1.1.     Request for Proposals – Service Notice

1.1.1.        Nutrition International (NI), a non-profit agency dedicated to eliminating vitamin and mineral deficiencies worldwide, invites proposals from competent agencies to Hire services of a legal consultant to provide support to the government and allied departments on the introduction and approval of rules & regulations for implementation of the large-scale food fortification interventions across Pakistan

1.2.     Background

1.2.1.        Nutrition International (NI) is a Canada-based international organization that has been working in Pakistan since 2001. NI is implementing a country-wide LSFF program co-funded by the Gates Foundation (GF) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) aimed at addressing micronutrient deficiencies among women, adolescent girls, and children under five. The LSFF program encompasses universal salt iodization (USI), edible oil fortification, and wheat flour fortification and includes provision of technical support at federal and provincial levels to create an enabling environment, for strengthening the capacity of millers and government food regulatory bodies, including laboratory staff, to ensure enforcement of food fortification standards and adherence to quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) protocols related to USI, edible oil and wheat flour fortification. Over the past few years, NI has played a key role in advancing food fortification efforts across Pakistan by providing targeted technical assistance to national and provincial governments. This support has included the drafting, review, and facilitation of approvals for mandatory fortification policies, rules, regulations, and cost-transfer mechanisms, alongside efforts to strengthen institutional and enforcement structures.

1.2.2.        Under the ‘Addressing gaps in salt fortification program sustainability in Pakistan’ program, NI intends to conduct a landscape analysis to comprehensively assess the salt fortification enabling environment in Pakistan, identify remaining bottlenecks and inform future action. Specifically, the consultant would conduct an intensive assessment to identify the current status and implementation gaps in the quantitative measurement of salt conducted by regulatory bodies, use of iodized salt in the processed food industry and supply chain for edible salt in low coverage areas.

1.2.3.        This Request for Proposals (RFP) and particularly the Guidelines for Preparing Proposals that follow, are designed to help Respondents to produce proposals that are acceptable to the NI, and to ensure that all proposals are given equal consideration. It is essential, therefore, that Respondents provide the complete information that is requested, and in the formats and on the terms specified.

DETAILED RFP ATTACHED