REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - SERVICES 

PARTNERSHIP TO STRENGTHEN THE EGG VALUE CHAIN IN THE WESTERN PROVINCE OF RWANDA 

Issued by 

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) 

RWANDA 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION 2 

II. BACKGROUND & TIMESCALES 2 

III. THE OPPORTUNITY 3 

IV. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS 7 

V. TERMS & CONDITIONS 10 

VI. OFFER OF SERVICES 13 

GAIN’s procurement is conducted based on our procurement principles, including “a focus on ethical and sustainable procurement which requires us to take note of our legal and ethical commitments… in our procurement and supplier management.” 

We require all our partners, suppliers and service providers to familiarise themselves with our Code of Conduct (Code) and to adhere to either our Code or to their own equivalent code or set of behaviours.

This is addition to any relevant clauses and provisions in our contractual terms.

We also expect our partners, suppliers, and service providers to proactively inform GAIN, via the mechanisms detailed in the Code, of any breaches, potential or perceived breaches of its provisions. 

Any supplier or service provider found to be in violation of these principles will be excluded from this process and may be barred from responding to future opportunities. 

I. INTRODUCTION

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people. 

At GAIN, we believe that everyone in the world should have access to nutritious and safe food. We work to understand and deliver specific solutions to the daily challenge of food insecurity faced by poor people. By understanding that there is no “one-size-fits-all” model, we develop alliances and build tailored programmes, using a variety of flexible models and approaches. 

We build alliances between governments, local and global businesses, and civil society to deliver sustainable improvements at scale. We are part of a global network of partners working together to create sustainable solutions to malnutrition. Through alliances, we provide technical, financial and policy support to key participants in the food system. We use specific learning, evidence of impact, and results of projects and programmes to shape and influence the actions of others.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, GAIN has representative offices in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We currently have a presence and conduct programming activities in Bangladesh, Benin, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. 

II. BACKGROUND & TIMESCALES

Nutrition is a national priority in Rwanda’s development agenda. Our CMRFS program supports this by strengthening supply chains for nutritious foods like eggs. The purpose of this RFP is to engage the services of a qualified organisation in Rwanda to implement an integrated dual-purpose poultry production model suited for low-income, low-resource households in Western Province. This includes but is not limited to accessing improved dual-purpose birds (e.g. SASSO-type), strengthening last-mile input distribution through local brooders, and supporting households to manage small flocks using low-input, semi-scavenging systems. 

The opportunity for this partnership is to implement a fully integrated smallholder poultry production model that: 

• Uses dual-purpose breeds suitable for village conditions (SASSO-type or equivalent). • Establishes and strengthens local brooder networks for reliable DOC supply. • Improves last-mile feed availability. 
• Builds producer capacity using low-input, semi-scavenging systems that fit the realities of BoP households. 
• Ultimately increases the supply and affordability of eggs within Western Province. 

Set out below is the proposed timescale for this procurement. It is a guide, and whilst the GAIN does not intend to depart from the timetable, it reserves the right to do so at any stage. Timescales end at 23:59 hours Rwanda time (GMT+2).

 

RFP issue date	Dec 4, 2025
Deadline for Bidders to submit questions	Dec 15, 2025
Deadline for GAIN to respond to clarifications	Dec 19, 2025
RFP closes - deadline for submission	Dec 30, 2025
GAIN clarifications, evaluation & governance	Jan 30, 2026
Contract award - subject to negotiation & due diligence checks	Feb 2, 2026
Planned contract signature date	Feb 13, 2026
Date by which all work is to be completed	Dec 31, 2027

III. THE OPPORTUNITY 

Nutrition has taken an important place in Rwanda’s NST 2, aiming to reduce stunting from 33% to 15% and achieving a 3% annual reduction. Embedding nutrition into both national and sectoral strategies ensures that interventions across production, value chains, consumption and health are aligned, thereby reinforcing the country’s broader development agenda. Data from the Financial Flows to Food Systems show that between 2018–2024, MINECOFIN allocated USD 330 million (16.2%) to nutrition and health, mainly supporting the education sector, including school feeding (47.4%), and health interventions to improve diet quality (13.9%). Under PSTA5, MINAGRI plans to dedicate 11.6% of its budget (RWF 741bn) to improve food security and nutrition, marking a significant shift toward integrating nutrition as a core component of Rwanda’s food systems transformation. 

