Terms of Reference for service provider company Providing guidance on post-harvest improvements to agri-SMEs and farmers in the cherry sector focused on accessing international markets

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

Lebanon has been suffering from a severe financial and economic crisis with long-lasting effects on its economy and its people. With the drastic devaluation of the currency, prices of imported items have risen sharply, and households are now increasingly struggling to cover food needs. The combined effects of the crises have resulted in unprecedented levels of unemployment and pushed both the Lebanese population and the approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees further into poverty. The Lebanese agriculture sector remains one of few sectors where both Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese host communities can legally find employment as well as vulnerable Lebanese host communities but has been particularly hard-hit by the ongoing crises.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is implementing the BOUZOUR project - “Building Inclusive Markets and Decent Work for Syrian Refugees and Lebanese Host Communities”. The BOUZOUR project is funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). The project aims to develop specific agricultural and agri-food value chains with the potential to create decent jobs benefiting both Syrians and Lebanese.

The project makes use of the ILO’s Approach to Inclusive Market Systems (AIMS) to safeguard jobs and livelihoods of vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian communities threatened by the crises and encourage decent job creation for both groups in sectors with potential. To that end, the project uses the market systems development approach to address key sectoral constraints to decent job creation sustainably, in combination with more direct interventions to strengthen capacities of vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian communities and safeguard decent work conditions.

Under Outcome 2, which focuses on upgrading farmers and agri-businesses and connecting them to new market opportunities, the ILO applies its ‘value chain development for decent work’ methodology to identify specific opportunities for farmers and agri-food producers in the local, regional and international market and develop tailor-made strategies to help local actors seize these opportunities for inclusive growth and decent job creation. The cherry value chain was selected based on its potential and relevance for both Lebanese and Syrian population groups. The value chain presents untapped potential, particularly in terms of the export of cherries and in the extension of the season. The project’s interventions are focusing on connecting farmers and agri-businesses within the cherry value chain to take advantage of these new opportunities, elevating the current value chain and unlocking its potential to increase revenues and incomes.

The ultimate vision of promoting exports of cherries to international markets is the creation of more and better employment opportunities for both Syrians and vulnerable Lebanese communities in the cherry sector. By facilitating exporters in accessing higher-value international markets, farmers will be encouraged to increase cherry production, and some may convert parts of their farms to cherry cultivation. This will lead to increased labour demand, particularly benefiting Syrian workers traditionally employed on cherry farms. The fact that export to international markets, and in particular to European markets, require certifications including social certifications such as SMETA, means that both exporters and farmers need to invest more in improving decent work conditions on farms in order to reap higher prices available at export markets. This will ultimately provide a strong incentive for farmers and exporters to ensure that minimum standards on farms are adhered to, both for permanent and for seasonal workers.

Under this outcome, the project is working on the following: 

1. Private sector actors’ support: Enable private sector actors to seize opportunities in the international market for positive trickle-down effects along the value chain including farmers and workers.
2. Farmers’ support: Supporting farmers to take advantage of these new opportunities, ultimately leading to increased revenues and incomes for farms and small agri-businesses. This will secure jobs for farmers and workers.
3. Improvement of working conditions throughout the value chain: Supporting farmers and agri-businesses in implementing innovative approaches for improving working conditions on the farms.

PRIORITIZED CONSTRAINTS AND ULTIMATE VISION

A notable gap in the cherry value chain is a scarcity of private sector-oriented actors dedicated to preparing and aggregating farmers for entry into new and quality-focused markets. This absence of intermediaries results in a distinct disconnect between farmers and potentially lucrative markets, impeding their ability to capitalize on opportunities that prioritize product quality.

Additionally, farmers often lack the essential knowledge and resources to independently navigate entry into new or export markets. While there are project-driven activities aimed at capacitating farmers in these areas, the farmers' primary focus is on production. Therefore, the role of intermediaries becomes crucial in bridging the gap and facilitating farmers' access to new markets.

In this context, the current value chain needs to be elevated both in terms of volume and quality to tap into this potential that allow farmers to make use of the specific competitive advantage of Lebanon on the international market. Initiatives to upgrade the whole value chain for benefits across the sector need to be driven by concrete market opportunities based on Lebanon’s competitive advantage, and leverage incentives of key actors to encourage change in the sector.

The ultimate goal of an intervention strategy aimed at promoting exports of cherries to international markets is the creation of more and better employment opportunities for both Syrians and vulnerable Lebanese communities in the cherry sector. The underlying logic is that if exporters in Lebanon are enabled to export more cherries to international markets where higher prices for cherries can be achieved, then this will enable farmers to produce more cherries and encourage more farmers to convert (part of) their farms to cherry production. Increased production of cherries on existing and new orchards will mean that farmers will need to recruit more workers for their farms to manage day-to-day activities, production and harvesting of cherries. Since workers on cherry farms are traditionally Syrians, it is highly likely that these newly create job opportunities on cherry will benefit Syrians looking for employment.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK

The objective of the assignment is to provide support to farmers and exporters on post-harvest practices.

