Request For Application (RFA)

Call for Application to Participate in Technical Training for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Teachers on Curriculum Delivery.

Feed the Future Rwanda Hanga Akazi (HA) Activity is a 5-year activity designed to facilitate growth leading to inclusive job creation and entrepreneurship in Rwanda’s agri-food system. Using a market systems approach, the Activity aims to support access to productive resources for enterprises and entrepreneurs in the agri-food system that are poised to grow and hire. The Activity will also work on the labor supply side through a workforce development component, linking demand from growing enterprises to curriculum development and training so that job seekers bring the skills employers need. The Activity will support increased entrepreneurship in the agri-food system, helping to identify areas of opportunities for entrepreneurs and connecting them with the supporting services—such as business development, access to finance, and market linkages— they need to succeed.

The Activity wishes to partner with competent training providers to build technical skills for TVET teachers, in curriculum delivery methodologies. The Activity has no geographic restriction and is therefore looking for partners throughout the country. Final funding levels will depend on quality of applications received, number of fundable applications received, market needs, availability of funding, suitability of the application in line with HA’s scope of work and competing priorities. Grants will be awarded competitively in amounts commensurate with their impact but shall not exceed the maximum amount of Frw 67,500,000 million.

Title	Feed the Future Rwanda Hanga Akazi Call for Partners
RFA No	RFA-HA-2025-007
To download the RFA Application form	RFA Application Forms are posted in: www.rti.org/rfp  RFA Application Forms can also be requested at CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org
Any questions please email	CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org
Submit Concept Note to	CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org
Date of Issue	January 14, 2025
Deadline to Submit Questions	January 20, 2025
Response to Questions published	Responses to questions will be published at www.rti.org/rfp on the dates indicated below and will be sent via emails too. January 24, 2025
Date of Application Closing	January 30, 2025
Background	Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is an important component of Rwanda's education system. The TVET system in Rwanda has been significantly improved over the past years, with the government investing heavily in the sector. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out a framework for countries to achieve sustainable development. SDG 4 aims to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all." This goal includes a target to "substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship" by 2030. Rwanda has embraced this goal by aligning its education and training system with SDG 4. The government has prioritized the development of technical and vocational skills, and TVET institutions have been established across the country to provide training opportunities for young people. Rwanda's Vision 2050 is a long-term development plan that aims to transform Rwanda into a knowledge-based economy. The plan recognizes the importance of human capital development and identifies TVET as a key driver of economic growth. To achieve this goal, the government has developed a TVET strategy that seeks to improve the quality and relevance of TVET programs, increase the number of TVET graduates, and strengthen the linkages between TVET institutions and industry. It is in this background that HA is issuing a call for partnership with competent training service providers to deliver a training for TVET teachers in agriculture related trades to enhance their skills and knowledge on the implementation of modern teaching methodologies and technologies.
Problem Statement	Rwanda is facing a raising level of unemployment. As a result of skills mismatch, graduates lack the required skills on the labor market and partly due to outdated courses, resulting in graduates possessing irrelevant skills and knowledge that cannot be applied in the industry. To address this issue, the government of Rwanda through TVET revised the national TVET qualification framework leading to review and update of several curricula. Another challenge faced by RTB is lack of new teachers’ readiness in terms of attitudes, knowledge, and behavior to deliver new curricula.
Rationale	Curricula knowledge targets teachers’ understanding of what the content and aims of the curriculum are, and what the learners at different levels are supposed to learn at different levels. Agriculture, Animal Health, and Food Processing are critical sectors in the Rwandan economy, requiring well-trained professionals to sustain and advance these fields. TVET play a vital role in equipping students with the necessary skills. However, to maintain high educational standards, it is essential to continually update and enhance the skills of trainers. In 2015, Rwanda introduced a competence-based curriculum (CBC) from a knowledge-based curriculum. By changing the curriculum, Rwanda shifted from knowledge and skills acquisition learning to critical thinking, creation and innovation, research and problem solving, communication, cooperation, interpersonal life skills and lifelong learning competencies and hence a need to train TVET teachers to deliver the competence-based curriculum. This activity aims to address the skill gaps and provide new RTB hired teachers with the latest knowledge and techniques in Agriculture, Animal Health, and Food Processing. Supporting teachers in developing effective their teaching methods and practices equips them with experiences, characteristics, beliefs, knowledge, and skills that facilitate a better understanding of the contents of curriculum materials and enable them to analyze curriculum materials, make necessary changes and needed modifications.
Key Activities to be undertaken	The main objective of the training is to enhance the new teachers’ skills and knowledge on the implementation of modern teaching methodologies and technologies. Under this RFA, Hanga Akazi seeks to channel resources to experienced training service providers to deliver Technical Training for TVET Teachers on Curriculum Delivery. Key project activities will include but not limited to: Identify and select teachers from TVET schools and IPRC colleges to be trained on curriculum delivery. Hire trainers. Develop and validate the training materials including training consumables. Facilitate the trainees to attend the training. Deliver the training.  Provide monitoring and evaluation services. Develop and submit progress report of the achieved milestone/deliverable. Develop and submit the final project report. NB: The service provider with the best technical approach (methodology and project implementation plan) and conducive training venues will be selected. Applicants are requested to clearly indicate the number of trainees to be trained and the period of the training. Hanga Akazi reserve the right to conduct site visits to verify the existence and suitability of the training venues.
Eligible Applicants	Applicants must either be private, public or NGOs registered in Rwanda with proven experience in curriculum delivery skills enhancement in Rwanda. All applicants should: Be legally and formally constituted at the time of grant proposal. Be compliant to government of Rwanda regulations (submit tax compliance certificate, registration certificate). The activities under the grants must primarily take place in Rwanda. Applications must demonstrate how partnership with HA will result in inclusive jobs and/or entrepreneurial opportunities. Providing proof for having delivered similar training programs at national or international will be an added advantage. Please note that only applicants who have previous experience in running similar training will be considered. Applicants must therefore demonstrate that they have adequate experience and skills to undertake the required tasks
Application Process	To apply, complete the attached application package. Below is an overview of the application and evaluation process. Step 1: Interested applicants review RFA and associated requirements. Step 2: Interested applicants submit questions regarding the process or activity before stated deadline. Step 3: Eligible and interested applicants submit their detailed application using the RFA application package. Step 4: Hanga Akazi evaluates applications in response to a request for applications (RFA). Step 5: Awards are made to successful applicants. Please note that applying to this RFA or being selected as an eligible applicant does not mean any type of assistance is being awarded.
Selection Criteria	Factors that will be considered in selecting partnership include feasibility, impact, sustainability and scale, inclusivity, past performance, and contribution (leverage). See details of criteria in section III: Applications Review. Leverage is encouraged under this RFA. See Section II: Leverage.

