Calls for expressions of interest
AO 251393
Support for strengthening the competitiveness of the agri-food sector – with a particular emphasis on the horticultural sector in ACP countries – and compliance with the regulatory and private requirements of national, regional and international markets through training and technical assistance in the areas of agricultural production/processing and environmental management
Post date: 04/09/2025
Please complete the application form below:
Support for strengthening the competitiveness of the agri-food sector – with a particular emphasis on the horticultural sector in ACP countries – and compliance with the regulatory and private requirements of national, regional and international markets through training and technical assistance in the areas of agricultural production/processing and environmental management
Ref: COLEAD/AO/251393
Interventions may require travel to partner countries (with particular emphasis on ACP countries). Depending on the case, experts may be asked to visit COLEAD offices (Brussels, Rungis, Nairobi, Lomé, etc.).
Agri-food sectors
COLEAD
3, Avenue du Viaduc – Bât B3A
CP 90761
94550 Chevilly Larue
France
Internet address of the contracting authority:
The publication of this Contract Notice launches the first phase of the procedure and is intended to allow candidates to express their interest in bidding. An initial evaluation based on an analysis of the expressions of interest will result in the establishment of a shortlist of candidates deemed suitable to submit tenders.
Stages of the procedure:
Phase 1
Phase 2
The service providers selected following the consultation will be offered a framework contract, specifying a maximum daily remuneration rate per proposed expert. This rate of remuneration may differ from the financial proposal made by the tenderer.
In general, the services of the successful tenderer may start from the day of the signature of the framework contract. The interventions of the successful tenderers may extend until the full consumption of the budget allocated.
COLEAD
COLEAD is a non-profit interprofessional association created in 1973. Its purpose is to facilitate and implement all actions allowing, directly and/or indirectly, to increase the contribution of the agricultural sector, and horticulture in particular, to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
From an operational perspective, COLEAD is organised into several departments corresponding to COLEAD’s internal areas of expertise: Technical Assistance, Training, Research and Innovation Brokerage, Market Insights, Information and Communication, Regulation and Standards, Access to Finance, and Networking and Alliances.
FFM Plus programme
Fit For Market Plus: Mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by strengthening the sustainability of the ACP horticultural sector
In November 2021, the EC and COLEAD signed a five-year grant contract, “Fit For Market Plus: mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by strengthening the sustainability of the ACP horticultural sector”, with a total budget of €25 million funded by the 11thEDF.
The overall objective of FFM+ is to contribute to poverty reduction and improved food security and nutrition, by supporting the construction of a fairer, safer and sustainable agri-food sector in OACPS member countries. Despite a disrupted landscape, the first specific objective is to support smallholders, farmer groups and MSMEs to maintain and improve access to national, regional and international horticultural markets, while adapting to changes in the operating environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, in a context of accelerated change and paradigm shift, the second specific objective is to enable smallholders, farmer groups and MSMEs in the horticultural sector to seize new market opportunities through the development and adoption of safe and sustainable practices, skills and technologies.
Other projects implemented by COLEAD (at the date of launch of this call for tenders)
As part of its drive to diversify its sources of funding, COLEAD is involved in implementing other national or multinational programs financed by various donors. In addition to the FFM Plus programme, COLEAD is currently involved in the implementation of several technical assistance programs/projects in line with the association’s mission:
The list of other programs/projects is not exhaustive. Indeed, COLEAD is involved in the implementation of several national and regional technical assistance programs/projects, in partnership with donors working towards inclusive and sustainable agri-food production and trade. Please refer to the COLEAD website to find out more about its interventions.
European Green Deal
The Green Deal aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and proposes an action plan to stimulate the efficient use of resources, transition to a clean and circular economy, restore biodiversity and reduce pollution. It will be implemented through a wide range of policies and instruments, as well as legislative and non-legislative measures.
The Farm to Fork Strategy promotes a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system and recognises that food and agriculture are important drivers of climate change and environmental degradation. The strategy aims to reduce the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system, reverse the trend of biodiversity loss, ensure food security, reduce dependence on pesticides and excessive fertilisation, and develop organic farming. It aims to lead a global transition towards competitive sustainability from farm to fork.
