CALL FOR PROPOSALS: CLOSED

Are you passionate about sustainable agricultural supply chains? And are you serious about dismantling barriers and increasing equity along the supply chain? Are you driven to lead by example and implement a feminist development policy? Join us!

Submit your innovative project ideas to build more equitable and sustainable agricultural supply chains & contest existing systemic & normative inequalities!

Does Feminism Equal Fair? In our case it does. 

For more information please read the information below carefully or download the Call for Proposal Document using this link.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at feministandfair(at)giz.de.

Feminist & Fair: the Future of Supply Chains is organized by the Global Programme “Sustainability and Value Added in Agricultural Supply Chains” (GP AgriChains). The GP AgriChains promotes the sustainability of selected agricultural supply chains on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Find more information using this link.

© GIZ / Ranak Martin
© GIZ / Sven Schuppener
© GIZ / Jörg Böthling
© GIZ / Florian Kopp
© GIZ / Leslie Searles

Background

Seventy per cent of the 1.3 billion people living in poverty are women. Women are responsible for 50 to 80 per cent of the world's food production, yet they own less than 10 per cent of the land (Osman-Elascha 2012: 54). Up until today, women are denied the right to practice certain professions in over 100 countries and only 26 women are represented at the top of government. In Germany, 27% of the total population have a migration background, meanwhile, this only applies to 11% of the members of the German Parliament. To successfully meet the challenges of the 21st century, a rethinking of roles, needs, and challenges of marginalized groups is crucial: Barriers continue to impede access to essential knowledge and education opportunities; patriarchal and class origin-based social and cultural norms obstruct access to land, markets, education, and decision-making power.

More information on our understanding of Feminist Development Policy

Feminism in this context does not only refer to women and girls, although they represent the largest marginalized group worldwide. The concept of feminism or feminist development policy goes further and includes all politically marginalized groups. 

With the new coalition agreement, the German government has committed to a feminist development policy (Feminist development policy | BMZ). Feminist development policy addresses structural inequalities by addressing root causes of injustice, emphasizing equal rights, a fair distribution of resources, and equal representation of marginalized groups worldwide (3 R’s). In this context, social categories such as gender, ethnicity, or class are not viewed in isolation from one another (keyword: intersectionality). Feminist Development Policy does not just focus on women, but rather on power relations and gender equality more broadly, applying a rights-based and intersectional approach to development policy. 

More information on Intersectionality

Kimberlé Crenshaw, a law professor that coined the term intersectional feminism, describes it as “a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other” (Crenshaw 2020: n.p.). An intersectional approach acknowledges systemic discrimination due to sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, race, economic status, immigration status, national origin, and ability, among other aspects of one's identity, and that this systemic discrimination impacts access to opportunity. An intersectional approach to sustainable supply chains acknowledges that dominant existing structures erase the experiences of other less-privileged group members (Crenshaw, 1989; Liu, 2017).  More information can be found here.

Feminist & Fair: The Future of Agricultural Supply Chains is a Call for Proposals for consortia aiming to make global agricultural supply chains fair. Participating consortia should be ready to implement transformative pilot projects that challenge existing systemic and normative inequalities throughout agricultural supply chains. Projects align along the 3R's - resources, rights and representation - while providing a direct link to sustainable agricultural supply chains.

Project proposals can target multiple politically marginalized groups, who are either directly involved – i.e. production, processing, trade, etc. - or indirectly involved– i.e. through decision-making power in household, caretaker role, etc. - in agricultural supply chains. Overlapping and interdependent social categorizations or marginalization such as class, gender or sexual orientation may play a role and should be described accordingly.

At its core, Feminist & Fair is about promoting inclusion and social justice in agricultural supply chains, while looking through the intersectional lens.

Objectives of Feminist & Fair: The Future of Agricultural Supply Chains

The objective of the Call for Proposals is to make global agricultural supply chains fair. Consortia have the opportunity to realize (gender-) transformative projects and receive up to 50% of the total funds required for implementation.With this Call for Proposals, we invite Consortia to submit their ideas to dismantle systemic and normative inequalities that continue to inhibit equal participation and gains in agricultural supply chains.

Consortia are encouraged to develop projects in cooperation with various players along the supply chain - from the SHELF to the FIELD. Consortia are invited to apply with project concepts, that use the 3R’s of feminist development policy and the concept of intersectionality to sustainably transform agricultural supply chains. The focus of the project activities needs to be in at least one of the listed BMZ Partner Countries and the beneficiaries of the project must be directly or indirectly involved in one or more of the agricultural supply chains cited below .

At the time of application, a fully elaborated project proposal is not yet required. The pre-selected Consortia will further develop their concepts with the support of GIZ. Several winning Consortia may be selected. The winning Consortia will be responsible for the implementation of the project, which will by then have been fully developed.

