The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), has invited eligible consultants to provide technical assistance and implementation management structure of two Agri Park projects.
This as the Ministry of the DALRRD has received financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to assist in the financing of the development of the South Africa Agri-Park Project: Tshiame AgriHub in the Free State and Springbokpan Agri-Hub in the North West.
Established in 2015, the approach of the South Africa Agri-Park Program (SA-APP) is to capitalise on the strengths of small towns and to revitalise their economies, through crowding-in of investments for agricultural and other value chains development.
The SA-APP ecosystem consists of a Farmer Production Support Unit (FPSU), an Agri Hub (AH) and a Rural Urban Market Centre (RUMC).
Project manager at the department, Nombuso Dlamini said the goal is to graduate the South Africa Agri-Park program to a Sustainable Infrastructure Development System (SIDS) methodology at the Infrastructure Investment Office in the Presidency for coordination.
It also aims to bring the projects to financial closure and provide an operations and management structure that will enable investors to provide investment funds for infrastructure development and attract private sector investment to the respective provinces.
The project activities fall under the following broad components namely:
• Provide Technical Assistance that will enable project preparation, packaging, and a phased infrastructure development for two of the South Africa Agri Parks,
• Review key available documents for the Agri-Parks program broadly and more specifically for the two pilot, Agri-Hubs of Tshiame and Springbokpan (these will include Due diligence reports, Feasibility reports, Master plans, Business Plans, Implementation Plans and other),
• Undertake full Feasibility studies and Master plans for the two Agro Parks including the associated Farmer Support Production Units and Rural Urban Market Centres and bring the projects to financial closure,
• Ensure that full feasibility studies and master plans for the Tshiame Agri-Hub and Springbokpan Agri-Hub are gazetted as Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPS) in South Africa,
• Promote the establishment of a suitable implementation management structure for private sector investments in the Agri Parks,
• Propose Value Chain Development and Analyses for the two sites in terms of key commodities and their backward – and forward linkages and market development opportunities (supply vs demand), and
• Provide technical assistance on project coordination, management, and implementation.
“Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc). Consultants may constitute joint ventures to enhance their chances of qualification.
“Eligibility criteria, establishment of the short-list and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with African Development Bank’s Procurement Framework for Bank Group-funded Operations, October 2015 edition, which is available on the Bank’s website at http://www.afdb.org,” Dlamini explained.
Interested consultants may obtain further information at Nombuso.Dlamini@dalrrd.gov.za during office hours between 08:00 – 16:30 South African Time.
Expressions of interest must also be sent via email to Nombuso.Dlamini@dalrrd.gov.za by 13 September 2022 before close of business.
“The email subject should state Feasibility Studies for Tshiame Agri-Hub and Springbokpan Agri-Hub – Consulting Services,” Dlamini said.
Source: South African Government News Agency