Business Service Provider

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) invites applications for a Business Service Providers to support the Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura (RIISA) initiative.

MEDA’s work is built on a foundation of Mennonite business roots and faith-based values, within the global context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We believe business solutions are effective interventions to address poverty. Through a market-systems approach and strategic partnerships, MEDA enables access to finance and provides business and technical expertise to build transformative agri-food market systems that create decent jobs, allowing traditionally excluded groups to become active participants in a sustainable economy. MEDA welcomes all who share our values and want to join us in our mission. To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org.

Background

In the Philippines, MEDA is now on its third year of project implementation of its five-year Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura (RIISA) initiative. It strives for more resilience and inclusive economic growth for women and men cacao smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Mindanao, Philippines, from strengthened cacao market systems supported by investment. With a focus on Davao region and exposure to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), RIISA responds to multiple challenges in the Philippines cacao sector and draws on MEDA’s experience in market systems development, gender lens investing (GLI), gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), and environment and climate change (ECC).

RIISA is addressing cacao SHFs socio-economic challenges while contributing to market systems resilience (MSR) by i) mobilizing Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG)-focused investment for cacao sector small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and financial intermediaries (FIs); ii) strengthening the capacity, including GESI, human rights (HR), and ECC, of local FIs and business service providers (BSPs) to deliver better services and products to cacao SMEs and cooperatives; iii) strengthening the capacity of cacao cooperatives and smallholder farmers (SHFs) in environmentally sustainable and inclusive farming and business practices; and iv) improve key enabling environment actors’ awareness of ESG practices in the cacao market system.

In implementing the capacity strengthening program with wrap around investments and technical assistance (TA) for SMEs and FIs, and cooperatives, RIISA will engage qualified business service providers to provide the expertise and facilitation support needed. The expected immediate outcomes of this approach are i) increased integration of gendered environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into operations of businesses and financial intermediaries serving small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives in Mindanao cacao market system; ii) improved environmentally sustainable and inclusive business performance for SHFs and cooperatives in the cacao market system in Mindanao; and iii) Improved practice of relevant actors to promote best ESG practices in the cacao market system in the Philippines.

Scope of Work

MEDA seeks an experienced business and/or financial service provider (BSP) to do an assessment of the business capacity and performance of target cooperatives and SMEs in Davao region and BARMM. Based on the result of assessment, the BSP will co-develop an action plan with these cooperatives and SMEs to improve their Gendered Environment Social Governance (ESG) integrated business performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with RIISA Project Market Systems Technical Lead and RIISA Technical Specialists in reviewing and understanding MEDA’s Gendered-Environmental Social and Governance (G-ESG) investment readiness assessment tool for cooperatives and Environment Gender Equality Mainstreaming (E-GEM) tool for SMEs.

• Conduct the focused G-ESG investment readiness assessment of target 11 cooperatives and E-GEM assessment of the target 10 SMEs.

• Facilitate and co-develop an integrated ESG action plan based on the cooperative’s proposal, result of G-ESG investment readiness assessment, RIISA’s Integrated Market System Analysis, Baseline Study, Biodiversity Assessment, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Training Needs Assessment, and the Finance and Admin Due Diligence of selected 11 cooperatives.

• Facilitate and co-develop an integrated E-GEM action plan based on the SME’s proposal, result of E-GEM assessment, RIISA’s Integrated Market System Analysis, and the Finance and Admin Due Diligence of 10 SMEs.

• Prepare and submit the G-ESG investment readiness assessment report for the cooperatives assessed.

• Prepare and submit the E-GEM assessment report for the SMEs assessed.

• Finalize and submit the integrated ESG action plan of each of the 11 contracted cooperatives.

• Finalize and submit the E-GEM action plan of each of the 10 contracted SMEs for MEDA’s matching award.

Deliverables

A. With Cooperatives

• G-ESG investment readiness assessment and ESG focused action planning with 11 contracted cooperatives - August to December 2023
• Submit first draft of the G-ESG investment readiness assessment report and action plan (with general integrated GESI, ECC, and Investment readiness TA support program) for the 11 contracted cooperatives, for comments - 3rd Week of December 2023
• Submit the final version (in electronic copy) of the G-ESG investment readiness assessment report and ESG focused action plan (with general integrated GESI, ECC, and Investment readiness TA support program) for each of the 11 contracted cooperatives.  - 3rd Week of January 2024

B. With SMEs

• E-GEM investment readiness assessment and action planning with 10 contracted SMEs - August to December 2023
• Submit first draft of the E-GEM investment readiness assessment report and action plan (with general integrated GESI, ECC, and Investment readiness TA support program) for the 10 contracted SMEs, for comments - 3rd Week of December 2023
• Submit the final version (in electronic copy) of the E-GEM assessment report and action plan (with general integrated GESI, ECC, and Investment readiness TA support program) for each of the 10 contracted SMEs for MEDA’s matching award. - 3rd Week of January 2024

Qualifications & Selection Criteria

A. Generic and Mandatory:

• Legally registered in the Philippines and been providing business services to cooperatives or SMEs for at least three years. To provide a copy of the SEC or DTI registration or CDA registration, Business Permit, and BIR registration.