Find below more details on the project concept and the eligible consortia.

 

The 3 R’s of Feminist Development Policy

All projects should substantially contribute to at least two of the 3R's of feminist development policy.
The implication is that the projects, in all their parts, strive to strengthen rights, representation and resources. Measures should respond to discrimination and (gender) inequality within the supply chain, taking intersectionality into account.  

Rights:

Projects should help women, girls and/or any other politically marginalized group fully realize their human rights (i.e. freedom of violence, sexual and reproductive health rights). Concrete, measurable actions targeting the barriers and discrimination hampering these groups to realize these rights should be clearly outlined. 

Representation:

Project proposals should address unequal structures and power relations within supply chains to improve the representation of women and politically marginalised groups in decision-making processes and to raise awareness of gender-related issues, seeking dialogue with women and representatives of politically marginalized groups at all levels. 

Resources:

Both human and financial resources should be allocated to promote equity along the agricultural supply chains. Targeted measures should contribute to equal access to resources for women, girls, and any other politically marginalised group.

Additionally, the project proposals should address diversity, leading by example and aiming to address social norms beyond the project scope by creating space for the inclusion of all politically marginalised groups, regardless of the specific target group for the project.

The Target Group

The beneficiaries of the project can be women, girls and/or any other politically marginalized groups of people. Project proposals can target several different groups or just one. Whichever the identified target group is, the project concepts must demonstrate an understanding of the diverse nature of the groups and the fact that we all carry multiple identities. For instance, in a project concept targeting women, additional intersecting identities such as class background, ethnicity, education level, marital status, ability, etc need to be considered. 

However, the beneficiaries must be directly or indirectly involved at any of the following stages of the below specified agricultural supply chains:

(1)    Input production
(2)    Production of the specified agricultural commodities
(3)    Processing and/or manufacturing of the commodity and/or
(4)    Local or regional trade of the commodity.

Supply Chain Focus

The project proposal must target beneficiaries who are involved in at least one or several of the following agricultural supply chains:

Geographic Focus

Project concepts must indicate in which Partner Country or Countries activities will be implemented. We encourage implementation in several Partner Countries as well as regional approaches stretching across several Partner Countries. The following countries are possible Partner Countries:

Expected Impacts

All projects must contribute to the overall objective of creating more sustainable and fair agricultural supply chains (3R’s). Additionally, all projects must contribute to indicator 1 ‘Capacity building’ and at least one additional indicator of the list below. In addition to collecting quantitative data, consortia will be required to include success stories or case studies to illustrate impacts of the project.

More information on the indicator (1) Capacity Building

Number of people (disaggregated by gender and politically marginalized groups) involved in agricultural supply chains who confirm to have increased their capacities.

Examples of Result Required Method
(1) Trainings have…. 
… Increased capacities of the target group to access decent work within and along the agricultural supply chain 
… Enabled women and/or other politically marginalized groups to benefit equitably from project trainings and technology transfer
…Enabled women, girls, and/or other politically marginalized groups to access formal or informal employment
…Enabled trainees to use the newly gained access to information on marketing, pricing, and value addition.
… Increased capacities of the target group to understand and use financial, banking, and business services effectively
Indicate the number of people trained (total) and proportion (%) that confirms increased competencies by category of capacity (financial skills, market information, leadership skills, etc.), disaggregated by % of women and men and/or politically marginalized groups.
Or include an informed assumption on number of women that benefit from improved services of trained intermediaries.

Choose at least one more of the below indicators. Please note that indicators 2 (income) and 3 (innovation) have pre-designed methods, while you can suggest a SMART indicator suitable to your project design, which will be assessed and if required adapted.

More information on the indicator (2) Increase in income/wages (Resources)

Economic Empowerment of women and other politically marginalized groups as per pre-defined indicator(s):

  • Number of smallholder farmers (disaggregated by gender and marginalized groups) that benefit from an increase in their income 
  • Number of employees (disaggregated by gender and marginalised groups) within supported agricultural enterprises (e.g., farms, farmer associations etc.) as well as up- and downstream enterprises in the Partner Country/ies 
     
Examples of Results Required Method
(1)    Increased productivity by women and other politically marginalized groups in the agricultural supply chain
-    Increased access
-    Increased ownership of productive resources and assets
-    Increased security of land tenure and usage rights
(2)    Women and other marginalized groups who participated in training have gained access to higher paid employment.
(3)    Women and/or other marginalized groups incorporated into sustainable agricultural supply chains have experienced a rise of income. 
 
