CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Development of Training Manuals and Tools on Inventory Management, Demand Forecasting, and
Financial Sustainability for Cooperatives and Farmer Business Schools (FBS)
1. Organizational Background
Kilimo Trust (KT) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) specializing in the design and
implementation of sustainable agribusiness solutions in Rwanda and across East Africa. For more than 20 years, Kilimo Trust has worked collaboratively with agricultural value chain actors to co-develop interventions that enhance farm productivity, improve post-harvest management, expand access to finance and appropriate technologies, and facilitate entry into local and export markets. These efforts contribute to increasing incomes and employment opportunities for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses.
Kilimo Trust works in partnership with SNV Netherlands Development Organisation Rwanda under the Power for Food Partnership (P4FP), funded by the IKEA Foundation. The initiative promotes Regenerative Agriculture (RA) driven by the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) to transform agri-food systems.
Under this initiative, SNV collaborates with five organizations: Kilimo Trust Rwanda, EPD, HC4D, RCCDN, and PDN. The platform promotes the productive use of renewable energy within agri-food systems, linking energy access with regenerative agriculture, climate resilience, and improved livelihoods.
The P4FP Theory of Change is based on the premise that clean energy, when used productively in food systems and supported by enabling policies, evidence, and partnerships, can increase productivity, reduce costs and emissions, and strengthen resilience across agricultural value chains.
2. Background and Rationale
Cooperatives and Farmer Business Schools (FBS) play a critical role in agricultural inputs distribution, aggregation of produce, and market linkages for farmers. However, many cooperatives and distribution hubs face operational inefficiencies due to limited capacity in:
- Inventory management and stock control
- Demand forecasting and market analysis
- Financial planning and sustainability
Weak inventory systems often lead to stock-outs, overstocking, and financial losses. Similarly, limited forecasting skills restrict the ability of cooperatives to anticipate seasonal demand and respond to market signals effectively.
To address these gaps, Kilimo Trust seeks to engage a qualified private company or consulting firm to develop training manuals, practical tools, and financial templates that will be used to train cooperative leaders and Farmer Business School managers.
3. Objective of the Assignment
The overall objective is to develop practical training manuals and tools that will support the training of cooperative leaders and FBS managers on inventory management, demand forecasting, and financial sustainability, thereby enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural distribution hubs.
4. Scope of Work
The selected company will be responsible for developing training materials and practical tools that support capacity building of cooperative leaders and FBS managers. The assignment will focus on three core areas:
a. Inventory Management
Develop a training manual covering:
- Stock control systems
- Record-keeping and documentation
- Inventory tracking methods (excel sheet manual)
b. Demand Forecasting
Develop training content addressing:
- Seasonal demand trends in agriculture
- Market signals and price trends
- Planning inventory based on demand projections
- Simple forecasting models suitable for cooperatives (excel sheet manual)
c. Financial Sustainability
Develop training materials focusing on:
- Costing and cost analysis
- Pricing strategies for agricultural inputs and outputs
- Budgeting and financial planning
- Profit tracking and financial monitoring
- Basic financial statement preparation for cooperatives (excel sheet manual)
d. Expected Deliverables
The assignment is expected to produce the following outputs:
I. Training Manual on Inventory Management
- Covering stock control and record-keeping systems.
II. Practical Inventory and Demand Forecasting Tools
- Stock control templates
- Record-keeping formats
- Reordering planning tools
- Demand forecasting tools incorporating seasonal trends, data analysis, and market signals.
III. Financial Management Tools and Templates
- Financial statement templates
- Costing and pricing models
- Budgeting formats
- Profit tracking tools suitable for cooperatives and FBS distribution hubs.
All materials should be user-friendly, practical, and adaptable for training purposes.
Target Beneficiaries
The developed materials will be used to train:
- Leaders of agricultural cooperatives
- Managers of Farmer Business Schools (FBS)
- Distribution hub operators involved in regenerative agriculture and PURE technologies
5. Required Qualifications and Experience
Interested companies should demonstrate:
- Proven experience in agribusiness training, cooperative development, or business
management training - Strong expertise in inventory management, demand forecasting, and financial management
- Experience developing training manuals and capacity-building materials
- Experience working with farmer cooperatives, NGOs, or development programs in Rwanda
6. Application Requirements
Interested companies are required to submit the following documents:
- Expression of Interest letter addressed to the Team Leader of Kilimo Trust Rwanda
- RDB Company registration certificate
- Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) Tax Clearance Certificate
- At least three recommendation letters or certificates of completion for similar or related
assignments in the last five years - Company profile detailing experience in business development and training services in
Rwanda
Submission of Applications
- Interested companies should submit their applications electronically to Kilimo Trust Rwanda before the indicated deadline.
- Only shortlisted companies will be contacted for further evaluation.
Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by using the following link https://r-
yes.com/supplier_application/411P0E8O
Deadline for application: 10th April 2026, 5:00pm Kigali Time