(CLOSED) Request for Proposal – GPSNR Baseline reporting requirements pilot

Introduction & Background

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) is an international Multi-Stakeholder, voluntary membership initiative seeking to lead improvements in the socioeconomic and environmental performance of the natural rubber value chain. Development of the GPSNR was initiated by the CEOs of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Tire Industry Project (TIP) in November 2018. Members of the platform include tire manufacturers, rubber suppliers and processors, vehicle makers and NGOs.  Representatives from each of these stakeholder groups have contributed to the development of the Singapore-based platform and the wide-reaching set of priorities that will define GPSNR strategy and objectives.

Through a participatory process the Platform has developed stated goals with a strong focus on developing a framework that supports and sustains responsible supply chains. To fully inform decision making the Platform needs to collate, consider, and agree, information on social, environmental and economic risks, and their causes, in the Natural Rubber Value chain, in order to be able to minimise and manage those risks. The Platform has already commissioned a social risk assessment; this call for proposals is for the provision of a parallel process covering environmental impacts and risks, with a particular focus on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

Each country has its own natural systems, as well as its own governance and social structures which contributes to different environmental impacts and risks from country to country.  Whilst there are many impawcts on natural systems in these countries some are directly associated with the specifics of tropical forest commodity production, especially in countries where development planning and control, and law enforcement, are weak.

The study should identify potential areas of environmental impact in the natural rubber value chain, particularly at the production end of the value chain, and consider the effectiveness of how these potential impacts are managed through regulation, policies and practices, what impacts actually occur, and then consider the risks that these impacts pose. The areas of study should also be consistent with the relevant GPSNR Policy Components (i.e. HCS areas, HCV areas, peat etc; see attached Policy Components document for reference). Based on the analysis of how well current processes deliver the “Desired State” for rubber landscapes, the study should develop recommendations as to how GPSNR could most effectively support the avoidance and mitigation of potential environmental impacts and risks. This should include identifying the possibility of metrication for such risks, which will then be used to inform the development of GPSNR’s Risk Matrix.

The consultant is expected to develop generic impact and risk profiles at a global level, and specific risk profile at a regional and/or national level.  Areas of interest for GPSNR are Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Papua New Guinea, India and Sri Lanka), West Africa (Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Nigeria), and South America (Brazil and Guatemala).

The consultant will collect the information via desktop study, interviews with, inter alia, GPSNR members, research and other academic institutes, NGOs, and governmental organizations.  A primary list of stakeholders will be provided by the Secretariat together with the Strategy and Objectives Working Group members.  A complementary list will be developed by the consultant.  Regular contact and updating to the Strategy and Objective Working Group together with the Secretariat will be required. 

Submission Guidelines & Requirements

The following submission guidelines & requirements apply to this Request for Proposal:

1. Proposals will only be accepted from individuals or firms with experience relevant to this project.
2. Examples of previous relevant work should be provided as well.
3. A technical proposal must be provided that is not more than 4 pages. This technical proposal must provide an overview of the proposed methodology as well as resumes of all key personnel performing the work. In addition, the technical proposal should provide a proposed schedule and milestones, as applicable.
4. A price proposal must be provided that is not more than 1 page. This price proposal should indicate the overall fixed price for the project as well as daily rates and an estimated total number of days.
5. Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to commit bidder’s company.
6. Proposals must be received prior to 27th November 2020 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org and aidan@gpsnr.org for consideration.
7. GPSNR anticipates shortlisting at least two individuals or firms to have more in-depth discussions with, and will make an award to one of these “down-selected” individuals or firms.

Project Timelines

The Request for Proposal timeline is as follows:

Request for Proposal Issuance	9/11/2020
Proposal submitted by consultant to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org or aidan@gpsnr.org	27/11/2020
Selection of Top Bidders / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders	4/12/2020
Contract Award	9/12/2020
Specific work-plan, including geographic focus, methodology and indicative contents, agreed with Strategy & Objective Working Group	17/12/2020
Work to commence no later than	21/12/2020
The first draft report submitted to the Strategy and Objective Working Group for comments	22/01/2021
Meeting with Strategy & Objectives WG by	29/01/2021
The final draft report submitted to the Strategy and Objective Working Group	19/02/2021

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than 30,000 Euros be allocated to this engagement.

Payment terms shall be:

• 20% at the signing of the contract
• 30% at the midpoint date to be agreed upon and memorialized in the contract based on the submitted work plan
• 50% on delivery of the final report

Proposals should be submitted to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org and aidan@gpsnr.org for consideration

Updated 6 May 2022

Introduction

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) is an international multi-stakeholder, voluntary membership initiative seeking to lead improvements in the socioeconomic and environmental performance of the natural rubber value chain. Members of the platform include tire manufacturers, rubber producers and processors, vehicle makers, NGOs, and smallholder natural rubber producers. 

GPSNR is seeking to hire a consultant to develop the GPSNR Policy Equivalent for Smallholders, which will put forth commitments for economic, environmental, and social sustainability for GPSNR smallholder members.

Relevant Background

GPSNR Policy Framework for Member Companies

In September 2020, the GPSNR General Assembly endorsed the GPSNR Policy Framework for natural rubber production and sourcing for GPSNR ordinary member companies.

The GPSNR Policy Framework provides a framework for GPSNR member companies to align their natural rubber purchasing policies on all aspects of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social. Modelled around the Platform’s 12 Principles of Sustainable Natural Rubber, the GPSNR policy framework sets out eight overarching themes that include commitments to legal compliance, community livelihoods, healthy, functioning ecosystems (including no deforestation), and respecting all human rights.