Structured interviews of smallholder farmers / employees within an agricultural enterprise to assess the change in income over change time (increase yes / no, how much) and benefit of the increase in income.
More information on the indicator (3) Innovative Approaches to achieve more equitabel supply chains

Number of (gender) transformative innovations introduced. Please suggest a SMART Indicator in accordance with your project designs as per the examples and method indicated below.

 

Examples of Results Required Method
(1)    Women and other politically marginalized groups supported have an improved economic, labour, human rights situation
(2)    Improvement of the target groups views and levels of satisfaction regarding workplace practices and complaints (e.g., recruitment, pay, conditions, promotion, health and safety, sanitation facilities, affordable child-care options)
(3)    Increased ownership of assets by women including changes in the amount and types of assets owned by women (sole and joint ownership with men), such as land, housing, telephones, and other assets for enterprise development
Please indicate number of transformative innovations introduced. Please add a description of the innovation, who will benefit from it, why is it gender transformative, how it benefits the target group and the expected number of beneficiaries in the target region. 
More information on the indiactor (4) on Representation

Please suggest a SMART Indicator in accordance with your project designs as per the examples and method indicated below

Examples of Results Required Method
(1)    Increased membership of women and other politically marginalized groups in decision-making positions in cooperatives, associations, representative functions, etc.
(2)    Strengthened capacity of rural development agencies to ensure women, other politically marginalized groups and men benefit equitably
Indicate the number of people with increased representation disaggregated by % of women and men and/or other politically marginalized groups. 
More information on the indicator (5) on Empowerment

Please suggest a SMART Indicator in accordance with your project designs as per the examples and method indicated below

Examples of Results Required Method
(1)    Women and other politically marginalized groups empowered to play a greater role in the management of local markets, e.g., participating in leadership positions in market women vendors’ associations
(2)    Women and other politically marginalized groups empowered to play an increased decision-making role in their households and communities.
(3)     Women’s and other politically marginalized groups control over income (their own earnings and bank accounts, and other family income) has increased; 
(4)    Men as allies: increased support by men for women’s economic and social empowerment, e.g., through awareness and training activities targeted at men and boys on women’s economic- and human rights. 
(5)    Fight sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms, through prevention, protection, support, assistance, and justice.
Assessment of empowerment (change over time) through questionnaires (baseline and annual assessment). Focus should be on the type of empowerment, changes in perceptions among men and male leaders of the benefits of women’s economic empowerment, changes in the gender division of labor reported by women and men (e.g., men undertaking domestic work, or women working in nontraditional income-earning roles, etc. 

You are free to add additional indicators that are specifically tailored to measure the effects, results and impacts of your project.

© GIZ / Frederik Oberthuer
© GIZ / Thomas Imophotothek.net
© GIZ / Hamish John Appleby
© GIZ / Lisa Feldmann
© GIZ
© GIZ / Florian Kopp

Criteria for Application

Criteria for Project Concept

In line with the described objectives of this Call for Proposals, project concepts are expected to meet the following requirements:

  • The beneficiaries of the project are women, girls and/or other politically marginalized groups working in one or several of the specified Partner Countries.
  • The beneficiaries must work in or along at least one of the specified agricultural supply chains. Multi-/Cross-Commodity projects are encouraged.
  • The project serves at least two of the 3R’s of feminist foreign policy and contributes to at least two of the specified indicators.
  • The project must contribute to sustainable agricultural supply chains.
  • The project has a duration of 18 months to three years beginning in the first quarter of 2023. 
  • The total volume of the project is between one and two million Euros (including the contribution of all partners).
  • The Consortium contributes of at least and preferably more than 50% of the total volume. The own contribution of the International Company/ies to the Consortium’s share shall be at least 25%. Own contributions can be made financially or in-kind (e.g., by assigning own personnel) and shall be quantified.
  • The project would not take place without the BMZ/GIZ funding (subsidiarity). The content of the project must serve as a pur­pose other than the mere compliance with legal requirement of the Consortium partner/s.
  • Each Consortium is only allowed to submit one project concept in the same constellation.
  • Activities which are already financed or supported by GIZ, or other donors are not eligible for funding.
  • Purchases of materials and equipment can be foreseen within the project but should not exceed 30% of the total budget. At the end of the project, these purchases need to be handed over to a non-profit or public organisation. In the case of material goods that continue to be available to a private enterprise for economic use after the end of the project, only the depreciation during the contract period is eligible for reimbursement.

Criteria for Consortia

We invite Consortia to apply with their project concepts corresponding to the criteria below.

