1. Introduction
AATF is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission of making available, to smallholder farmers, agricultural technologies that were previously not accessible to them. Founded on the premise of tackling poverty and food insecurity through technological interventions, AATF empowers farmers to transform their livelihoods by equipping them with better tools and inputs that would, without the organisation’s intervention, take a much longer time to reach them and cost a lot more. These efforts, combined with optimal agricultural practices and product value addition, will contribute to agricultural transformation in Africa leading food security and poverty reduction in sub–Saharan Africa.
1.1 About the Task
AATF is seeking event organization services to provide venue and program management including service providers; and delegate management for the 2nd edition of the African Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT) to be held on 09-13 June 2025 at the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda, and that is expected to attract over 500 participants and run for five days.
1.2 About the Africa Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT)
The African Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT) is a bold and innovative conference for showcasing new and emerging agricultural technologies in Africa to boost technology commercialization, adoption, and diffusion. The forum will be held every two years with the inaugural event held in October 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya. The objectives of the forum will be to: (a) provide a continent-wide platform for technology developers to showcase their products and innovations applicable in the agricultural sector to potential users and policy makers; (b) promote networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among all stakeholders in the Agricultural space (Private sector, Farmers, NGOs, Regulators and Policy Makers) on agricultural technologies and innovations; (c) raise visibility on issues of concern around innovative technology access and delivery among top leadership on the continent including policy makers for their information and to guide decision making.
The forum will feature an exciting array of sessions including high level plenaries, engaging thematic panel sessions and segmented discussions on innovation and technology transfer.
The Conference is expected to attract live demonstrations of scalable technologies including awards to mark the continent’s best agricultural innovators.
2. Purpose and Objectives of the Consultancy
The main objective of this assignment is to provide wholistic event management design, implementation and on-site support services that will ensure attainment of a successful, well attended, engaging and productive conference that responds to the chosen theme.
2.1 Scope of Work
- Provide overall on the ground support including production of a workplan to ensure delivery of a quality ACAT 2025.
- Propose and design a staffing structure for effective services provision and utilization of resources.
- Support identification and management of service providers and other suppliers directly including serving as liaison between them and AATF for efficiency and effectiveness.
- Support Chief Guest Management.
- Support high level local and international media placement – including promotion and marketing of ACAT.
- Support social media outreach including hiring of social media influencers (if applicable).
- Solicitation, confirmation and management of exhibitions and exhibitors.
- On ground event support including Preparatory and D-day activities.
- Support the AATF-ACAT secretariat including management of event organization meetings and implementation/follow up of decisions.
2.2 Deliverables
Deliverables should include the following:
- An inception report including workplan and planned timeline and costings.
- Clear staffing plan and services to deliver quality event needs.
- Successful and productive ACAT 2025.
- A clear after event program for seamless wrap up of the event including reports.
- Post event report capturing what worked, lessons learnt and recommendations to the AATF-ACAT Secretariat.
3. Indicative Schedule of Activities
The ACAT 2025 is planned for 09-13 June 2025 at the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda
4. Expected Profiles of the Consultant(s)
- Demonstrated experience and evidence organizing and managing similarly high-level international events, dialogues and conferences in Africa
- Extensive experience managing high-level virtual, hybrid and in-person events
- Demonstrable networks across African agriculture, governments and agribusiness development agencies including investors and financial institutions
- Experience nurturing and curating new event ideas from conceptualisation to delivery and reporting
- Good understanding of the agriculture environment in Africa
- Experience coordinating a multi-stakeholder virtual team and service providers towards delivery of an event
- Good understanding of the African Agricultural terrain, key players and issues will be an added advantage.
5. Application Criteria
Interested consultants should submit detailed technical and financial proposals (not more than 8 pages) covering:
- Capacity statement.
- Demonstrated understanding of the terms of reference.
- Proposed methodology to be used in undertaking the assignment.
- A detailed work plan (time and activity schedule).
- A detailed financial proposal
The proposal should, in addition to the above, be accompanied by the below as annexes:
- Profile and CV of the consultant (s).
- Samples of three most recent related works (and/or references for the same with contact details of the referees.
Timeline and Estimated Consulting Days
This consulting assignment is expected to begin immediately upon contracting and go ahead until the final report of the event is presented to AATF approximately two weeks after the event.
7. Evaluation and Award of the Consultancy
AATF shall evaluate the proposals and award the assignment based on technical and financial feasibility. AATF reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal received without giving reasons and is not bound to accept the lowest or the highest bidder.
8. Terms and conditions of the proposal
AATF reserves the right to request new or additional information regarding each service provider and any individual or other persons associated with its project proposal. AATF reserves the right not to make any appointment from the proposals submitted. Service providers shall not make available or disclose details pertaining to their Project proposal with anyone not specifically involved unless authorized to do so by AATF. Service providers shall not issue any press release or other public announcement pertaining to details of their project proposal without prior written approval.
AATF Service providers are required to declare any conflict of interest they may have in the transaction for which the tender is submitted or any potential conflict of interest. AATF reserves the right not to consider further any proposal where such a conflict of interest exists or where such a potential conflict of interest may arise.
9. Confidentiality statement
All data and information received from AATF for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated confidential and are only to be used in connection with the execution of these Terms of Reference. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these Terms of Reference are assigned to AATF.
10. Deadline for submission
Applications should be submitted to AATF Procurement Office at procurement@aatf-africa.org before or by COB 9TH December 2024 with the subject head ‘’ ACAT 2025 Event Organization Consultancy’’
