Request for proposals
Technical Agency to Support Policy, Advocacy, and Systems Integration of Fortified Whole Grains (FWGs) into School Feeding Programmes in India
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 technically qualified Service Provider to design and implement policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, ecosystem mapping, and advocacy support activities aimed at facilitating the integration of Fortified Whole Grains (FWGs) into state-level (Telangana) school feeding programmes in India, working in close collaboration with ICRISAT and the Fortified Whole Grain Alliance (FWGA).
3. SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES
The successful applicant shall present detailed technical and operational approach to support the integration of Fortified Whole Grains (FWGs) into school feeding programmes in India. The Service Provider will work under the leadership of GAIN India and in close technical coordination with ICRISAT and the Fortified Whole Grain Alliance (FWGA) to undertake policy analysis, ecosystem mapping, stakeholder engagement, knowledge development, and structured advocacy support aligned to the project’s three-year implementation framework. The Service Provider will be responsible for delivering high-quality analytical outputs, facilitating multi-stakeholder processes, and translating technical research into policy-relevant and implementation-ready recommendations.
3.1. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this assignment are to:
- Conduct a comprehensive landscape assessment of school feeding programmes (including PM POSHAN, tribal schools, and relevant state-level models) to identify entry points for the integration of Fortified Whole Grains (FWGs).
- Undertake supply chain and value chain assessments to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating FWGs into existing procurement, milling, quality assurance, and distribution systems.
- Map existing Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) systems within school feeding programmes and identify technical and regulatory adjustments required to accommodate FWGs.
- Review relevant policy, legislative, regulatory, and procurement frameworks to identify pathways for institutionalizing FWGs within school feeding and allied social protection programmes.
- Develop knowledge products, policy briefs, technical notes, and advocacy materials to support evidence-based engagement with policymakers and institutional stakeholders.
- Support the creation and facilitation of a consortium or multi-stakeholder platform to build technical consensus and local ownership around FWG integration.
- Strengthen advocacy efforts by building local voices, engaging government stakeholders, and supporting structured dialogue processes at national and state levels.
- Support documentation, reporting, and milestone tracking aligned with project deliverables and donor reporting requirements.
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, Point 5) and relevant costing (figures in 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 Executing Agency-2026 Fortified Whole Grains (FWGs) in School Feeding Programmes” with all required information and necessary supporting documents, to reach GAIN at the email address mentioned below:
Email ID: rfp@gainhealth.org
For detailed information, please check the complete version of the RFP attached below.