INVITATION TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL for the provision of:   Development of a package to support smallholder dairy development at country level     ISSUED ON: 27/07/2025 CLOSING  DATE: 15/08/2025 – 23:00 hrs (Bangkok, Thailand)   FAO Office: Animal Health and Production Module Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 39 Pra Atit Road, Phranakorn, Bangkok 10200, Thailand   PLEASE REFER TO ATTACHED FILE FOR FULL DESCRIPTION    Background Information Dairy production plays a vital role in rural livelihoods, food and nutrition security, and the broader rural economy across Asia and the Pacific. In the region, smallholder production still contributes the largest share of dairy outputs, offer income-generating opportunities for millions of rural households, while contributing to dietary diversity and nutrition. Despite their importance, smallholder production systems often face constraints related to productivity, access to inputs, services and technologies (including feed, breeding and animal health), market access and resilience to climate and economic shocks. Some countries in the region, including India, Mongolia or Pakistan, are large dairy producers and emerging dairy champions who have made significant progress in developing and spreading technologies targeting smallholder dairy farmers and building robust and inclusive dairy value chains anchored in farmer organization and supported by enabling policies. These examples provide valuable lessons for other countries in the region that are seeking to enhance the contribution of smallholder dairy to rural development, food and nutrition security, and food systems transformation. In this context, knowledge exchange and South-South cooperation are powerful tools to accelerate the dissemination and adoption of successful approaches. By fostering collaboration between countries and institutions that have made significant innovation and progress for dairy development, and those that are in earlier stages of sector transformation, stakeholders can benefit from shared experiences, practical tools, and mutual learning. To support these efforts, FAO is launching a call for proposals, to identify a Service Provider to facilitate a set of activities focused on knowledge exchange, training and regional collaboration for smallholder dairy development. These activities are intended to generate and disseminate practical tools and guidance that can be used by policymakers, practitioners, and dairy producers in countries across the Asia and Pacific region. This effort is aligned with FAO priorities at global level, including Better Production and Sustainable livestock sector transformation, and regional level (Transforming agrifood systems for sustainable production and healthy diets).   Services required: The selected service provider will be responsible for designing and delivering a package for smallholder dairy development at country level, that FAO can readily apply in the region in response to national demand and available resources. This package will consist of set of interrelated training material, knowledge products and collaboration mechanisms to promote capacity development and South-South cooperation to strengthen smallholder dairy development in the Asia and Pacific region. The package will aim to promote low-carbon, climate-resilient and sustainable dairy development. These activities will build on existing national and regional initiatives, including but not restricted to FAO-supported dairy projects, with the aim of consolidating successful experiences, fostering institutional collaboration, and supporting the scaling-up of effective approaches. The services required include: Preparation of planning guidelines Develop practical guidelines for assessing dairy sector development needs and planning national dairy development strategies. These should be relevant to the diversity of countries (LDCs, SIDs, MICs) and dairy production systems present in the region. The guidelines should provide a stepwise approach to evaluating sector conditions and smallholder dairy production systems, identifying priority areas for investment and intervention, and aligning with national development goals and international good practices. National dairy development goals should be articulated with broader strategies and commitment including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Global Methane Pledge, and One Health. Development of training material Prepare a set of training material that highlight successful innovations in smallholder dairy production in the region. It should complement existing training material on dairy production to target specifically smallholder dairy production and to address recent, innovative practices and technologies relevant to the region. Training material should be designed for integration within the FAO Virtual Learning Center (VLC) and may cover topics such as feeding and breeding practices, animal health services, cold chain and processing innovations, climate-smart technologies, cooperative models, and market linkages. Each module should present key concepts, enabling factors, outcomes, and guidance on how innovations can be adapted and applied in different country contexts. Organization of training or study tour Design and deliver a hands-on learning event (such as a study tour or technical training piloting the training material developed under Activity 2) for regional participants selected by FAO. The event should be hosted in collaboration with a recognized center of excellence and expose participants to innovative smallholder dairy production models or technologies. The service provider will be responsible for planning, logistics, facilitation and documentation, following internal guidelines for supporting travels adopted by FAO and the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Facilitate regional dialogue and collaboration with regional champions Map regional champions – leading institutions, initiatives and experts in smallholder dairy development – to foster technical collaboration, peer learning, and institutional exchange. Draft terms of references for trainers to deliver technical training and capacity development activities in the context of future dairy development projects implemented by FAO in the region. Submit a proposal for the establishment of a knowledge exchange platform and coordinate targeted interactions such as virtual expert meetings/exchanges and field visits, to enable cross country dialogue on good practices, lessons learned, innovative and scalable approaches. Coordination and reporting Maintain regular communication with FAO throughout implementation, participate in planning meetings, and submit periodic progress updates and a final technical report summarizing activities, outputs, and recommendations for further action.   Mandatory Minimum Requirements Your Proposal will only be considered if the Proposal and your organisation meet the following minimum requirements: You should provide an explicit written acceptance of the terms and conditions applicable to FAO Letters of Agreement as laid out in the LoA template in the Annex I. You should provide evidence of the legal status of your organisation to demonstate the eligibility to sign Letters of Agreement with FAO, including the registration certificate with the relevant country authorities. Minimum of 10 years of documented experience in implementing research and/or development projects related to dairy development, livestock production systems and rural agricultural development Proven track record of at least 5 completed projects involving smallholder dairy production Demonstrated capacity to coordinate multi-country activities, including on knowledge exchange, facilitation of training, study tours… Operational presence or experience in at least 2 countries in the Asia and Pacific region (member countries of FAO regional office for Asia and Pacific https://www.fao.org/asiapacific/about-us/member-countries/en)   PLEASE REFER TO ATTACHED FILE FOR FULL DESCRIPTION