Request For Application Package

Call for Application to Participate in Technical Training for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Teachers on Curriculum Delivery.

Dear Applicant:

Feed the Future Rwanda Hanga Akazi (HA) Activity is a 5-year development project designed to promote and facilitate inclusive economic growth in Rwanda leading to increased employment and entrepreneurship. The project seeks partnership with new existing and new businesses of all sizes operating in Rwanda’s agri-food system. Hanga Akazi is also working to strengthen the business enabling environment by strengthening and increasing access to business development services, finance, incubation/acceleration in Rwanda. Through these efforts, the project aims to facilitate 19,000 new full-time jobs and to improve the employment of 23,000 Rwandans while increasing the participation of women, youth and people with disabilities in the economy as entrepreneurs, employers, and employees.

HA is seeking applications to participate in partnerships to implement activities that lead to entrepreneurship promotion, employability skills enhancement, enterprise/firm growth, and jobs creation in Rwanda’s agri-food system. The partnership agreements will be awarded and implemented in accordance with USAID and US Government regulations and Hanga Akazi management policies.

The Application Package includes:

• Section I. Illustrative Partnership Activities
• Section II. Leverage
• Section III. Technical Evaluation
• Section IV. Application and Submission Information
• Section V. Types of Awards
• Section VI. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

This is a targeted application process with technical evaluations made once. Resources are limited and applicants are strongly encouraged to respond promptly. All questions and Request for Application Forms must be submitted to CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org. For applicants who need support or assistance completing this application, please contact CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org

Section I. Illustrative Partnership Activities

Hanga Akazi will consider activities that directly contribute to the achievement of project results in a sustainable and tangible manner. The awards are intended to facilitate employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through technical and soft skills enhancement for youth, women, and persons with disabilities in hospitality value chain. Areas of possible assistance include:

• Skills Building: Support TVET institutions to deliver technical training programs on effective curriculum delivery especially for new teachers in Agriculture, Animal Health, and Food Processing trades is expected to significantly improve the quality of education in Agriculture-related TVET schools.
• Social Inclusion:Interventions that are specifically promoting employment and/or skills building activities that support women, youth and/or persons with disabilities.