  • A Consortium must consist of minimum two Consortium partners. There is no maximum number of Consortium members.
  • At least one of the Consortium partners is an International Company.
  • At least one Consortium Member is a Local Entity. Local Entities may only apply in conjunction with an International Company or International Association.
  • Optionally, one or more International Associations may participate as further Consortium partners.
  • The Consortium does not need to be formalized via an agreement (e.g., joint venture agreement or consortium agreement).
Criteria to Qualify as an “International Company”
  • An international operating commercial company, partnership, or other entity. 
  • Active in the trade, processing and/or procurement of the specified agricultural commodities (raw or processed).
  • At least EUR 1,000,000 annual turnover 
  • Sufficient financial stability and liquidity to provide the necessary own contribution (minimum 25% of project volume). 
Criteria to Qualify as “Local Entity”
  • Any company, partnership, association, cooperative, foundation, organisation, research institution or NGO
  • Head office or major part of activities in one or more Partner Countries.
  • The Local Entity must not be non-profit but must be entitled to receive financing from GIZ. A local company can be eligible for funding from GIZ, if the project has a developmental benefit.
  • The Local Entity also qualifies as a Consortium member if it is a local office or branch of an international entity, organisation, or association. However, it is desirable and encouraged to include local actors that are independent of the International Company. Local offices or branches of International Companies may become Consortium members, but they are not eligible for funding. Their role would have to be based on own contributions.

Please note: Internationally operating companies that are not active in the trade, processing and/or procurement of the specified agricultural supply chains do not count as International Company as defined in this Call for Proposals. However, this company may participate as International Association in a Consortium together with at least one International Company and at least one Local Entity.

Criteria to Qualify as “International Association”

Any other association, organisation, partnership, cooperative, foundation, research institution, university, standard-setting organization, or NGO active in the field of international development cooperation or having an international focus with their head office in the EU or any other country not listed in the OECD DAC List of ODA Recipients.

Contract and Duration

Depending on the proposed project concept of the Consortium, GIZ will offer the conclusion of (1) a cooperation agreement with the selected Consortium, (2) a grant agreement with the Local Entity/ies and/or (3) a grant agreement with the International Association(s).

The International Company shall not receive any financial support or other benefit from GIZ, nor will GIZ place any order with the International Company in the context of the selected project. The maximum funding period is up to 3 years.

Technical Guidance for an Estimation of the Project Costs
  • Personnel costs can be calculated as in-kind contribution by estimating daily rates of the employees involved. The estimated daily rates should correspond to pure direct costs. The following formula may serve as orientation: (monthly gross salary + social security dues such as employer’s social security and company pension scheme contributions) * (number of months’ salary p.a. + any summer/Christmas bonuses) / 220 working days
  • Purchase prices for materials and equipment or capital goods are eligible as own contribution if they are handed over to a public-benefit or public-sector organisation at the end of the project. In the case of capital goods that are not handed over to a public-benefit or public-sector organisation after the end of the project, only depreciation occurring during the contract term is eligible. For depreciation, an average utilisation of five years or more is assumed (i.e., max. 20% p.a.). PCs/computer hardware and software are an exception and are depreciated over three years (i.e., at 33% p.a.).
  • For self-manufactured materials and equipment, only the prime costs (not including mark-up or development costs), or the depreciation on the direct costs, can be considered.
  • If used machinery is acquired, only the amounts invoiced to and paid by the company or organisation are relevant. If a used machine is brought in from the company’s or organisation’s existing inventory, only the evidenced book value can be considered.
  • Technology already developed and invested in can be counted as in-kind contribution based on the rules for materials and equipment or capital goods described above.

Selection Process and Timeline

The process of the Feminist & Fair Call for Proposals can be separated into the following steps:

More details here

1. Call for Proposals:

With the Call for Proposals published on July 4th, 2022, consortia are presented an opportunity to submit project proposals for the competition. The deadline to hand in the short concept is August 1st, 2022.

2. Pre-selection:

Up to ten project concepts will be shortlisted based on the selection criteria.

3. Project development:

The pre-selected Consortia will then have four weeks to elaborate their concepts into a full project proposal. The GP AgriChains will offer an equal amount of support, e.g., on administrative requirements, but also technical support on the project concept to all Consortia.

4. Final selection:

The Consortia will submit the full project proposal and present their projects to the independent selection committee. The final decision will be taken by the selection committee based on pre-announced final selection criteria. Awardees shall be informed by e-mail.

5. Conclusion of contract:

The aim is to finally select up to five Consortia. GIZ will conclude a cooperation agreement with each of such five Consortia and a grant agreement with the respective Local Entity or International Association participating in the respective Consortium.

Evaluation Criteria for Pre-Selection

The evaluation of the project proposals will be done by a selection committee made up of representatives from GIZ, BMZ, and experts on the topic of Feminist Development Policy.

