Technical Consultant - Food Systems Challenge Project (WFP) RFP-A-051322

Lebanon has been facing multiple crises growing in intensity since 2019: economic, financial, health, humanitarian, which slowed and continue to slow down the economy and productivity of the country. As a result, the national currency has lost around 90% of its value, 55% of Lebanese live below the poverty line of USD3.84 a day and unemployment rate stands at 39%. Before the crisis, the median salary was USD 630, while it has reached currently less than USD 50.  

Prior to the financial and economic crisis, Lebanon’s agricultural sector was already beset with series of challenges such as productivity constraints, limited access to finance in rural areas, insufficient agricultural technologies, weak post-harvest systems, and limited market access specifically to non-traditional markets such as Europe. The crisis added further pressure on the sector, putting food security at risk given the increase in food prices of which 85% if imported. WFP’s assessments conducted in 2020 indicated that deteriorated purchasing power is one of the main reasons why food security in Lebanon is at risk. Lebanese and refugees are increasingly struggling to buy food, pay rent and access health care, with high inflation and stark currency devaluation worsening the situation.

Building a resilient agri-food sector in Lebanon is key in overcoming these challenges and establishing sustainable solutions based on local resources and productions. A resilient food system in Lebanon relies on supporting farmers with credit facilitations, strengthening the linkages between the different segments of the agri-food production, and developing the capacities of SMEs working in the agri-food production in business investment in order to ensure better production that may satisfy a large part of the local market. There is a need to shift from a traditional and conventional food culture to a smarter more efficient one where technology, innovation, sustainability, and optimization take an active role.

Within this framework, World Food Programme (WFP), in line with its Country Strategic Plan, has recently launched a cooperation with Berytech to implement Food Systems Grant Facility programme with the aim of improving food security and resilience of food system actors to economic shocks and stresses. Berytech is a leading organization in the Entrepreneurial Eco-system in Lebanon that has been working on the Agrifood sector mainly through the Agrytech program and the establishment of the QOOT Cluster which aims to support innovation in the Agri-food sector, improve its competitiveness and expand employment opportunities. Since then, several programs have been developed and implemented targeting the sector and SMEs resilience and growth.

Spread over 18 months, the programme aims to enhance competitiveness, efficiency and resilience of cooperatives and SMEs working across different streams of the food, supporting around 30 Cooperatives and SMEs with financial, technical, and in-kind support to improve performance and inclusiveness of food systems.

Berytech has recently launched the call for applications. Twenty SMEs and cooperatives were shortlisted out of which 10 entities were selected to receive a support package of one hundred thousand dollar (USD 100,000) in cash grant and technical assistance to help them develop their solutions. Selected participants were chosen based on their project’s final impact on the food system in Lebanon, throughout the food value chain, be it on the producer end or at the consumer level. Impact includes improved food security, impact on local rural producers and communities, labor, and consumer. Within that framework, Berytech hire technical consultants to deliver the assistance within a specific scope determined on case-by-case basis after a thorough business needs assessments.

Berytech seeks an external consultant to support a well-established company in developing its dehydration process. The company’s proposed project under the Food System Challenge is the in-house production of sun-dried tomatoes.  The project will allow the company to grow its produce offering, adding to the existing zaatar (thyme), sumac and oregano.

The Consultant will be expected to deliver the following:

• Lead innovative process, brainstorming, and tasting sessions to develop a sub-range of products based on sun-dried tomatoes.
• Validate developed products and identify targeted markets.
• Advise on best storing and packaging modalities.
• Give guidelines on best branding strategy.
• Providing the FSC team a briefing clearly and thoroughly demonstrating the milestones achieved in terms of the beneficiary’s understanding of the above-mentioned training terms and the remaining areas of development within the scope of work.

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements:

• Be able to comply with national fiscal context and rules for receipt of international funds.
• BSc/BA diploma in agriculture engineering or any relevant fields, MA/MS is a plus.
• 7 to 10 years of experience in product development, consultancy in the agri-food industry, and all other relevant field, etc.
• Proven experience in delivering trainings and training materials.
• Excellent communications and report writing skills.
• Fluent in English and Arabic

The selected Consultant is expected to start his/her activities on June 7, 2022; the exact timeline and effective working days are to be set based on both company’s and Consultant’s availabilities for an intervention of a minimum of one week of fieldwork with the beneficiaries.

Candidates should submit the following documents:

• Technical (maximum two pages) describing the methodology to conduct the work based on the content suggested in section: “Scope of Work, Outputs, and Deliverables” elaborating it further.
• Profile and project references (maximum two pages): A brief explanation of the consultant(s) background should be submitted (CVs shall be included as an annex) along with project references on the topic.
• Financial Proposal describing the expected remuneration and the proposed timeframe of the intervention.