[newdevjobsindo] PR113 RFP NUE Measurement HORAS

April 29, 2026   Comment  

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

We would like to inform you that SNV is currently seeking a service provider to conduct NUE measurements in 6 districts in North Sumatra for the HORAS Project.

More detailed information regarding the assignment can be found in the email below.

 

Thank you for your kind attention

 

Best regards,

SNV

Procurement Committee

 

 

Organisation	SNV
Project	HORAS
Assignment  Criteria	NUE Measurement in 6 districts Firm, Academic Institution, Research Institution
Location	North Sumatra (multiple districts)
Duration	6 months (June – November 2026)
Reporting to/working with SNV focal point(s)	HORAS Project Manager, MEL Officer, and PFOs
Starting date	June 2026

 

 

1. About SNV

SNV is a global development partner rooted in the African and Asian countries where we operate. With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, it is our mission to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems to enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

 

2. Background and objectives of assignment

The HORAS Project supports smallholder oil palm farmers across seven districts in North Sumatra to adopt regenerative agriculture practices. One of the core performance metrics of the project is Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE), which is required to assess improvements in nutrient management and reduction of nitrogen losses associated with fertilizer use.

SNV has established demonstration plots (demoplots) in each target village. These demoplots are maintained directly by SNV and serve as learning sites for improved agricultural practices. In addition to demoplots, the project works with a large number of smallholder farms.

This assignment aims to measure, calculate, and report Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) at the farm level for both demoplots and smallholder farms

 

The measurement must follow internationally recognized regenerative agriculture measurement standards and sampling protocols for smallholder systems.

This assignment is open to firms, academic institutions, and research institutions only. Proposals submitted by individual service provider are not eligible and will not be evaluated.

 

Objectives of the Assignment:

• Objective 1:
  Design a statistically sound and representative sampling framework for NUE measurement covering both demoplots and smallholder farms across the 6 districts.
• Objective 2:
  Establish a baseline NUE value and NUE measurement in accordance with required sampling and reporting protocols.
• Objective 3:
  Deliver a validated and auditable NUE dataset at farm level and aggregated project level.

 

 

3. Assignment overview and scope of work / deliverables

The Service Provider shall:

1. Methodology Design

• Develop a detailed NUE measurement methodology, including:
• Clear definition of NUE formula used
• Data requirements (fertilizer input, nitrogen content, yield, crop output, etc.)
• Unit of measurement
• Baseline calculation method
• Aggregation method (mean and median required)
• Ensure alignment with recognized regenerative agriculture measurement requirements.
• Provide a clear explanation of:
• System boundary definition
• Inclusion and exclusion of emission sources (where relevant to nitrogen losses)
• Assumptions and proxies used

 

2. Sampling Design

The Service Provider must:

• Design a farm sampling strategy for smallholder farms in the 6 districts (Asahan, Batu Bara, Simalungun, Deli Serdang, Serdang Bedagai, dan Labuhanbatu Selatan)
• Follow stratified sampling principles when total farms ≥ 21.
• Stratify based on:
• Climate zone
• Soil type
• Farm size
• Regenerative practice package adopted
• Clearly explain in the proposal:
• Sample size calculation method
• Stratification logic
• Randomization procedure
• Replacement protocol for drop-out farms
• Representativeness validation
• Define whether demoplots:
• Treated as separate stratum

For demoplots:

• All demoplots (current demoplots: 23) must be measured (no sampling), as they are limited in number and centrally maintained by SNV.

The proposal must clearly distinguish:

• Sampling for smallholder farms
• Full measurement of demoplots

 

3. Baseline Establishment

The Service Provider shall:

• Establish NUE baseline using historical farm records where available.
• Ensure baseline uses the same sampling design and methodology as follow-up measurements.
• If multiple years of historical data exist, use averaged values where appropriate.

4. Data Collection

• Develop data collection tools (survey forms, fertilizer logs, yield records templates).
• Train enumerators if required.
• Collect primary data on:
• Type of fertilizer used
• Quantity applied
• Nitrogen content
• Crop yield per hectare
• Area under production

For smallholders with limited records:

• Clearly define acceptable secondary data sources and assumptions.
• Document all assumptions transparently.

 

5. NUE Calculation

• Calculate farm-level NUE.
• Provide:
• Arithmetic mean
• Median
• Clearly explain aggregation method.

If sampling is used:

• Provide weighted or unweighted aggregation approach (as required).
• Justify choice.

 

6. Audit Readiness

Prepare documentation suitable for third-party audit, including:

• Farm-level anonymized dataset
• Source records for fertilizer use (for randomly selected farms)
• Clear documentation of assumptions
• Sampling methodology documentation
• Baseline documentation

 

 

4. Deliverables

Table 1. List of Deliverables

Deliverable	Outputs	Timeline - Deadline
Inception Report	Detailed methodology, sampling design, baseline approach, workplan	June 2026 – week 1
Sampling Framework Report	Stratification logic, sample size calculation, randomization method	July 2026 – week 1
Data Collection Tools	Survey tools, fertilizer tracking templates	Sept 2026 – week 1
Baseline NUE Report	Farm-level baseline results, aggregated baseline	Oct 2026 – week 1
NUE Measurement Report	Farm-level results (demoplots + smallholders), mean, median, documentation	Oct 2026 – week 3
Final Report	Consolidated report, cleaned dataset, audit-ready annexes	Nov 2026 – week 2

 

Quality Expectations

• Statistically sound sampling design
• Clear documentation of assumptions
• Transparent aggregation method
• Audit-ready documentation
• Alignment with regenerative agriculture measurement protocols
• All data will be stored in SNV’s cloud/database

 

 

5. Selection Criteria

This assignment is open to firms, academic institutions, and research institutions only. Proposals submitted by individual consultants are not eligible and will not be evaluated.

