CONSULTANT TO TRAIN FARM SERVICE PROVIDERS (FSPS)

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR ENGAGING A CONSULTANT TO TRAIN FARM SERVICE PROVIDERS (FSPS) UNDER THE EYE-C SHE WORKS PROJECT

1.1 Introduction

ISSD Uganda intends to engage a consultant to deliver comprehensive, practical training for 200 young women FSPs to provide professional agricultural services, including coffee field establishment, pruning, disease control, and crop nutrition, within the project’s targeted districts of Kasese, Kabarole, Bunyangabo, Kanungu, Rukungiri, Kamwenge and Kyenjonjo.

1.2 Background

The Empowering Young Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture stimulated by Coffee (EYE-C) program is a 5.5-year initiative designed to alleviate poverty by creating dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for 300,000 disadvantaged young women (aged 18-35) in Uganda. The program, implemented by a consortium of aBi Development, Café Africa, & International Women in Coffee Alliance, together with Cluster partners, targets the coffee value chain and complementary enterprises (horticulture, pulses, poultry, banana, apiary, and briquettes), with a specific focus on including 3% young women with disabilities and strengthening 300 young women-led MSMEs.

The EYE C She Works Project is a cooperative-anchored women’s economic empowerment initiative targeting young women aged 18-35 in Uganda’s Kigezi, Rwenzori, and Albertine regions. It equips participants with skills to transition into dignified employment, entrepreneurship, and income-generating opportunities. While centered on coffee value chain transformation, the program also integrates horticulture, pulses, poultry, apiculture, and Agro-input services to diversify women’s access to resources, strengthen income resilience, and expand market integration. Through enhancing agricultural skills, building collective voice through farmer groups, and improving access to profitable markets, She Works empowers women coffee farmers to increase their incomes and strengthen their decision-making power within households and communities, positioning them as drivers of inclusive agri-food transformation.

The program works primarily through cooperatives, which serve as the central hubs for skilling, value addition, enterprise development, work placements, certification, and market linkages

1.3 Project Goal

By 2029, the She Works Project will contribute to improved livelihoods for 120,000 young women in Uganda’s Western and South-Western regions by expanding equitable access to quality, demand-driven skills development, dignified employment opportunities, and entrepreneurship pathways. The project will also strengthen and position cooperatives and farmer organizations to serve, grow, and thrive alongside skilled young women engaged in the coffee sector and complementary value chains, ensuring inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food transformation.

1.4 Project Scope

She works in the districts of: Kasese, Kanungu, Rukungiri, Kisoro, Rukiiga, Rubanda, Kabale, and Kabarole, including Fort Portal City, Bunyangabu, Kiryandongo, Hoima, Kibuku, Kakumiro, Kibaale, Bundibugyo, Kamwenge, Kyegegwa, and Kyenjojo.

1.5 Project Strategic Objectives

• The project will implement an integrated Anchor – agri hub delivery model to achieve the following three specific objectives:

• Reach, empower and certify 120,000 young women through competency-based skilling in coffee and related value chains, enabling 80,000 to transition into wage employment or self-employment, who earn a minimum of 300,000 UG per young woman by 2029.

  • Deepen financial inclusion by strengthening 2,000 VSLAs and 12 SACCOs and linking 120,000 young women to at least two gender-responsive financial products that offer timely and affordable credit by 2029.
  • Foster equitable market access by strengthening 100 MSMEs and at least 4 anchor cooperatives to serve 120,000 young women, with 60%linked to premium markets and 20% certified under international standards by 2029.
  • Facilitate the formation & formalization of a coffee cooperative union in the Tooro sub-region, bringing together member cooperatives in the region as a central unifying entity for voice, agency, production and marketing opportunities.

2. 1 OBJECTIVES OF THE ENGAGEMENT

The primary objective of this engagement is to equip 200 Farmer Service Providers with practical, demand-driven skills in the coffee value chain to enable them to offer paid, professional services to coffee farmers, thereby creating dignified self-employment opportunities.

2.2 Specific Objectives

To train 200 FSPs in the entire coffee value chain production, tailored specifically to service provision (farm setup, management, Crop management, harvesting, and post-harvest handling).

To certify the 200 trained FSPs upon successful completion of the training.

To facilitate linkages and placement opportunities for outstanding trainees on managed farms or within cooperative structures.

3. 1 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CONSULTANT

Consultant shall be responsible for the planning, execution, and logistical management of the training. Specific responsibilities include:

  • Training Design & Delivery: Develop a tailored 6-day hands-on training program integrating the 5 core modules (Introduction, Farm Setup, Farm Management, Harvesting, and Post-Harvest) specifically oriented toward service provision.
  • Provision of Trainers: Deploy a competent team of trainers with expertise in agronomy, coffee processing, and business development.
  • Logistics Management: Full management of all training logistics, including trainer accommodation, transport, feeding, and all required training aids/materials.
  • Assessment & Certification: Conduct continuous practical assessments during the 6-day training and issue Certificates of Participation to all 200 FSPs.
  • Placement Support: Leverage consultant network to identify and facilitate work placement/internship opportunities for trained FSPs on farms managed by SPARK or partner cooperatives.

