Business Service Provider Agrifood Trade Readiness and Facilitation

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS SERVICE PROVIDER (BSP) -Agrifood Trade Readiness and Facilitation

BACKGROUND

MEDA is an international economic development organization whose mission is to create business solutions to poverty. Founded in 1953 by a group of business professionals, MEDA partners with the poor to start or grow small and medium-sized businesses in developing regions around the world.  

In the Philippines, MEDA is on its tail end of its five-year Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agriculture (RIISA) initiative. It strives for more resilience and inclusive economic growth for women and men cacao smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Mindanao, Philippines, through strengthened cacao market systems supported by investment. With a focus on Davao region, RIISA responds to multiple challenges in the Philippines cacao sector and draws on MEDA’s experience in market systems development, gender lens investing (GLI), gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), and environment and climate change (ECC).

RIISA is addressing cacao market systems barriers with a goal of increasing economic prosperity for both women and men smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Mindanao, the Philippines. At the intermediate level, it strives to 1) increase the integration of gendered environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into operations of businesses and financial intermediaries serving small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives in Mindanao cacao market system; 2) improve environmentally sustainable and inclusive farming business performance for SHFs and cooperatives in the cacao market system in Mindanao; and 3) improve the practice of relevant actors to promote best gendered ESG practices in the cacao market system in the Philippines.

In support of sustainable market systems development for increased economic prosperity, RIISA will engage a qualified BSP to assess export readiness of SMEs and facilitate trade with Canadian market. The initiative aims to provide the identified SMEs with all the necessary knowledge that could contribute to introducing their products efficiently into the Canadian market. This includes assessing the export readiness and export offers of ten Filipino SMEs; providing training on exporting to the Canadian Market; organizing a B2B agenda between Canadian buyers and Filipino SMEs; and coordinating a Canadian buyer mission to the Philippines involving four buyers and the Filipino SMEs in the cacao sector and possibly other related agrifoods sector.

This call for proposal is open to a Manila-based BSP that can meet the deliverables within 12-month period working with the National Office of DTI, FDA, DA and Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., and other relevant market systems actors (e.g., national council of a particular value chain) in the agrifood sector. Organizational and staff technical expertise and experience must match the requirements of the deliverables

SCOPE OF WORK

MEDA seeks an experienced business service provider (BSP) that will work with MEDA-RIISA team, and the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada to undertake the following:

 1. Organize and facilitate participation of target companies (Filipino SMEs and Canadian companies) in the World Food Exposition (WOFEX) in Manila and in the Buyer mission to the Philippines.

• Work with WOFEX organizer, MEDA-RIISA Staff, and target Filipino SMEs and cooperatives to participate in the WOFEX.


• Work with TFO Canada for the participation of 4 Canadian companies in the WOFEX.


• Work with TFO Canada in organizing the Buyer mission to the Philippines for 4 Canadian buyers and 10 Filipino SMEs.

 2. Work with TFO Canada, DTI, FDA, DA and Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., and other relevant market systems actors in preparing 10 Philippine SMEs to comply with Philippine and Canadian government regulations to export agrifood products to Canada.

• Meetings with TFO Canada, DTI, FDA, DA and Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., SMEs, and other relevant market systems actors


• Working with TFO and MEDA-RIISA Staff, organize the participation of target 10 Filipino SMEs in the TFO-Canada’s knowledge transfer sessions to facilitate export readiness.


• Work with TFO Canada and MEDA-RIISA Staff in assessing target SMEs for export readiness support.


• Work with TFO Canada in improving their knowledge transfer plan to prepare the 10 selected SMEs for export to Canada.


• Create a communication material from the guidelines of DTI, FDA, DA and Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., and other regulatory agencies on exporting, and integrate into it the Gendered Environmental, Social, and Governance (G-ESG) considerations to ensure the technical support to the Filipino SMEs promote sustainability, inclusion, and responsible and ethical governance.


• Based on the trade guidelines of Canada and the Philippines, design a technical mentoring plan for the 10 Filipino SMEs to assist them to be export ready for Canadian market.


• Conduct technical mentoring to the 10 Filipino SMEs and cooperatives to comply with government’s trade regulations.

3. Facilitate with the concerned Philippine government agencies and those export-ready SMEs in their first shipping of products to Canadian market. This is applicable if there is already a business deal done between the Canadian buyers and the Filipino SMEs within the BSP’s period of performance.

• Assist export-ready SMEs as necessary in shipping their products to Canada.
  


• Coordinate with concerned government agencies for any support needed to the exporting SMEs.


• Together with TFO Canada, MEDA-RIISA, and concerned government agencies, facilitate a reflection session with the Filipino SMEs and cooperatives after their first shipping of products to help improve the process.

The BSP is expected to closely work with MEDA-RIISA designated staff and the Trade Facilitation Office Canada to both meet the Canadian buyers and the Filipino SMEs requirements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Deliverable 1 - Inception report, with the approach, scope, budget, mentoring plan, workplan and timeline, and deliverables.

Activities

• Inception meeting with MEDA-RIISA Team 

Deliverable 2 - Activity report on the (a) participation of Canadian buyers and the Filipino SMEs in WOFEX, (b) Buyer mission to the Philippines.

Activities

• Work with WOFEX organizer, MEDA-RIISA Staffs, and target Filipino SMEs to participate in the WOFEX.

• Work with TFO Canada for the participation of 4 Canadian companies in the WOFEX.


• Work with TFO Canada in organizing the Buyer mission to the Philippines for 4 Canadian buyers and 10 Filipino SMEs and Cooperatives.

