Request for quotations – Provision of consultancy service to develop project business model and spin-off tender at Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

General Information About the Alliance of Bi Bioversity International and CIAT

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crisis of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
(https://alliancebioversityciat.org/)
The Alliance works with local, national, and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR consortium (www.cgiar.org), a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.

Bid Information

The Alliance of Bioversity-CIAT considers the development of new revenue models as an essential requirement to be able to sustainably supply digital services that accelerate the transition to resilient food systems and rural livelihoods. More effective digital solutions to respond to climate, environmental, and land use challenges will need to be commercially viable to achieve meaningful scale. We currently work with international agribusiness, donors, and impact investors to help inform their investments to better reduce poverty, improve food and nutrition security, and protect and regenerate natural resources and ecosystem services. However, impact is often limited by designing the business model to scale as an afterthought instead of as the starting point for the innovation.

Scope of Services

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT therefore seek quotations from qualified entities and organizations to provide consultancy services to develop a business model and spin-off of Artemis project (Artemis Project | Alliance Bioversity International – CIAT). Over a 4-month period, the consultant will establish the business model for a spin-off, which includes costs, sources of revenue, intellectual property rights (software licenses), and governance structures suited for the transition of Artemis as a project to a wholly owned subsidiary under the legal entity of CIAT over a 3-year timespan.
The ideal candidate/service provider will be a seasoned expert with direct experience of building or advising many early-stage businesses.

Description of Services

I: Market Analysis and Strategy

1. Determine Market Size: Determine potential market size for different client segments.
2. Partnership and Collaboration Model: Assess current and potential partners and competitors, evaluate preferred partnership models for Artemis. With special attention for synergies with ClimMob and potential pathways for integration.
3. Business Model Design: Validate and develop the value proposition.
4. Go-to-Market Strategy: Design a launch/marketing strategy for Artemis, with the aim to attract new users and convert current trial users into loyal paying customers.
5. Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Assess market, technological, operational, social, and other risks for Artemis over the next 3 years.

II: Operational and Financial Planning

1. Intellectual Property Strategy: Recognizing CIAT, CGIAR, and Gates Foundation access rights.
2. Operational Plan for the Spin-off: Including the organizational structure, technology infrastructure, quality control, data management, and implementation roadmap of the transition plan with a timeline. This also includes assessing alternatives for developing Artemis as a service within the CGIAR.
3. Financial Sustainability Plan: Create a 3-year sustainability plan covering the revenue models and cost analysis, willingness-to-pay assessments, profitability milestones, and cash flow projections.
4. Funding and Investment Strategy: Develop investor outreach plan targeting social, corporate, and government funders.
5. Spin-off Governance Strategy: Define governance structure and measurable success indicators.

Deliverables

• Project workplan and calendar of activities: PDF, 2-4 pages, due within 2 weeks of start of assignment.
• Development of priority areas of the business model and spin-off strategy: PDF, up to 10 pages, due before May 30th.
• Full report and presentation: PDF and PPT, due within 4 months.

Submission and Correspondence

1. Submission

Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT invites proposals to be submitted by email to The Procurement Office, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT on the following email address:
Alliance-Tanzania-procurement@cgiar.org by 30th April 2025, not later than 5.00 p.m. (GMT+3).
Subject heading on email should read as follows: PROVISION OF CONSULTANCY SERVICE TO DEVELOP PROJECT BUSINESS MODEL AND SPIN OFF.
Fees quoted should be inclusive of all costs and must be expressed in Tanzania Shillings.

2. Correspondence

All communications from Bidders to CIAT relating to this request must be in writing and addressed to Alliance-Tanzania-procurement@cgiar.org.

Award Criteria

Award of the contract will be based on fulfilment of the qualification criteria.

Anti-Bribery and Corruption

All Bidders are required to comply fully with Anti-Bribery and Corruption Act.

Exclusion Criteria

Any Bidder is required to confirm in writing that:

• Neither it nor any related company to which it regularly subcontracts is insolvent or being wound up, is having its affairs administered by the courts, has entered into an arrangement with creditors, has suspended business activities, is the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations.
• Neither it nor a company to which it regularly subcontracts has been convicted of fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization, any money laundering offence, any offence concerning professional conduct, breaches of applicable labour law or labour tax legislation, or any other illegal activity by a judgment in any court of law whether national or international.
• Neither it nor a company to which it regularly subcontracts has failed to comply with its obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the relevant country in which it the Bidder operates.
• Any Bidder will automatically be excluded/disqualified from the award if it is found that they are guilty of misrepresentation in supplying the required information within their tender bid or fail to supply the required information.
• They have not been barred from participating in any tender by any of the CGIAR organizations.

Conflict of Interest / Non-Collusion

Any Bidder is required to confirm in writing:

• That it is not aware of any connection between it or any of its directors or senior managers and the directors and staff of CIAT which may affect the outcome of the selection process. If there are such connections, the Bidder is required to disclose them.
• That it has not communicated to anyone other than CIAT the amount or approximate amount of the award. That it has not and will not offer, pay, or give any sum of money, commission, gift, inducement, or other financial benefit directly or indirectly to any person for doing or omitting to do any act in relation to the tender process.
• CIAT reserves the right to accept or reject any bid and to annul the tendering process and reject all tenders at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected tenderer or tenderers or any obligation to inform the affected tenderer or tenderers of the grounds for the procuring entity’s action.