3.2 ROLES OF ISSD UGANDA

  • Mobilization & Grouping: Group the 200 FSPs into manageable cohorts (2 groups of 100, based on Consultant’s operational model) to ensure quality delivery and hands-on engagement.
  • Provide an agreed budget to the consultant to execute the assigned milestones.
  • Follow up and monitor the progress of the engagement.
  • Give guidance and support to the consultant upon request or as needed

4. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

Consultant shall submit the following deliverables to ISSD Uganda:

  • Submission of work plan, detailing the customized training schedule and trainer profiles.
  • Training Roll-out: Successful completion of the 6-day training for all 200 FSPs (conducted in two cohorts of 100).
  • Attendance Registers: Signed daily attendance sheets for all 200 participants (ensuring alignment with the She Works target of 18-35-year-old young women, including the 3% disability target.
  • High-resolution photos and short videos documenting the training sessions (practical and theory).
  • Certificates of Participation: Issued to all 200 FSPs upon completion.
  • Placement Tracking List: A matrix detailing the FSPs who have been successfully placed on farms post-training.
  • Final Comprehensive Report: A detailed report outlining the training methodology, challenges faced, lessons learned, and recommendations for future skilling interventions, submitted within 14 days post-training.

5. COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

Consultant must strictly adhere to the following compliance standards throughout the engagement:

  • Gender and Social Inclusion: Ensure the training environment is safe, inclusive, and accommodates young women with disabilities (targeting at least 3% of the 200 FSPs).
  • Safeguarding: Adhere strictly to ISSD Uganda and EYE-C She Works project safeguarding policies, including Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and child protection protocols. No form of harassment or discrimination will be tolerated.
  • Financial Compliance: Maintain transparent, accurate, and auditable financial records for all funds disbursed for this assignment. All expenditures must align with the agreed-upon budget.
  • Geographic Compliance: Training must be implemented within the EYE-C She Works project scope (Western and South-Western regions: Kigezi and Rwenzori).
  • Sub-contracting: Sub-contracting of this assignment is not permitted without prior written consent from ISSD Uganda.

6. MONITORING AND REPORTING CHANNELS

To ensure quality assurance and adherence to the TOR, the following M&E framework shall apply:

Monitoring Visits: ISSD Uganda reserves the right to conduct unannounced or scheduled field monitoring visits during the training sessions to verify attendance, quality of delivery, and logistical compliance.

Reporting Schedule:

Weekly Updates: Consultant will provide a brief written update email during the active training weeks.

Milestone Reports: Consultant will be required to submit deliverables as outlined in Section 4.

Feedback and Grievance Redress: A dedicated channel will be established for participants to report any issues regarding the training. Consultant is required to cooperate fully in resolving any grievances raised by the FSPs through reporting to ISSD Uganda.

7. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE CONSULTANT

1. General Profile and Legal Status

Legal Registration: The Consultant Firm must be legally registered in Uganda with the relevant authorities, for example the certificate of registration.

2. Technical Experience and Track Record

  • Agricultural Training Expertise: The consultant must have demonstrable experience (at least 3 years) in designing and delivering practical, hands-on agricultural training, specifically within the coffee value chain.
  • Proven track record of training young women (aged 18-35) and vulnerable groups in agricultural skills or business development.
  • Must have previously managed and delivered training to cohorts of at least 100 participants at a time, ensuring quality control and hands-on engagement.
  • Track Record Evidence: Must provide at least two (2) verifiable references/contracts from similar assignments completed in the last 3 years.

3. Team Composition and Expertise

• The Consultant must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Agricultural Extension, or a related field, with at least 5 years of specific experience in coffee agronomy.

4. Geographic and Contextual Knowledge

Regional Experience: Must have proven practical experience working in the Western and South-Western regions of Uganda, specifically within the Rwenzori and Kigezi sub-regions (Target districts include Kasese, Kabarole, Bunyangabu, Kanungu, Rukungiri, Kamwenge, and Kyenjonjo).

  • Local Language Proficiency: The training team must be fluent in the local languages spoken in the target districts (e.g., Rukiga, Runyankole, Rutooro, Lukonzo) to ensure effective knowledge transfer to the young women FSPs.
  • Coffee Systems Knowledge: Deep understanding of local coffee farming systems, challenges, and market dynamics in the target regions.

5. Logistical and Operational Capacity

• Budget Management: Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality training within strictly defined budgets.

6. Network and Linkage Capabilities

• Placement Networks: Must possess an existing network within the local agricultural sector to facilitate the placement of trained FSPs on managed farms

7. Cross-Cutting Competencies and Compliance

  • Gender and Social Inclusion (GSl): Demonstrated experience in creating safe, inclusive training environments for young women, including reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities (targeting at least 3% of participants).
  • Safeguarding: The Lead Consultant and all deployed trainers must have undergone training in Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and child protection.

8.DURATION:

The assignment is expected to be completed within a maximum of 4 weeks from the date of contract signing (inclusive of preparation, 2 weeks of actual training based on the training model, and reporting).

9.SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Interested firms/individuals should submit the following

  • A signed cover letter expressing interest in undertaking the assignment and confirming the consultant/firm’s availability to deliver the assignment within the stipulated period.
  • A brief proposal description of the consultant’s understanding of the assignment, including the proposed approach for delivering practical, demand-driven training to the 200 Farmer Service Providers.
  • A detailed workplan showing how the assignment will be implemented from preparation through training, assessment, certification, placement support and final reporting.
  • A company/institution profile and CVs of the key trainers
  • Copies of the trading license/registration certificate and TIN.

10. SUBMISSION PROCESS

Submit the technical and financial proposals to hr@issduganda.org by August 29, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; therefore, early submission is strongly encouraged. Late submissions will not be considered.