WOOL AND MOHAIR VALUE CHAIN COMPETITIVENESS PROJECT – REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – Feasibility study for the establishment of Angora Goats Breeding Centre

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(Consulting Firms)

LESOTHO

WOOL AND MOHAIR VALUE CHAIN COMPETITIVENESS PROJECT

Assignment Title: Feasibility study for the establishment of Angora Goats Breeding Centre

Reference No: IFAD/WAMCOP/C02/2025-2026

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition has received a financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) towards the cost of Wool and Mohair Value Chain Competitiveness Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the recruitment of consulting services.

The use of any IFAD financing shall be subject to IFAD’s approval, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the financing agreement, as well as IFAD’s rules, policies and procedures. IFAD and its officials, agents and employees shall be held harmless from and against all suits, proceedings, claims, demands, losses and liability of any kind or nature brought by any party in connection with Wool and Mohair Value Chain Competitiveness Project.

The consulting services (“the services”) include the baseline study which is expected to provide quantitative baseline data of the IFAD core outcome indicators as per the mandatory IFAD COI guidelines and methodologies. The baseline study is also expected provide an assessment of additional aspects of the project relating to current/existing knowledge, strategies, practices and perceptions in terms of nutrition and gender issues. The study must produce information that will be used to direct and guide project implementation processes. In addition, lessons from past and existing IFAD-funded projects/programmes will be a key resource for review and use in this assignment.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (“the client”) now invites eligible consulting firms (“consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services. Interested firms should submit their expressions of interest to the address indicated below.

The attention of interested consultants is drawn to IFAD’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy[1] and the Revised IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption its Activities and Operations[2]. The latter sets forth IFAD’s provisions on prohibited practices. IFAD further strives to ensure a safe working environment free of harassment, including sexual harassment, and free of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in its activities and operations as detailed in its IFAD Policy to Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.[3] By entering in this document, you certify to have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Privacy Policy of IFAD.[4]

The consultant shall not have any actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest. A consultant with an actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the Fund. A consultant including their respective personnel and affiliates are considered to have a conflict of interest if they a) have a relationship that provides them with undue or undisclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, b) participate in more than one EOI under this procurement action, c) have a business or family relationship with a member of the Purchaser’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of this REOI, (ii) the shortlisting or selection process for this procurement, or (iii) execution of the contract. The consultant has an ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during preparation of the EOI, the selection process or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations.

The following conflict of interest rules shall apply with respect to recruitment of government/client staff within the consultant’s proposed team:

(a)       No member of the client’s board of directors or current employees of the client (whether part time, or full time, paid or unpaid, in leave status, etc.) shall be proposed or work as, or on behalf of, any consultant.

(b)       Except as provided in sub-clause 8.6(d), no current employees of the government shall work as consultants or as personnel under their own ministries, departments or agencies.

(c)        Recruiting former client or government employees to perform services for their former ministries, departments or agencies is acceptable provided no conflict of interest exists.

(d)       If a consultant proposes any government employee as personnel in their technical proposal, such personnel must have written certification from the government confirming that: (i) they will be on leave without pay from the time of their official proposal submission and will remain on leave without pay until the end of their assignment with the consultant and they are allowed to work full-time outside of their previous official position; or (ii) they will resign or retire from government employment on or prior to the contract award date. Under no circumstances shall any individuals described in (i) and (ii) be responsible for approving the implementation of this contract. Such certification shall be provided to the client by the consultant as part of its technical proposal.

(e)       In the case where a consultant seeks to engage the services of any person falling under ITC sub-clauses 8.6(a) – 8.6(d), who may have left the client within a period of less than twelve (12) months of the date of this RFP, it must obtain a written “no-objection” from the client for the inclusion of such a person, prior to the consultant’s submission of its proposal.

A consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in IFAD’ project procurement handbook that can be accessed via the IFAD website at www.ifad.org/project-procurement.

The shortlisting criteria are:

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications.

Any request for clarification on this REOI should be sent via e-mail to the address below no later than 16:00hrs, 14 July 2025, Lesotho time. The client will provide responses to all clarification requests by 16:00hrs, 18 July 2025, Lesotho time.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in written form using the forms provided for this purpose. EOIs shall be submitted to the address below no later than 12:00hrs, 23 July 2025, Lesotho time.

Wool and Mohair Value Chain Competitiveness Project

Attn: Procurement and Contracts Manager

P.O. Box 24

Department of Livestock Services

Old Airport Road, Moshoeshoe II

e-mail: mlejota-thakong@wamcop.org.ls  and cc: nlepheana@wamcop.org.ls

[1] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/document-detail/asset/41942012.

[2] The policy is accessible at www.ifad.org/anticorruption_policy.

[3] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/document-detail/asset/40738506.

[4] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/privacy.

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