RFAs: Cooperating Partner for School Feeding Programme in Five Schools (Burundi)

Deadline: 11-Sep-2026

The World Food Programme (WFP) is seeking a qualified Cooperating Partner to support the implementation of a school feeding programme in five schools in the communes of Ruyigi and Gisuru in Burundi. The initiative will provide safe and nutritious school meals while strengthening local food procurement, school management committees, community participation, food security, nutrition, and school retention among preschool and primary school children.

About the WFP School Feeding Programme in Burundi

The programme is designed to address food insecurity, poor nutrition, school absenteeism, and dropout among children in vulnerable communities in eastern Burundi. Through the French Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security (IFSAN), WFP aims to strengthen and expand the model of endogenous school canteens. This model combines regular school meals with local food procurement, community participation, accountable school management, and capacity building for school management committees. Where Will the Programme Be Implemented? The programme will cover five targeted schools located in the communes of: Ruyigi Gisuru, in the Buhumuza area The selected schools are located around refugee camps and/or in areas with a significant presence of children from households that have recently returned to Burundi. Why Is the School Feeding Programme Needed? Burundi continues to experience challenges related to: Children from refugee, host-community, and returnee households can face particularly difficult circumstances. Limited access to food can affect children’s ability to attend and remain in school. Irregular school meals can also contribute to absenteeism, dropout, poor concentration, and reduced student well-being. The programme seeks to address these challenges by providing consistent, nutritious meals while strengthening the systems responsible for school canteen management. What Is the Endogenous School Canteen Model? The endogenous school canteen approach promotes a locally managed and locally sourced school feeding system. Rather than focusing only on food distribution, the model brings together several components: Regular nutritious meals for students. Local procurement of food.

Participation of parents and communities

Strong school management structures. Capacity building for school management committees. Increase community participation in school feeding. Strengthen school management committees. Improve accountability in school canteen operations. Reduce food losses, theft, and post-distribution losses. Strengthen shared services for refugee and host-community children. Support local economic activity through food procurement. Role of the Cooperating Partner The selected Cooperating Partner will be responsible for supporting programme implementation under WFP supervision. The partner will work closely with a broad range of stakeholders, including: School administrations. Decentralized education services. Local administrative authorities. School management committees. Parents. Local communities. Agricultural cooperatives. Milling stations. Local food suppliers. WFP programme teams. The partner will need to ensure that programme activities are implemented according to agreed standards and operational procedures. Key Activities The Cooperating Partner is expected to support activities related to food management, school feeding, community participation, monitoring, and accountability. The programme is expected to deliver several operational and education-related results.

These include:

Food is received, stored, and distributed according to WFP standards. Targeted schools provide regular meals to students. School management structures actively participate in canteen management. Communities participate in monitoring school feeding activities. Operational data is collected and reported on time. Post-distribution losses and theft are minimized. Accountability mechanisms are functional and accessible to beneficiaries. Children have improved access to safe and nutritious school meals. School well-being and retention are supported. Who Is Eligible? The opportunity is intended for a qualified Cooperating Partner capable of implementing WFP-supported school feeding activities in the targeted areas of Burundi. Organizations should be able to demonstrate the operational capacity required to work with schools, communities, local authorities, suppliers, and other programme stakeholders.

Relevant capabilities include:

Experience implementing humanitarian or development programmes. Experience in food security, nutrition, education, or school feeding. Capacity to work with local communities. Strong operational and administrative systems. Ability to manage food-related activities responsibly. Monitoring and reporting capacity. Financial management and accountability systems. Ability to coordinate with government and community stakeholders. Capacity to operate in Ruyigi and Gisuru. Applicants should carefully review the official WFP requirements for the specific eligibility conditions and documentation required under the call. How the Programme Will Work The implementation approach will connect school feeding with community participation and local food systems. Coordinate with local stakeholders The Cooperating Partner will work with WFP, education authorities, schools, communities, and local administrative structures. Receive and manage food Food commodities will be received and handled according to WFP requirements. Store food safely Appropriate storage and stock management procedures will be applied. Support school canteens Targeted schools will organize regular meal provision for eligible preschool and primary school children. Engage communities Parents, school management committees, and community members will participate in the management and monitoring of school feeding activities. Strengthen local systems Cooperation with agricultural cooperatives, milling stations, and local suppliers will s