GOVERNMENT OF GRENADA – MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND LANDS
OECS Regional Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AGRICOM)
SECTION I
BACKGROUND
The Government of Grenada (GOG) has received a loan of US$4.0 million from the World Bank for the OECS Regional Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AGRICOM). The project objective is to “enhance access to markets and sales for competitively selected Farmers and Fishers as well as their Allied Aggregators and Agro-processors (AA) in Grenada” through participation in Productive Alliances (PA). PA are market-based commercial arrangement between small-scale individual or organized (FFs), as product supplying partners, and an AA which can be either a producer organization or private micro/small/medium enterprise (MSME), as buying counterparts within a joint venture, to be developed and implemented with the support of AGRICOM.
The PA approach is intended to improve small-scale producers’ access to markets, using the private sector as a vehicle to align smallholder production with market demand in terms of quantity, quality, and timeliness. The AGRICOM project will support technically feasible, financially viable, economically profitable, and socially/environmentally responsible business plans through a matching grant mechanism.
Guidance documents for the preparations of BIP are available on the MOAL website: www.gov.gd/documents.html.
SECTION II
OBJECTIVE OF THE CALL FOR PROPOSALS
AGRICOM will receive BIP for consideration during the period: Monday, 24 June 2019 to Friday, 16 August 2019.
The objective of the Call is to invite eligible AAs in collaboration with collaborating FFs to submit Business Idea Profiles (BIP), as expressions of interest to participate in the AGRICOM project.
Most promising BIPs will be selected through a competitive process and will be developed into full business plans (BP) with the support of the project. The projects will be further considered to receive financial, technical, and business development support during their implementation. Each BIP must provide information demonstrating the eligibility of both FFs and AAs, also key elements displaying the business worthiness of the proposed PA.
SECTION III
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
The following stakeholders are eligible to participate:
- Farmers and Fishers (FFs): Small-scale individuals whether independent or organised.
- Aggregators andAgro-processors (AAs): Include:
- Producer Organisations (with legal standing): (i) Fisher/Farmer groups; (ii) Associations; (iii) Agro-processors; (iv) Co-operatives.
- Private Sector MSMEs (50 employees or less): (i) Wholesalers; (ii) Traders; (iii) Lead farmers; (iv) Industrial Agro-industrialists; (v) Buyers.
In addition, to be eligible for participation all Farmers/Fishers (FFs) and Aggregators/Agro-Processors(AAs)must: (i) be involved in Agricultural activities (that is, existing and startup), and (ii) collaborate in the preparation of the lead AA.
MANDATORY COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
Eligible AAs and FFs must meet the following requirements for their proposals to qualify for project support:
- Both FFs and the AAs should be physically located in Grenada.
- The BIP must be presented by an AA and must include the participation of a minimum of 10 FFs.
- The BIP must be signed by all participating FFs and the legal representative of AAs.
- The AA must submit a statement signed by all FFs participating in the proposal stating that they are willing and able to contribute their expected counterpart financing to the matching grant.
- To be eligible to participate in the Project, AAs and FFs must also meet the following criteria:
| Aggregators/Agro-processors(AAs) | Farmers/Fishers (FFs) |
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SECTION IV
POTENTIAL INVESTMENT AREAS
| CATEGORY | # | POTENTIAL VALUE CHAINS | POTENTIAL PRODUCTS |
| PERMANENT CROPS | 1 | Cocoa and Chocolate | Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Liquor, Jams. |
| 2 | Nutmeg Products | Essential Oils, Aromatherapy Oils, Liquors, Wines, Jams, Jellies, Flavors for Ice-Creams. | |
| 3 | Soursop fruit and pulp | Fresh fruits, frozen pulps | |
| 4 | Dried soursop leaves | Branded Soursop leaves tea bags | |
| 5 | Coconut and Coconut Water | Coconut oils (natural & cold pressed), Butter, Milk, Shredded and Desiccated, Coconut Water. | |
| 6 | Sugarcane Juice | Packaged and branded | |
| 7 | Fresh/ dry Fruits | Fresh and fresh-cut Mangoes, Golden Apple, Breadfruit, Bananas, Plantain, Guava, Sapodilla, Plums, Tamarind. | |
| 8 | Fresh Fruit Juices & Pulps | From locally produced fruits (packaged and branded?) | |
| TEMPORARY CROPS | 9 | Salad fruits | Fresh and Fresh Cut Pineapples, Watermelons, Cantaloupe, Papaya, Pumpkin, Butternut Squash. |
| 10 | Vegetables | Fresh and fresh-cut Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce, Arugula, Kale, Carrots, Beets, Tomatoes, Colored Sweet Peppers, Corn, Pigeon Peas, etc. | |
| 11 | Culinary Herbs, spices & Condiments | Chive, Thyme, Celery, Shadow Benne, Cilantro, Turmeric, Ginger, Clove, | |
| 12 | Organic Fruits and Vegetables | Locally produced | |
| 13 | Ornamental Horticulture | Plants, Cut- Flowers | |
| 14 | Roots & Tubers | Yam, Dasheen, Tania, Sweet Potatoes, Cassava | |
| FISH | 15 | Fresh & Processed Fish | Fresh and processed including freshwater fish (aquaculture) |
| 16 | Marine Crustaceans | Lobsters, Crabs, Shrimps – fresh and processed | |
| LIVESTOCK | 17 | Poultry | Broilers, Eggs, Turkey, Duck, Quail |
| 18 | Small ruminants | Sheep, Goats – live and slaughtered | |
| 19 | Swine | Pigs – live and slaughtered | |
| 20 | Cattle | Live, slaughtered | |
| 21 | Apiculture | Honey & Other Apiculture Products | |
| AGRO-PRODUCTS | 22 | Agro-Products | Jams, Jellies, Sauces, Wines, Juices, Ice Creams, etc. from locally produced products. |
| OTHERS | 23 | Agriculture and fisheries products | Not included in the list above (#1–22) |
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Interested Allied-Aggregators/Agro-processors (AAs) and Farmers/Fishers (FFs) can obtain the Business Idea Profile (BIP)Template and the User Guide for the preparation of the Business Proposals on MOAL/ AGRICOM website: www.gov.gd/documents.html or www.agricom.gov.gd. Hard copies of these documents can be obtained from the AGRICOM Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Ministerial Complex, Botanical Gardens, ST. GEORGE on Telephone: 473-440-2708 / 3078, Extension 62631.
Other project documents (Environmental and Social Safeguard, Grievance Redress Mechanism, Sub-Grant Manual, Regional Resettlement Policy Framework, Project Appraisal document) are available on the above-mentioned website.
BIP Template must be completed in electronic form. All BIPs along with supporting legal documents must be submitted in printed form in a closed envelope to the AGRICOM PIU and digital form on email: agricom@gov.gd no later than Friday, 16 August 2019 at 4 pm.
The subject line should be clearly marked: “AGRICOM BIP – [Name of Productive Alliance]”.
Submission prior to the closing date will be reviewed for completeness. Should there be shortcomings and time permitting, AAs will be contacted and will be allowed to complete their submissions up to the closing date. After the closing date of BIP submissions, evaluation and selection based on established criteria will be carried out by an independent Evaluation Committee.
[1] As recommended for Regional Adoption by the Caribbean Development Bank. “Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise Development in the Caribbean: Towards A New Frontier” (2016), pg. 28.