Technical Consultant - Food Systems Challenge Project (WFP) - RFP – CM - 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 3.84USD a day and unemployment rate stands at 39%. Before the crisis, the median salary was 630USD, while it has reached currently less than 50USD.

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 three well -established companies operating in the agro-food sector in developing and enhancing their marketing strategies.

The Consultant is expected to deliver the following:

• Deliver business development support focused on marketing strategies to access markets in Lebanon and abroad.
• Assist companies in identifying new markets.
• Give guidelines on setting marketing strategies or assist in enhancing the available one in a way that fits the company’s goals and needs.
• Provide training on export readiness to the GCC Region and European markets.
• Share frequent, concrete challenges Lebanese exporters face, and advise modalities to overcome them.
• Provide the FSC team, at the end of the intervention, a briefing clearly and thoroughly demonstrating the milestones achieved in terms the above-mentioned  terms and the remaining areas of development within that scope.

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 Marketing and all relevant fields; MSc/MA is a plus
• 7 to 10 years of experience in business development with experience in marketing, branding, and in-depth knowledge on exportation procedures to the Arab region, particularly the UAE.
• Proven experience in delivering trainings and training materials and in developing production lines.
• 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, onwards. A focus group meeting will be organized at Berytech offices inviting the companies to attend the training, effective training days are to be discussed based on both consultant’s and companies’ availabilities.

Candidates should submit the following documents:

• Technical (maximum two pages) describing the methodology to conduct the work based on the content suggested in section: “Objectives and key activities,” 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 annex) along with project references on the topic.
• Financial Proposal describing the expected remuneration and the proposed timeframe of the intervention.