 Hanga Akazi grant funds will not be used to support any of the following:

• Construction or infrastructure activities of any kind.
• Ceremonies, parties, celebrations, or “representation” expenses.
• Purchases of restricted goods, such as: restricted agricultural commodities, motor vehicles including motorcycles, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, contraceptive products, or prohibited goods. Prohibited goods under USAID regulations, including but not limited to the following: abortion equipment and services, luxury goods, alcoholic beverages, police and military equipment. Refer to the link for more information.https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PBAAD445.pdf
• Purchases or goods or services restricted or prohibited under the prevailing USG Foreign
• Policy restricted countries. Refer to the link for more information. https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/310.pdf
• Any purchase or activity, which has already been made.
• Purchases or activities unnecessary to accomplish grant purposes as determined by the Hanga Akazi Activity.
• Prior obligations of and/or, debts, fines, and penalties imposed on the Grantee.
• Purchase of secondhand goods or used machinery unless prior approval has been given by Hanga Akazi based on sound justification.
• Creation of endowments.

Section II. Leverage

There is no minimum leverage requirement under this RFA, but leverage is encouraged from all applicants. Priority will be given to applicants that can provide a meaningful contribution of the cost on the proposed activities. Applicant contributions can be in the form of cash (such as capital or loans), infrastructure, property, equipment, new staff, and others directly used for the proposed activity. Special considerations on leverage amounts will be given to businesses led by women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

The applicant can propose mobilization of additional financialresources, such as equity or debt that will come from other sources including, formal financial institutions such as commercial banks, individuals, other companies, funds and foundations, and bilateral or multilateral organizations.

Applicants must demonstrate that their contributions will, in most cases, be “incremental” to the “new” effort associated with the grant. However, if the applicant can successfully demonstrate that this was a recent direct investment then the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) will consider accepting this leverage on a case-by-case basis.

Section III. RFA Review

The TEC will review the RFA submitted by the applicant using the criteria listed below.

Criteria	Weight
Feasibility: Describe a proposal that is feasible, innovative, and provides a market-based solution that addresses challenges associated with limited skills in curriculum delivery methodologies and how the proposal aligns with the organization’s existing business model. The proposal should not subsidize commercial transactions between the market actors. The applicant must clearly explain what they are requesting Hanga Akazi to fund, what is stopping the business from investing in such activities itself, and how Hanga Akazi support will reduce risks.	20
Impact: The extent to which the proposal clearly demonstrates how the proposed investment will create and sustain jobs. This includes clear demonstration of proposed job creation targets and metrics for monitoring and evaluating performance. Preference will be given to proposals that create employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.	20
Sustainability and Scale: Describe how future activities and investments will continue and scale after USAID funding has ended. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their activities and investments are catalytic, market-driven, demonstrate local ownership, create jobs, demonstrate commitment, and can achieve scale in the long term. Additionally, this includes discussion of any potential environmental impacts due to proposed activities and proposed mitigation measures.	20
Inclusivity: The extent to which the proposed concept considers the impact and opportunities for women, youth, and persons with disabilities (e.g., employment, sourcing, workplace policies, workplace resources).	20
Contribution: The reasonableness of the proportion of leverage by the applicant, considering the type of interventions being proposed. Businesses led by women, youth, or persons with disabilities will receive special consideration when considering the reasonableness of proposed leverage.	20
Total Possible Points	100

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

The Grant Application and Award Form (Annex A) must be submitted in English. Applicants must adhere to the guidance provided in each section of the Grant Application and Award Form. The application and any supporting documentation should be submitted in electronic form to: CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org

Subject Line: RFA-HA-2025-007 : Technical Training for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Teachers on Curriculum Delivery.

Submission should include:

Full Grant Application and Award Form (See below)

Section V. Type of Awards

Grants awarded under this RFA will primarily be Fixed Amount Award grants (FAA) or in-kind grants, or hybrid FAA and in-kind grants. For FAAs, HA will make payments based on submission and acceptance of specific verifiable milestones. Once an award is issued, it will include a fixed price payment schedule with milestones and deliverables negotiated during the final application and award process.

