Bountifield International, formerly Compatible Technology International, (CTI) was founded
in 1981 by engineers and from General Mills and Pillsbury. The organization has decades of
experience developing postharvest researchers innovations for farmers around the globe.
Bountifield tools have been distributed in more than fifty countries, which has enabled the
organization to make important strides in combating hunger and poverty in emerging economies, impacting hundreds of thousands of people. Today, Bountifield is investing in technology packages for small-scale enterprises in rural communities throughout sub-Saharan Africa to improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people.
Bountifield is implementing the Mavuno Bora (better harvest) pilot project in Kenya, funded
by the van Lengerich family, to develop innovative business models that unlock access to a range of postharvest technologies, primarily for staple crops, and financing for African micro-enterprises. To date, Bountifield is working with 20 rural entrepreneurs in eastern and western Kenya to build and expand fee-based threshing and drying services to smallholder farmers.
Bountifield’s role is to identify the best equipment, deploy it to the entrepreneurs on
repayable credit with third party partners, and support the enterprises to optimize the use of
the technology, promote their services and growth their businesses.
Bountifield is seeking a consultant with practical experience working with micro and small
rural agri-enterprises to provide basic business training, advisory and support services as
part of the implementation activities in the project’s zone of operations. The Agribusiness
Coordinator will report to the Bountifield Kenya Team Leader.
Scope of work
The Agribusiness Coordinator will work closely with the Team Leader and Bountifield’s implementing partners’ field staff, and will carry out the following tasks:
Identify and assess 20+ rural enterprises to integrate into the project
Work with anchor partners to identify a long list of potential entrepreneurs interested in launching or expanding enterprises to provide postharvest services to farmers using Bountifield-approved technologies.
Administer Bountifield’s capacity assessment tool to measure the business’ potential and suitability to partner with the project.
Recommend a final short-list of enterprises to be selected, based on predetermined criteria, and design capacity building plans for each.
Coordinate and provide regular business advisory services to the project’s micro enterprises in the consultant’s assigned area (to be determined with the Team
Leader).
Provide training to entrepreneurs on business strategy and management, promotion and marketing, customer service, financial planning, etc.
Advise on and support the development of business growth plans.
Support the promotion and implementation of marketing strategies.
With anchor partners, track farmer crop planting, harvesting and make projections to advise the entrepreneurs on business opportunities and to forecast risks.
Monitor relevant crop markets, prices and other dynamics affecting the microenterprises/SMEs.
Prepare materials and tools for managing revenues, costs, cash flows, etc.
Contribute to and support other project activities, especially M&E and reporting.
Follow the progress of each micro-enterprise and monitor their activities.
Draft and submit regular progress reports on the businesses.
Contribute to the project’s quarterly reporting and planning.
Participate in weekly team meetings and others, as required.
Support the team leader in partner relationship management.
Consultant’s Skills and Qualifications
The ideal consultant will be able to work independently, take initiative and will measure
his/her performance on the success of the micro-enterprises.
S/he will meet most of the following qualifications:
▪ Bachelor’s degree in agribusiness or a related field with strong business acumen.
▪ Minimum of 3 years field and technical experience with agribusiness development,
ideally in a training capacity.
▪ Track record of working directly with micro-enterprises and rural agricultural businesses.
▪ Strong business management and financial analysis skills.
▪ Experience in the agriculture sector with expertise in post-harvest operations.
▪ English writing and computer competency.
▪ Commitment to Bountifield’s vision and project goals.
Timeline and budget
The start date for this consultancy is March 2021 for an initial period of 10 months with
extension based on achievement of milestones and budget availability.
The level of effort is expected to be 30-50% of full-time (up to 3 days per week).
