DEADLINE: 22ND SEPTEMBER, 2021
THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR IMPROVED NUTRITION (GAIN)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
PROMOTING A TRAINING COURSE FOR LABORATORY STAFF IN NIGERIA
PROJECT BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF WORK
ABOUT GAIN
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people.
At GAIN, we believe that everyone in the world should have access to nutritious and safe food. We work to understand and deliver specific solutions to the daily challenge of food insecurity faced by poor people. By understanding that there is no “one-size-fits-all” model, we develop alliances and build tailored programmes, using a variety of flexible models and approaches.
We build alliances between governments, local and global businesses, and civil society to deliver sustainable improvements at scale. We are part of a global network of partners working together to create sustainable solutions to malnutrition. Through alliances, we provide technical, financial and policy support to key participants in the food system. We use specific learning, evidence of impact, and results of projects and programmes to shape and influence the actions of others.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, GAIN has representative offices in Denmark, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, we have country offices in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tanzania. Programmes and projects are carried out in a variety of other countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.
BACKGROUND
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) and will be the administrative lead organisation for this RFP. GAIN will work in close collaboration with our partners at the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN).
The purpose of this RFP is to engage services of an advertising, marketing, media and / or communications agency to promote a new training course for current and aspiring laboratory staff.
The certified training program, developed by GAIN and IPAN, will further professionalize the talent pool of laboratory technicians in Nigeria, helping to level up to internationally recognized standards and best practices. The purpose of the marketing and communications activity is to engage learners to enrol in the course.
CONTEXT & INTRODUCTION TO LARGE-SCALE FOOD FORTIFICATION
Despite tremendous progress, malnutrition continues to be a global challenge. It not only results in short-and long-term health problems at the individual level, but also has a detrimental impact on productivity resulting in negative socioeconomic consequences for countries at large. As a global community, we are working hard towards reaching the ambitious Sustainable Development Goal of ending all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people–especially children– have sufficient and nutritious food all year. Meeting this goal requires that nutritious foods are made available and accessible, particularly to vulnerable populations. Our current efforts must be enhanced and scaled up.
Micronutrient malnutrition, commonly in the form of iron, iodine, vitamin A, zinc, and folate deficiencies, affect nearly half of children worldwide younger than 5 years of age and approximately one-third of the world’s population. An Expert Panel during the 2008 Copenhagen Consensus declared that fortification with micronutrients (i.e. vitamins and minerals) was among the top three international development priorities. Further, fortification with iron and iodine was ranked as a top public health intervention priority, based on a benefit‐cost analysis v. When it comes to improving nutrition outcomes, particularly in the case of micronutrient interventions, business as usual will not suffice to make significant progress by 2030. Fortification must also be incorporated within a comprehensive “revolution in food systems” to deliver healthy and safe foods, all within the confines of planetary health.
Large scale food fortification (LSFF) programs (one intervention within the fortification “toolbox” of options, alongside home fortification and biofortification) has been shown to significantly improve nutrition, health and development outcomes. A recent systematic review found that LSFF improved the micronutrient status and health outcomes of populations in low- and middle-income countries. These included reduction of birth defects, improvements in iron status, improvements in vitamin A status, among others. Practically, LSFF has a number of benefits as an intervention; it is cost-effective, requires minimal behavior change, and can be sustained long-term through the support of government and private sector partnerships.
Currently, more than 130 countries have mandated the fortification of at least one type of food with micronutrients. Despite this, some LSFF programs have yet to deliver their full potential in terms of reach and impact on nutrition in many countries.
One major pitfall in the case of fortification to health impact is that even when a country has made fortification of a food vehicle mandatory, gaps in fortification quality may remain. Fortified foods that do not meet established standards can result in a program not reaching its intended impact. Quality gaps can result from several challenges including the failure of industry to comply with government mandated fortification standards (driven by several factors), poor quality or insufficient amounts of premix added during production, exposure of goods to sunlight (coupled with suboptimal conditions of packaging and storage) which diminish the added micronutrient levels, among others. Understanding and addressing these gaps along the fortification supply chain is critical to ensure the quality and safety of fortified products in the food system.
SUBMISSION
An electronic copy containing the documents preferably in Microsoft Office Suite formats and / or PDF, along with all the required information (including the fee proposal) should reach GAIN at the following address: ooyekenu@gainhealth.org
DEADLINE
Completed proposals should be submitted to Oluwatoyin Oyekenu, Senior Project Manager, GAIN before 23:59 Central European Time on Wednesday 22 September 2021. Proposals may be postmarked on the due date, provided that an email of the proposal is submitted by the deadline.
UNACCEPTABLE
The following proposals will automatically not be considered or accepted:
- Proposals that are received after the RFP deadline at the specified receiving office
- Proposals received by fax
- Incomplete proposals
- Proposals that are not signed.
