REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: Consultancy Services (TAAT II)

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (IITA)

TECHNOLOGIES FOR AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION (TAAT) PHASE II

TAAT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT UNIT (PMU)

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

CONSULTANCY SERVICES

SECTOR: Agriculture

CONSULTANCY SERVICES: TAAT II PROGRAM AND TAAT PROGRAM PHASE II-ADDENDUM EXTERNAL AUDIT CONSULTANCY SERVICES

TAAT II:

Financing Agreement reference: 2100155041681

Project ID. P-Z1-AA0-139

TAAT II- Addendum:

Financing Agreement reference: 5900155019276

Project ID. P-Z1-AA0-139

_______________________________________________________________________

This request for expression of interest (REOI) follows the General Procurement Notice for this Project that appeared on the African Development Bank Group’s Internet Website(www.afdb.org) 12th August 2022.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is implementing the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Program phase II, financed through a grant from the African Development Bank. IITA intends to apply part of the proceeds of the grant to facilitate payment for TAAT II Program and TAAT II Addendum project External Audit Consultancy Services, who will be based in TAAT PMU Ibadan, Nigeria for the assignment, with substantial travel to several countries within sub-Saharan Africa.

The Consultant is expected to carry out the audit in accordance with the Standards specified in section 3.2 of the Terms of Reference (available in Appendix 1). It will include such tests and controls as the auditors consider necessary under the circumstances. The services will include financial and procurement audit and provide audit opinion on the financial statements of the program covering Executing Agency program operations; (ii) the consolidated financial report; (iii) the separate audited financial statements from each of the other implementing agencies and (iv) a copy of the Management letter in respect of each set of financial statement submitted for

(a) For TAAT II program January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 and no cost extension (NCE) period of 1st January 2027 to 31st March 2027 and

(b) for TAAT II Addendum the period 12th March 2025 to December 2026 and

It will cover IITA and other CGIAR implementation Centers as follows: AfricaRice, ICARDA, ILRI, AATF, CIP, ICRISAT, IWMI, CIAT, WorldFish, FARA and World Vegetables within six (6) weeks duration. The detailed activities to be performed by the consultant are outlined in the Terms of Reference (ToR).

IITA now invites eligible consulting firms to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI), including their detailed Company information. Such information must indicate the consultants’ qualifications for performing the services and may include brochures, description of assignments of similar nature in the last ten (10) years, experience in similar conditions and environment, availability of appropriate managerial and technical skills among staff related to the assignment, etc. Consultants may associate to enhance their qualifications. The assignment shall be for six (6) weeks.

Eligibility criteria, establishment of the short-list and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the African Development Bank’s Procurement policy framework, October 2015, which is available on the Bank’s website at https://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/procurement/new-procurement-policy

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours from 08:00-16:30

Expressions of interest should be delivered to the emails below on or before Friday 20th May 2026 at 16:30 pm. Any proposal received after the closing date shall be rejected.

Attn: Zozo Rachel

Interim TAAT Program Coordinator | Program Management Unit

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, www.iita.org

Headquarters & West Africa Hub

PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan 200001, Oyo State, Nigeria

International Mailing Address: IITA, Carolyn House, 26 Dingwall Road, Croydon, CR9 3EE, UK

Email: [email protected]

Copy: [email protected]

Appendix 1: Terms of Reference (TOR)

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR TAAT PROGRAM PHASE II AND TAAT PROGRAM PHASEII-ADDENDUM EXTERNAL AUDIT CONSULTANCY SERVICES

TAAT II:

Project Code: P-Z1-AA0-139

Instrument number (s): 2100155041681

TAAT II-Addendum:

Project Code: P-Z1-AA0-139

Instrument number (s): 5900155019276

Countries for TAAT II: All 37 low-income and ADF countries in Africa will benefit from TAAT II, although implementation will be on demand-driven basis and priority will be given to ADF countries to support the implementation of AEFPF. These are: Benin; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroun; Central Africa Republic; Chad; Comoros; Cote d’Ivoire; Democratic Rep. of Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Niger; Rwanda; Sao Tome; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; The Gambia; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.

