Call for expression of interest, Productive Alliance – Dominica

Introduction

The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica has received financing from the World Bank towards the cost of the Emergency Agricultural Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project (EALCRP) and intends to apply part of the proceeds towards the financing of the Productive Alliance. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy is the mandated government department to protect and sustainably leverage Dominica’s marine and terrestrial assets, and cultural heritage in a dynamic, social, and gender-inclusive manner aimed at enhancing food and nutrition security while contributing to economic growth and improving livelihoods.

The World Bank Group is an international financial institution founded to assist with major areas of development and to provide financial products and technical assistance to countries, enabling the application of innovative solutions to the challenges. The Emergency Agriculture Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project (EALCRP) is a project designed to contribute to the restoration of the agricultural livelihoods and enhancing climate resilience of farmers and fisherfolk affected by Hurricane Maria in Commonwealth of Dominica.

Background

A Productive Alliance (PA) is a formal agreement between a group of an organized group of farmers or Producer Organizations (PO) and a buyer for the provision of a certain good in specified quantities and quality standards.

The proposed Project Development Objective (PDO) of a Productive Alliance is to enhance access to markets and sales for competitively selected farmers and fishers, as well as their allied aggregators and agro-processors in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Farmers and fishers together with their allied aggregators and agro-processors must work together in a Productive Alliance (PA) to access support from the Project.

Rationale

The PA approach provides integrated solutions for addressing market limitations that constrain small-scale producer organizations’ socio-economic progress, such as:

a) Limited scale of production and low productivity as a result of poor knowledge of modern production practices; technologies and market requirements
b) Limited knowledge of entrepreneurial and management skills required to become more competitive and more resilient to economic and climatic shocks
c) Inadequate access to financial resources for productive investments to increase efficiency and comply with market requirements
d) Lack of direct access to buyers and markets to successfully integrate into local national and or international value chains
e) Inferior standing in market negotiations with buyers and input providers to obtain better prices and more stable market relations

Objectives

1. To resolve major constraints on Producer Organizations, access to markets
2. Engagement with the private sector to enable SMMEs to meet market demands for quality produce in required quantities within specified timelines
3. Help producer organizations and Commercial Partners to improve their technical, organizational, managerial and negotiation skills to enable the expansion of their market intelligence

Target Beneficiaries

Specific target groups fitting all listed criteria will be pre-qualified:

1. Aggregators/SMMEs, and Commercial Partners including wholesalers, trader’s, supermarkets, exporters and marketing entities
2. Aggregators/Producer organizations (PO) including Associations, Co-operatives or similar organizations with valid legal standing

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Must have a complete Concept Note (See Annex 1)
2. Must be a registered business (Companies Act 78.04 or Cooperatives Societies Act Chapter 78.03 under Revised Laws of Commonwealth of Dominica)
3. Must have an established or official place of operations including those within the non-food categories (i). Food and Non-Food Categories (ii) All Food categories must possess a group Food Handlers Permit
4. Must have listing of assets (20% for Producer Organizations; 30% for Commercial Partners)
5. Must have evidence of contractual arrangements

How to apply

The Ministry of Blue and Green, Agriculture and National Food Security through the Emergency Agriculture Livelihoods & Climate Resilience Project (EALCRP) now invites eligible Producers Organizations to submit a letter to express interest in participating in the Productive Alliance by preparing a Concept Note accompanied by relevant documents.

Expressions of interest must be submitted by JUNE 15th, 2023, midnight Eastern Caribbean time in written form (in person, or by mail, or electronically) to the address below:

Attn: Kervin Stephenson
Project Manager
EALCRP- PIU
Ministry of Blue & Green Economy Agriculture and National Food Security
First Floor, First Domestic Building
19-21 King George V Street, Roseau
Commonwealth of Dominica
Tel: (767) 3998/275 1948

E-mail: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]

Further information can be obtained at EALCRP- Project Implementation Unit (PIU) on the 1st Floor First Domestic Building, 19-21 King George V Street, Roseau

Tel: (767) 266-3998/275-1948 during office hours 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays and 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays

Website:  piu.agriculture.gov.dm