81315050 - Impact Assessments of AgTech, FoodTech and ClimateTech Start-ups

The global project Scaling digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) supports selected African AgTech, FoodTech and ClimateTech start-ups and Sri Lankan companies that promote a circular economy in the food sector to scale their digital innovations and reach a larger number of users. SAIS supports start-ups in becoming investment ready …

CPV: 79000000 Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security, 79419000 Evaluation consultancy services
Place of execution:
81315050 - Impact Assessments of AgTech, FoodTech and ClimateTech Start-ups
Awarding body:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Award number:
81315050

1. Buyer

1.1 Buyer

Official name : Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Legal type of the buyer : Public undertaking, controlled by a central government authority
Activity of the contracting authority : General public services

2. Procedure

2.1 Procedure

Title : 81315050 - Impact Assessments of AgTech, FoodTech and ClimateTech Start-ups
Description : The global project Scaling digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) supports selected African AgTech, FoodTech and ClimateTech start-ups and Sri Lankan companies that promote a circular economy in the food sector to scale their digital innovations and reach a larger number of users. SAIS supports start-ups in becoming investment ready through tailored company development measures and connects the start-ups with business partners and investors. The goal is to make the start-ups more attractive to investors, raise capital for growth, and establish and grow sustainably in the market. Additionally, SAIS offers further funding opportunities for start-ups in collaboration with various partners (e.g., Flat6Labs, MelaninKapital, or Startup Wise Guys). The digital products offered by the start-ups must have a positive impact in areas such as income, food security, or climate adaptation. An expansion to biodiversity is planned. In Sri Lanka, SAIS implements its approach to start-up and innovation promotion within the framework of an EU-Cofinancing to reduce plastic waste and food losses. SAIS places a special focus on gender-specific measures to support female founders explicitly and to promote start-ups that offer specific products for women in the agri-food sector. For SAIS, start-ups are a means to scale digital innovations to achieve selected SDGs (primarily 1 and 2). So far, start-ups supported by SAIS have reached over 1 million new customers, 77% of whom have improved their income. In addition, start-ups who completed the SAIS Investment Readiness Programmes (IRPs) have raised over $48 million for scaling to date. The majority of investments are equity or debt investments, demonstrating that SAIS start-ups are in demand in the market. Approach: Scaling requires the use of capital, and this is exactly where SAIS comes in: Through tailored company development measures, the investment readiness of start-ups is improved. This is done within the framework of annual IRPs, of which SAIS is currently implementing three: a regular IRP for English speaking Africa, a French speaking IRP (PPI), and an IRP for livestock start-ups. This increases the chances that start-ups will receive the necessary support and capital for scaling from investors or enter new markets. SAIS is adapting processes of existing innovation systems - such as Silicon Valley - and attempting to apply them to the African context. The upcoming Sri Lankan component will adopt a similar tailored approach, catering to a broader spectrum of businesses. In addition to startups, early-stage ventures and SMEs are also included. Mode of operation: SAIS operates throughout Africa and is expected to also operate in Sri Lanka from 2025 onwards. The majority of the work takes place virtually and digitally, in line with the project's logic, which primarily relies on digitally savvy founders and digital technologies. The majority of the work is managed from the control unit in Germany. In February of each year, SAIS launches its three IRPs for selected start-ups in the agriculture and food sector in Africa and starting 2025 also other Sri Lankan companies. The approximately one-year IRPs are, in a sense, the centerpiece of SAIS.
Procedure identifier : 32e861ef-c462-478d-ba0f-8cc0847f2277
Internal identifier : 81315050
Type of procedure : Negotiated with prior publication of a call for competition / competitive with negotiation
The procedure is accelerated : no
Justification for the accelerated procedure :
Main features of the procedure :

2.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Services
Main classification ( cpv ): 79000000 Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
Additional classification ( cpv ): 79419000 Evaluation consultancy services

2.1.2 Place of performance

Postal address : Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36
Town : Bonn
Postcode : 53113
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt ( DEA22 )
Country : Germany

2.1.4 General information

Additional information : Bekanntmachungs-ID: CXTRYY6YTHUYQ0UJ All communication takes place in English via communication tool in the project area of the procurement portal.
Legal basis :
Directive 2014/24/EU
vgv -

2.1.6 Grounds for exclusion

Purely national exclusion grounds : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Analogous situation like bankruptcy under national law : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Corruption : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Participation in a criminal organisation : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Agreements with other economic operators aimed at distorting competition : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Breaching of obligations in the fields of environmental law : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Money laundering or terrorist financing : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Fraud : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Child labour and other forms of trafficking in human beings : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Insolvency : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Breaching of obligations in the fields of labour law : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Assets being administered by liquidator : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Guilty of misrepresentation, withheld information, unable to provide required documents and obtained confidential information of this procedure : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Conflict of interest due to its participation in the procurement procedure : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Direct or indirect involvement in the preparation of this procurement procedure : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Guilty of grave professional misconduct : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Early termination, damages or other comparable sanctions : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Breaching of obligations in the fields of social law : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Payment of social security contributions : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Business activities are suspended : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Payment of taxes : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB
Terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities : In accordance with §§ 123,124 GWB