Sector: Agriculture

1.0 BACKGROUND

1.1 TAAT serves as the critical linkage between the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) research capacity, and the proven technologies it generates, and the African Development Bank’s bold new Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA). There is a need for readily accessing newly proven technologies emanating from CG Centers and other advanced institutes. The Bank plans to achieve wide scale transformation in collaboration with research institutes with the CGIAR centers in focus, develop agricultural mechanization and scale out scientific research knowledge to field application through wide scale dissemination.

1.2 Data from the TAAT I project shows an effective development footprint and great productivity achievements (among other benefits) in 28 target countries. TAAT II is expected to address constraints that forestall cross-border movement of goods and people in the regions. The current TAAT phase is expected to create agribusiness employment opportunities for young Africans and women who make up the most vulnerable groups facing productivity challenges. The success of this phase of TAAT provides a unique opportunity to scale agricultural technologies through capacity development and targeted technical assistance. However, the TAAT II project does not have adequate financial resources to deliver agricultural interventions that prioritize and incentivize private sector development. As a result, this TSF Pillar III operation will complement TAAT II interventions in fragile parts of Africa.

1.3 Current level of TAAT II Program (ID No. P-ZI-AA0-139) disbursements from inception to 31st December 2025 is UA11,904,313.70 (USD 15,801,821.78). The specific amount disbursed using the available disbursement methods.

1.4 TAAT II-Addendum, the Federal Republic of Germany has provided a grant of UA 4.04 million (EUR 5 million). This grant is assisting the financing of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) II in the following beneficiary countries: Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, and Nigeria.

1.5 This Grant is earmarked through the Donor Contributions Window (“TSF Pillar IV”). The justification for the TSF administration of these funds is based on paragraphs 2.111, 2.114, and 2.115 of the 2024 Updated TSF Operational Guidelines, which permit to “receive bilateral donor contributions in the form of grants from both sovereign and non-sovereign sources. These sources include member states, non-member states, bilateral agencies, multilateral organizations, trust funds, philanthropies, and private sector actors.” In addition, the earmarking mechanism under TSF Pillar IV allows donors to indicate preferences regarding the deployment of their contribution in terms of targeted countries, sectors, and thematic areas, provided these aligned to the Bank’s fragility agenda and its applicable rules and regulations. This flexible earmarking mechanism also allows donors to deploy their contributions either as standalone financing or in combination with other sources of financing for ongoing or new projects.”

1.6 The German grant will finance the activities across all four components of TAAT II-Addendum, with a strong on focus on capacity building for key stakeholders.

Specifically, the grant will support:

· Strengthening the seed systems in the target countries

· Capacity building for NARES to produce EGS and private sector to produce EGS

· Technical capacity building for young professionals in National Research Extension Institutions

· Build target countries capacity in digital advisory solutions for extension, climate information and input distribution.

1.7 These interventions will help targeted countries address pockets of fragility and strengthen community resilience.

1.8 The program reporting requirements is that the Executing Agency (EA) shall transmit to the Bank the audited financial reports covering (i) EA program operations; (ii) the consolidated financial report; (iii) the separate audited financial statements from each of the other implementing agencies and (iv) a copy of the Management letter in respect of each set of financial statements submitted.

1.9 Therefore, this assignment is to engage an External Audit firm to assist the EA in meeting the Bank’s procurement and financial requirements for these grants.

2.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE AUDIT

The audit exercise is expected to cover all program activities during the period:

For the TAAT II program from January 1, 2026 to December 31 2026 and the No Cost Extension (NCE) period to 31 March 2027, and attention must be paid by the auditors to the following in carrying out the audit:

1) Report on the project achievements/outputs for each agency involved in the implementation of the projects, including through site visits;

2) Undertake a comprehensive verification of the project's assets as part of the audit.

3) Ensure a comprehensive procurem