To address malnutrition in partnership with the Government of Rwanda, GAIN has been implementing a 7-year (2025 – 2031) flagship programme, “Combating Malnutrition in Rwanda through Sustainable Food Systems (CMRFS) programme” since January 2025. The programme is tackling the underlying factors driving higher malnutrition rates in the Western Province, with a focus on Rutsiro, Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Karongi and Nyabihu. The programme rests on three strategic objectives: improving community consumption (Micro), supporting the enabling environment for nutrition outcomes (Macro), and strengthening the supply chain for nutritious foods (Meso). All strategic pillars are interconnected. 

The CMRFS Meso component aims to strengthen key value chains in Western Province and at the national level. By focusing on eggs, high-iron beans (HIB), fruits, and fortified staples (LSFF), the programme seeks to enhance the production and market systems for these nutritious foods to benefit vulnerable communities. The partner will work within the Meso-level objective of CMRFS, strengthening the supply chain for nutritious foods—specifically eggs—through an integrated poultry production and market access model.

This strategic objective will contribute to PSTA5’s impact level indicator on food and nutrition security, specifically through PSTA5’s strategic pillars. On Strategic Pillar 1, the programme will contribute to 1.1. Modernized Crop Production and 1.2. Modernized Animal production; on Strategic Pillar 2, the programme will contribute to 2.2 Market Linkages and Post-Production and 2.3 Promoting Food Security and Nutrition; on Strategic Pillar 3, the programme will contribute to 3.3 De-risking Agriculture Finance and Insurance, 3.4 Upgrading Public Capacity to Facilitate Transformation.

The recently completed egg supply chain analysis across the five districts identified gaps in egg production systems. Producers have limited capacity in poultry production, and the higher egg price markup is driven by inefficient feed and DOC systems as critical inputs. Henceforth, the programme 

seeks a partnership to address these underlying problems of low egg production and consumption in the five target Western Districts (Rutsiro, Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Karongi and Nyabihu). 

DELIVERABLES & TIMESCALES 

The main objective is to increase the capacity of poultry farmers in egg production (SASSO) and establish localised input systems that consistently provide feed and DOC to poultry producers in the Western Province. 

Specific objectives: 

1. Increase the technical capacity of producers 

Training and follow-up of farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) adapted to low input, semi-scavenging poultry systems. 

Support households to adopt or expand dual-purpose poultry flocks suited for low resource settings. 

Support in formalising and professionalising small and medium poultry farms to improve productivity, biosecurity, record-keeping, and business viability. 

2. Increase feed and DOC accessibility to farmers 

2.1. Establish or strengthen local brooder (mother-unit) networks capable of raising DOCs to 4–6 weeks for sale to village households. 

Strengthen or expand local feed manufacturing capacity using locally available ingredients. 

Promote production and use of alternative feed resources (e.g., forages, household by products). 

Increase the capacity of local DOC incubators and hatcheries where relevant. Identify and apply contextually appropriate methods and partnerships for delivering this integrated model. 

Identify value chain partners and appropriate contractual agreements (with GAIN’s Value Chain team) 

Work with GAIN to develop key performance indicators and targets for value chain partners. Monitor and report on progress. 

Expected outcomes

By December 31, 2027, we expect the partner to deliver: 

1. # of farmers trained on good agricultural practices (GAP) 
2. # of household operationalising small dual-purpose flocks 
3. % Increase in egg production among participating farmers 
4. # of tons of locally produced feed sold 
5. # of consumers perceiving greater access to eggs 

% of target community households purchasing more eggs 

Timescales(subject to change) 

Intervention	Start	Finish
Increase the technical capacity of producers
1. Training and follow-up of farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)	Mar 2026	Nov 2027
Support households to start or improve their backyard farming of integrated dual-purpose flocks.	Mar 2026	Nov 2027
2. Support small and medium poultry farms in formalising and professionalising.	Jan 2027	Nov 2027
Increase feed and DOC accessibility to farmers
1. Facilitate the creation or increase the capacity of existing feed manufacturers and DOC incubators, including those in proximity.	Mar 2026	Nov 2027
2. Promote the production of feed ingredients and alternatives for farmers.   Implement contextually appropriate methods and partnerships for delivering this integrated model.  Identify value chain partners and appropriate contractual agreements (with GAIN’s Value Chain team)  Work with GAIN to develop key performance indicators and targets for value chain partners. Monitor and report on progress.	Mar 2026	Nov 2027

ELIGIBILITY AND EXCLUSIONS 

1. Non-Governmental Organisations and private sector organisations registered in Rwanda ARE Eligible. 
2. Individuals, academia and research institutions ARE NOT eligible 
3. Organisations registered outside of Rwanda ARE NOT eligible 
4. This is not a call for proposals for consultancy services and therefore, applicants must not propose advisory services. 