5. Lot

5.1 Lot technical ID : LOT-0001

Title : 81315050 - Impact Assessments of AgTech, FoodTech and ClimateTech Start-ups
Description : The GIZ project "Scaling digital agriculture innovations through start-ups" (SAIS) is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). SAIS aims to increase the investor readiness of AgTech, FoodTech, and ClimateTech start-ups. The project offers tailored company development and venture building and facilitates access to investment and business opportunities. This approach helps start-ups grow and scale their businesses and their digital innovations, benefiting users in Africa and Sri Lanka. Three IRPs are offered by SAIS on an annual basis: One for English-speaking Africa, one for French-speaking Africa, and one focused on livestock start-ups. Annually, up to 25 start-ups are selected for these IRPs in total. A new pilot in Sri Lanka, co-funded by BMZ and the EU, promotes a circular economy in the food sector and will run annual programs similar to the IRPs on incubation, acceleration and SME support. The key performance indicator for SAIS is increased income among users of the start-ups, primarily benefiting smallholder farmers, but also other actors from agricultural and food value chains. Other indicators include improved nutrition and climate change adaptation. The contractor will collaborate closely with the SAIS team to conduct in-depth impact assessments for up to ten selected start-ups and SMEs annually. These companies, chosen by SAIS based on actual growth, will be divided into two programs: "SAIS main" for African start-ups and "CIRCULAR" for Sri Lankan companies. The contractor will evaluate the start-ups' impact on their users or customers, focusing on key metrics such as income generation, improved nutrition, and climate change adaptation. A standardized assessment approach will be employed, with flexibility to accommodate the unique characteristics of each start-up. Objective The impact assessments aim to provide valuable insights for both the SAIS programme and the start-ups. For SAIS, the findings contribute to accountability and transparency reporting regarding the programme"s impact. For start-ups, the assessments demonstrate social impact, aiding in attracting investors, enhancing market positioning and further product development through the gathered insights. By benchmarking against similar entities, the relative performance of start-ups can be assessed, fostering continuous improvement. Ultimately, the goal is to generate actionable insights for both SAIS and the start-ups for better decision-making and optimizing future strategies. Key deliverables include: - Development of Theory of Change (ToC) for each start-up - Design and implementation of impact assessment - Data collection and analysis - Benchmarking against comparable entities - Detailed reports with executive summaries, key findings, and recommendations. Summary The contractor will conduct rigorous impact assessments to evaluate the performance of selected start-ups. By focusing on key impact indicators and employing a standardized methodology to a certain extent, the project will generate valuable data for both SAIS and the start-ups. The findings will be presented in comprehensive reports, including benchmarking analysis.
Internal identifier : 81315050

5.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Services
Main classification ( cpv ): 79000000 Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
Additional classification ( cpv ): 79419000 Evaluation consultancy services
Options :
Description of the options : GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

5.1.2 Place of performance

Postal address : Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36
Town : Bonn
Postcode : 53113
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt ( DEA22 )
Country : Germany
Additional information :

5.1.3 Estimated duration

Start date : 08/09/2025
Duration end date : 28/02/2028

5.1.4 Renewal

Maximum renewals : 2
Other information about renewals : GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

5.1.6 General information

The names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to perform the contract must be given : Not yet known
Procurement Project not financed with EU Funds.
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) : yes
This procurement is also suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) : no

5.1.7 Strategic procurement

Aim of strategic procurement : Fulfilment of social objectives
Social objective promoted : Gender equality