The following criteria will be used for the pre-selection:

More Information on the Quality of the Project Concept 50%
  • Plausible aims and objectives and coherence with 3Rs of Feminist Development Policy
  • Identification and inclusion of relevant stakeholders
  • Well-illustrated understanding of the target group and application of intersectional lens
  • Plausible and well-developed project description
  • Level of intended impact as well as probability of the impact to be achieved
  • Degree to which the project is likely to change social norms beyond the project beneficiaries
  • Level of novelty, innovation, and transformative nature of project design
  • Sustainability of project results beyond the project duration
  • Potential for scaling up/replicating project activities
  • Description of risks impacting project performance and mitigation strategy
More Information on the Quality of the Consortium 40%
  • Experience working on sustainability challenges and/or on equity issues in agricultural supply chains
  • Experience in working in the proposed partner country/-ies
  • Composition of the Consortium
  • Motivation of Consortium to address equity and sustainability in supply chains
More Information on the Financial Contribution by the Consortium 10%
  • A higher share of the Consortium in the total volume is evaluated positively
  • Cohesive and well-thought through project budget
© GIZ / Daniel Brombacher
© GIZ
© GIZ / Jörg Böthling
© GIZ / Leslie Searles
© GIZ / Sumi Teufel
© GIZ / Ranak Martin

How to Apply

Applicants who are interested in submitting their project concept must complete the specific form on the website www.feministandfair.de and submit it before the deadline on Monday, August 1st, 2022, at 23:59 CEST. All applications must be submitted in English.

Go to the website, click on ‘Apply here’, and fill in the required information. Download the two documents ‘Consortium Members’ and ‘Project Concept’, fill them out and upload them. Press ‘Send’. Other formats or documents will not be accepted.

There will be a Q&A session taking place on July 13th, 2022, from 12.30 – 14.00 CEST. To register for the Q&A session, please contact us via the email address feministandfair(at)giz.de.

Contract Agreements with Winning Consortia
  • GIZ will fund up to 50% of the total project volume and provide project support for the winner Consortia.
  • A cooperation agreement is an agreement between GIZ and the Consortium. In this agreement, the different roles and contributions of the different Consortium partners as well as GIZ will be defined. No Consortium member assumes any contractual responsibility for the other Consortium members. Each Consortium member will be responsible for their own activities and contributions within the project. The winning Consortia will be responsible for the implementation of the proposed project.
  • The contracting party of such grant agreement will be either a Local Entity or an International Association. Additional Consortium members (Local Entity/ies and/or International Association/s) who should also receive financial contributions may be integrated in the grant agreement as sub-recipients.
Additional Terms and Conditions
  • The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with headquarters in Eschborn and Bonn, Germany, (‘GIZ‘) is the organiser of Feminist & Fair.
  • Participation in this Call for Proposals does not constitute an entitlement to conclude a contract with GIZ nor to receive any financial contribution from GIZ.
  • GIZ reserves the right to exclude participants who provide false or incomplete information. In such a case, it is also possible that financial contribution by GIZ may be subsequently withdrawn. GIZ will ask for a statement in case of suspicion. If this remains unanswered, GIZ reserves the right to exclude the participant from the Call for Proposals.
  • If a selected Consortium does not take advantage of the financial contribution, GIZ reserves the right to decide at its own discretion what to do with the financial contribution.
  • GIZ reserves the right to react transparently to unforeseen circumstances by changing or cancelling the Call for Proposals, especially in the event of manipulation or if the execution of the Call for Proposals is endangered.
  • Should any clause of these terms and conditions be invalid, the validity of the remaining terms and conditions shall remain unaffected.
  • Recourse to the courts is not permitted.
References

Crenshaw, K., in: Steinmetz, K. (2020): She Coined the Term ‘Intersectionality’ Over 30 Years Ago. Here’s What it Means to Her Today., TIME Magazine, URL: https://time.com/5786710/kimberle-crenshaw-intersectionality/ (last viewed: 19.05.2022).

Gardner, T.A. et al (2019): Transparency and sustainability in global commodity supply chains, Elsevier Journal, World Development 121 (2019)

Osman-Elascha, B. (2012): Women...In the Shadow of Climate Change. UN ChronicleVolume 46, Issue 4, Apr 2012, p. 54 – 55

