Research and development services and related consultancy services

Tender description

This is a prior information notice (PIN) only: Publication and call for competition will be conducted once scope of work is fully defined and approved. To deliver a series of interventions, the proposed DIAL programme (the Programme) would combine a series of interventions deliver a step-change in the use of appropriate digital innovations for agriculture – and the institutions that maintain enable this – across DFID focus regions, to build markets for digital solutions that can strengthen value chains, and generate high-quality evidence on what works in taking digital innovations to scale. This is a prior information notice (PIN) only: Publication and call for competition will be conducted once scope of work is fully defined and approved. Subject to funding approval, the Agriculture Research Team in DFID’s Research and Evidence Division (RED) are developing their Business case for the Enhancing Digital and Innovation in Agri-food systems and Livelihoods (eDIAL) programme. A key component of the programme may be a contract for a Strategic Implementation Research Facility (SIRF). The SIRF contract is expected to have a value of circa £7-8m over five years. The objectives of the SIRF will be to: — Support DFID teams with scoping and design of new programmes on agriculture and agrifood systems, based on robust evidence on how new technologies and approaches can deliver results and VfM. — Deliver rigorous implementation research outputs alongside existing programmes, by (1) bringing in new technologies to address programme-specific issues and (2) advising on technology-enabled approaches to evaluation and real-time results monitoring. — Ensure that DFID’s agriculture portfolio delivers on the DFID Digital Strategy to maximise benefits from new technologies, whilst effectively managing risks (e.g. around privacy, digital safeguarding). — Generate robust learnings and research from programmes supported by the SIRF, for dissemination across the wider DFID network and as global public goods. Please register interest on the DFID supplier portal for this opportunity (8347) to receive all communication and updates — https://supplierportal.dfid.gov.uk/selfservice/. There will be an Early Market Engagement event held in September 2018 in London, UK. For all information regarding times and venues and if you wish to attend the event please ensure to access these details within the additional information provided for 8347 on the DFID Supplier Portal. Note, there are two elements to registration which must not be confused with each other: 1) Suppliers must register their interest to 8347 on the DFID Supplier Portal to ensure they receive all communication and updates (this is not registration to attend the event); 2) Within the profile of 8347 on the portal, there are dialogues/clarifications and attachments/additional documents the supplier must refer to, which contain the link to register to attend the EME event.