Scope of the work

Under this assignment, the service provider will provide support to export focused agri-SMEs and the farmers they work with on improvements in post-harvest practices.

Export focused agri-SMEs are required to implement innovative solutions to improve the post-harvest process for cherries, ensuring that the quality of the produce is maintained from farm to market. These innovations should enhance the efficiency of harvesting, sorting, storing, and transporting cherries, ensuring that they meet the high-quality standards required by international markets.

The post-harvest improvements should focus on reducing losses, preserving the quality of the fruit, and maintaining freshness throughout the supply chain. This may involve integrating new technologies and practices into the post-harvest process, as well as providing technical support to smallholder farmers to help them adopt these innovations.

The service provider will provide guidance and advice to exporters on possible (non-exhaustive list) of solutions they will be piloting:

• Develop a detailed Diagnosis of the current post-harvest practices undertaken by each of the selected exporters highlighting the bottlenecks in process
• Advise on innovative cooling solutions, such as the introduction of portable cooling units or hydrocoolers at collection points and farms to immediately cool cherries after harvest, extending their shelf life and maintaining quality during transport.
• Support exporters in development of mobile cold storage facilities that can be deployed at various stages of the supply chain to reduce temperature fluctuations and preserve freshness during transit.
• Advise on optimal packaging solutions that enhance the protection of cherries during transport and ensure longer shelf life, such as vacuum-sealed packaging or breathable materials that reduce spoilage.
• Provide      hands-on technical support on the use of new technologies and innovations in post-harvest management.

DELIVERABLES

Based on the above-mentioned objective, the service provider is expected to deliver specific deliverables, as follows:

1. Deliverable 1: Detailed Work plan of the activity, to the satisfaction of the ILO.
2. Deliverable 2: Post-harvest improvement plan, based on diagnosis, agreed with each company, to the satisfaction of the ILO
3. Deliverable 3: Final narrative report of the end of the implementation of the assignment, covering all the assignment-funded activities and the results achieved under these activities and appropriate evidence of post-harvest improvements for each of the companies.

• All the produced documents will have to be submitted in English. The service provider will also submit to the ILO the following materials:
  1. Electronic copies of all data sets
  2. All quantitative and qualitative data (completed questionnaires, recorded interviews, focus groups, etc.)
  3. Any other documents that will be used or collected in the course of the assignment

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

This assignment is tentatively expected to start on May 2025 and shall be completed by 30 October 2025.

1. First payment covering 20% of the full payment, by 30 May 2025 upon satisfactory delivery and project approval on the following deliverable:

Deliverable 1: Detailed Work plan of the activity, to the satisfaction of the ILO.

2. Second payment covering 40% of the full payment, by 30 June 2025 upon satisfactory delivery and project approval of the following deliverable:

Deliverable 2: Post-harvest improvement plan, based on diagnosis, agreed with each company, to the satisfaction of the ILO

3. Third payment covering 40% of the full payment, by 30 October 2025 upon satisfactory delivery and project approval of the following deliverable:

Deliverable 3: Final narrative report of the end of the implementation of the assignment, covering all the assignment-funded activities and the results achieved under these activities and appropriate evidence of post-harvest improvements for each of the companies.

All payments are in fresh USD via international bank transfer. A USD account should be available in the name of the service provider for payment transfers.

FOCAL POINT(s) AT ILO

The Service Provider will coordinate with the Project Technical Officer, in ILO Beirut Office and with relevant technical departments involved in the ILO Beirut Office and ILO Headquarters.

The service provider will assign a focal point from their side to manage the assignment.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATION AND APPLICATION

To apply for this assignment the service provider (company) should possess the qualifications below. Applicants that don’t meet all requirements should not submit to this call. NGOs are not considered for this call.

• Company with verifiable international experience delivering post-harvest improvement services—such as advice on handling, packaging, cooling, and storage—for value chains to reach high-quality focused export markets.
• Demonstrated technical expertise and experience in stone fruits, with a specific and substantial focus on the cherry value chain, including export standards, quality grading, cold chain optimization, and shelf-life extension.
• Proven track record advising international export-oriented agribusinesses on post-harvest best practices aligned with international trade and market requirements.
• Ability to provide practical, market-responsive, and cost-effective solutions for post-harvest challenges, tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers and SMEs.

The service provider should possess a USD bank account in the name of the company for bank transfer payments