CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS SERVICE PROVIDER (BSP) - Support for Trade Facilitation
BACKGROUND
MEDA is an international economic development organization whose mission is to create business solutions to poverty. Founded in 1953 by a group of business professionals, MEDA partners with the poor to start or grow small and medium-sized businesses in developing regions around the world.
In the Philippines, MEDA is on its tail end of its five-year Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agriculture (RIISA) initiative. It strives for more resilience and inclusive economic growth for women and men cacao smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Mindanao, Philippines, through strengthened cacao market systems supported by investment. With a focus on Davao region, RIISA responds to multiple challenges in the Philippines cacao sector and draws on MEDA’s experience in market systems development, gender lens investing (GLI), gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), and environment and climate change (ECC).
RIISA is addressing cacao market systems barriers with a goal of increasing economic prosperity for both women and men smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Mindanao, the Philippines. At the intermediate level, it strives to 1) increase the integration of gendered environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into operations of businesses and financial intermediaries serving small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives in Mindanao cacao market system; 2) improve environmentally sustainable and inclusive farming business performance for SHFs and cooperatives in the cacao market system in Mindanao; and 3) improve the practice of relevant actors to promote best gendered ESG practices in the cacao market system in the Philippines.
In support of sustainable market systems development for increased economic prosperity, RIISA will engage a qualified BSP to assess export readiness of SMEs and facilitate trade with Canadian market. The initiative aims to provide the identified SMEs with all the necessary knowledge that could contribute to introducing their products efficiently into the Canadian market. This includes assessing the export readiness and export offers of ten Filipino SMEs; providing training on exporting to the Canadian Market; organizing a B2B agenda between Canadian buyers and Filipino SMEs; and coordinating a Canadian buyer mission to the Philippines involving four buyers and the Filipino SMEs in the cacao sector and possibly other related agrifoods sector.
This call for proposal is open to a Canada-based BSP that can meet the deliverables within 12-month period working with the relevant market systems actors. Organizational and staff technical expertise and experience must match the requirements of the deliverables.
SCOPE OF WORK
MEDA seeks an experienced business service provider (BSP) who will work with the RIISA team and a local (Philippine) trade facilitation coordinator assigned by RIISA to undertake the following:
- Activity 1. Knowledge transfer to facilitate export readiness of selected 10 SMEs. the selected BSP will undertake the following:
- Develop the participant criteria and profile template for assessing SMEs
- Assess the longlist of 15 SMEs provided by RIISA and select 10 SMEs for export readiness support.
- Design a knowledge transfer plan to prepare 10 selected SMEs for Canadian Market access. This includes provision of guidelines to improve the export readiness of the SMEs. The guidelines should highlight where integration of G-ESG considerations are applicable.
- Conduct knowledge transfer sessions work with the SMEs. This includes working with local RIISA trade coordinator who will support the SMEs in meeting export readiness requirements. These sessions may include trade support institutions (TSI) from the government.
2. Activity 2. Buyer mission to the Philippines for 4 Canadian buyers and 10 SMEs.
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- Prepare a B2B agenda for the buyer mission to the Philippines
- Recruit 4 Canadian companies to visit the Philippines and facilitate trade with Filipino SMEs.
- Organize the visit of the Canadian buyers to the Philippines including participation to a food trade expo, e.g. WOFEX.
- Conduct the B2B mission. This includes working with the local RIISA trade coordinator which will support the participation of the 10 SMEs in the mission.
The BSP is expected to coordinate with an identified Philippine based RIISA trade coordinator who will support the 10 SMEs in meeting the export readiness guidelines/requirements and coordinate their participation in the B2B trade mission with Canadian buyers.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Deliverable 1 - Inception report with the approach, scope, methodology, workplan and timeline, and deliverables.
Activities
- Inception meeting with MEDA-RIISA Team
Deliverable 2 - Progress report on knowledge transfer and preparations for the buyer mission.
Activities
- SME assessments and final selection of 10 SMEs.
