Tenders are invited for Comprehensive Assessment of the Dairy Value Chain Financing Ecosystem, Capacity Gaps and Design of an Inclusive and Climate-Smart Financing Model under RDDPII. Location: Kigali Deadline: Wednesday, 13/05/2026 17:00 1. Background Cordaid promotes a development approach rooted in justice, inclusion, and dignity, aiming to reduce inequality and strengthen systems that enable equitable participation in economic life. Its interventions prioritize inclusive markets, sustainable livelihoods, and climate-resilient economic systems. The Rwanda Dairy Development Project Phase II (RDDP II) seeks to enhance productivity, resilience, and market integration of smallholder dairy farmers through improved access to animal feed, veterinary services, water management, breeding services, and climate-smart agricultural practices. The project also strengthens post-harvest systems through improved milk collection, storage infrastructure, and organized milk marketing systems. A central pillar of RDDP II is expanding access to inclusive and sustainable finance across the dairy value chain. This includes strengthening SACCOs and Financial Service Providers (FSPs) to develop tailored dairy financial products, enhancing financial literacy among value chain actors, and promoting digital financial service adoption. Despite progress, key constraints persist: Weak capacity of FSPs to understand dairy value chain risks and structure appropriate products Limited access to tailored finance for actors across the value chain Low penetration of digital financial services in rural dairy systems Limited availability of climate-smart and green financial products Structural exclusion of women and youth from financial systems This assignment therefore seeks to generate a comprehensive diagnostic of the dairy financing ecosystem and design an integrated financing model that is inclusive, scalable, and climate-smart 2. Scope of Work The assignment covers all 27 districts of Rwanda, assessing both supply and demand sides of dairy value chain finance using a mixed-method approach (desk review, structured interviews, field visits, and validation workshops). The consultant will: Engage all relevant Financial Service Providers (SACCOs, MFIs, banks, fintechs, insurers) Conduct structured sampling of branches based on dairy portfolio depth and exposure Undertake full field assessment of 132 Milk Collection Centers (MCCs) Engage all key value chain actors including input suppliers, farmers (including rearing enterprises), cooperatives, MCPs, transporters, processors, and market actors Validate findings with RDDP II (Cordaid), RAB/SPIU, and key stakeholders The scope includes assessment of financial products, institutional capacity, value chain linkages, risk systems, digital finance readiness, and climate finance integration, leading to the design of an ecosystem-based financing model. 3. Overall Objective To comprehensively assess the dairy value chain financing ecosystem in Rwanda and design an integrated, inclusive, and climate-smart financing model that improves access to finance for all value chain actors, enhances institutional capacity of financial service providers, and strengthens the resilience and competitiveness of the dairy sector. 4. Specific Objectives 4.1. Supply-Side Assessment (Financial Service Providers FSPs) -Mapping of Financial Service Providers (FSPs) Identify and develop a comprehensive and institutional mapping of all Financial Service Providers operating across the 27 districts, including D-SACCOs, MFIs, commercial banks, fintech companies, insurance providers, and other relevant financial intermediaries. The mapping will capture their geographic coverage, service footprint in rural dairy areas, institutional typology, and level of engagement in agricultural and dairy financing. -Institutional Capacity and Dairy Portfolio Analysis Conduct field visits and structured interviews with all identified Financial Service Providers, complemented by purposive sampling of branches based on variation in dairy portfolio depth and geographic exposure. The assessment will map and analyse financial products targeting the dairy value chain, including financing for input suppliers, dairy production (including rearing as a business), aggregation (MCCs/MCPs), processing, and marketing. The analysis will further examine: Institutional capacity to serve dairy value chain actors at different levels Portfolio exposure to agriculture and dairy-related lending Credit appraisal systems, risk assessment tools, and collateral requirements Use of digital financial services, agent banking, and agri-fintech solutions Staff technical capacity in agricultural and dairy value chain financing Product customization for different client segments within the dairy ecosystem -Dairy Value Chain Financing Models and Practices Analyse how FSPs structure and deliver financing across the dairy value