The support provided to EU farmers by the CAP will contribute to this transition, in particular through the following measures:
The EU aims to promote a global transition to sustainable agri-food systems, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will achieve this by including a chapter on sustainability in all EU bilateral trade agreements. This will be accompanied by enhanced cooperation with third countries on pesticide use, animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance. The EU also intends to play a leading role in developing international standards for sustainability and methods for calculating the ecological footprint. This is why pressure is being exerted on importers to also comply with the relevant European environmental standards in order to be allowed onto the European market.
New EU organic regulation and related implementing and delegated acts
After several years of intense negotiations, on 28 June 2017 the European Parliament and the Council reached a preliminary agreement to overhaul the existing European rules on organic production and labelling. The stated objectives of the new regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/848) are to encourage the sustainable development of organic production in the EU, ensure fair competition for farmers and operators, prevent fraud and unfair practices, and improve consumer confidence in organic products.
The first draft of the new regulation was introduced by the European Commission (EC) in 2014 but was not finally published in the Official Journal until 2018. This lengthy process reflects the often contentious negotiations and the wide range of opinions and positions within the European institutions, Member States and the organic sector. The EU sought to strike a balance between respecting the fundamental principles of organic production and the need to maintain a degree of flexibility for operators. However, there were (and still are) several issues on which it is difficult to find a compromise acceptable to all parties.
The date of entry into force of this new regulation, initially scheduled for 1st of January 2021, has been delayed to 1st of January 2022. At the time of writing, the transition period is coming to an end and all operators will have to have transitioned to the new regulation by 15th of October 2025.
Gender equality
As part of COLEAD’s mission and commitment to sustainability, interventions in the countries with which we engage are expected to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality in achieving sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) places the empowerment of women at the core of its concerns and recognises their contribution as a key driver of progress towards all goals and targets.
Women make a significant contribution to agriculture and the rural economy in all regions of the world. However, despite progress, women continue to face challenges that limit their access to economic opportunities. COLEAD’s commitment to promoting women’s economic empowerment in the agricultural sector, and horticulture in particular, will hopefully help foster inclusive growth and improve the effectiveness of the assistance it provides.
Type of market
This market concerns the provision of support services for the technical implementation of all of COLEAD’s current and future projects/programmes.
All successful tenderers will be offered a framework contract, which will specify the names of the selected experts and the maximum daily fee per expert. In certain cases, and following evaluation of the proposed CVs, the fees mentioned in the contract may differ from the fees proposed in the tenderer’s financial offer.
The objective of this call for tenders is to create a pool of experts with the required expertise, as described in the “type of activities”, who can be mobilised by COLEAD’s technical team if necessary. Services will therefore be required on an as-needed basis and through ordering letters specifying the terms of the assignments.
As a result of the above, it is important to note that in the context of this call for tenders, although the signing of a framework contract is a prerequisite for working with COLEAD, this does not guarantee that all service providers will be invited to carry out assignments.
Principles of interventions
In continuity with previous programmes, the intervention logic of COLEAD’s programmes is based on the expression of requests for support from MSMEs or producer groups in partner countries, but also from intermediate support structures – whether public or private – which are actively involved in the process of compliance and the development of value chains concerned (service providers, BMOs, training centres, inspection services, etc.). It also adopts the following modalities and principles of actions that have contributed to their success:
COLEAD will preferentially involve service providers whose consultants are based in partner-countries, from which the partner-beneficiaries of the programmes are requesting support, in order to ensure that the characteristics of the operators concerned and their environment are considered rapidly and effectively. This concern for the increasing involvement of local expertise is an integral part of COLEAD’s intervention logic.
Note: Partner countries are defined as low-income, lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income economies, classified according to the DAC list of ODA recipients.
Themes covered by the market
The topics covered by this call for tenders are as follows:
Any other sub-theme or new issue that could limit the compliance of ACP horticultural production with local, regional or international regulations and trade constraints and/or impact the competitiveness of ACP horticultural operators is included in this contract.
Bidders must demonstrate sufficient skills and experience in at least one of the areas covered by this market to enable them to carry out any tasks that may be assigned to them.
Beneficiaries / target audience
The beneficiaries/target audiences are stakeholders in the horticultural sector, namely: company directors and technical managers, extension workers from smallholder support structures, agents from intermediary structures in the horticultural sector, public and private service providers, and public service agents.
Type of activities
The planned activities will be carried out taking into account the digital transformation process at COLEAD and that of the beneficiaries/partners of its programmes. Thus, the planned activities may be carried out either in person, entirely remotely using the digital tools available, or in a hybrid manner with one part in person and another part remotely.
The actions to be organised under this call for tenders will include the following aspects:
Training
The services sought will contribute to increasing the technical and pedagogical skills of the target audiences on the various topics covered by this market. The various actions to be carried out under this call for tenders will be as follows, depending on the category of beneficiary and their needs:
Illustration – Some examples of actions
Important: COLEAD is ISO 21001 certified[1] , an international standard specifically designed for education and training organisations. ISO 21001 guarantees that COLEAD’s processes for managing/implementing its training activities meet high quality standards and meet the professional expectations of stakeholders. Service providers selected under this call for tenders must comply with the requirements and procedures related to this standard when organising training activities (in collaboration with the COLEAD team).
Technical Assistance
The services sought will aim to:
Illustration – Some examples of actions
Logistics
The services sought will help to facilitate the logistical organisation of COLEAD’s technical assistance and training activities under this market:
This list is not exhaustive and certain services may be added or removed depending on the logistical requirements of the activities to be organised.
The maximum value of this Contract Notice is € 2,500,000.
Date of publication of this Contract Notice: 04/09/2025
Deadline for receipt of applications (expressions of interest): 08/10/2025
Deadline for publication of the shortlist: 04/11/2025
Expected date for sending invitations to tenders: 04/11/2025
Deadline for submission of tenders: 13/01/2026
Date of notification to the successful bidders: 31/03/2026
Expected start date of the contract: from the date of signature by the 2 contracting parties.
The final schedule will be included in the tender documents during the next phase.
Participation is open, under equal conditions, to all natural persons and legal entities (participating individually or in a consortium of bidders) who are nationals of the ACP and EU States and/or listed in Annex 1 to this document. A consortium may be a permanent group with legal status, or an informal group created for the purpose of a specific call for tenders. All the members of a consortium (i.e. the lead partner and all other partners) are jointly and severally liable to the contracting authority.
A check will be carried out to ensure that none of the candidate bidders appears on any of the Financial Sanctions Lists (lists designating persons, groups or entities subject to financial sanctions by the United Nations, the EU and France).
The participation of an ineligible natural person or legal entity will result in the automatic exclusion of the application concerned. If this ineligible person is part of a consortium, the application of the entire consortium will be excluded.
Any tenders received from tenderers allied with firms other than those mentioned in the shortlisted application forms will be excluded from the tender procedure. Shortlisted candidates may neither associate nor conclude mutual subcontracting agreements in the context of the contract in question. No more associations will be allowed after the shortlist has been established.
Selection criteria relating to the technical and professional capacity of the bidder will be applied to candidates. In the case of an application submitted by a consortium, these criteria will apply to the whole consortium.
These criteria ensure that the candidate (or the consortium as a whole) has sufficient skills and experience to perform the contract.
The correct observance of the instructions for sending the application file will also be considered in the evaluation.
The bidder should indicate an interest in participating in the call for tenders by applying. If the candidate is pre-selected, the name of the structure indicated on the application file will be used in the shortlist. No further changes (legal entity, consortium or other) will be allowed.
The form is available in French and English and must be completed in one of these languages.
It includes the following data:
The application must be received by COLEAD no later than Wednesday, October 08th, 2025.
If you have any questions regarding this Contract Notice or your application, please email expert@colead.link
Be sure to include Contract Notice reference COLEAD/AO/251393 in the title of your email when communicating with COLEAD.
[1] This certification establishes rigorous criteria for management systems in educational organisations, emphasising continuous improvement in learning services, alignment with beneficiary needs, and stakeholder satisfaction.
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