• RIISA Project prefers to partner with BSPs that have presence or intention to provide business services in Davao Region and BARMM.

• Can partner with MEDA, and willing to work closely with MEDA staff.

• Committed to the development and progress of cooperatives and SMEs in the Philippines.

• Committed to contribute to the development of cacao sector in Mindanao.

• Fulfill MEDA’s due diligence requirements:

  • BSP and staff are not involved in terrorist, illegal or criminal activities, including but not limited to drug, arms or sex trafficking, money laundering, violation of women’s rights and human rights.
  • BSP does not appear on the US, UK, UN, or EU lists of terrorist organizations.

• Local and financially stable organization/company. Need to provide 2-3 years audited FS.

• Has a contingency plan and mechanism in place to adapt to any health or travel restrictions.

B. Specific Expertise:

• Demonstrated expertise and experience in business development and management.

• Demonstrated expertise and experience in assessing investment readiness and business operations or performance of agricultural cooperatives and SMEs. Proponent needs to submit a sample of work on this.

• Demonstrated expertise and experience in co-developing an action plan with cooperatives and SMEs. Proponent needs to submit a sample of work on this.

• Experience in providing technical assistance to cooperatives and SMEs in achieving business growth and objectives, and meeting environmental, social, and governance considerations and standards.

• With technical knowledge on either of the following: cooperative and MSME governance; gender equality, social inclusion, and human rights; social entrepreneurship; cacao market system development; environmentally sustainable agriculture practices.

• Preference is given to the proponent that can provide technical assistance to both cacao cooperatives and SMEs and large companies on assessing investment readiness and integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into operations of businesses and financial intermediaries serving micro and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives.

Funding

• Funding will be discussed once an applicant is identified successful in the initial stage of assessment and selection.

Application Procedure

• Please upload your completed application through the BambooHR system by Friday, May 19 at 4:00 pm EDT
• Questions can be sent to: RIISA_Submissions@meda.org
• Applications will be reviewed by a committee of MEDA staff. Qualified BSPs will be selected and announced by June 30, 2023. Upon selection of BSPs, MEDA will enter a contract for the engagement.

Proponent shall follow the prescribed proposal format below and submit in electronic copy with the following information.

A. Contact Information

1. Organization’s Legal Name:
2. Mailing Address:
3. Main Contact Person and Title:
4. Telephone:
5. Email address:
6. Website, if available (Facebook, twitter):
7. SEC/CDA/DTI Registration Number:

B. Proposal Outline

1. Introduction (maximum half page): provide understanding of the ToR and how your organization or company can respond to the ToR’s requirements. Proponent to add a brief explanation on their motivation to partner with MEDA.

2. Capability Statement (maximum of one page):

3. 1. Briefly describe your organization’s business services provided, in relation to the expertise required by this ToR, in the last three years with specific information on the beneficiaries, contracting company/organization, and results of your engagements.
   2. Briefly describe the financial position of the organization/company.
   3. Briefly discuss the organization/company’s contingency plan and mechanism in place to adapt to the pandemic situation.
   4. Please include the contact details (contact person, phone, and email) of at least three (3) organizations/companies/cooperatives who can speak to the capability and credibility of your organization.
   5. Describe the qualifications of the personnel who will possibly be involved in the engagement.

3. Proposed Methodology (maximum of one page).

• • Adapting to existing MEDA’s tools, describe how the proponent will conduct an investment readiness assessment that integrate gendered environmental social and governance and facilitate action planning with target cooperatives and SMEs and ensure the desired outputs are achieved within six (6) months given any restrictions.
  • Discuss the strategy to ensure participation of women, youth and Indigenous peoples in the assessment and action planning process.

4. Proposed Work Plan (maximum of one page). Outline the activities, timeline, expected outputs, resources and the expertise needed.

5. Estimated Cost of the Engagement (in matrix format): Itemized cost and unit, and total cost.

6. Annex:

• SEC Certificate of Incorporation or DTI Certificate of Registration or CDA Registration, Business Permit, and BIR Certificate of Registration
• Audited Financial Statement for the past two to three years.
• Resume or CV of BSP staff who will work on this engagement.
• Work sample/s of BSP and the assigned staff