- Knowledge transfer sessions and guidelines developed
- Preparations for the B2B buyer mission
Deliverable 3 - Final report with recommendations for further improving export readiness and trade facilitation
Activities
- Documentation of knowledge transfer sessions and outcomes achieved
- Documentation of the buyer mission and outcomes of trade facilitation activities
DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME
March 1, 2026 - Inception report that embeds G-ESG considerations in the biochar feasibility study methodologies including the data collection tools.
April 2026 – August 2026 - Data sources (e.g., completed questionnaires in electronic copy) submitted for each province.
September 18, 2026 - Feasibility study report (in electronic copy) on biochar production and marketing that embed G-ESG practices.
QUALIFICATIONS AND SELECTION CRITERIA
A. Generic and Mandatory:
- Demonstrated track record in trade facilitation specifically supporting SMEs from developing countries to access trade with the Canadian market.
- Legally registered in Canada with presence in the Philippines.
- Alignment with MEDA’s values, and open to a monthly regular coordination meeting with MEDA-RIISA staff.
- Business services are supporting their corporate’s commercial interests. Their services are aligned with the priority of cooperatives and SMEs in Mindanao that is to develop new or additional revenue streams to improve their business performance to create decent jobs opportunities.
- Fulfill MEDA’s due diligence requirements:
- BSP and staff are not involved in terrorist, illegal or criminal activities, including but not limited to drug, arms or sex trafficking, money laundering, violation of women’s rights and human rights.
- BSP does not appear on the US, UK, UN, or EU lists of terrorist organizations.
- Financially stable organization/company. Need to provide 2-3 years audited FS.
- Can immediately deploy experts/services and be able to finish the deliverables within 12 months from submitting the inception report.
B. Specific Expertise and Capacities:
- A business service provider with demonstrated evidence in conducting B2B trade facilitation and trade promotion.
- Demonstrated expertise in supporting SMEs from developing countries to improve trade readiness for international markets such as Canada.
- Demonstrated expertise and experience in working with appropriate trade support institutions including government agencies, and development-oriented organizations
- Demonstrated expertise and experience with demonstrated evidence in embedding G-ESG considerations in trade readiness.
FUNDING: Will be discussed with the selected BSP.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Interested BSP to send application to MEDA via email at RIISA_Submissions@meda.org and cc: rvalones@meda.org, or through the BambooHR platform with the PROPOSAL as attachment, by 5:00pm on January 30, 2026. Please indicate “BSP Support for Trade Facilitation”.
A. Contact Information
1. Organization’s Legal Name:
2. Mailing Address:
3. Main Contact Person and Title:
4. Telephone and Email address:
6. Website, if available (Facebook, twitter):SEC/CDA/DTI Registration Number:
B. Proposal Outline
1. Introduction (maximum half page): provide understanding of the ToR and how your organization or company can respond to the ToR’s requirements. Proponent to add a brief explanation on their motivation to partner with MEDA.
2. Capability Statement (maximum of one page):
- Briefly describe your organization’s business services, in relation to the expertise required by this ToR, in the last three years with specific information on the beneficiaries, contracting company/organization, and the results of your engagements.
- Briefly describe the financial position of the organization/company.
- Please include the contact details (contact person, phone, and email) of at least three (3) organizations/companies/cooperatives who can speak to the capability and credibility of your organization.
- Describe the qualifications of the personnel who will possibly be involved in the engagement.
3. Proposed Methodology (maximum of one page).
- Describe how the proponent will provide the business services required and achieve the desired deliverables within the prescribed timeframe.
- Discuss the strategy to embed G-ESG considerations in the export readiness guidelines.
4. Proposed Work Plan (maximum of one page). Outline the activities, timeline, expected outputs, resources and the expertise needed.
5. Estimated Cost of the Engagement (in matrix format): Itemized cost and unit, and total cost.
6. Annex:
- Copy of DTI/SEC/CDA Certificate of Registration
- Copy of CV of BSP staff who will work on this engagement.
- Copy of the work sample/s of BSP or the assigned staff.
MEDA welcomes and encourages applications from all genders, backgrounds, religions, cultures, nationalities and abilities. Accommodation is available on request for candidates with disabilities taking part in the selection process.
