Rainforest Alliance (RA) provides market-based solutions to address tropical deforestation and degradation, largely driven by commodity production. We are a global leader in sustainability certification and work with farmers and forest communities to develop socio-environmental businesses that conserve and regenerate forests and agricultural landscapes.
With over 35 years of on-the-ground experience, we collaborate with networks of thousands of farmers and forest communities who join us to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources. RA has a long-standing relationship with the Amazon and maintains deep partnerships with key stakeholders in the region, including farmers, commercial operators, traders, raw material suppliers, and governments.
Together with our partners, we assess social, climate, and economic risks—as well as opportunities—within production systems and value chains. We deliver leadership training, enhance technical capacity in regenerative practices adapted to climate change, and contribute to strengthening public policies focused on sustainability in key sectors such as coffee, cocoa, fruits, and forest products.
In Latin America, agriculture plays a vital role in the economic development of countries, often serving as one of the main sources of revenue through the export of agricultural products to various markets.
In the Brazilian Amazon, RA is leading the Amazon Bioeconomy Marketplace (ABM) project, funded by the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) to improve socioeconomic conditions, fight climate change, and help restore ecosystems by supporting the implementation and growth of export-oriented sustainable bio- businesses. The project has three components:
1. Component I: A rapid Market Analysis to identify (i) bio-businesses that have potential to export or receive investment; (ii) buyers and investors; (iii) local business/producer support organizations; (iv) types of technical assistance needed; (v) financial mechanisms to increase access to finance; and (vi) the role that women, LGTBQ+, local communities and people with disabilities could play in bio-business. This component will engage experts to produce the key knowledge and information for the Project, by analyzing the most relevant literature and project assessments related to the Amazon bio-business economy, and incorporating primary information gathered through interviews, surveys and focus groups
2. Component II. Bio-business Identification, Quality Verification and/or Certification: to help emerging and more developed bio-businesses enhance their access to new markets and become more attractive to Local Financial Institutions (LFIs) and potential investors, by providing them with relevant technical assistance and verifications. Through this component, this Project will provide financial support (subgrants) and technical assistance to selected pilot bio-businesses
3. Component III. Access to Finance Readiness: To increase the availability of financing for Amazon bio-businesses.
Components I and II are executed by the Rainforest Alliance while component III is led by IDB Invest.
According to IDB, “bioeconomy activities across Amazonian countries conform to at least five basic principles:
- The use of biological resources and processes;
- The integration of science, technology and innovation;
- The inclusion of ancestral and traditional knowledge;
- Investments intended to enhance value-addition through improved processing and supply-chain efficiencies; and
- A commitment to environmental sustainability, decarbonization, and the provision of environmental services, alongside substituting fossil-fuel-based products with more sustainable alternatives.”[1] (#_ftn1)
“The bioeconomy encompasses diverse economic sectors and value chains under a paradigm of maintaining or increasing the natural capital on which the sector is centered, rather than altering, devaluing and depleting it. Moreover, bioeconomy might also be defined as “any economic activity from both land and ocean, to obtain food, materials, and energy in a sustainable way without compromising their availability for future generations[2] (#_ftn2)”
As part of the Amazon ABM project, the RA needs to:
1. Support stakeholder engagement and coordination
Establish, maintain, and strengthen trust-based relationships with key local stakeholders to support effective coordination among principal ABM partners at the local level. This includes facilitating communication, promoting alignment, and ensuring active participation of relevant actors throughout project implementation.
2. Conduct a Rapid Market Assessment
Conduct a rapid market assessment of the bioeconomy, with a specific focus on bio-businesses. The assessment shall incorporate an inclusive analytical approach, identifying and evaluating the roles, participation, and contributions of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities within the sector.
To support the effective implementation of the ABM Project by strengthening trust-based relationships and facilitating coordination among key local stakeholders, while generating evidence-based insights on the bioeconomy. This includes conducting a rapid market assessment of bio-businesses, with a particular emphasis on understanding the roles, participation, and contributions of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities, to inform inclusive and well-coordinated project interventions.
Key activities and tasks:
1. Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination:
- Establish communication with key stakeholders through bilateral meetings, consultations, and follow-ups to support project kick-off.
- Organize and support coordination spaces (e.g., meetings, workshops,) to ensure alignment among key partners, promote information sharing, and facilitate joint decision-making processes.
- Systematically document interactions, agreements, and progress in stakeholder engagement, providing regular updates and recommendations to enhance coordination and address potential bottlenecks.
- Support/facilitate coordination among local and national stakeholders in Brazil, the Country Director and regional coordination of the ABM project, ensuring effective communication, alignment of priorities, and timely flow of information.
2. Data collection:
- Gather and systematize market information, statistics and databases on bioeconomy products.
- Review and summarize existing policies, programs, and regulatory frameworks related to bioeconomy in Brazil.
- Compile and review markets studies from well-known entities, highlighting key data, trends, and statistics on the bioeconomy in Brazil.
3. Stakeholder interviews:
- In coordination with RA team, conduct at least 10 interviews with local actors, government representatives, producer organizations, processors, traders, exporters, and managers of ongoing programs.
