REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) for Stakeholder Engagement, Program Implementation and Monitoring Support for Rainforest Alliance in Rwanda

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Stakeholder Engagement, Program Implementation and Monitoring Support for Rainforest Alliance in Rwanda

Summary Information

RA Department: Impacts programs

Location(s): Rwanda

Commitment:  6 Months(48 days in total)

Desired start date and duration: 15th May 2026 Until November 30, 2026

Under direction of: Senior Director East and Southern Africa (EASA)

About the Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance (RA) is an international nonprofit organization working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests to make responsible business the new normal. We are building an alliance to protect forests, improve the livelihoods of farmers and forest communities, promote their human rights, and help them mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.  We envision a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.

The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. For more information, please visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/about.

Overview

Rwanda is an agriculture-based economy. Agriculture contributes 35% to the national GDP and employs about 70% of the population. Tea production in Rwanda has increased steadily over the past decades from 5,910 tons of made tea in 1980 to 40,003 tons by June 2024.  65% of tea is supplied by smallholder farmers while the remaining 35% is supplied from plantations. Tea generated USD 114.8 million from the export sales of 38,467.7 tons of made tea in the year 2023/2024. The high performance of Tea sector is the result of Government and private efforts (NAEB 2026).

According to NAEB, about 420,000 bags of coffee are grown by over 400,000 smallholder farm families in about 42,000 Ha of land. Coffee production plays a crucial role in Rwanda's economy, contributing approximately $115 million to the economy in the 2022/2023 fiscal year, which accounted for 13.5% of the total agricultural export value. Between 2017 and 2023, coffee exports generated over $452 million, highlighting its importance as a cash crop. In 2025, Rwanda's coffee production reached 21,295 tons, marking a 25% increase from the previous year, with export revenues rising significantly (World Coffee Research).

The Rainforest Alliance has been active in Rwanda for one and a half decade. In 2024, the Rainforest Alliance Program reached 39 Certificate Holders in Rwanda- 19 in Coffee and 20 in Tea. The Coffee program covered 64,000 farmers and 96, 500 workers.  The Tea Program covered 32,000 farmers and 51,800 workers. In neighboring Burundi, in 2024, the Rainforest Alliance coffee Program reached 14 Certificate Holders in coffee and Tea, the Coffee Program covered 73,000 farmers and 93,900 workers. The tea program covered 63,000 farmers and 36,000 workers in the same year.

In 2024, the Rainforest Alliance program was implemented in over 17,600 Ha of coffee farms and 29,500 Ha of tea farms in Rwanda and 14800 Ha of coffee farms and 10,000 Ha of tea farms in Burundi. Key stakeholders in the region includes NAEB Rwanda, Coffee Exporting Companies, Tea growing factories and companies, Multistakeholder Platforms e.g. Global Coffee Platform, CSOs, Burundi Coffee Regulatory Agency (ARFIC) and Burundi Tea Office (OTB).

Consultancy Scope of Work

Main Objectives

The consultant will support Rainforest Alliance to maintain strong relationships with Certificate Holders, tea and coffee stakeholders, development partners and CSOs and government entities to drive and safeguard the quality and implementation of Rainforest Alliance certification in Rwanda and to some extent in Burundi.

The Consultant will conduct regular field monitoring of Rainforest Alliance Certified members in Rwanda and Burundi to understand and assess their progress in implementing Rainforest Alliance standards requirements.

The consultancy will also identify areas where certified members may require additional support and/ or where further investigation into key compliance issues is necessary. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive analysis of field-level implementation, a set of actionable recommendations for addressing identified gaps, and strategic input to guide capacity-building efforts and potential follow up actions by Rainforest Alliance and its partners

Additionally, the consultancy will Support RA assignments in the country as requested by the senior Director EASA/ Country Director Uganda/ Producer Support Manager Africa.

The Consultant will have overall responsibility for the assignment, including liaising with plantations and stakeholders in Rwanda and Burundi and Rainforest Alliance staff. He/she will prepare own work plans and work reports to be approved by the Senior Director EASA/ Country Director Uganda.

The expected deliverables include:

1. Member Monitoring & Farm Visits Reports
2. Sector Issues Reports
3. Specific Assignments Reports

Deliverables

Deliverable

Description

KPIs

Member Monitoring Visits in Rwanda Coffee and Tea

Conduct at least 3 visits monthly to Certificate Holders to monitor progress on the implementation of RA standard requirements

·       Identify deviations and ongoing risks in members’ implementation.