CONTRACT GOVERNANCE 

The contract will be a partnership to execute these interventions in a 20-month period, which may be extended for additional years, subject to the needs and funds of the programme. It will follow a robust, transparent, and collaborative governance framework. The partner shall implement a structured governance model designed to ensure continuous alignment, proactive risk management, and the consistent delivery of high-quality services throughout the contract term. The partner will work in close collaboration with GAIN, organizing regular meetings and reporting on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on quarterly basis. 

PAYMENT PROFILE 

GAIN has a policy of disbursement by percentage or partial payments for both services and partnership contributions, limited to 30% of the project contribution at the beginning. However, this is subject to change based on the nature of the project. 

DEPENDENCIES & CONSTRAINTS 

The donor approved the CRMFS Programme, and the budget is available until the stated completion date of this assignment. However, its continuation beyond the completion date depends on sectoral needs, partners' complementarity in delivering expected outcomes, and the availability of funds. 

IV. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

This section is designed to ensure that Bidders are provided with the necessary information to understand and respond to the requirements and ensure that a consistent level of information is obtained from each Bidder and provide a structured framework for the evaluation of Proposals.

Bidders should read these instructions carefully before completing their submission. GAIN CONTACT 

The following individual is the nominated contact for this RFP 

Name/role: Jean Pierre Murekezi, Project Coordinator – Value Chains Development
Email address: jmurekezi@gainhealth.org

QUERIES AND CLARIFICATIONS 

• Bidders are to direct any questions regarding the RFP to the GAIN contact in writing via email.
• It is the Bidder’s responsibility to ensure safe receipt of communication.
• No other member of GAIN staff should be contacted in relation to this RFP unless directed to do so by the GAIN contact. 
• GAIN may choose to convey responses to submitted questions and queries to all Bidders so that each is equally informed. 
• GAIN may amend the RFP documents by issuing notices to that effect to all Bidders and may extend the closing date and time if deemed appropriate. 

PREPARING YOUR RESPONSE 

• Bidders must obtain, at their own responsibility and expense, all information necessary for the preparation of Bids. 

Bidders should notify GAIN promptly of any perceived inconsistency, or omission in this RFP, or any of its associated documents. 

SUBMITTING YOUR RESPONSE 

• The Proposal and any accompanying documents must be in English 
• Bidders must submit their Proposal in the following way: 

Email to rwanda@gainhealth.org and copy the contact’s email address.

The email subject line should be Partnership – Egg Value Chain in Rwanda. All submitted documents must be viewable using the Microsoft Office suite of applications. Your submission should not exceed 30MB. 

Your submission must include the following: 

Technical proposal: 

A submission of no more than 10 pages of A4 in Word or PDF format, including: 

• An introduction to your organisation. Your bid must make clear which organisation will be awarded the contract if your bid is successful1 and include evidence that you are a properly constituted business eligible to operate in Rwanda (business registration document, etc). Additionally, include evidence of any relevant insurance cover (for example professional indemnity cover, public liability insurance etc.) 
• The individual/team who will be completing this work
• Approach and methodology, including timescales, milestones and KPIs
• Understanding and experience, including two relative examples of comparable work 

Financial proposal:

• Detailed budget (see Notes on Budget below) 
• Signed Offer of Services (see section V: Offer of Services below) 

NOTES ON SUBMISSIONS 

• Bidders should not include in their submission any extra information which has not been specifically requested in the RFP for example, any sales literature etc. 
• No Proposal may be modified after the deadline for receipt. 
• GAIN may request additional information from Bidders to assist further evaluation of Proposals. 