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Project Concept
What is covered under the targeted agricultural supply chains ‘spices’?
  • The project can focus on the agricultural supply chain of spices, however not herbs.
  • All agricultural commodities that count as spices are accepted. This includes, for example, vanilla, rooibos, cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, and ginger.
Can a project focus on multiple-commodities and/or various Partner Countries?
  • All projects must focus on at least one of the specified agricultural supply chains in at least one or more of the specified Partner Countries. Hence, it is possible, for example:
    The project focuses on one commodity in one Partner Country.
    The project focuses on multiple commodities in one Partner Country.
    The project focuses on one commodity in several Partner Countries.
    The project focuses on multiple commodities in several Partner Countries.
  • If several Partner Countries are addressed or a regional approach stretching across several Partner Countries is proposed, the time and financial resources must be planned appropriately
  • Further, if more than one International Company applies in a multiple-commodity project, each selected agricultural supply chain must be covered by at least one International Company that is active in the trade, processing and/or procurement in all the speci­fied agricultural supply chains.
Can the project also focus on an agricultural commodity that is not among the specified targeted agricultural supply chains?
  • The project must focus on at least one of the specified targeted agricultural supply chains.
  • Only selected activities that target the beneficiaries regarding income diversification may include additional other agricultural commodities that are not among the specified targeted agricultural supply chains. However, the primary focus must be on one or several of the agricultural supply chains as specified in the Call for Proposals.
Who are the beneficiaries of the proposed projects?
  • The beneficiaries of the project must be women girls and/ or any other politically marginalized group of people. The beneficiaries must be indirectly or directly involved in the specified agricultural supply chains.
Can the project target beneficiaries who are already financed or supported by GIZ, but on different activities?
  • The project can target beneficiaries who are already financed or supported by GIZ or others, if the activities proposed are not yet financed or supported by GIZ or any other party.
Are proposals accepted that are purely applied research or analytical in nature?
  • No, it is not possible to apply with a project exclusively on research.
Can financial services provided to the beneficiaries be part of the project? Or can cash premiums paid to farmers be considered as a contribution?
  • Financial services provided to the beneficiaries can be counted as project contributions if they are additional to already existing support.
  • Cash contributions to farmers, for example, can be counted as project contribution if they have not been paid before and if they are linked to at least one of the focus topics of Feminist & Fair.
Consortium
Can an organisation such as an NGO or company apply individually or only in a Consortium?
  • It is not possible to apply individually. Only a Consortium that fulfils the Call for Proposals criteria (see ‘Who can apply’ in the Call for Proposals) can apply.
  • Any applying Consortium shall consist of at least two Consortium partners, including:
    - at least one of the Consortium partners is an International Company
    - at least one of the Consortium partners is a Local Entity, ideally in each Partner Country and
    - optionally, one or more International Associations may participate as further Consortium partners.
Does this mean that additional private sector partners can be included at a later stage? How to handle it when the private sector partner is not yet known (consortium in the making)?
  • As long as the minimum criteria (one international company and one local entity) are fulfilled, it is possible to announce additional consortium members at a later date.
  • Unfortunately, GIZ does not have the capacity to support matching consortium partners with local partners. This is up to those initiating the consortium.
Can more than one International Company participate in one Consortium?
  • Yes, it is possible that more than one International Company participate in a Consortium, if at least one Local Entity in the Partner Country is also included.
  • Further, if more than one International Company applies in a multiple-commodity project, each selected agricultural supply chain must be covered by at least one International Company that is active in the trade, processing and/or procurement in all the specified agricultural supply chains.
  • The participating International Companies can also share the minimum requirement of 25% share of the Consortium’s own contribution.
Can a Consortium submit more than one project concept?
  • Each Consortium (same constellation of Consortium members) is only allowed to submit one project concept. A Consortium member may participate in different Consortia (with different Consortium members), though.
Does a non-operating holding company qualify as an International Company?
  • Yes, it is possible, if its subsidiary companies are active in the trade, processing and/or procurement of the specified agricultural supply chains. The non-operating holding company must have a significant influence on the subsidiary companies. Please explain, when filling out the application form ‘Consortium Members’ – main activities.
Can a Country Office of UN Organisations (e.g. UNDP, FAO, UNEP etc.) be considered as the Local Entity as part of a consortium?
  • A Country Office of a UN Organisation does not qualify as a Local Entity. However, a Country Office of a UN Organisation qualifies as an International Association.
Is the Consortium eligible if the International Company has a shareholding in the Local Entity?
  • Yes, this is possible. However, it is desirable and encouraged that more local actors are included that are independent from the International Company.
Does an internationally operating company that provides goods or services for stakeholders in the supply chain count as International Company?
  • Internationally operating companies that are not active in the trade, processing and/or procurement of the specified agricultural supply chains, for example consultancy or service providers, do not count as an International Company. However, these companies may participate as International Association in a Consortium together with at least one International Company and at least one Local Entity.
