Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) Expression of Interest
Commodity Support Facility
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) Expression of Interest
Background
The Commodity Support Facility (CSF) is an agricultural value chain programme fostering economic development in Bougainville. It is an initiative of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Governments of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.
The CSF Steering Committee has approved a project to catalyse the establishment of a competitive virgin coconut oil industry in Bougainville through assisting value chain actors in understanding the global market and developing a scale up strategy for the industry. The overall objective is to support an increase in incomes in Bougainville while enhancing the resilience of the economy through diversifying exports.
Call for proposals
The CSF is calling for proposals for technical support from Bougainville’s i) businesses and ii) women cooperatives.
Completed application forms will provide details on the business/cooperative and will briefly i) provide a capacity statement, ii) describe previous donor support, iii) detail the motivation for application, iv) outline the expected outcomes of support, v) describe prior experience in the coconut value chain, vi) outline linkages to coconut farmers and vii) detail how the support will benefit women and young people.
Applicants must be registered businesses or cooperatives of women. Applications will be considered against:
Experience in the VCO industry
Experience in the copra industry
Capacity to source coconuts from farmers
Financial capacity to invest in VCO processing equipment
Management capacity to ensure appropriate financial and human resource management and food safety standards
Networks with buyers of coconut derived oils in Bougainville, the rest of PNG or beyond
Applicants are urged to consider the CSF’s commitment to providing income earning opportunities for women and young people.
This call for expressions of interest opens on 6th November and closes on 5th December 2018.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
Be entrepreneurs, private businesses or a women’s cooperative
Be registered with IPA/cooperative society and have a current tax identification number
Be established and operating in Bougainville with a demonstrated management structure in place
Have some experience and knowledge of the coconut industry
Eligible activities
Two activities will initially be supported, these aim to develop and disseminate knowledge on the i) global market for coconut oil and ii) suitable strategies to scale up the industry in Bougainville. A service provider will be contracted by the CSF to deliver this support to one women’s cooperative and one business. Generalised findings from the support will be made available to businesses across Bougainville.
Applications
Application forms are available from the CSF Secretariat csf@bougainvillepartnership.org or District DPI Officers.
Completed applications can be emailed to csf@bougainvillepartnership.org or hand delivered and posted to:
The Commodity Support Facility Secretariat
PO Box 190
Lot 2, Section 2, HUTJENA
BUKA, Autonomous Region of Bougainville
(near Hutjena Secondary School)
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