Engagement of a Registered Service Provider to Support Youth- and Women-Led Climate-Smart Cooperatives and Promote Agricultural Labour Formalization-DRC عودة إلى الفرص

Engagement of a Registered Service Provider to Support Youth and Women-Led Climate-Smart Cooperatives and Promote  Agricultural Labour Formalization 

Program: Youth Innovation and Employment Program (YIEP) 

1. Context and Background 

The Youth Innovation and Employment Program (YIEP), implemented by the Danish Refugee  Council (DRC) under the Danish Arab Partnership Program (DAPP), aims to reduce youth  unemployment in Tunisia by equipping young women and men with the skills, opportunities, and  support needed to access decent and sustainable income. Within this framework, YIEP combines  training, entrepreneurship, job placement, and cooperative strengthening to directly contribute to  Tunisia’s inclusive economic recovery and to DAPP’s overarching employment and gender-equality  objectives. 

As part of YIEP’s acceleration efforts, DAPP seeks to contract a legally registered service provider  in Tunisia with proven technical expertise in: 

• cooperative development and governance, 
• agricultural labour formalization and Tunisian labour law, 
• market systems development (MSD) and value-chain integration, 
• youth and women’s economic empowerment. 

The selected provider will operationalize specific YIEP outputs by: 

1. Supporting the establishment and scaling of women- and youth-led climate-smart  cooperatives, including targeted equipment packages and governance/financial coaching. 2. Delivering structured training and awareness on labour formalization, combining  MSD/veille stratégique for agricultural partners with practical sessions for cooperative  members. 
2. Creating and animating Business Support Groups (BSGs) to ensure peer-to-peer learning,  resource-sharing, and sustainability. 
3. Providing legal aid and advisory services to cooperatives and workers, facilitating concrete  steps toward formal contracts, CNSS affiliation, and improved occupational health and  safety. 
4. Applying robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning tools, aligned with DRC’s YIEP  framework, to track pre/post knowledge gains, cooperative performance, and formalization  actions.
5. Objectives of the Assignment 

The assignment will contribute directly to YIEP Output Streams 3–5 by ensuring that women- and  youth-led climate-smart cooperatives are strengthened, labour formalization is advanced, and  sustainable peer-support mechanisms are established. Specifically, the service provider will: 

1. Strengthen and scale women- and youth-led climate-smart cooperatives (A2.1) 

o Delivery tailored technical assistance (governance, financial management, market  linkages). 

o Provide two rounds of equipment packages (South-East and North-West regions). o Accompany cooperatives with coaching and follow-up to ensure adoption of climate smart practices. 

2. Facilitate training and awareness on agricultural labour formalization (A2.2) 

o Deliver Strategic Veille and Market Systems Development (MSD) training for  agricultural partners to analyze market dynamics and policies. 

o Conduct participatory awareness sessions with youth and cooperatives, using  pre-/post-assessments to track knowledge gains on labour rights and formalization  pathways. 

3. Establish and animate Business Support Groups (A2.3) 

o Facilitate peer-to-peer mentoring, collective problem-solving, and resource-sharing  mechanisms. 

o Organize knowledge exchange and networking sessions to reinforce sustainability  beyond the project’s duration. 

4. Provide legal aid and advisory services (A2.5) 

o Deliver legal literacy sessions on Tunisian labour law and CNSS registration  procedures. 

o Support and mediate 3–5 concrete legal cases to advance agricultural labour  formalization and worker protection. 

5. Apply robust monitoring, assessment, and follow-up 

o Use DRC’s monitoring tools to capture baseline and endline data. 

o Produce progress reports on cooperative performance, training outcomes, BSG  participation, and legal aid results. 

o Ensure lessons learned and best practices are documented for YIEP capitalization.

3. Expected Outcomes and Impact 

The assignment is expected to deliver the following measurable outcomes that contribute directly to  YIEP Output Streams 3–5 and Outcome Indicators FO2/FO3: 

1. Improved knowledge of labour formalization 

o At least 90% of 100 targeted youth and women demonstrate increased  understanding of labour rights, CNSS registration, and formalization procedures,  verified through pre-/post-training assessments (Indicator 5.4 – Gender norms /  enabling environment). 

2. Legal support cases resolved 

o 3–5 concrete legal cases of agricultural labour formalization are successfully  supported (advisory, mediation, or resolution), leading to improved worker  protection and documented lessons learned (Indicator 5.3 – Workplaces improving  occupational health and safety). 