5.1.9 Selection criteria

Criterion :
Type : Economic and financial standing
Name : Wirtschaftliche und finanzielle Leistungsfähigkeit
Description : 1. Average annual turnover for the last three years (last-but-four financial year can be included in case of tenders held within 6 months of end of last financial year), at least: 750000 EUR 2. Average number of employees and managers in the last three calendar years, at least 10 persons
Criterion :
Type : Other
Name : Sonstiges
Description : Weighted criteria: 1. Technical experience 1. Used in 5 reference projects an already existing in-house benchmarking database - 40 % 2. Considered more than one stakeholder (e.g. supply and demand side) in 3 reference projects in undertaking impact assessments- 30 % 2. Regional experience Regional experience in Africa (4 impact assessments) and Southern Asia (2 impact assessments) - 20 % 3. Experience of development projects (at least 50% ODA-financed) - 10 % If we receive more than 3 requests to participate, we will make a selection on the basis of the criteria laid out in the procurement documents and invite tenders only from the 3 candidates with the highest scores. We reserve the right to cancel the procurement procedure if we receive fewer than 2 requests to participate.
Criterion :
Type : Suitability to pursue the professional activity
Name : Eignung zur Berufsausübung
Description : 1. Self-declaration: name of company and address, tax ID, registration and commercial register number or equivalent register in accordance with the legal provisions of the country of origin. 2. No grounds for exclusion pursuant to § 123, § 124 GWB, § 22 LkSG 3. Declaration of bidding consortium and/or declaration of subcontractors (if applicable)
Criterion :
Type : Technical and professional ability
Name : Technische und berufliche Leistungsfähigkeit
Description : 1. The technical assessment is only based on reference projects with a minimum commission value of 100000 EUR. 2. At least 7 reference projects in the technical field of impact assessments for AgTech, FoodTech and ClimateTech start-ups (incl. benchmarking) and at least 3 reference projects within Africa in the last 3 years
Information about the second stage of a two-stage procedure :
The buyer reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without any further negotiations

5.1.11 Procurement documents

Languages in which the procurement documents are officially available : English
Deadline for requesting additional information : 31/03/2025 23:59 +02:00

5.1.12 Terms of procurement

Terms of the procedure :
Estimated date of dispatch of the invitations to submit tenders : 15/04/2025
Terms of submission :
Electronic submission : Required
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted : English
Electronic catalogue : Not allowed
Variants : Not allowed
Tenderers may submit more than one tender : Not allowed
Deadline for receipt of requests to participate : 08/04/2025 12:00 +02:00
Deadline until which the tender must remain valid : 234 Day
Information that can be supplemented after the submission deadline :
At the discretion of the buyer, some missing tenderer-related documents may be submitted later.
Additional information : GIZ asks the applicant or bidder to submit, complete or correct documents, within the framework laid down by law.
Terms of contract :
The execution of the contract must be performed within the framework of sheltered employment programmes : No
Conditions relating to the performance of the contract : The execution conditions result from the information given in the contract notice and the tender documents.
Electronic invoicing : Required
Electronic ordering will be used : yes
Electronic payment will be used : yes

5.1.15 Techniques

Framework agreement :
No framework agreement
Information about the dynamic purchasing system :
No dynamic purchase system

5.1.16 Further information, mediation and review

Review organisation : Vergabekammern des Bundes -
Information about review deadlines : According to Article 160, Section 3 of the German Act Against Restraint of Competition (GWB), application for review is not permissible insofar as 1. the applicant has identified the claimed infringement of the procurement rules before submitting the application for review and has not submitted a complaint to the contracting authority within a period of 10 calendar days; the expiry of the period pursuant to Article 134, Section 2 remains unaffected, 2. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that are evident in the tender notice are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for the application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, specified in the tender notice. 3. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that first become evident in the tender documents are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, 4. more than 15 calendar days have expired since receipt of notification from the contracting authority that it is unwilling to redress the complaint. Sentence 1 does not apply in the case of an application to determine the invalidity of the contract in accordance with Article 135, Section 1 (2). Article 134, Section 1, Sentence 2 remains unaffected.
Organisation providing additional information about the procurement procedure : Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH -
Organisation receiving requests to participate : Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH -

8. Organisations

8.1 ORG-0001

Official name : Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Registration number : 993-80072-52
Postal address : Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1 - 5
Town : Eschborn
Postcode : 65760
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Main-Taunus-Kreis ( DE71A )
Country : Germany
Telephone : +49 6196791481
Fax : +49 6196791115
Roles of this organisation :
Buyer
Organisation providing additional information about the procurement procedure
Organisation receiving requests to participate

8.1 ORG-0002

Official name : Vergabekammern des Bundes
Registration number : 02284990
Postal address : Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 16
Town : Bonn
Postcode : 53113
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt ( DEA22 )
Country : Germany
Telephone : +49 228 9499-0
Roles of this organisation :
Review organisation

8.1 ORG-0003

Official name : Datenservice Öffentlicher Einkauf (in Verantwortung des Beschaffungsamts des BMI)
Registration number : 0204:994-DOEVD-83
Town : Bonn
Postcode : 53119
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt ( DEA22 )
Country : Germany
Telephone : +49228996100
Roles of this organisation :
TED eSender
Notice information
Notice identifier/version : b5260284-fcf1-48d4-a504-d8fc9aaa85c2 - 01
Form type : Competition
Notice type : Contract or concession notice – standard regime
Notice dispatch date : 07/03/2025 15:32 +01:00
Languages in which this notice is officially available : English
Notice publication number : 00157519-2025
OJ S issue number : 49/2025
Publication date : 11/03/2025