Can an International Company or an International Association apply as “Consortia in preparation” without a Local Entity?
  • We unfortunately cannot accept applications from Consortia that do not fulfil the minimum Criteria (minimum 2 partners: one Local Entity and one International Company).
Finances
What is the minimum contribution of the Consortium to the project?
  • The total volume of the project is between one and two million euros (including the below-mentioned own contribution).
  • The Consortium makes an own contribution of at least and preferably more than 50% of the total budget. A higher share of the Consortium in the total volume is evaluated positively.
  • The International Company’s own contribution to the Consortium's share (not the total project volume!) should be at least and preferably more than 25%. If more than one International Company is part of the Consortium, they can share the requirement of a contribution of at least 25% to the total share of the Consortium.
  • Own contributions can be made financially and/or in-kind (e.g., by assigning own personnel). The own contribution can be made 100% financially or 100% in-kind or shared between financial and in-kind contributions. There is no distribution rule. Contributions should be reasonably calculated, plausible and designed to make the most sense for the project and impact achievement.
Is it possible to exceed the maximum 2 Mio EUR of the project budget?
  • Yes, it is possible to exceed the maximum budget of 2 Mio EUR. However, GIZ contributes a maximum of 1 million EUR. If the full project budget exceeds 2 million EUR, the consortium must cover the extra costs.
What is considered in-kind contribution?
  • An in-kind contribution is a contribution of a good or a service other than money (i.e. staff costs, services, or equipment).
  • There is no limit of in-kind contributions (in % of total contribution by consortium members).
  • Costs for materials and equipment can be foreseen within the project but should not exceed 30% of the total volume and not exceed 30% of the public funds (GIZ Contribution). When procuring pesticides and/or medicines financed by the GIZ contribution, compliance with the GIZ procurement policy is a must.
  • If materi­als and equipment are purchased, these items need to be hand­ed over to a non-profit or public organisation at the end of the project. If materials and equipment continue to be available to a private enterprise for economic use after the end of the project, only the depreciation during the contract period is eligible for reimbursement.
Can the purchasing of the selected agricultural commodities from the beneficiaries of the project be considered as a contribution?
  • Economic activities that are carried out anyway (independently from the project) by the business partner cannot be considered as contributions to the project.
  • This is to be distinguished from the recognition of costs from the use of capital goods of the partners for the project (e.g. machines, software licenses etc.), which are indicated in the application document under ‘procurement of goods’ and/or ‘other costs/consumables’. The aim is to mobilize resources for the projects from the partners' side. The project is intended to have an additional impact beyond the day-to-day business.
Can we apply even if we are already receiving funding from GIZ?
  • If you are receiving funds via a Grant Agreement, the same activities cannot be financed anew.
Can overhead costs be accounted for in the budget?
  • For the recipient of the Grant Agreement a percentage may be entered for administration costs if it would be disproportionately time consuming to work out specific project-related administration costs and provided that the lump sum appears to be set at an appropriate level.
Can travel expenses of International Companies be accounted for in the budget (and hence, as own contribution)?
  • If travel contributes to the achievement of the project's objectives and is an integral part of achieving impact, then travel costs may be listed at appropriate levels.
Is it possible to apply with an existing project, that will be scaled up? Can already invested funding be considered as contribution?
  • Consortia may apply with a component of an existing project, provided that the activities proposed are not yet financed or supported by GIZ or any other party, and that the project component meets the qualification criteria listed in the Call for Proposals. Activities which are already financed or supported by GIZ or other donors are not eligible for funding.
  • If previous activities are being scaled-up, a level of learning and development from the past project activities must be incorporated into the project design and demonstrated in the application.
  • If the project in case of scaling-up requires the use of in-kind services (materials and equipment or capital goods) that were procured for the previous project, only the proportional costs (depreciation) can be recognized. Non-recurring expenses incurred for the existing project cannot be considered as a contribution.
Can the contributions of the Consortium Partner be phased?
  • All projects must have a duration of 18 months to 3 years, ready to start implementation in the first quarter of 2023. When which consortium partner contributes what amount to the project over the duration of the project should be planned by the Consortium in a way which makes most sense for the project.
How will the own contribution of the Consortia be reported and verified?
  • When submitting all project progress reports and final reports, the Cooperation Partner shall report to GIZ the costs it has actually incurred in providing the contribution. The notification of the Cooperation Partner's own contribution must indicate the nature and scope of activities conducted.
  • No voucher-based reporting is conducted. However, the Cooperation Partner shall ensure that it keeps all documents, that these documents are drawn up with due commercial prudence, and that they can be submitted to or inspected by GIZ on request. The Cooperation Partner hereby undertakes to provide further information if required.
Can Local Entities that are companies receive public funding?
  • Local companies, except local offices or branches of International Companies, are generally eligible for funding if the project is a development project.
