CONSULTANCY OPPORTUNITY FOR A MARKET SERVICE PROVIDER TO DEPLOY AND DEVELOP DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR FARMERS AND MARKET STAKEHOLDERS IN MACHAKOS COUNTY Consultancy NEW

Consultancy Opportunity RFP SR104600

Engagement of a market Service provider to deploy and develop a digital platform for farmers and market stakeholders for the OFSP Project In Kangundo, Kathiani, Masinga and Yatta Sub-Counties

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Concern Worldwide is an international non-governmental humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries

1. Background and Context

Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organization committed to reducing hunger and working towards the elimination of extreme poverty. Concern operates in some of the world’s most vulnerable and disaster-prone countries, with programs focused on emergency response, health and nutrition, livelihoods, education, and climate resilience. Concern is currently implementing a program in collaboration with Machakos County Government to strengthen the Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) value chain, with a particular focus on increased OFSP production, value addition and strengthening of market linkages. As part of the initiative, the program seeks to enhance access to certified, drought-tolerant OFSP seed varieties for smallholder farmers within the county. The OFSP variety is a critical crop in addressing food security and nutrition (Vitamin A-Beta Carotine) ensuring the availability of quality planting materials in Machakos County. Orange-Fleshed Sweet potato (OFSP) has a precursor of Vitamin A and has been promoted as a key intervention in addressing micronutrient deficiencies, especially in vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women.

Machakos County was selected for the project based on a comprehensive assessment of its potential for integration into the OFSP value chain. Key factors considered included (i) proximity to Nairobi, the economic and consumption hub, (ii) a suitable environment for OFSP production, (iii) high agricultural production potential, and (iv) the capacity and demand of the local community. Agriculture employs 75% of the County population. However, the lack of proper farming techniques has resulted in a harvest of less than 10 tons of OFSP per hectare, limiting farmers’ income. With the adoption of appropriate agricultural techniques, yields can increase by at least 1.5 times, reaching 15–30 tons per hectare. The project, therefore, aims at directly or indirectly mitigating the effects of low agricultural productivity on farmers’ income and reducing high vulnerability to climate change. To ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the project, a market-oriented value chain will be strengthened in the long term, ultimately contributing to improved food security and nutrition.

Despite the crop’s strong nutritional and market potential, farmers continue to face challenges including weak market linkages, limited access to timely market information, and poor coordination among market value chain actors. To address these challenges, the project seeks to engage a service provider to design, develop, and deploy a customized digital market platform specifically focused on addressing market access and linkage gaps within the OFSP value chain in Machakos County. The platform will connect OFSP farmers, buyers, and agricultural extension officers and promote transparent, efficient, and inclusive sales by enabling real-time order management and market information sharing. It is intended to serve as a sustainable, locally owned system to ensure long-term use and impact.

2. Objective of the Consultancy

To design, develop, and deploy an interactive, functional and sustainable digital marketplace platform that enhances coordination, transparency, market linkages and access for OFSP farmers and buyers in Machakos County and nationally.

Specific Objectives

The Service provider will.

1. Design and develop a digital market platform that will facilitate direct interaction between OFSP farmers and buyers, order management, and market information sharing via both web and mobile interfaces.
2. The platform should enable real time tracking of OFSP tubers at aggregation Centres (Stock in stock out) by allowing updates from both buyers and sellers
3. The platform should also allow farmers to monitor activities of their peers for knowledge sharing and Competition
4. It should allow project staff and County Agricultural Officers with dash boards for monitoring activities and data management
5. The platform should be built with scalability in mind and must include a sustainability and capacity building plan to ensure continued use and relevance beyond the project’s durability.
6. The service provide should train users, project staff and county officers, on the use and administration of the platform as well as provide technical support, system maintenance, and documentation post-deployment. Develop a sustainability and transition plan to guide handover and continued use of the platform beyond the project’s life.

3. Methodology, Outputs and Deliverables

• Requirement Analysis and Design
• Engage Concern project staff and county government officials to confirm platform requirements and user roles.
• Develop a comprehensive system requirement and design document detailing architecture, workflows, and data management.
• Ensure the platform supports defined user groups:
  • Farmers and Buyers – interact, post, and manage orders.
  • Concern and County Officers – monitor, manage, and generate reports
• Platform Development and Configuration

Develop a mobile-first platform with multi-channel access: That support various access modes, including web, app, and USSD-based functionality, to ensure inclusion of farmers with no smartphone or internet access.

• User registration and authentication.
  • Order posting, acceptance, and fulfilment tracking.
  • Automated notifications (app-based).
  • Historical data storage and retrieval.
  • Administrative dashboards for monitoring and reporting.
  • Marketplace section for farmers and buyers to post offers and requests.
  • Real-time inventory management at aggregation centres.
  • Peer activity tracker for farmers to view progress of others.
  • Dashboards for extension officers and project staff.
  • Ensure compliance with the Kenya Data Protection Act (2019) and relevant digital security standards.
• Testing and Validation
• Deploy a beta version for internal testing by Concern and project officers.
• Conduct functionality, usability, and security testing.
• Incorporate feedback and finalize the platform for deployment.
• Training and Capacity Building
• Train Concern and county officers to use, administer, and maintain the platform.
• Develop user manuals, training materials, and system administration guides.
• Sustainability and Transition Planning
  • Develop a sustainability and ownership plan, detailing proposed hosting arrangements, data governance, and system management post-project.
  • Build capacity of designated county ICT officers and farmer group representatives to manage the platform sustainably.
• Deployment, Documentation, and Support
  • Deploy the final platform version on a secure and reliable hosting environment.
  • Provide complete technical documentation, and system architecture.