3. Operational and sustainable Business Support Groups (BSGs) 

o At least 4 functional BSGs established and maintained, with 70% average  participation rate across sessions, evidenced by meeting minutes, attendance  records, and knowledge-sharing outputs (Indicator 3.1/3.3 – Entrepreneur support  and business start-up). 

4. Strengthened cooperative performance (added for clearer logic) 

o Minimum 6 cooperatives receiving equipment and coaching show documented  improvements in governance, financial management, and market access within 2 months, measured through DRC’s monitoring tools (Indicator 3.2 – Entrepreneurship  competencies). 

4. Scope of Work / Key Tasks 

A2.0 – Needs and Capacity Assessment (Preparatory Step) 

• Conduct a diagnostic assessment of targeted cooperatives and groups to establish baseline  information on: 

✓ Governance structures and leadership practices 

✓ Financial management systems and record-keeping 

✓ Technical/production capacities and resource gaps 

✓ Market linkages and value chain positioning 

✓ Training needs on labour formalization and business development

• Use standardized tools (questionnaires, KIIs, FGDs, observation checklists) aligned with DRC’s  monitoring framework. 
• Produce a Needs & Capacity Assessment Report with recommendations and priority actions  to guide equipment delivery, coaching, and follow-up support. 
• Establish a baseline dataset for comparison with endline results to measure progress and  impact. 

A2.1 – Establishment and Scaling of Cooperatives/Businesses 

• Deliver two rounds of equipment and technical assistance packages: 

o South-East region (first package) 

o North-West region (second package) 

• Ensure direct delivery to beneficiaries with signed proof of delivery. 
• Provide tailored coaching on governance, equipment use, financial management, market  linkages, and sustainability. 
• Conduct pre- and post-assessments to measure cooperative capacity improvements. • Carry out structured follow-up visits to ensure effective application of skills and equipment. A2.2 – Training and Awareness on Agricultural Labour Formalization 

1. Strategic Veille and MSD Training (for agricultural partners) 

• Deliver training on strategic monitoring (veille) and Market Systems Development (MSD). • Equip participants to analyze policies, markets, and value chain dynamics. • Assess knowledge gains through pre-/post-tests. 
• Provide mentoring to ensure integration of tools into practice. 

2. Awareness Sessions (for youth and cooperatives) 

• Conduct participatory awareness sessions on labour formalization benefits and procedures  (using case studies, infographics, role-play, and testimonials). 
• Measure knowledge gains through pre-/post-assessments. 
• Reinforce adoption of formalization practices through follow-up support. A2.3 – Establishment of Business Support Groups (BSGs) 
• Facilitate the creation of peer-to-peer support and mentorship groups among cooperatives. • Organize knowledge-sharing sessions, exchange visits, and networking events. • Monitor participation and follow up to strengthen sustainability of BSGs beyond project  closure. 

A2.5 – Legal Aid for Labour Formalization 

• Deliver legal literacy sessions covering Tunisian labour law, CNSS registration, and workers’  rights. 
• Provide advisory and mediation services for 3–5 concrete cases. 
• Document cases, challenges, and lessons learned. 
• Conduct follow-up to ensure application of legal advice and progress toward formalization.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Quality Assurance

• Apply DRC’s monitoring and evaluation tools to all activities. 
• Conduct systematic pre-/post-assessments across interventions. 
• Produce deliverables subject to DAPP review for quality and alignment. 
• Conduct a mid-term review (after month 1) to allow adaptive management.

Communication & Sustainability 

• Document activities with photos, stories, and short reports according to YIEP/DRC branding  requirements. 
• Ensure cooperatives and BSGs are equipped with governance, finance, and operational  systems enabling them to continue independently beyond the assignment. 

5. Deliverables 

The service provider will submit the following deliverables to DRC/DAPP, in line with the approved  methodology and monitoring framework: 

1. Inception Package 

o Inception Report outlining methodology, stakeholder engagement plan, 2-month  work plan, delivery schedule, and preliminary list of targeted beneficiaries. 

o Needs & Capacity Assessment Report (A2.0), establishing baseline capacities of  targeted cooperatives and identifying priority gaps to guide subsequent  interventions. 

2. Cooperative Strengthening Outputs 

o Two equipment and technical assistance delivery packages (South-East and North West regions), with proof of delivery signed by beneficiaries. 

o Cooperative support reports covering governance, financial management, market  linkages, sustainability coaching, and results of pre-/post-capacity assessments. 3. Training & Awareness Outputs 

o Strategic Veille + MSD training module/manual, adapted to the agricultural sector  and delivered to identified partners. 

o Training and awareness session reports (attendance lists, feedback summaries, pre- /post-test results). 

