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. Members of the platform include tire manufacturers, rubber suppliers and processors, vehicle makers and NGOs. 

The Manufacturer’s Subgroup (SG) consists of GPSNR members who are rubber product manufacturers only.  The SG is seeking a consultant/field to map their supply shed (i.e., all the farms that they are sourcing from) focusing on polygon mapping techniques in complex supply chains such as in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand – each with a separate RFP, and report on the price and time required for each polygon mapped.

Objectives

The goal of the project is to investigate what effort (i.e., time and cost) may be required for a rubber processor to map their supply chain in complex supply chains in Thailand. 

The consultant is to map small holder farmers in selected regions within Thailand. Manufacturers will specify the regions to be mapped at a later date. 

The service provider should work with the Manufacturer’s Subgroup and the participating processors from Thailand and their dealers to:

1. Keep track of the time and costs of all mapping related activities throughout the study, calculate time and cost of mapping each polygon, and provide them to their GPSNR Point of Contact at the end of the survey.

2. Register farmers using a provided data logger application. The service provider is welcomed to use their own data logger application. 

Scope of Work/Expected Deliverables

Specifically, GPSNR expects the consultant to:

1. Map regions of rubber producers supplying to the participating processor in Thailand via polygon mapping. 

   1. Single GPS coordinates should not be utilised irrespective of the size of the plantation. 

   2. Geo mapping to include coordinates up to 6 decimal places in geoJSON format 

2. 2. Store/transfer geo location polygons mapped, to a 3rd party database as designated. 

   3. Bi-weekly progress reports 

   4. Ensure compliance to applicable local and global data privacy norms and regulations such as but not limited to GDPR, PDPA, etc.

2. We would like a detailed account of the resources: 

   1. Price per polygon mapped – Cost per unit (per Farmer/Plot/Polygon) 

   2. Timeline to map Polygons per day (eg 18 months to map X polygons)

3. A recommendation of the scalability of this pilot

   1. Can the same estimated cost/time/labour be replicated in other regions/jurisdictions within the same country?

   2. E.g., $X/farm is calculated but is not scalable due to what reason(s).

4. Interested parties should submit the quote for the following – 

   1. For mapping polygons (cost per Ha)

   2. For mapping polygons + completing set of questionnaires as a part of risk assessment

5. Comply with applicable data privacy norms and regulations (including but not limited to GDPR and PDPA).

6. An optional activity that service providers could provide is the ability to integrate a transactional traceability function (own or 3rd party as designated)

Proposal Format and Contents

The proposal should include the following:

1. A workplan that outlines the key activities towards the deliverables outlined in Expected Deliverables above

2. The timeline and key stages of operations based on Project Timeline below 

3. Budget, including detailed breakdown of expected manpower, logistics, and costs as mentioned above

4. Description of past work and technical expertise that is relevant to this RFP

A list of project team members with their roles in the project and associated qualifications.

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. 

3. A technical proposal must be provided that is not more than 4 pages. This technical proposal must provide an overview of the proposed solution 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 pages. This price proposal should indicate the overall fixed price for the project as well as hourly 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 the 25th of September to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org and aidan@gpsnr.org for consideration. 

7. GPSNR reserves the right to amend the scope and budget of this RFP in order to get the most suitable consultant for each topic. 

Project Timelines

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than 20USD/ha be allocated to this engagement and more competitive quotations will be favoured. 

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% to be agreed based on mutually agreed milestones

The allocation of the payment shall be based on the net amount after travel expenses, if deemed necessary by both the consultant and Secretariat, are incurred and documented.

Evaluation Factors

GPSNR will rate proposals based on the following factors, with cost being the most important factor:

1. Responsiveness to the requirements set forth in this Request for Proposal

2. Relevant past performance/ experience

3. Samples of work

4. Cost, including an assessment of total cost of ownership

5. Technical expertise/experience of bidder and bidder’s staff

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.

View RFP Document here

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:

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