Specifically, the service provider will deliver a fully functional digital solution and supporting documentation that includes the following components:

• A detailed system requirement and design document outlining functional and technical specifications of the platform, developed through consultations with Concern project staff representing end-user perspectives. This should include the proposed system architecture, user interface, user roles, and data management framework.
• A web-based and mobile-accessible platform that enables farmers and buyers to interact, post and manage orders, and access market information. The platform should include monitoring and management dashboards for Concern project staff and county extension officers to oversee activities, track transactions, and manage users.
• A report summarizing testing results, feedback from Concern project staff and subsequent system refinements prior to full deployment.
• A practical plan outlining long-term ownership, hosting, maintenance, and management arrangements. The plan should clearly define the roles of all actors, Concern, and other local actors in ensuring platform sustainability beyond the project period.
• Training resources, user manuals, and administrative guides for Concern project staff and county extension officers, enabling them to support farmers and buyers in platform use and system management.
• Delivery and deployment of the final, fully functional platform on a secure hosting environment, accompanied by complete technical documentation, including source code, configuration settings, and administrator credentials.

4. Lines of Communication

The Consultant will report to the Country Director (or nominee), with coordination support from the Technical Advisor Livelihoods.

5. Deliverables and Timelines.

The service is expected to be completed within 25 days from the date of contract signing as follows:

• System requirement design and documentation

  Document outlining system architecture, workflows, user roles, and interface design validated by Concern officers- 5 days

• Prototype development and presentation.

  Initial prototype demonstrates core user and admin features for review and feedback- 10days

• Testing

  Deployment of a beta version, testing by Concern, and submission of a report on feedback and refinements- 2 days

• Final Platform Deployment

  Delivery and hosting of the final tested platform with full functionality for users and administrators. final report, including all technical documentation- 2 days

• Training and capacity building package

  Completion of user and admin training sessions, supported by manuals and guides- 2 days

6. Required Key documentation

Interested and qualified service providers are invited to submit a complete proposal comprising both technical and financial components. The proposal should demonstrate a clear understanding of the assignment, relevant experience, and the capacity to deliver within the timelines.

A. Technical Proposal
The technical proposal should include:

1. Understanding the Assignment – A brief interpretation of the task, objectives, and expected outcomes.
2. Proposed Methodology and Work Plan – A detailed approach outlining how the service provider intends to design, develop, test, deploy, and support the digital marketplace platform, including proposed technologies and data security considerations.
3. Implementation Schedule – A realistic timeline aligned with the deliverables and duration outlined in the ToR.
4. Team Composition and Qualifications – Details of the team members who will undertake the work, including their specific roles, qualifications, and relevant experience.
5. Company Profile – Summary of the firm’s background, core areas of expertise, and experience in developing similar digital systems, preferably within the agriculture or development sectors.
6. Previous Relevant Assignments – At least three examples of comparable projects undertaken, including client references and contact details.
7. Sustainability Approach – A brief outline of how the proposed solution will ensure long-term functionality, local ownership, and integration with county systems.
8. Risk Management Plan – Identification of key risks and proposed mitigation measures.
9. Work plan (Gantt chart) showing specific milestones.

B. Financial Proposal.
The financial proposal should include:

1. A detailed cost breakdown for all activities and deliverables, expressed in Kenyan Shillings (KES) and inclusive of all applicable taxes.
2. Any assumptions or exclusions that could affect pricing.

C. Required Key Mandatory Company documentation with your proposal:

1. Company / Consultant profile
2. Certificate of Incorporation (firms) or National ID card (individual)
3. Valid Tax Compliance Certificate
4. PIN Certificate
5. Company / Consultant’s Profile
6. Certificate/reference information of previous undertakings of similar contracts with NGOs/UN agencies
7. Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct etc. or what are the necessary provisions have you put in place to keep everyone safe during your engagement

   Essential and Desirable Experience/Qualifications

Essential:

• Proven experience in the design, development, and deployment of digital platforms or marketplace systems, within the agricultural sector.
• Demonstrated expertise in web and mobile application development using modern frameworks (e.g. React, Flutter, or similar).
• Experience in cloud-based hosting and data management (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud).
• Strong understanding of ICT4Ag (ICT for Agriculture) concepts and application of digital tools in enhancing market linkages or value chains.
• Knowledge of and compliance with the Kenya Data Protection Act (2019) and other relevant data security and privacy standards.
• Ability to translate user needs into functional technical specifications and user-friendly interfaces.
• Proven track record of training users and providing post-deployment technical support.

Desirable

• Prior experience working with NGOs, government institutions, or agricultural programs in Kenya or similar contexts.
• Demonstrated capacity to develop dashboards and visualization tools for monitoring and reporting.
• A multidisciplinary team with competencies in software development, UI/UX design, database management, and quality assurance will be an added advantage.

8. Working conditions

The consultant will work under the supervision of Technical Advisor Livelihoods

9. Remuneration/Payment

Concern will pay the contracted market service provider two equal instalments against invoices issued by the Consultant as follows:

Basis of Payment Proportion of fee due

• 50% upon digital platform development, configuration, testing and validation
• 50 % upon deployment, documentation and support

5% withholding tax & 16% VAT where applicable for residents and 20% reverse VAT for non-residents

10. Security

It is a requirement that the consultant will comply with [Kenya] security policy and in-country security procedures. Failing to comply will result in immediate termination of contract.

Tagged as: Concern Worldwide, Kenya