chain, including: Input suppliers (feed producers, veterinary service providers, equipment dealers) Dairy farmers and cooperatives (including rearing as a commercial enterprise) MCCs and milk transporters (formal and informal abacunda systems) Processors, aggregators, and distributors The assessment will review: Lending methodologies (individual, group, value chain, contract-based financing) Collateral frameworks (physical, movable assets, guarantees, and alternative collateral) Interest rate structures and pricing models Risk-sharing mechanisms and value chain finance linkages Degree of integration with off-takers and market contracts -Green and Inclusive Financing Readiness Assess the readiness of FSPs to design and deliver climate-smart and inclusive dairy financing products. This will include: Financing for climate-resilient production systems (fodder, water efficiency, improved breeds) Renewable energy financing (e.g., solar milk cooling, biogas systems) Waste and manure management financing solutions Environmental risk integration in credit assessment The assessment will also evaluate: Extent of gender-responsive and youth-inclusive financial products Accessibility and affordability of financial services for women and youth Integration of green finance principles into product design and delivery Outreach strategies targeting underserved dairy actors -SWOT Matrix and Technical Assistance Needs Complete a structured SWOT matrix for each Financial Service Provider (FSP) to assess institutional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in relation to dairy value chain financing. The analysis will be used as a diagnostic tool to: Consolidate and clearly map financing gaps across all dairy value chain nodes, including input suppliers, production (including rearing as a business), Milk Collection Centers (MCCs), transport, processing, and marketing actors Assess the institutional readiness of FSPs to scale dairy financing and integrate climate-smart and green finance solutions Identify critical capacity gaps in product design, agricultural risk assessment, credit appraisal systems, and financial service delivery mechanisms Evaluate how effectively FSPs are currently structured to serve diverse dairy value chain actors, including women- and youth-led enterprises Based on the SWOT findings, the consultant will develop tailored technical assistance (TA) packagesfor each FSP aligned with RDDP II objectives, focusing on but not limited on: Financial product innovation, restructuring, and diversification for dairy value chain financing Capacity building institutional staff on dairy value chain financing and risk management Strengthening digital financial systems, agent networks, and agri-fintech integration to improve outreach and efficiency Enhancing inclusive, climate-smart, green and conventional financing delivery models that expand access for women, youth, and underserved dairy actors 4.2. Demand-Side Assessment (Dairy Value Chain Actors) -Comprehensive Value Chain Actor Assessment Conduct a comprehensive desk review combined with field-based assessment of financing needs, constraints, and behaviours across all dairy value chain actors, including: Input suppliers (feed producers, veterinary services, equipment providers) Dairy farmers and cooperatives (including dairy production and rearing as a business activity) Milk Collection Centers (MCCs) and Milk Collection Points (MCPs) Milk transporters (formal and informal operators) Dairy processors (small, medium, and large scale) Traders, retailers, and distributors The assessment will analyse: Existing financing sources and financial products used Access barriers (collateral, affordability, informality, financial literacy) Scaling constraints for dairy and rearing-based enterprises Segment-specific financing needs: Input suppliers: working capital and inventory financing Farmers/cooperatives: asset finance, breeding, and seasonal production loans MCCs/MCPs: infrastructure, aggregation systems, and working capital Transporters: logistics and asset financing Processors: equipment, expansion, and technology financing Market actors: trade finance and distribution credit -MCC Deep-Dive Assessment (132 MCCs) Conduct full field assessment of all 132 Milk Collection Centers. For each MCC, the consultant will: Assess governance systems and cooperative management structures Evaluate financial management practices and recordkeeping systems Review business planning capacity and operational sustainability Assess bankability and creditworthiness Analyse aggregation efficiency and linkage to farmers (including rearing-based producers) Based on findings, complete a SWOT Matrix and develop tailored capacity-building and technical assistance plans aligned with improved access to finance and Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/terms-reference-comprehensive-assessment-dairy-value-chain-financing-ecosystem-capacity-gaps