4. Business Support Group Outputs 

o Reports on the establishment and functioning of Business Support Groups, including  membership lists, meeting minutes, knowledge-sharing activities, and follow-up  actions. 

5. Legal Aid Outputs

o Legal aid reports documenting literacy sessions, advisory services, and mediation  outcomes for 3–5 supported cases. 

o Policy gap notes highlighting systemic challenges and recommendations related to  agricultural labour formalization. 

6. Monitoring, Evaluation & Quality Assurance 

o Periodic monitoring and assessment reports using DRC monitoring tools (baseline,  mid-term review, and endline). 

o Documentation of lessons learned and best practices captured throughout  implementation. 

7. Final Deliverable 

o Final Project Report consolidating results against targets, supported with evidence  (photos, case studies, data tables), and including recommendations for scale-up  and sustainability. 

6. Duration of Assignment 

2 months (November – December), covering preparation, two regional deliveries, trainings,  awareness sessions, business group facilitation, legal aid, monitoring, and reporting. 

7. Qualifications of the Service Provider 

The selected service provider must demonstrate the following qualifications and capacities: Organizational Requirements 

• Legally registered entity in Tunisia with valid authorization to operate. 
• Proven experience in implementing assignments of comparable scope and complexity.
•  Demonstrated capacity to manage multi-region logistics for equipment procurement,  delivery, and technical follow-up. 
• Strong organizational systems for financial management, compliance, and quality  assurance, in line with donor-funded project requirements. 

Technical Expertise 

• Track record in: 
• Cooperative development, governance support, and equipment delivery.
• Youth and women’s economic empowerment, particularly in rural/agricultural  contexts. 
• Agricultural labour law, provision of legal aid, and formalization processes (CNSS  registration, contracts, mediation). 
• Market Systems Development (MSD) and value chain strengthening. 
• Experience in designing and delivering trainings and awareness sessions using  participatory approaches (including pre-/post-assessments and follow-up monitoring).

Human Resources & Team Composition 

• Availability of qualified experts with the following profiles: 
• Team Leader/Project Manager – minimum 5 years of experience in cooperative  development, MSD, or rural economic development; strong coordination and reporting  skills. 
• Cooperative Development Specialist – expertise in governance, financial management,  and market linkages. 
• Legal Advisor – specialized in Tunisian labour law and agricultural formalization; experience  providing legal aid and mediation. 
• Trainer(s)/Facilitator(s) – skilled in youth and women’s empowerment, participatory  training, and business support group facilitation. 
• All team members must be fluent in Arabic; at least one senior expert must have strong  working proficiency in French for reporting and donor coordination. 

Reporting & Documentation 

• Strong capacity to produce timely and high-quality documentation, including inception  reports, training manuals, monitoring tools, and final reports aligned with DRC/DAPP  requirements. 

8. Reporting and Coordination 

• The service provider reports directly to the DAPP Project Manager. 
• Coordinates with local authorities, civil society organizations, and relevant institutions active in agricultural formalization. 
• Provides regular reports, proof of delivery, assessment results, and final project report. 9. Proposal Submission 

Interested companies are invited to submit the following documents: 

1. Company Profile: Overview of the company’s relevant experience and qualifications. 
2. Technical Proposal: Detailed plan, including how the company will approach stakeholder  engagement, event logistics, and follow-up. 
3. Financial Proposal: A detailed budget outlining the costs, including all logistics, staffing, and  material costs. 
4. Previous Work Examples: Case studies or reports from similar events previously organized. 5. Team Composition: CVs of key personnel.
5. Indicative 2-Month Timeline 

11. Evaluation Criteria 

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

12. Contact Information and Deadline 

Interested companies should submit their proposals by 31/10/2025 Midnight to RFQ.TUN@drc.ngo For further inquiries, please contact rabie.elmajri@drc.ngo

BOQ_AF1

Annex A.2 Financial Bid-DRC-ALT-TUN-2025-003

Annex A.1 Technical Bid-DRC-ALT-TUN-2025-003

Terms of Reference_Thamra-DRC-ALT-TUN-2025-003

DRC-ALT-TUN-2025-003-RFP Invitation Letter

CT Procurement 02_Supplier Profile and Registration Form ENG v2025 (3)

CT Procurement 23_Supplier Code of Conduct (Standard)

CT Procurement 21_22 General Conditions of Contract (Standard)