In line with the GPSNR Policy Framework, the GPSNR Secretariat has prepared guidance on the Policy Evaluation Procedure to support members in aligning their corporate policies with the GPSNR Policy Framework.

GPSNR Smallholders Policy Equivalent for Smallholder Members

As of March 2022, GPSNR currently has 112 smallholder members across 10 countries: Brazil, Cambodia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

While this represents a small percentage of the millions of smallholder producers globally, GPSNR is committed to developing the mechanisms, tools, and processes to support smallholders globally in adopting best practices for natural rubber production in terms of economic, environmental and social outcomes. 

To advance this, the Platform is developing the GPSNR Smallholders Policy Equivalent. GPSNR is seeking to hire a consultant to make recommendations on the objectives, content, function, and roadmap of this new document, the Smallholders Policy (or similar equivalent), relative to the needs, interests, and capacities of the Platform’s smallholder members.

The consultant is expected to collect relevant information via desktop study and information provided by the GPSNR Secretariat and the GPSNR Smallholders Policy Task Force.

The consultant would also be expected to conduct a number of stakeholder engagement sessions (e.g., interviews, focus group discussion; including but not necessarily limited to GPSNR smallholder members, and GPSNR NGO and private company members with direct interactions with smallholder, such as natural rubber processers) based on the criteria set out below. The GPSNR Secretariat will provide a preliminary list of contacts and the consultant will be expected to propose additional contacts to interview, with a particular focus on external schemes / platforms that engage with smallholders.

Regular contact and provision of updates to the Task Force together with the Secretariat will be required.

Further Context

To become a Smallholder Member of GPSNR, the following criteria must be met:

1. The primary source of income for the smallholder is the farm (not only Natural Rubber)
2. The Natural Rubber production unit size is not more than 50ha (although the farm may be larger)
3. Profits from the farm accrue primarily to the owner of the farm and their family

Deliverables

Objectives, Content and Function of the Smallholders Policy Equivalent

The consultant should put forth recommendations covering the objectives, substantive content, function, and roadmap (e.g., propose normative documents to be developed later on) of the Smallholders Policy Equivalent, considering the responses of key stakeholders to the following questions:

1. What are the objectives of the Policy Equivalent for GPSNR and GPSNR smallholder members?
2. What are the sustainability commitments and standards put forth in the Policy Equivalent?
3. How detailed should the commitments in the Policy Equivalent be? 
4. How binding should the Policy Equivalent be for smallholder members (e.g., level of adoption requirements)?
5. What would the Policy Equivalent entail or mean for smallholder members upon its completion and endorsement?
6. What are the expected costs and benefits of implementing the Policy Equivalent for member and non-member smallholders?
7. How would the content, form or function of the Policy Equivalent compare to existing equivalents (e.g., participatory guarantee systems) in other commodities (e.g., coffee, cocoa, palm oil etc.), if any? 
8. Follow-up Questions: What mechanisms can GPSNR put in place to assist farmers in managing the costs of adhering to implementing sustainability best practices?

This should be conducted through a needs review comprising a representative set of stakeholders (smallholders, NGOs, processers, and producers). GPSNR will facilitate virtual access and engagement with GPSNR smallholder and company members where applicable and requested by the consultant.

This RFP is also not limited in scope to smallholders or stakeholders in any specific geographical region, given that the output is expected to be globally applicable.

Submission Guidelines & Requirements

The following submission guidelines & requirements apply to this Request for Proposal:

1. Proposals will only be accepted from individuals or firms with experience relevant to this project.
2. Examples of previous relevant work should be provided as well.
3. A technical proposal must be provided that should be around 4 pages in length. This technical proposal must provide an overview of the proposed methodology as well as resumes of all key personnel performing the work. In addition, the technical proposal should provide a proposed schedule and milestones, as applicable.
4. A price proposal must be provided that is not more than 1 page. This price proposal should indicate the overall fixed price for the project as well as daily rates and an estimated total number of days.
5. Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to commit bidder’s company.
6. Proposals must be received prior to 10 June 2022 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to yeo.siyuan@gpsnr.org for consideration. You may also reach out to this contact for any questions or clarifications.

Project Timelines

The Request for Proposal timeline is as follows:

Request for Proposal Issuance	6 May 2022
Proposal submitted by consultant to yeo.siyuan@gpsnr.org	10 June 2022
Selection of Consultant / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders	24 June 2022
Contract Award	1 July 2022
Work to commence no later than	8 July 2022
First Review	August 2022
Second Review	September 2022
Delivery of Recommendations to GPSNR	End-September 2022

The above timeline is open to further adjustments based on discussions with the consultant and GPSNR’s ongoing key milestones.

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than 25,000 GBP. If the consultant deems that travel plans are required to execute this project, these should be included in the proposal (along with any additional budgetary requirements).

Payment terms shall be:

●       20% at the signing of the contract
●       30% at the midpoint date to be agreed upon and memorialized in the contract based on the submitted work plan
●       50% on delivery of the final report

Evaluation Factors

GPSNR will rate proposals based on the following factors:

1. Costs and expected timeline
2. Responsiveness to the requirements set forth in this RFP
3. Methodology for developing the Policy Equivalent 
4. Technical expertise/experience, including past performance/experience

GPSNR reserves the right to award to the bidder that presents the best value to GPSNR as determined solely by GPSNR in its absolute discretion.