NOTES ON BUDGET

• As a donor-funded organisation, GAIN is committed to achieving value for money in all our procurements. 
• Submitted rates and prices are to be deemed include all costs, insurances, taxes, fees, expenses, and other things necessary for the performance of the requirement. 
• Any charge not stated in the Proposal as being additional will not be allowed in any resultant contract. 
• We are looking for full cost disclosure: there must be an appropriate breakdown of costs to allow for price visibility across the two components in the Specific Objectives. 
• All rates and prices submitted must be in Rwandan Francs, and any contract arising from this RFP will be in Rwandan Francs.

NOTES ON EVALUATIONS 

• GAIN may choose to shortlist Bidders at any stage of the process. 
• GAIN reserves the right to negotiate on the final costs, and the final scope of work of the proposal.
• GAIN reserves the right to limit or include third parties at GAIN’s sole and full discretion in such negotiations.

1 For example, if you are submitting a bid as part of a Group of companies, you must explicitly state in your response which entity will be the contracting party if your Bid is successful.

• Bidders should note that GAIN may award a Contract based on the original Bid received and may, at its absolute discretion, undertake any or all of the following processes: o shortlisting 
  •  taking up references 
  • undertaking presentations or meetings 
  • entering into a dialogue with one or more Bidders. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The following indicates a list of the significant criteria against which proposals will be assessed. This list is not exhaustive and is provided to enhance the applicants’ ability to respond to this Opportunity. 

1. Understanding of the scope of work (15 points) 

1.1. Proposal shall demonstrate a clear understanding of the project objective and deliverables as outlined in Section II. 

2. Demonstrate a clear understanding of the technical requirements of this RFP (30 points)

2.1. Providing detailed technical documentation of the proposed strategy.

2.2. Evidence of experience delivering solutions using the proposed information technology platform. 

2.3. The creative and methodological approaches required to implement each of the parts of the scope of work. 

3. Comprehensiveness of work plan and reasonableness of proposed time frame (20 points)

3.1. The proposal shall include a feasible work plan to ensure the successful completion of deliverables. 

3.2. The work plan details how activities will be coordinated. 

4. Detailed budget and cost-effectiveness of proposed approach (20 points)

4.1. Evidence of cost-effective approaches to undertaking the scope of work within the proposed budget. 

4.2. The proposal shall identify potential budget challenges and include creative approaches to addressing them. 

4.3. Partner contribution to the project cost if any 

5. Experience and capacity (15 points) 

5.1. The team members working on this project shall have the relevant qualifications, and the roles and responsibilities of each team member shall be clearly defined.

5.2. Past experience in similar projects 

5.3. The relevance of this project to their mission 

5.4. Partner contribution (if any)

V. TERMS & CONDITIONS 

This section constitutes the full conditions of this RFP, and participation in the process automatically signals that the Bidder accepts the conditions. 

JURISDICTION

Any Contract resulting from this RFP shall be governed by Swiss law. 

LATE PROPOSALS 

Any bid received after the deadline may be rejected at GAIN’s absolute discretion. DISCLAIMERS 

Bidders will not be compensated for costs incurred in preparing proposals, submitting revised proposals or in participation in any meeting or presentation. 

This RFP does not commit GAIN to any course of action, it is not an offer or a contract and does not commit GAIN to contract for any of the services detailed within the RFP. 

GAIN reserves the absolute right to: 

• accept or reject any or all Proposals with or without notice or reason 
• accept or reject any proposal in whole or in part 
• accept a proposal other than the lowest priced 
• negotiate with any, all or none of the Bidders 
• modify or cancel this RFP 

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSALS 

GAIN is under no obligation to accept the lowest priced Proposal, or any Proposal, and reserves the right to reject any Proposal which is incomplete, conditional, or not complying with the RFP documents. 

A Proposal may be for all or part of the Requirement and may be accepted by GAIN either wholly or in part. 

A Proposal will not be accepted, in whole or in part, unless and until GAIN has signed a Contract in writing to the successful Bidder. GAIN reserves the right to: 

• amend the terms and conditions of the procurement process 
• cancel the evaluation and award process at any stage 
• require the Bidder to clarify its Proposal in writing and/or provide additional information. Failure to respond adequately may result in the Bidder not being selected.

