SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) has obtained funding from the International Climate Initiative (ICI) for a project entitled ‘Coffee Agroforestry and Forest Enhancement for REDD+ in Lam Dong’ (CAFÉ-REDD). The project aims to establish and develop a public-private-producer partnership (4P) for forest landscape conservation and restoration in one of Lam Dong’s most important forested landscapes - the Lang Biang Biosphere Reserve comprised of Bi Doup Nui Ba National Park and surrounding agricultural land in Lac Duong District.

The project has supported over 1,500 farmers in the district through the provision of over 400,000 coffee and tree seedlings, training of the farmers in better practices, formation of farmer groups, and establishing revolving funds managed by these groups for purchasing fertilisers. These activities allow farmers to rejuvenate coffee farms and introduce multi-purpose tree species (macadamia and persimmon) and improve the quality of their coffee and their marketing power. This results in diversifying their incomes an creating economic and climatic resilience.

Longer term sustainability and upscaling of the project’s activities is threatened by farmers’ lack of capital and/or access to credit to invest in seedlings and improved production methods. Especially with the very low coffee prices experienced in 2018/2019, many of the households do not earn enough to cover their farming and household expenses each year, getting further into debt. This debt is with social policy banks, women’s union, and traders/shops. An objective of the project is to identify risks and opportunities associated with improving financial access for farmers. The results will be used to help groups of farm households access finance (preferential loans) in support of sustainable coffee production models.

SNV is open for EOI for a qualified individual/organisation to conduct research into the link between access to finance of smallholder farmers and local enterprises (micro/small) and their ability to practice sustainable coffee farming and to identify the financial products and institutions that may deliver this. The research report will make some specific recommendations relevant to the coffee sector and Central Highlands that could be taken forward immediately in the design of new projects (donor, loan or government funded) or funding facilities. The Café-REDD+ project will also use this study to make some informed conclusions about how to increase access to finance for farmers and enterprises, and how this can support sustainability and climate resilience, in other nationally important agricultural and forestry (sub)sectors.

The goal of the assignment is to produce a research report on how improved access to finance can support long-term adoption of better farming practices by coffee farmers in Lac Duong and across Viet Nam, and to create recommendations for government and non-government stakeholders on short and medium-term actions they can make to facilitate such improved access.

In this regard, SNV Vietnam is seeking EXPRESSION OF INTEREST from interested organizations/ consultants to implement the assignment. The organizations eligible are legal entities/ individuals related to above mentioned field.

For more details on the Expression of Interest process, submission requirements, and evaluation details, please see corresponding sections below:

Interested organisations/ consultants should submit the following information:

Submission Requirements

1.  The applicants’ experience providing advisory or research services related to Vietnamese consumer finance and banking sector and experience in Central Highlands and coffee sector;

2.  Additional information on the applicant’s professional qualifications and CVs

3.  Business registration certificate of the company (if any)

Deadline for EOI Submissions

EOIs are due 17:00 on March 30th, 2021

Selection Process

SNV Vietnam will review all Expressions of Interest received in accordance with the guidelines and criteria in this solicitation. SNV Vietnam reserves the right to exclude any EOIs that do not meet the guidelines. Please note that SNV is unable to provide detailed feedback to those EOIs that are not selected.

Step 1: SNV Vietnam will shortlist selected EOIs, and unsuccessful respondents will be notified. Successful applicants will be contacted by SNV Vietnam.

Step 2: SNV Vietnam will release Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the specific activities and contract with the selected organization/ consultant.

Protection of Information

We request that Expressions of Interest responses be free of any intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Should offerors wish to include proprietary intellectual property that they believe would be helpful for SNV Vietnam, please note the proprietary nature of such information. Costing information will be kept confidential and will not be shared beyond SNV Vietnam.

Issuance of this EOI does not constitute a commitment, award, or engagement on the part of SNV Vietnam nor does it commit SNV Vietnam to any future commitment, award, or engagement.

Note: SNV Vietnam reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement in the EOI/or solicitation process at any time. If you have any queries, please communicate through [email protected].