Applicants will be evaluated based on the completeness of submitted documents and the quality of their technical proposal. Only institutions that submit a complete set of required documents — including the Expression of Interest (EOI), Professional Reference Form (PRF), and a technical proposal — will be considered for evaluation.

Among all complete submissions, those whose proposals best align with the ToR in terms of methodological approach and result analysis framework will be shortlisted to proceed to the next stage of the selection process.

 

 

6. Evaluation criteria

Table 2. List of Evaluation Criteria

Criteria	Maximum Score
Technical proposal quality (methodology, sampling, aggregation)	20%
Experience in agricultural NUE or nutrient management measurement	20%
Experience with smallholder systems	20%
Financial proposal	40%
Total	100%

 

 

7. Contract project fees and duration

The service is planned to run for a duration of six months, with an anticipated start in early June 2026

 

 

8. Payment terms

Payments will be milestone-based:

 

Deliverable	Deliverable	Outputs	Timeline - Deadline
Payment 1 30%	Inception Report	Detailed methodology, sampling design, baseline approach, workplan	June 2026 – week 1
	Sampling Framework Report	Stratification logic, sample size calculation, randomization method	July 2026 – week 1
Payment 2 30%	Data Collection Tools	Survey tools, fertilizer tracking templates	Sept 2026 – week 1
	Baseline NUE Report	Farm-level baseline results, aggregated baseline	Oct 2026 – week 1
Payment 3 40%	NUE Measurement Report	Farm-level results (demoplots + smallholders), mean, median, documentation	Oct 2026 – week 3
	Final Report	Consolidated report, cleaned dataset, audit-ready annexes	Nov 2026 – week 2

 

 

9. Key Compliance Issues

 

The Service Provider must comply with:

• SNV's Environmental and Social Safeguard (ESS) policies and standards
• SNV's Code of Conduct, Anti-Corruption, and Anti-Fraud policies
• SNV's Child Safeguarding Policy
• Do No Harm principles in all field activities and beneficiary interactions
• Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) standards for all community and farmer engagement
• Responsible and ethical data management: informed consent from all respondents, data   
• anonymisation, and secure storage
• Gender-responsive research practices: all instruments and sampling must enable gender-disaggregated analysis

 

 

10. Due Diligence Instructions

All prospective Service Providers are subject to SNV's standard due diligence screening prior to contract award, including verification of organisational integrity, financial standing, conflict of interest, and compliance with SNV's partner requirements

 

 

11. Procurement Timeline

The procurement timeline for the whole competitive processed conducted for this assignment as follows:

NO	Process	Period
1	Tender Announcement	Tue, 28-Apr-26	Sun, 10-May-26
2	Aanwijzing (clarification session)	Wed, 06-May-26	Wed, 06-May-26
3	Tender Closing	Sun, 10-May-26	Sun, 10-May-26
4	Evaluation Tender Proposal	Tue, 12-May-26	Tue, 12-May-26
5	Interview Session	Fri, 22-May-26	Fri, 22-May-26
6	Tender Result	Mon, 25-May-26	Fri, 29-May-26
7	Due Diligence Process	Fri, 29-May-26	Sun, 31-May-26
8	Contract Drafting	Mon, 01-Jun-26	Tue, 02-Jun-26
9	Start Engagement	Fri, 05-Jun-26	Fri, 05-Jun-26

 

 

12. Submission Requirements

 

SNV invites interested Service Provider (firms, academic institutions, and research institutions) to submit a comprehensive proposal no later than Sunday, 10^th May 2026 to the following email address: indonesia-procurement@snv.org with Subject “PR113 NUE Measurement HORAS”

Your proposal should include the following documents:

1. Expression of Interest (EoI) --> template provided

• Complete and submit the provided EoI template.

2. Technical Proposals
   ∙ Proposed tools and methodology
   ∙ Implementation plan and timeline

∙ Detail CV and experiences of Team Member

3. Financial Proposal (RFQ) --> template provided
   ∙ Service fees (roles and number of personnel)
   ∙ Other relevant costs (please specify)
4. Sample of Previous Work
   Preferably similar to the assignment described, i.e activity report on promoting behavior change; campaign plan, etc.
5. List of Relevant Past Assignments
   Include detailed descriptions and timelines of similar projects
6. Company Profile: Provide a comprehensive overview of your organization, highlighting relevant experience, operational capabilities, and geographical coverage.
7. Conflict of Interest Checklist
   Completed and signed Conflict of Interest checklist, confirming no actual, potential, or perceived conflict related to this assignment

You can access the shared folder containing the Tender announcement and Templates provided for the proposal for this service via the following link: https://bit.ly/PR112-113-133_TenderDocument

 

 

13. Aanwijzing

 

SNV has scheduled a half-day clarification session (“Aanwijzing”) for interested Travel Agent Company (bidders/applicants) on Wednesday, 06 May 2026, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM via Microsoft Teams (online session).

 

Registration is required and must be completed by Tuesday, 07 May 2026.
To sign up, please fill out this short form: https://bit.ly/PR112-113-133_Aanwijzing

 

 

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