AMENDMENTS 

Prior to the final date for submission of Proposal, GAIN may issue amendments to clarify, modify or add to the procurement documents. A copy of each amendment will be issued to each Bidder and shall become part of the RFP 

VALIDITY OF PROPOSALS 

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP are to remain valid for a period of not less than 90 days from the RFP closing date. 

WITHDRAWALS 

Proposals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the RFP closing date and time by written notice to the Company. 

INTERPRETATION OF REQUIREMENTS

Bidders are responsible for ensuring that they have all the information required for the preparation of their tenders and that they satisfy themselves about the information and correct interpretation of terminology used in the tender documentation.

Bidders must also ensure that they are fully conversant with the nature and extent of the obligations to be accepted by them if their tender is accepted. 

ASSUMPTIONS 

Any assumptions that have been made in responding to this RFP should be outlined in the Bidders response documents. 

CONFIDENTIALITY 

Except as required for the preparation of this Proposal, Bidders must not, without GAIN’s prior written consent, disclose to any third party any of the contents of the RFP documents. Bidders must ensure that their employees, consultants, and agents also are bound and comply with this condition of confidentiality. 

FEEDBACK TO UNSUCCESSFUL BIDDERS 

GAIN appreciates that significant time and resource goes in to preparing a tender response, and we try to ensure that feedback is provided to all unsuccessful Bidders. 

Please note however that GAIN does not share detailed scoring information with unsuccessful Bidders. 

INCONSISTENCIES AND OMISSIONS 

Bidders must promptly advise the Company in writing of any inconsistencies and omissions they discover in the RFP.

RFP DOCUMENTS 

Bidders must destroy all copies of the RFP document if unsuccessful within 30 days of being notified they have not been successful (either issued by GAIN or created by the Bidder). 

DISCLAIMERS 

Whilst the material in this RFP and the Information has been prepared in good faith, it does not purport to be comprehensive, nor has it been independently verified. 

Neither GAIN nor their advisors, their respective directors, officers, members, partners, employees, other staff or agents makes any representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the accuracy, reasonableness or completeness of the Information; or accepts any responsibility for the information contained in the Information or for their fairness, accuracy or completeness of that Information nor shall any of them be liable for any loss or damage (other than in respect of fraudulent misrepresentation) arising as a result of reliance on such Information or any subsequent communication. 

COLLUSIVE BEHAVIOUR 

Any Bidder who: 

• fixes or adjusts the amount of their Response by or in accordance with any agreement or arrangement with any other party; or 
• communicates to any party other than GAIN the amount or approximate amount of its Responses or information which would enable the amount or approximate amount to be calculated (except where such disclosure is made in confidence to obtain quotations necessary for the preparation of the Response or insurance or any necessary security); or 
• enters into any agreement or arrangement with any other party that such other party shall refrain from submitting a Response; or 
• enters into any agreement or arrangement with any other party as to the amount of any Response submitted; or 
• offers or agrees to pay or give or does pay or give any sum or sums of money, inducement, or valuable consideration directly or indirectly to any party for doing or having done or causing or having caused to be done in relation to any Response, any act or omission. 

shall (without prejudice to any other civil remedies available to GAIN and without prejudice to any criminal liability which such conduct by a Bidder may attract) be disqualified.

VI. OFFER OF SERVICES 

I/we agree to supply the required services described within this Request for Proposal, for the sum of: 

Sum in figures: ……...…….………………………

Sum in words.....................………………………………………………………...……………… 

I/we the undersigned confirm that I/we are able to furnish all expertise, supervision, materials, and any other things necessary to complete, to the entire satisfaction of the Executive Director or authorised representative, required services described within this Request for Proposal, according to GAIN’s terms and conditions. 

I/we agree that any obvious errors in pricing or errors in arithmetic that may discovered by GAIN in examination of the priced Specification submitted by me/us shall have no effect on the amount of this offer unless GAIN shall otherwise decide.

I/we understand that the lowest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.

I/we agree that the Offer of Services will remain valid for a period of sixty days (60) calendar days after the date of its receipt by GAIN.

I/we confirm that I/we have read the GAIN Code of Conduct and understand my/our duties under the Code. 

I/We confirm that I/we have no actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest which apply to this procurement OR that I have notified GAIN in writing of any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest which apply to this procurement.

Signed by:

Print Name:

Job Title:

For and on behalf of (Company name):

Date: