Verfahrensangaben

Enterprise 2.0 Boosting Agriculture Market Access in Zambia is a EUR36 million matching grant facility co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ under the Climate-Resilient Agri-Food Systems (CREATE) programme.

The overall objective of EZCF 2.0 is to catalyse a transformative shift in Zambia"s agri-food sector by increasing productivity, strengthening market access for smallholder farmers, and accelerating the adoption of sustainable, climate-smart, and inclusive production practices. The Action focuses on legumes and horticulture value chains, with geographic emphasis on four provinces linked to the Lobito Corridor.

EZCF 2.0 mobilises private sector investment by providing matching grants to agribusinesses that demonstrate commercially viable, green, and inclusive business models. Supported enterprises are expected to integrate smallholder farmers into their value chains, create decent jobs, promote gender equality and youth inclusion, and adopt environmentally sustainable practices. Approximately 200,000 smallholder farmers, particularly women, young people, and vulnerable groups, are expected to benefit indirectly through improved market integration, incomes, and resilience to climate and economic shocks.

The facility is implemented through two complementary grant schemes. Grant Scheme I (Growth and Scale Facility) provides medium and large matching grants (up to 1 Million Euro) to agribusinesses with high growth potential, using a competitive two-stage selection process supported by structured pre- and post-award technical assistance. Grant Scheme II (Micro-Grants Facility with ticket sizes between 10,000 and 50,000 Euro) targets smaller, indigenous enterprises through simplified procedures tailored to their scale and capacity and is implemented through a separate delivery partner.

Beyond grant financing, EZCF 2.0 embeds comprehensive capacity development and technical assistance throughout the investment lifecycle. This includes pipeline development, application support, business and investment readiness, inclusive business model design, facilitation of linkages to financial institutions, and post-award strategic advisory services. Through these measures, the Action supports agribusinesses in accessing follow-on financing and strengthening their long-term financial sustainability beyond grant funding.

Through its integrated approach, Enterprise 2.0 strengthens Zambia"s agribusiness ecosystem, leverages private capital, and contributes to green growth, food and nutrition security, and inclusive economic development.

The Contractor shall provide comprehensive end-to-end services for the design, management, and implementation of Grant Scheme I (Growth and Scale Facility) of the Enterprise Zambia Challenge Fund 2.0 (EZCF 2.0). The services cover the full lifecycle of competitive Calls for Applications and associated capacity development, from pipeline development and call management through pre-award technical assistance, facilitation of selection decisions, and post-award strategic advisory support.

The Contractor will work in close coordination with, and under the oversight of, the GIZ project team. While GIZ retains responsibility for grant contracting, financial administration, donor relations, and overall governance, the Contractor will be responsible for the technical and operational execution of the services described below.

Pipeline Development and Outreach
The Contractor shall design and implement a structured pipeline development strategy to identify, mobilise, and engage eligible agribusinesses aligned with EZCF 2.0 objectives, with a focus on legumes and horticulture value chains and priority economic corridors. This includes stakeholder mapping, outreach campaigns, information sessions, and marketing activities that promote inclusive participation, particularly of women-led, youth-led, and locally rooted enterprises.

Call for Applications Management
The Contractor shall prepare, launch, and manage up to four competitive Calls for Applications using transparent, standardised, and well-documented procedures. This includes the development of all call documentation and tools (e.g. SOPs, application guidelines, eligibility and evaluation criteria, templates, and review materials) and the establishment and operation of a secure digital system for application submission, screening, evaluation, and documentation. The Contractor shall conduct comprehensive due diligence, including Commercial and Legal Eligibility Checks (KEP), and prepare shortlists of qualified applicants for review by GIZ and the Independent Investment Committee (IIC).

Pre-Award Technical Assistance and Capacity Development
For shortlisted applicants, the Contractor shall provide structured pre-award technical assistance to support the preparation of complete, high-quality, and decision-ready proposals. This includes proposal writing support, budget formulation aligned with GIZ grant templates, business viability and market feasibility advisory services, strengthening of inclusive business models (including SHF integration), facilitation of access to co-financing, and preparation for pitch events before the IIC.

Facilitation of Selection and Grant Award Process
The Contractor shall organise and facilitate pitch events and support the final selection process by compiling complete proposal packages, supporting IIC deliberations, documenting decisions, and communicating outcomes to applicants. The Contractor shall liaise with applicants and GIZ during the transition to grant contracting, ensuring that all required documentation is complete and consistent.

Post-Award Strategic Advisory and Market Support
Following grant award, the Contractor shall provide post-award strategic advisory services to grantees throughout implementation. This includes periodic portfolio reviews, biannual strategic check-ins with grantees, targeted business and market advisory support, facilitation of linkages to financial institutions and market actors, and contribution to relevant sector platforms and multi-stakeholder dialogues. The Contractor"s role focuses on strategic, market-oriented, and adaptive support, complementing GIZ"s compliance and monitoring-focused functions.

Expert Pool Management and Quality Assurance
The Contractor shall recruit, manage, and coordinate a pool of qualified short-term technical experts and administer the Independent Investment Committee, ensuring impartiality, transparency, and adherence to conflict-of-interest requirements. The Contractor shall ensure consistent quality delivery across all services through robust project management, monitoring, reporting, and knowledge management systems.

GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

According to Article 160, Section 3 of the German Act Against Restraint of Competition (GWB), application for review is not permissible insofar as
1. the applicant has identified the claimed infringement of the procurement rules before submitting the application for review and has not submitted a complaint to the contracting authority within a period of 10 calendar days; the expiry of the period pursuant to Article 134, Section 2 remains unaffected,
2. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that are evident in the tender notice are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for the application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, specified in the tender notice.
3. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that first become evident in the tender documents are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for application or by the deadline for the submission of bids,
4. more than 15 calendar days have expired since receipt of notification from the contracting authority that it is unwilling to redress the complaint.
Sentence 1 does not apply in the case of an application to determine the invalidity of the contract in accordance with Article 135, Section 1 (2). Article 134, Section 1, Sentence 2 remains unaffected.

All communication takes place in English via communication tool in the project area of the procurement portal.