REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
EXTERNAL EVALUATION OF THE HEALTHY LINE SHOP (HLS) MODEL IN COONOOR, NILGIRIS DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU
Issued by
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
I. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF WORK
1. 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.
2. 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.
The purpose of this RFP is to engage services of a qualified research organisation or evaluation consultant to conduct an independent external evaluation of the Healthy Line Shop (HLS) model implemented in the Coonoor region of the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. The Healthy Line Shop model was implemented between 2023 and 2026 to improve last-mile access to nutritious and fortified foods for tea worker households living in geographically dispersed tea estates. Workers in this region often face limited access to diverse food options due to distance from markets and the limited availability of retail outlets within estates. To address these challenges, the programme introduced the Healthy Line Shop model, which leverages existing neighbourhood retail outlets as local nutrition access points. The intervention combines supply-side measures such as retailer onboarding, improved stocking of nutritious and fortified foods, and strengthened supply linkages with behaviour change communication activities to increase awareness and encourage healthier food choices among worker households. Between 2023 and 2026, approximately 30 retail outlets in and around Coonoor were supported and transformed into Healthy Line Shops, with Coonoor serving as the primary market hub for supply and distribution. Routine monitoring including monthly sales tracking, retailer engagement records, and community outreach activities indicates steady progress in the availability and uptake of nutritious foods. This evaluation is therefore intended to independently validate key programme outcomes, document learning from the implementation of the HLS model, and inform future programme design, scale-up, and fundraising efforts.
3. SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES
The successful applicant shall design and conduct an independent, mixed-methods evaluation of the Healthy Line Shop (HLS) model implemented in the Coonoor region of Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. The scope of work will include developing the evaluation design in consultation with GAIN, developing appropriate data collection tools, and carrying out fieldwork across selected tea estates. The agency is expected to collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the effectiveness of the project against the theory of change and its related results framework. It is anticipated this will be done through household surveys, retailer interviews, focus group discussions, review of programme monitoring and sales data, and development of illustrative case studies. The evaluation will assess programme outcomes related to the consistency of access to nutritious and fortified foods, awareness and purchasing behaviour among households, retailer practices and livelihoods, and the performance of the model in a context of high worker mobility and seasonal migration. The agency will ensure ethical data collection, maintain independence in analysis, and provide periodic updates to GAIN throughout the evaluation process. The agency will be responsible for delivering an inception report outlining the proposed methodology, sampling strategy, workplan, and data collection tools; a brief progress update during field implementation; a draft evaluation report presenting key findings, analysis, and recommendations; and a final evaluation report incorporating feedback from GAIN and key stakeholders. In addition, the agency will produce a concise two-page summary of findings suitable for donor communication and 3- 4 short case studies highlighting stakeholder perspectives and key lessons from the programme. The agency may also be required to present findings to GAIN and partners through a virtual or in-person dissemination session.
3.1. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this assignment are to:
- To assess how the Healthy Line Shop (HLS) model has contributed to improving the consistency and reliability of access to selected nutritious and fortified foods among tea worker households in the Coonoor region.
- To examine the extent to which households recognise and understand fortified foods and associate them with tangible health benefits.
- To assess whether increased awareness has influenced household purchasing choices and consumption patterns toward nutritious and fortified foods.
- To evaluate how participation in the HLS model has affected retailer stocking practices, business confidence, and perceived income stability among participating shop owners.
- To examine the overall viability and sustainability of the Healthy Line Shop model as a community-level nutrition access mechanism.
- To assess how effectively the model has maintained access, demand, and retailer engagement in a context characterised by high worker mobility and seasonal migration.
- To generate actionable insights and lessons learned to inform future programme refinement, potential scale-up, and donor engagement.
SUBMISSION
Interested agencies should prepare and submit :
a. A signed expression of interest (EOI should be no more than 2 pages) including reasons for interest in the project, relevant qualifications, prior experience with similar work, specifying the estimated days (as per the duration specified in this RFP ) and relevant costing (figures in Indian Rupees and US Dollars)
b. A detailed technical and financial proposal in MS Word/ PDF format (As mentioned in point 3 above) must be submitted via email, with the subject line mentioned as “INDIA External Evaluation of the Healthy Line Shop (HLS) Model in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.’ with all required information and necessary supporting documents, to reach GAIN at the email address mentioned below:
For detailed information, please check the complete version of the RFP attached below