Support the Implementation of the Fair Price Shops business model in Bole Lemi, Adama and Hawassa Industrial Parks

Duration of the assignment: 3 months with a possibility of extension Expected Starting Date: May 2026

1. Introduction

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with governments, businesses, and civil society, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious foods for all people, especially the most vulnerable.

2. Background

GAIN is dedicated to improving the consumption of healthier foods for all, especially the most vulnerable ones. The Workforce Nutrition project is one of the projects implemented in Ethiopia, which focuses on improving the health and well-being of workers in industrial parks and large-scale farms by collaborating with employers and government partners to make nutritious food available and affordable to vulnerable workers.

Industrial parks in Ethiopia, including those in Hawassa, Adama, and Bole Lemi, play a pivotal role in the country’s economic growth. These parks are designed to attract investment, foster industrialization, and provide employment opportunities. However, workers in these parks often face challenges related to nutritious food access, impacting their health and productivity.

Workers in these industrial parks frequently encounter difficulties accessing a diverse range of nutritious food options. The market dynamics and supply chain constraints can nutritious food items to be priced out of reach for many workers, leading to suboptimal dietary choices. The existing food retail infrastructure within these industrial parks often fails to make nutritious food accessible and meet the needs of the workforce.

Establishing Fair Price Shops (FPSs) within the industrial parks of Hawassa, Adama, and Bole Lemi is one of the GAIN’s Workforce Nutrition project strategies to address these challenges. The primary objectives of this initiative are to enhance access to nutritious food by providing workers with convenient access to a variety of healthy food options and improve affordability by offering nutritious

foods at prices that are affordable for workers and promote nutritious food consumption. This initiative will be realized through close collaboration with the nutritious food producers and vendors.

To ensure the successful implementation of the developed business model, GAIN requires an individual consultant that will support the implementation and operation of the FPSs, by addressing the nutritional needs of workers in these industrial parks.

3. Objective

General objective:

The general objective of this consultancy is to develop a detailed, practical, and sustainable implementation plan and provide support to improve access and affordability of healthy foods, to ensure dietary diversity through successful implementation and sustainability of the FPSs at the three industrial parks.

Specific objective (Aim for 3-5 objectives):

• • Review and customize the existing business model of FPSs as per the needs of the workers and the context of the industrial parks,
    • Develop FPS Operational strategy and implementation plan
    • Assess and compile potential healthy food item suppliers, in addition to those identified by GAIN, and facilitate market linkage, and optimize the supply chain
    • Develop a monitoring framework, data collection tools, and establish a data collection system to measure impact
    • Provide technical assistance to the FPSs on marketing, business management, recording and sustainability of accessing nutritious foods.

4. Scope of the assignment

The consultancy service is expected for a three-month period from the date of contract signing, with the potential for extension depending on the assignment of further tasks. The consultant shall support nutritious food vendors/FPSs to properly plan and make nutritious food accessible to the workers in the three industrial parks (Hawassa, Adama, and Bole Lemi), based on a phased approach to start from Bole Lemi Special Economic Zone. The consultant to liaise with the partners implementing the demand generation activities and support the alignment of access with promotional activities, develop a monitoring mechanism to the access of nutritious foods through FPSs/vendor shops inside the special economic zones, and develop a scale-up. Furthermore, the consultant will undertake the following tasks to facilitate the implementation and operationalization of FPSs within the industrial parks of Hawassa, Adama, and Bole Lemi:

5. Tasks and Responsibilities of the Consultant

• Review and Customize FPS business model: to suit local contexts, including product selection, pricing strategies, and recommending suitable approaches /technology solutions for point-of-sale (POS)/ retail outlets systems.
• Rapid Market Assessment for the three Industrial Parks: Assess the existing food environment in and around the special economic zones, including current prices, availability, accessibility, and affordability for the workers.
• Supplier Identification and market linkage: support the identification of reliable suppliers for essential commodities, negotiating favorable terms, and ensuring quality control. Assess risks related to supply continuity, price volatility, and the handling of perishable nutritious foods.
• Design Operational workflow and Logistics Network: Designing an efficient and cost- effective supply chain network, including warehousing, transportation, and last-mile delivery of healthy foods.
• Supply chain development: Establish a reliable and efficient supply chain to source healthy food products from local producers or suppliers at a fair price.
• Operational strategy: Design operational processes for the shop, covering inventory management, quality control, food safety, and day-to-day management to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
• Implementation roadmap: Develop a step-by-step action plan to guide the implementation of the FPSs. Identifying key decision points, risk mitigation measures, and roles of different stakeholders to ensure practical implementation.
• Develop training materials and train and equip FPS management, operators, and staff with the necessary skills for effectively managing and operating the shops, store operations, inventory control, and customer service based on their needs.
• Funding and financial strategies: Identify potential funding sources and advise on strategies for securing financial support for the project. Propose a clear financial sustainability plan, including pricing strategy, expected margins, working capital needs, and potential break-even considerations to ensure long-term viability beyond initial support.
• Establishing Monitoring Frameworks, developing data collection tools to track progress, and setting up systems for collecting, storing, and analyzing data related to sales and purchase trends of healthy foods.
• Reporting and Recommendations: Generating comprehensive reports with findings and recommendations for continuous improvement and policy adjustments. Provide guidance for long-term ownership and scale-up, depending on the outcomes of the pilot implementation.
• Scale-up Plan Development: Develop a scale-up plan based on the learnings from the FPSs implementation and validate the plan with relevant stakeholders.

6. MAJOR DELIVERABLES

7. Responsibilities of GAIN

GAIN will be responsible for following up on the implementation, processing payment for the consultant upon receiving the agreed deliverables and support in providing information/data about workforce nutrition and linking the consultant with the relevant government and other partners and individuals. GAIN will cover costs related to training and workshops, and travel costs (transportation, per diem, and accommodation) of the consultant based on the organization’s rate whenever travel is required.

8. Reporting line

The Service Provider shall provide a written work status report using the template that will be provided by GAIN, detailing the Services completed, the progress made on the Services to be delivered, the meetings held, and their outcome, and the number of days spent per Service to the Workforce Nutrition Project Manager.

9. Qualifications

• A minimum of master’s degree in marketing management, Business Administration/ Business Management/ Economics or a related field,
• Strong experience in business development and management
• Ability to work at the GAIN office full time
• Track record of supporting food sector businesses
• Nutrition-related qualification and experience is desirable
• Deep understanding of food value chain, nutrition, and affordable food systems.
• Strong data collection, analytical, and report-writing skills.
• Experience with industrial parks, knowledge of the local context, and previous work on similar projects are highly desirable.

10. Assessment and selection criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following:

• Technical expertise and past performance in organizing similar assignments (40%).
• The alignment of the technical proposal with the objective of the intervention (30%).
• Budget feasibility and cost-effectiveness (30%).

11. Proposal Submission Guidelines

All interested individual consultants are required to submit a complete proposal consisting of the following components:

A. Technical Proposal

The technical proposal should clearly demonstrate the consultant’s understanding of the assignment and include:

• A detailed description of the approach and methodology to be used for implementing the assignment (maximum 10 pages).
• A comprehensive work plan outlining key activities, timelines, milestones, and deliverables, aligned with the phased implementation approach.
• Relevant samples or evidence of previous work, preferably related to nutrition, food systems, business development, or similar assignments.

B. Consultant Profile / Resume

• An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting relevant qualifications, professional experience, and technical competencies.
• Copies of academic certificates, professional certifications, or recommendation letters (if available).

C. References

• A minimum of three (3) professional references from previous clients or organizations.
• References should preferably be related to similar assignments and include contact details.

D. Financial (Budget) Proposal

• A detailed budget breakdown clearly indicating:
  • Number of working days
  • Daily professional rate
  • Total cost per deliverable
• The financial proposal must include all applicable costs, including travel expenses to Addis Ababa, Adama, and Hawassa

E. All financial costs must be quoted in Ethiopian Birr (ETB) only.

• The financial proposal should be submitted in a separate sealed envelope.