Deliverable 3 - Progress reports on preparing the 10 Filipino SMEs to comply with Philippine and Canadian government regulations to export agrifood products to Canada. Attachments such as attendance records, photos, communication material, technical mentoring plan, and other supporting documents shall be submitted with the progress reports.

Activities

• Meetings with TFO Canada, DTI, FDA, DA and Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., SMEs, and other relevant market systems actors.


• Working with TFO and MEDA-RIISA Staff, organize the participation of target 10 Filipino SMEs and Cooperatives in the TFO-Canada’s knowledge transfer sessions to facilitate export readiness.


• Work with TFO Canada and MEDA-RIISA Staff in assessing target SMEs for export readiness support.


• Work with TFO Canada in improving their knowledge transfer plan to prepare the 10 selected SMEs and Cooperatives for export to Canada.


• Create a communication material from the guidelines of DTI, FDA, DA and Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., and other regulatory agencies on exporting, and integrate into it the Gendered Environmental, Social, and Governance (G-ESG) considerations to ensure the technical support to the Filipino SMEs promote sustainability, inclusion, and responsible and ethical governance.


• Based on the trade guidelines of Canada and the Philippines, design a technical mentoring plan for the 10 Filipino SMEs and Cooperatives to assist them to be export ready for Canadian market.


• Conduct technical mentoring to the 10 Filipino SMEs and Cooperatives to comply with government’s trade regulations. 

Deliverable 4

• Final report with recommendations for further improving export readiness and trade facilitation.

Activities

• Assist export-ready # SMEs as necessary in shipping their products to Canada.


• Coordinate with concerned government agencies for any support needed to the exporting SMEs and Cooperatives.


• Together with TFO Canada, MEDA-RIISA, and concerned government agencies, facilitate a reflection session with the Filipino SMEs after their first shipping of products to help improve the process.

DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME

April 15, 2026 - Inception report 

September 15, 2026 - First progress report

February 5, 2027  - Second progress report 

April 14, 2027 - Final Report

QUALIFICATIONS AND SELECTION CRITERIA

A. Generic and Mandatory: 

• Demonstrated track record in trade facilitation specifically supporting SMEs from developing countries to access trade with the Canadian market.


• Legally registered in Canada with presence in the Philippines.


• Alignment with MEDA’s values, and open to a monthly regular coordination meeting with MEDA-RIISA staff.


• Business services are supporting their corporate’s commercial interests. Their services are aligned with the priority of cooperatives and SMEs in Mindanao that is to develop new or additional revenue streams to improve their business performance to create decent jobs opportunities.


• Fulfill MEDA’s due diligence requirements:
  
  
  
  • BSP and staff are not involved in terrorist, illegal or criminal activities, including but not limited to drug, arms or sex trafficking, money laundering, violation of women’s rights and human rights.
  
  
  • BSP does not appear on the US, UK, UN, or EU lists of terrorist organizations.
  
  
  
  


• Financially stable organization/company. Need to provide 2-3 years audited FS.


• Can immediately deploy experts/services and be able to finish the deliverables within 12 months from submitting the inception report.
  

B. Specific Expertise and Capacities: 

• A business service provider with demonstrated evidence in conducting B2B trade facilitation and trade promotion.


• Demonstrated expertise in supporting SMEs from developing countries to improve trade readiness for international markets such as Canada.


• Demonstrated expertise and experience in working with appropriate trade support institutions including government agencies, and development-oriented organizations


• Demonstrated expertise and experience with demonstrated evidence in embedding G-ESG considerations in trade readiness.  

FUNDING: Will be discussed with the selected BSP.  

APPLICATION PROCEDURE 

Interested BSP to send application to MEDA via email at [email protected] and cc: [email protected], or through the BambooHR platform with the PROPOSAL as attachment, by 5:00pm on February 27, 2026. Please indicate “Local BSP Support for Trade Readiness and Facilitation”.

A. Contact Information 

1. Organization’s Legal Name: 

2.  Mailing Address:   

3. Main Contact Person and Title: 

4. Telephone and Email address: 

5. Website, if available (Facebook, twitter):SEC/CDA/DTI Registration Number: 

6. SEC/CDA/DTI Registration Number:

 B. Proposal Outline 

1. Introduction (maximum half page): provide understanding of the ToR and how your organization or company can respond to the ToR’s requirements. Proponent to add a brief explanation on their motivation to partner with MEDA. 

2. Capability Statement (maximum of one page):  

• Briefly describe your organization’s business services, in relation to the expertise required by this ToR, in the last three years with specific information on the beneficiaries, contracting company/organization, and the results of your engagements.  

• Briefly describe the financial position of the organization/company.  

• Please include the contact details (contact person, phone, and email) of at least three (3) organizations/companies/cooperatives who can speak to the capability and credibility of your organization.  

• Describe the qualifications of the personnel who will possibly be involved in the engagement. 

3. Proposed Methodology (maximum of one page).  

• Describe how the proponent will provide the business services required and achieve the desired deliverables within the prescribed timeframe.  

• Discuss the strategy to embed G-ESG considerations in the export readiness guidelines.
  

4. Proposed Work Plan (maximum of one page). Outline the activities, timeline, expected outputs, resources and the expertise needed. 

5. Estimated Cost of the Engagement (in matrix format): Itemized cost and unit, and total cost. 

6. Annex:  

• Copy of DTI/SEC/CDA Certificate of Registration


• Copy of CV of BSP staff who will work on this engagement.


• Copy of the work sample/s of BSP or the assigned staff.

MEDA welcomes and encourages applications from all genders, backgrounds, religions, cultures, nationalities and abilities. Accommodation is available on request for candidates with disabilities taking part in the selection process.