- List of Brazil´s main bioeconomy value chains and potential value chains and bio-business according to the prioritization criteria developed by the RA.
- Assess the maturity of the organizations, cooperative structures, and stakeholders in general to engage, develop and/or commercialize bioeconomy products.
4. Situation Analysis and Diagnostics:
- Analysis of capacities, weaknesses, and trends affecting bio-businesses.
- International Demand: Assess export context, statistics, key data, general export requirements, trends, and identify key importing countries and potential markets for bioeconomy products.
- National Demand: Map of bioeconomy value chains, marketing and distribution channels, and identifying domestic market challenges and opportunities.
- Identify gaps in digitalization, business skills (financial, technical, soft skills, languages), and opportunities to improve commercial and marketing capacities, logistics, and international market expansion, such as market entry requirements, certifications, packaging, scalability constraints, governance issues.
- Identify and assess the role that women, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+ individuals, local communities, and people with disabilities.
5. Recommendations:
- Provide practical recommendations to strengthen biobusinesses export capabilities and the broader bioeconomy ecosystem in Brazil.
- Deliver a final list of biobusinesses in Brazil based on RA prioritization criteria
The consultancy must deliver the following products in English within the specified timeframes outlined in the table below:
Work plan document, including timeline and detailed methodology to reach all the activities outlined above.
8 calendar days after contract signature.
- Document summarizing data collection and facilitation of stakeholder engagement and coordination.
50 days after contract signature
- Document with the Situation Analysis and Diagnostics, including the systematization and analysis of the Stakeholder interviews. The document must include a list of identified biobusiness according to the prioritization criteria provided by the RA in coordination with Apex, and the facilitation of stakeholder engagement and coordination.
100 days after contract signature
- Final list of identified bio-businesses in coordination with RA and Apex
- Document with the facilitation of stakeholder engagement and coordination, as well as recommendations for the implementation of the project
One designed PowerPoint presentation to ensure the proper transfer of consultancy findings.
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170 days after contract signature
The total budget for this consultancy is US$20,500. candidate must send its proposal of fixed terms including the detailed budget for the conclusion of the deliverables and payment schedule.
- Applicants must provide all requisite information under this Request of Proposal (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.
This Request for Proposal is open to individual applicants. The ideal individual consultant will combine cutting-edge research with an in-depth understanding of the cultural context of Brazil´s Amazon region, including market development, trade, and economic development for Indigenous peoples.
- Academic background: University degree in economics, sustainable development, environmental sciences, or related fields.
- Professional experience: At least 5 years of proven experience in applied research, market analysis, policy development or project management related to bioeconomy, sustainable development, or related sectors.
- Regional experience: Minimum of 3 years of work experience in the Brazil´s Amazon region or in similar economy contexts, preferably involving Indigenous communities.
- Specific expertise: Demonstrated experience in value chain analysis, sustainable markets, and/or bio-businesses.
- Languages: Fluency in English (spoken and written) knowledge of Spanish is a plus.
- Contract: Candidates must have a registry for business (CNPJ) and be capable of providing official fiscal documents (NF)
- Location: Candidates must be in the state of Pará, Brazil
Selection criteria:
- Technical proposal (40%): The extent to which the applicant’s proposal demonstrates a clear and effective overall technical approach and understanding of RA’s project needs. See technical proposal requirements below.
- Economic Proposal (10%): Detailed cost required to carry out the deliverables. See financial proposal requirement below.
- Qualifications (50%): Knowledge and proven experience.
To be considered, proposals should include:
1. 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. When opportunity is restricted to a specific location, only candidates authorized to work in the location will be considered.
2. Technical proposal requirements:
- Technical proposal/methodology and suggest timeline for deliverables taking into consideration information under section 5.
- CV including contact information for recent references (email and phone number).
3. Financial proposal requirements:
The consultant must submit a budget proposal detailing the costs required to carry out the activities and deliver the expected outputs.
The financial proposal should clearly indicate:
- A detailed fixed price proposal that includes the budget categories needed to complete all the activities and deliverables. Include the basis for cost calculation (e.g., reference rates, prior contract benchmarks, or cost structure explanation).
- The proposal must be submitted in brazilian reais.
All proposals must be submitted through Work at the Rainforest Alliance | Rainforest Alliance (https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/careers/) or LinkekIn as an integrated PDF document (only one file). If you experience problems loading information on the platform, try opening it with different browsers. Proposals received after the deadline stated above will not be evaluated.
Contact Persons for Questions
Proposal Submission Deadline
Applications’ budget up to USD 20,500. The financial proposal shall be based on a fixed cost. Travel, meals, accommodation, and other related expenses will not be reimbursed separately.
[1] (#_ftnref1) IDB | IDB Report Shows the Potential of Bioeconomy to Reverse Deforestation in the Amazonian Region (https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-report-shows-potential-bioeconomy-reverse-deforestation-amazonian-region)
[2] (#_ftnref2) https://publications.iadb.org/en/publications/english/viewer/Re-Imagining-Bioeconomy-for-Amazonia.pdf (https://publications.iadb.org/en/publications/english/viewer/Re-Imagining-Bioeconomy-for-Amazonia.pdf)