Under in-kind grants, goods and/or services will be procured directly by RTI and provided to the grantee. In exceptional circumstances, Hanga Akazi may consider a cost reimbursement type of grant mechanism.

Grant Application and Award Form

Instructions:

• All applicants are required to complete and submit this application form.
• All the attachments in this application must be attached to the completed application form.
• By signing and submitting this application, the applicant attests to the Anti-Terrorism Certification in item 16.

1. Date of Application
2. Name of Applicant
3. Address of Applicant
4. Applicant Activity Title
5. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number (if available)
6. Organization Representative	Name:	Telephone:
	Title:	Email:
7. Registration	Registration Type: (If available, attach copy of registration) Registration Date: DD/MM/YYYY RRA TIN Number:
8. Location of Activities	(List district[s])
9. Financial Support Requested (if applicable) (Budget)	Applicant Leverage Amount (RWF)
	Estimated Value of Support Requested from Hanga Akazi (RWF)
	Total Project/Investment Cost (RWF)
10. Period of Performance	Total Number of Months
11. Signature/Name/Title

9.Program/Project Description. The applicant must describe in detail the program/project to be supported by Hanga Akazi (HA) grant. The program description must be results-oriented. Result is a significant, intended, and measurable change in the condition of the beneficiary, or a change in the host country, institutions, or other entities that will affect the beneficiary directly or indirectly. Results are linked by causal relationships, i.e., a result is achieved because related, interdependent result(s) were achieved. Applicants must ensure that their program/project description should address the following:

Program/Project Goals 

Applicant must detail the overall goal of the program/project in both the short term and long term. 

Program/Project Objectives 

The Applicant must explicitly explain what the program/project intends to achieve. 

Project Activity Description 

The applicants must provide in-depth descriptions all activities to be undertaken under this program/project.

Organization/Company’s Background 

The applicant must provide a detailed summary of the company/organization, including years of experience in the relevant sector, overview of current operations and capacity as well as the company top management structure with their roles/decision making organ. 

Organization/Company’s Current Challenges 

The applicant must provide an overview of the company’s current/development challenges, opportunities, and/or problems. The applicant should discuss what political, social, economic, and/or environmental conditions that require change. How does the applicant know what needs changing? What appraisals, evaluations, needs analysis and other methodologies were used to understand what requires changing?

Proposed Upgrades

The applicant must propose detailed upgrades that are needed to address the aforementioned current/development gaps/challenges. Under this section, the applicant must propose/discuss in detail measures/activities to achieve these upgrades. 

Targeted Markets/Participants/Beneficiaries disaggregated by women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

The applicant must identify the activity participants/beneficiaries disaggregated by women, youth, and persons with disabilities, their numbers, location, and anticipated benefits that they will receive. In addition, the applicant must identify the company’s current target markets. The participant must explain how beneficiaries/participants will be reached.

Sales

If relevant to the activity, describe all the new products and/or services that your company/organization will sell after the new investment has been made. Provide information on the expected increase in sales or revenue—this can be a result of improved prices and/or increased quantity, list all identified buyers and local suppliers).

Job Creation

Provide information related to the estimated number of direct permanent and seasonal jobs the investment will create. If income of employees will increase, list the increased amount. Clearly provide the details of the number of jobs the intervention will create for women, youth under the age of 30 and persons with disabilities.

Investment

Provide a short description of your planned investment-- list of the activities and investments necessary to achieve the desired results; include any equipment if any to be purchased that is over $500 USD per unit, list financial institutions or other resources that will be accessed for the investment, describe what new processes or new technology your company needs to make this investment succeed -identify the steps for making the new product or service.

Social inclusion

Hanga Akazi grant targets to increase jobs for women, youth, and persons with disabilities. The application must clearly indicate and explain in numbers and/or percentage of women, youth and persons with disabilities to be reached & methodology to be used to reach the beneficiaries.

Program/ProjectTechnical Implementation Approach and Methodology.

The applicant must explain in detail how he/she intends to use the grant requested to achieve Hanga Akazi targets especially job creation targets for women, youth, and persons with disabilities. In this section the applicant must explain in-depth approach on how the proposed activities will be carried out to achieve and obtain the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The applicant should also highlight the problems being addressed and their importance and explain the technical approach to be adopted to address them. Applicant should also explain the proposed methodologies to be adopted and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach.

Sustainability and Scale

The applicant must demonstrate how future activities and investments will continue and grow after USAID funding has ended; applicants are asked to explain how their activities and investments are locally owned, market-driven and expected to grow over time.

