Call for Proposals – Implementation Agreement for the Development of the Table Grapes Value Chain for Export in Lebanon

Title: Call for Proposals – Implementation Agreement for the Development of the Table Grapes Value Chain for Export in Lebanon

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of rural livelihoods and employment in Lebanon, particularly in the Bekaa Valley, the country's principal production region for fruits and vegetables. In recent years, however, the sector has faced a succession of economic and market shocks, including the prolonged economic crisis, regional trade disruptions, escalating production costs, and an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment. These challenges have significantly reduced productivity, weakened competitiveness, and constrained access to export markets, with medium-scale producers being disproportionately affected.

Among Lebanon's horticultural products, table grapes represent one of the country's most important export commodities. While Lebanese grapes are recognised for their quality and favourable production conditions, the sector has experienced declining competitiveness in regional markets and has yet to fully capitalize on opportunities in higher-value export destinations. The recent reopening of the Saudi Arabian market and growing demand for seedless table grapes in European markets present significant opportunities for export growth. However, realizing this potential requires addressing structural constraints across the value chain.

The principal challenge lies in the mismatch between the grape varieties currently cultivated and the varieties demanded by international buyers, particularly the growing preference for seedless varieties in premium markets. This is compounded by limited access to high-quality and legally sourced planting material, weak market information, high investment costs associated with varietal replacement, and the absence of systematic variety testing under Lebanese agro-climatic conditions. Medium-scale farmers also face persistent constraints related to access to finance, quality agricultural inputs, technical advisory services, post-harvest infrastructure, and structured market linkages, limiting their ability to upgrade production and participate in export markets.

The intervention is further grounded in the recognition that export competitiveness depends not only on productivity and product quality but also on compliance with increasingly important labour and sustainability requirements. Improving occupational safety and health, promoting fair recruitment practices, strengthening workers' skills, and preventing child labour are therefore integral components of developing a competitive and responsible table grape value chain.

Against this backdrop, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is implementing an intervention based on a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to strengthen the competitiveness, inclusiveness, and sustainability of Lebanon's table grape value chain. Building on the findings of the ILO's Value Chain Selection and Export Market Systems Analysis, the intervention seeks to improve the export readiness of medium-scale grape producers through market-driven varietal upgrading, enhanced access to quality planting material and technical services, strengthened post-harvest and market linkages, and the promotion of decent work throughout the value chain. By addressing systemic market constraints, the intervention aims to increase the participation of medium-scale producers in high-value export markets while ensuring that the benefits of export growth are shared more broadly across the sector.

Objective

The overall objective of the intervention is to strengthen the competitiveness, inclusiveness, and long-term sustainability of the table grape value chain in the Bekaa Valley, while increasing Lebanon's grape exports to high-value markets, particularly the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Using a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, the intervention will work through partnerships with private sector market actors - including input suppliers, exporters, and microfinance institutions - to ensure that improvements are market-led, commercially viable, and sustainable beyond the project period.

Specifically, the intervention seeks to:

Improve the varietal base of the sector by introducing and testing market-driven seedless grape varieties through a sustainable variety trial system.

Strengthen the technical capacity, market orientation, and competitiveness of medium-scale grape farmers, while promoting farmer clustering and stronger linkages with exporters and buyers.

Facilitate access to affordable finance to enable productive investments in quality inputs, planting material, and farm upgrading.

Promote occupational safety and health, responsible business conduct, fair recruitment practices, and the prevention of child labour to ensure that improvements in productivity and export competitiveness are accompanied by decent work outcomes.

Through these interventions, the project aims to improve productivity, reduce production costs, enhance working conditions, and increase the participation of approximately 50 medium-scale grape farmers in high-value export markets.

Scope of Work

ILO seeks to establish a partnership with a qualified lead organization, supported by a Microfinance Institution (MFI), to implement an intervention aimed at strengthening the export competitiveness of the table grape value chain in the Bekaa Valley. Using a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, the intervention will leverage partnerships with private sector actors - including input suppliers, exporters, and financial service providers - to address key constraints affecting the value chain through sustainable, market-led solutions. The lead partner will be responsible for coordinating the technical implementation of the intervention, integrating variety trials, technical assistance, access to finance, farmer clustering, occupational safety and health, and market linkages into a coherent delivery model. The intervention will test 5–10 promising market-driven grape varieties and provide integrated technical and financial support to approximately 50 medium-scale farmers to improve productivity, meet export-market requirements, and strengthen their connections with exporters.

The assignment will be delivered over a period of 13.5 months.

Objective 1: Test and Introduce Improved, Market-Driven Grape Varieties

Activity 1.1: Establish and Implement a Grape Variety Trial System

Activity 1.2 Promote Awareness and Knowledge-Sharing on Trial Results

Objective 2: Strengthen Technical Capacity, Farmer Clustering, and Market Linkages in Line with Market Requirements.

Activity 2.1 Farmer Selection and Market Requirement Identification

Activity 2.2 Strengthen Technical Capacity of Medium-Scale Farmers in Line with Export Requirements

Activity 2.3 Facilitate Farmer Clustering and Market Linkages

Objective 3: Facilitate Access to Finance for Productive Upgrading

Activity 3.1 Design and Implement a Blended Finance Scheme for Grape Farmers

Activity 3.2 Deliver IYAB Trainings to Farmers

Objective 4: Improve Working Conditions and Promote Decent Work in the Table Grapes Value Chain

Activity 4.1 Raise Awareness on Occupational Safety and Health and on Responsible business conduct

Required Qualifications

This assignment will be implemented through a partnership with a lead implementing partner subcontracting a microfinance institution (MFI). The following section outlines the required qualifications for each.

The following criteria apply to the lead implementing partner

A prerequisite for selection : A registered non-profit organization/entity in Lebanon that can provide, through collaborating with a registered MFI, a contribution that matches ILO’s requirement for earmarking fund for loans to grapes farmers at a leverage rate of 1:1 (the contribution that the implementing partner is presenting should be between USD 125,000 and USD 150,000).

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