Procurement of products and services by public entities form an increasing part of local and regional economies. However, smallholder producers and micro and small enterprises only rarely tender. The requisites of the tenders are not in their favour and they are not prepared to participate. In this way, a potential significant impulse to on integrated local economic development is missed. To achieve an inclusive match between demand and supply at local level, awareness within the public institutions and changes in the tender process are crucial as well as the strengthening of commercial capacities of smallholder producers and enterprises.

The introduction of a social value in the demand for products and services doesn’t affect competition in the procurement and contracting processes. On the contrary, it rather offers opportunities for new suppliers that traditionally have been excluded. Also civil society participates in order to guarantee the consumer benefits. Tenders for food products for school meals, hospitals, army, etc. are good examples. They enable the public sector to implement multi-sector policy on education, health, agriculture, industry and commerce, which promote local economic growth with inclusion of smallholder producers, men and women.

Commandeur Consultancy has experience with the development of strategies and methodologies for inclusive public procurement and with assistance to their implementation. We have examples of successful cases, regulations and instruments, and models and strategies for supplier strengthening. We assist public sector, smallholder producers and traditional suppliers to establish supply chains with benefits for all.

Projects

Formulation and implementation support for SNV for the Procurement Governance for Home Grown School Feeding project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented in Kenya, Ghana and Mali. 25,000 smallholder farmers got access to inclusive public procurement processes and business agreements.

Support to proposals writing for SNV in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia, resulting in grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Technical backstopping mission for the Cooperatives for Change project in Ethiopia, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.