10.Implementation Plan.An excellent implementation plan should show how the anticipated results would be achieved. What activities, processes, or strategies are essential to achieve the results? Why will the planned work lead to the intended results? What is the anticipated timetable for the achievement of the results? Implementation plan template to be used is hereby below.All applicants must adhere to this template.

Implementation Plan

Activity	Target	Timeline
		Year 1				Year 2
		Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Activity 1.1:	xxxx
Activity 1.2:	xxxx

11.Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.A Monitoring and Evaluation Plan should contain a set of indicators that would permit continuous measurement of progress toward targeted results. For each result, what is the performance indicator? What is the baseline data? What is the performance target? What is the timetable for achieving results? For each performance indicator, what is the definition and what is the unit of measurement? What are the plans for reporting and using the performance information? Monitoring and Evaluation Plan template to be used is hereby below.All applicants must adhere to this template.

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

Target Indicator	Outcomes	Expected Target	Key Assumptions
xxxx	xxxx	xxxx	xxxx
xxxx	xxxx	xxxx	xxxx

Note:

• Keyassumptions: The applicant must identify and explain the expectations and predictions they assume that may lead to success or failure of the What are the external factors and other critical assumptions that are likely to facilitate or hinder the achievement of the results?
• Expected Target:Specific desired outcomes that support achievement of the objective/goal.
• Target Indicator:Indicators to achieve the aforementioned targets.
• Outcomes: Result or effect of an action/intervention.

12.Budget and Budget Narrative. Each application must contain a detailedline-item budgetaccompanied by a budget narrative explaining all costs. Lump sum budgets will be considered non-responsive and will be rejected. An acceptable budget will have all costs broken out by unit costs and should clearly show the number of units used for each line item. Each line item should identify the type of cost, e.g., labor units, units of materials and/or equipment, travel, transportation, communications, etc. The narrative will describe how the applicant arrived at each unit cost and the number of units for each line item. An excel Budget template to be used is hereby shared as a separate document. All applicants are required to submit the Budget with its narrative.

13.Organizational Control Environment Questionnaire. All applicants are required to complete the questionnaire attached to this application. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) regulations require RTI International (RTI) to obtain information from all applicants in order to determine an applicant’s ability to comply with prescribed standards for (a) financial management, (b) property management, (c) procurement, and (d) reports and records. Please answer all questions to the best of your ability; do not leave blanks. Failure to provide the necessary information may cause your application to be rejected. Applicants are required to submit the completed Organizational Control Environment Questionnaireis Attached herewith as a separate document.

14.Past Performance.

The applicant must provide detailed information or description of previous work and experience of relevant work both technically and geographically by using the table below:

S/N	Previous work/project	Name of the funder	Start Date	End Date	Summary Description of the work
1
2
3

15.References. All applicants are subject to a reference check. Applicants must provide name, address, and other contact information of at least three past performance references below.

Name	Address	E-mail	Telephone
(1)
(2)
(3)

16.Anti-Terrorism Certification. It is a mandatory requirementby USAID and a condition of award that the applicant must certify that it does not support terrorism. Applicants unable to submit the signed certification will not be eligible for an award. The certificate to be signed is provided as a separate form.

In Agreement to the terms and conditions above:

Name of Applicant Organization:
Name and title of officer or his/her alternate authorized to represent the Applicant:
Signature:	Date:

WHAT IS A UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER (UEI, or Unique Entity ID) &

WHY DOES MY ORGANIZATION NEED TO OBTAIN ONE?

The U.S. government is transitioning away from the DUNS number as the primary organizational identifier to the twelve-digit alphanumeric Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) starting April 4, 2022.

The UEI will be requested in, and assigned by, SAM (www.sam.gov). Organizations will no longer have to go to a third-party website to obtain their identifier. This transition allows the United States government to streamline the entity identification and validation process, making it easier and less burdensome for entities to do business with the government.

If your entity is registered in SAM.gov today, your Unique Entity ID (SAM) has already been assigned and is viewable in SAM.gov. This includes inactive registrations. The Unique Entity ID is currently located below the DUNS Number on your entity registration record. Remember, you must be signed in to your SAM.gov account to view entity records. To learn how to view your Unique Entity ID (SAM) go to this help article.

If your entity is not registered in SAM.gov today, please visit www.sam.gov to begin the registration process.