Growing Agriculture and Incomes in Syria (GROW)

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Syria is conducting market research for a potential prospective activity. This notice includes a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit input from interested organizations on agriculture markets in non-regime held parts of Syria for a prospective activity.

The RFI is solely for information gathering purposes and is not a Request for Proposal/Application (RFP/RFA), a Request for Quotation (RFQ), an Invitation for Bids (IFB), a solicitation, or an indication that USAID will make and award for the activities described herein. If a solicitation is eventually issued, it will be announced on https://www.grants.gov or https://beta.sam.gov at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation. It is the responsibility of interested organizations to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to any potential future requirement.

This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the USG to issue any solicitation or ultimately award an agreement for services similar to those described in this RFI. Responses to this notice are strictly voluntary and USAID will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this notice. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

Responses to this RFI will be retained by USAID and will not be returned. USAID may elect to use the information submitted at its discretion. Organizations must not submit any proprietary or otherwise sensitive information. This RFI does not restrict the Government's acquisition or assistance approach on a future solicitation, and USAID reserves the right to modify the scope, scale or other details of the planned activities. Similarly, USAID is not obligated to modify its planned approach or otherwise incorporate the input that organizations offer.

It should be noted that responding to or providing input in response to this RFI will not give any advantage to an organization in any subsequent procurement action. Likewise, organizations that choose not to respond will not be precluded from submitting a proposal in response to a subsequent solicitation, if one is ultimately issued. Respondents will receive a confirmation of receipt of its submission. However, USAID will not provide feedback on submissions or answers to any questions submitted in response to this request.

INSTRUCTIONS:

USAID welcomes all segments of the public (in the U.S. and abroad) to reply to the RFI. Small businesses are encouraged to respond.

All responses to this RFI must be submitted via email by the date and time indicated above to amcquade@usaid.com with a copy to danmoore@usaid.gov. Submission must be in Microsoft Word format as a single email attachment. All pages must be numbered consecutively. Responses must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, single spaced with one-inch margins on the electronic equivalent of 8.5 x 11-inch paper. The email subject line must include the RFI number and the name of the submitting organization, i.e. “XXXX-RFI-276-22-START-01 – [Organization name]”.

Responses sent by any other means or in any other format will not be reviewed. Submissions must not exceed the page limitations for each part indicated below. Submissions exceeding the page limits will not be read. Only one submission will be accepted per organization.

Cover Page:

All submissions must include a cover page (one page maximum) that includes the following information:

• Organization name and address • Organization point of contact name, DUNS number (if applicable), telephone number, and email address

• Organization type, i.e. commercial, public sector, educational institution, NGO, etc.

• If applicable, socioeconomic status, e.g., other than small business, small business, woman-owned, veteran-owned, etc.

• Primary field(s) of expertise/work • Geographic presence, e.g., countries in which your organization is currently working, also noting the countries in which your organization is legally and formally registered

• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, if applicable

Responses to RFI

If responding to the RFI to provide input on the prospective activity, organizations are requested to respond to any of the following questions. Answers can be sector-specific or multi-sectoral depending on your organization's expertise.

1. Given the current security, political, and economic situation in northeast Syria (NES) and northwest Syria (NWS), (jointly referred to as “non-regime held parts of Syria”), to what extent can farmers expand production and increase their earnings from their agricultural production? What are the most important constraints for farmers to increase their earnings from agriculture? That includes small farmers and commercial farmers.

2. What role does the private sector play in agriculture in non-regime held parts of Syria and how can USAID support the agricultural private sector and strengthen agriculture markets in the current environment? (That includes farmers, input providers, agricultural extension services providers, exporters, commercial intermediaries, agro-processing businesses, local market traders, etc).

3. What is the current and/or optimal role of interim governance bodies such as the Self Administration in North-East Syria (SANES), the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), and the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) or any other public actors in expanding agricultural incomes and food security?

4. To what extent do agricultural markets function in non-regime held parts of Syria? For example, to what extent can farmers access agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, plant protection chemicals) through market systems and how do farmers sell and access markets?

5. What value chains or approaches hold the most promise for significant increases in agricultural employment and significant increases in household income for women and youth? Are there any specific constraints or considerations USAID should consider in seeking to grow economic opportunities for women and youth in agriculture?

The organization's response must not exceed five (5) pages in total length.

Sincerely,

Amy E. McQuade

Regional Contracting and Agreement Officer

USAID / Middle East Regional Platform