procedures and present a system of internal controls that safeguard assets; protect against fraud, waste, and abuse; and support the achievement of program goals and objectives. Nathan Associates will assess this capability prior to awarding a grant.
• Applicants must sign the following certification as part of their application package in response to this APS.
• Prohibition on Providing Federal Assistance to Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements – Representation (April 2015)
• Additionally, applicants must sign the following required certifications prior to receiving a grant. The certifications are attached to this solicitation (Annex E) and Nathan Associates’ will review them with applicants
• For any grant award(s) resulting from this solicitation that is other than in-kind and equivalent to US$25,000 or more, grantees will be required to provide a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number at the time of the award. If the applicant already has a UEI number, it should be included in their application. Otherwise, applicants will be expected to get a UEI number before an award is made. Nathan Associates will assist successful applicants with this process.
• The project will work with the successful grantee to draft a marking and branding plan which will be annexed to the grant agreement.
• Nathan Associates encourages applications from new organizations that meet the above eligibility criteria.