Can public funds be awarded to more than one Consortium partner? Does GIZ conclude more than one grant agreement per Consortium?
  • Preferably, one of the Consortium members becomes the main recipient (signatory) of the grant agreement and will then be responsible for managing the GIZ grant. The main grant recipient may re-distribute the funds to other eligible Consortium members (Local Entity/ies and/or International Association/s) as sub-recipients.
  • Although less desirable, it is also possible to award public funds to several Consortium members via separate Grant Agreements. However, it is preferred to award the grant to one main recipient, who will then be responsible for administrating the forwarding of funds.
Can premiums paid by companies be included as match-funding contributions?
  • It depends – usually premiums are linked to services, i.e. certification schemes, the costs for which could be covered in the context of the project.
  • Investments of beneficiaries do not count as match-funding contributions as they are not part of the consortium. This could only be the case if they were included as a local entity, i.e. in the context of a farmer cooperative.
Indicators
If the project covers several countries, do all countries have to contribute to the same indicators?
  • The project must contribute to at least two of the specified indicators (indicator 1 on capacity building is compulsory).
  • Likely the project concept including the selected indicators will be the same across all countries. In case one country has a different approach and will not contribute to an indicator to the same extend or not at all, that is also acceptable as long as it is explained in the concept. It is most important that the project reports on at least two indicators, and additional indicators should be selected and reported, also the country-specific ones. Indicators should be selected based on what makes most sense for the project.
Why is there an overlap between the indicators?
  • The indicators are specified on page 6 of the Call for Proposals Chapter 2.5. “Expected Impacts”.
  • All projects must contribute to the overall objective of creating more sustainable and fair agricultural supply chains and at least 2 of the 3R. This must be reflected in the project concept and the indicators.
  • However, only Indicator 1 on Capacity Building is mandatory. If your consortium decides to use indicators 2 and/or 3, we ask that you please apply the required method.
  • Further indicators are up to your project design. We have simply provided a few examples you may use. These are however not mandatory.
Are there any priority indicators other than indicator 1 ‘Capacity building’?
  • The project must contribute to at least two of the specified indicators (indicator 1 on capacity building compulsory).
  • There is no other compulsory indicator other than indicator 1 (capacity building). The project must contribute to at least 1 additional indicator under the specified five categories.
How are the levels of impact defined? Is there a definition or rating grid that exists?
  • Defining the levels of impact is left to the consortium depending on the areas of focus (at least 2 of the 3R’s in addition to focus on sustainable agricultural supply chains).
  • There is no existing rating grid or definition, this is left to the context of the proposed project. However, it is desirable to include indicators that measure impacts on a reach – benefit and – empowerment level (take a look at the following link: here)
  • If a consortium is selected for the project development phase, it will need to further plan and specify impact logic with the support of the Feminist & Fair Team.
Selection Process
How is ‘diversity of Consortium members’ defined?
  • This refers to the composition of the Consortium members. If more than one International Company is involved, reflecting different steps along the supply chain rather than the same might be beneficial. If more than one International Association and/ or Local Entity is involved, being active in differing fields of work might be beneficial.
Are projects that focus on more than one specified agricultural supply chain and/or more than one Partner Country given priority?
  • No, the quality of project is not evaluated by the number of agricultural commodities, or the number of Partner Countries addressed.
  • If addressing multiple specified agricultural supply chains or Partner Countries, or proposing a regional approach stretching across several Partner Countries, time and financial resources must be planned accordingly.
If the Consortium contributes more than the minimum 50% of the total project volume, will it be evaluated positively?
  • A higher share of the Consortium in the total volume is evaluated positively. Financial contribution by the Consortium counts 20% in the pre-selection process.
Others
What are the contract agreements with winning consortia?
  • Depending on the proposed project concept and composition of the Consortium, GIZ will conclude (i) a cooperation agreement with the selected Consortium and (ii) a grant agreement to channel GIZ’s financial contribution to the project.
  • A cooperation agreement is an agreement between GIZ and the Consortium. In this agreement, the different roles and contribu­tions of the different Consortium partners as well as GIZ will be de­fined. No Consortium member assumes any contractual responsi­bility for the other Consortium members. Each Consortium member will be responsible for their own activities and contributions within the project. The winning Consortia will be responsible for the imple­mentation of the proposed project.
  • The contracting party of a grant agreement will be either a Lo­cal Entity (except Local offices or branches of International Companies) or an International Association. Additional Consortium members (Local Entity/ies and/or International Association/s) who should also receive financial contributions may be integrated in the grant agreement as sub-recipients.
  • The International Company shall not receive any financial support or other benefit from GIZ, nor will GIZ place any order with the In­ternational Company in the context of the selected project.
What is the role of GIZ in the project implementation?
  • GIZ coordinates the initiative and provides technical backstopping for the winning consortia.
Do the proposals have to be handed in in English or can it also be French?
  • The proposals have to be handed in in English.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact us at feministandfair(at)giz.de