·       Identify members’ needs for further training and support.

·       Identify observations that are inconsistent with the finding of Rainforest Alliance Audit reports and signal the need for further investigation.

·       Provide monthly reports, and providing supporting documents and photographs, on each visit.

·       Schedule and implement regular follow-up visits based on needs of individual members and recommendation of Senior Director EASA and Country Director Uganda.

 At least 3 Farm Visit Reports in a Month

Government and stakeholder dialogues in Rwanda

Keep tabs with government and key sector dialogues in the country especially with NAEB, Coffee and tea companies and stakeholders among others

Monthly Report

Support RA activities in Rwanda and Burundi

Support RA assignments in Rwanda/ Burundi  as requested by the senior Director EASA and or Country Director Uganda

Collaborate with Rainforest Alliance staff, including Producer Support Staff, Quality of Implementation and Customer Success to propose, design and implement trainings and certification as per approved requests.

Assignment Reports

General Terms and Conditions for Request for Proposal

• Applicants must provide all requisite information under this RFP and clearly and concisely respond to all points set out in this RFP. Any proposal, which does not fully and comprehensively address this RFP, may be rejected.
• Proposals and/or any additional information received after the submission time and date are subject to rejection by RA.
• Incomplete proposals may be rejected by RA at its discretion.
• RA reserves the right to request additional information at any time during the procurement process.
• RA is at liberty to make multiple or no selections as part of the proposal process. RA also reserves the right to cancel the procurement.
• All proposal costs shall be borne by the applicant and will not be reimbursed by RA.
• It is the responsibility of every bidder to identify any information of a confidential or proprietary nature contained in its proposal so that it may be handled accordingly. However, RA cannot guarantee confidentiality.

Qualifications for the Consultancy

The consultant would need to meet the following requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture or related field
• 3 years’ experience in certification of Rainforest Alliance Standard
• 5 years’ experience in engaging Rwanda Tea and or Coffee Sector and working with private sector
• Approved RA trainer/ ATN/ Certified Trainer
• Well versed with coffee/ tea sector issues in Rwanda and Burundi and RA approaches of Assess and Address and Grievance Handling Mechanism and traceability platforms
• Experience conducting field assessments, interviews with workers, and stakeholder engagement at the farm and community level.
• Excellent analytical, reporting, and communication skills
• Fluency in French and English and local languages spoken in tea and coffee growing regions of Rwanda is a prerequisite
• Ability to work independently in rural field settings and maintain neutrality and professionalism when dealing with sensitive human rights issues.
• Is authorized to work in Rwanda

Submission of Proposals

Rainforest Alliance invites qualified consultants /consultant firms to submit the following:

1. Letter of Interest (Expression of Interest)
2. Technical Proposal (20 pages max): which should include: Expression of understanding of the ToR; An approach / broad outline of methodology to be applied; A detailed schedule of activities and deliverables; Team composition (maximum of 2 members) -profiles and CVs no longer than 3 pages per team member; Proof of required competencies (relevant references)
3. Financial Proposal: Including consultancy fee (USD), applicable taxes including VAT, estimated logistical expenses (this shall be paid by Rainforest Alliance through reimbursement upon submission and approval of expense receipts).
4. Statutory Requirements: Upon request, the consultant should supply all required legal documents as may be required by RA and/or local law, e.g. work permit, bank details, registration details, tax documents etc., only candidates authorized to work in the Rwanda will be considered

Consultant Selection Criteria

Selection of the consultant is based on the following criteria:

Items

Percentage

Technical proposal

25%

Methodology

15%

Team Composition and expertise

15%

Previous Experience

15%

Financial Proposal or Budget

15%

Availability

15%

Anticipated Maximum Level of Effort by the Consultant

48 net working days spread from May - November 2026 (this does not include the days required to undertake special/ other assignments that may be requested by Rainforest Alliance)

Proposal Process

All proposals must be submitted to  [email protected] and copied to [email protected] and  [email protected] with the subject: Rainforest Alliance Program  Support Rwanda.

Applicant are able to ask for questions and clarification up to Four (04) days after the date of the publication of this Request for Proposal to [email protected]

Finalists will be notified of their selection in 2 weeks after reviews/interviews

Contact person for questions

Rashida Nakabuga ([email protected])

Deadline for submission of questions

30th April 2026

Deadline for submission of proposals

5th May 2026

Thank you for your interest in working with the Rainforest Alliance