U.S. Agency for International Development, AMEMB. Managua, USAID, Unit #2712 Box #9, APO AA 34021

R -- TECHNICAL SERVICES TO SMALL FARMERS SOL Nicaragua 98-06 DUE 060198 POC Contact Point: Mr. Martin Napper, Contracting Officer, Fax: (505) 278-3828, Tel: (505) 267-0502, E-mail mnapper@ usaid.gov The USAID Mission to Nicaragua is soliciting applications to provide "Technical Services to the Small Farmers", working under the "Small Produrers Program". This Program will pursue two major results: Small Farmers Produce and Market More and Diverse Products; and Small Business and Microenterprise Expanding. In achieving the former result, the USAID Mission in Nicaragua will support a five-year program with the following components: 1) expanded small farmer services, 2) improved national seed certification program for basic grains and other crops, 3) land tenure, titling and marketing support, and 4) general agricultural policy. Relative to the latter result, the Mission will support development of: 1) rural credit unions, 2) agricultural related and rural enterprises, and 3) urban microenterprises. Under this RFP the Contractor will be responsible for implementing one major component of the Small Producers Program: "Expanded Small Farmer Services". This responsibility includes provision of short and long-term technical assistance to Nicaraguan national, regional and local level production and marketing associations and NGOs; management oversight of sub-associations and NGOs; management oversight of sub-contracts; monitoring and reporting of local NGO grants and subgrant agreements (including PL-480 Title III local currency grants); provision of data and reports to USAID on customer needs and satisfaction, and performance indicators in order to evaluate progress toward the expected results; assistance in the preparation and screening of proposals; and monitoring the implementarion of grants to regional or local producer associations and NGOs. The Contractor will also coordinate and partner with US-based NGOs and/or contractors who will work in the area of agricultural development. RFP NO. 98-06 for this requirement will be available on or about April 24, 1998. Interested parties shall contact Martin F. Napper, e- mail:mnapper@usaid.gov, Contracting Officer, at AMEMB. Managua, USAID, Unit 2712, Box 9, APO AA 34021 in writing to request the RFP. Fax requests are acceptable. Please make reference to RFP 98-06. The Standard Industrial Classification Code for this procurement is 0191. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the Internet or by request of a solicitation on a 3.5" floppy disk (WordPerfect 5.1/5.2 format). This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded using the Agency Web Site. The RFP, once issued, can be downloaded from the Agency Web Site. The Worldwide Web address is http://www.info.usaid.gov. Select Business and Procurement Opportunities from the home page, then "USAID Procurements." On the following screen, select "Download Available USAID Solicitations." Receipt of this RFP through INTERNET must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from INTERNET in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. (0107)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0089 19980421\R-0007.SOL)