Solar Fruit Dryer Machine Production- Manufacturing

Background

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.

The Economic Growth Through Fruit Transformation (EGTFT) project is one of the GAIN’s projects in Ethiopia, which is funded by the Danish Government´s Danida. The project aims to unleash the potential of Ethiopia’s papaya value chain by developing, testing, and demonstrating a model for a new value chain for fruit processing.

As part of the project deliverables, GAIN identified solar drying technology as one of the most affordable and energy-conservative solutions among various fruit-drying technologies. Following a comprehensive desk review and physical assessment both within and beyond Ethiopia, GAIN identified a suitable solar drying model in Kenya that enhances product quality by minimizing drying time and reducing food safety risks.

Accordingly, we imported some dryers for demonstration purposes at the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and selected Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

We are now inviting expressions of interest from Ethiopian manufacturers who are keen to develop a comparable solar dryer within the country, ensuring its local availability for interested SMEs in the future. Once a viable solar dryer is successfully produced, we will promote the solution as part of the project’s knowledge-sharing initiatives, including lesson-sharing events and learning documents.

The selection process for interested companies will be competitive. Additionally, the project will provide technical information about the solar fruit dryer, along with the details mentioned below, whenever necessary.

The Scopes of The Manufacturer

Pre-production

The manufacturer will review the details of the imported solar dryer through a physical visit at the TVETs in either of these regions: Oromia, Sidama, and South Ethiopia and in the Addis Ababa GAIN office.

Production

The manufacturer will develop a viable solar dryer with the specifications detailed below:

Types of materials

• It should be hard and non-volatile plastic/ food grade plastic, with acrylic sheet cover or other suitable material.
• Able to dry fruit and vegetables in a short period with a solar energy source.
• It should be effective and efficient in retaining nutrients during the drying process
• It should be easy to handle, operate and maintain.

Size

• Not less than 85cm long, 45 cm wide, and 15 cm thick

Drying Performance

• Should dry fruit within less than 12 hours
• Should dry vegetables within less than 5 hours
• The final dried moisture content should be less than 20%

Cleanability

• The equipment should be easy to clean, have a good surface finish, and be environmentally friendly.

Maintainability

• Easy to maintain, dismantle and install
• Easy to move from one place to another

Amount of The Materials/ equipment’s

• One solar drier is required
• The manufacturer is expected to provide the progress of the development of the machine to the GAIN project team through the manufacturing process.

Post-production

The manufacturer is expected to deliver the imitated solar dry machine at the GAIN Country office in Addis Ababa. Additionally, it will assess the dryer machine’s performance, based on dry product quality and drying efficiency in comparison with the original imported solar dry machine in collaboration with GAIN under suitable weather conditions, which may extend beyond Addis Ababa.

Once the accepted solar dryer is manufactured, GAIN will promote the materials through project lesson-sharing and scaling-up strategy dissemination event. The manufacturer may present the solution to interested SMEs and partners when GAIN facilitates the platform.

Timeline

The Dryer machine is expected to be delivered to GAIN within one month of the agreement signed with GAIN.

GAIN’s responsibility

GAIN will:

• facilitate and connect the applicant to see/visit the solar dryer in physical at their nearest locations; however, the travel cost of the manufacturer team will be covered by the manufacturer.
• Review the development of the materials step-by-step
• Demonstrate and evaluate the performance of the machine with the manufacturer
• Up to the agreed deliverables, GAIN will transfer payments to the manufacturer.

Principles for evaluating:

1. Your idea on how to solve the design
2. Availability of material including spare parts
3. Clearly stating the list of material composition
4. Readiness to start immediately and finalize on short notice.
5. Open to frequent interaction (co-design) with supervision and discussion from GAIN.
6. Cost/Value of solution proposed (this is to mean the material of construction and quality with its corresponding cost).
7. Company visits will be conducted to the short-listed companies sooner.

Eligibility Criteria,

• Should have at least 5 years of experience in food technology/equipment manufacturing or production process with renewed Trade License, VAT Registration Certificate and TIN Certificate.
• Should have a Strong understanding and knowledge of food safety and quality, agro-processing, nutrient retention, food-grade material, solar drying technology working principles, etc
• Able to demonstrate equipment, good analytical skills, and teamwork.
• Proven, excellent English verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to conduct fruit and vegetable drying demonstration tests with the equipment after or before finalizing the manufacturing process.

Eligibility Criteria,

• Should have at least 5 years of experience in food technology/equipment manufacturing or production process with renewed Trade License, VAT Registration Certificate and TIN Certificate.
• Should have a Strong understanding and knowledge of food safety and quality, agro-processing, nutrient retention, food-grade material, solar drying technology working principles, etc
• Able to demonstrate equipment, good analytical skills, and teamwork.
• Proven, excellent English verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to conduct fruit and vegetable drying demonstration tests with the equipment after or before finalizing the manufacturing process.