RFAs: Economic Evaluation of Key Crops for Dakar’s Urban-Rural Alliance

Deadline: 01-Oct-2026

C40 is seeking proposals from qualified organizations or consultants to conduct an economic evaluation of six key crops as part of the Groundwork project in Dakar, Senegal. The three-month assignment will map food-basin dynamics, supply and demand, value chains, natural resources, key actors, logistics, and opportunities for formal inter-municipal collaboration to support a regenerative urban-rural food alliance. The Groundwork project is part of the C40 Cities Thriving Food Systems Accelerator and is an 18-month initiative funded by Vere Initiatives. The project aims to strengthen local food businesses, promote quality green jobs, and expand regenerative agricultural practices in Dakar and the surrounding region. A major objective is to help Dakar develop stronger connections between urban, peri-urban, and rural communities. These connections can support shared food-system governance and improve the resilience of the local food system. The economic evaluation will provide evidence needed to understand how Dakar’s food basin operates and where stronger cooperation between municipalities and food-system actors could be developed. The selected contractor will assess the economic and spatial dynamics of Dakar’s food basin, focusing on six priority crops: The assessment will examine production, supply, demand, transportation, value chains, natural resources, and institutional relationships associated with these crops. The findings will help identify strategic communes that could participate in a future regenerative urban-rural alliance. The contractor will be responsible for conducting a comprehensive assessment of Dakar’s food basin.

Key tasks include:

The evaluation will focus specifically on: The study will examine production, supply, demand, and value-chain dynamics associated with red cowpea within Dakar’s food basin. The assessment will identify relevant production areas, supply flows, demand patterns, and actors involved in the green bean value chain. Carrot production and distribution will be assessed to understand supply capacity, demand, transportation, and potential opportunities for stronger local coordination. The evaluation will examine potato production, supply routes, market demand, intermediaries, and logistical constraints. Rice will be analyzed in relation to production capacity, supply and demand, key actors, and opportunities for improving food-system resilience. The study will examine millet production and supply dynamics while considering its role in local food systems and regenerative agriculture. An important component of the assignment is to quantify supply and demand volumes by commune.

The analysis should help establish:

The assessment should give particular consideration to smallholder farmers and sustainable producers. The contractor will identify communes that could serve as strategic partners in establishing a regenerative urban-rural alliance. Selection should consider factors such as: The resulting analysis should provide a practical basis for determining where alliance-building efforts could be concentrated. The assignment will also map essential natural resources supporting agricultural production and food flows. This may include resources and infrastructure relevant to: Understanding these resources can help identify both opportunities and constraints for regenerative agriculture and resilient food systems. The evaluation will examine the value chains associated with the six priority crops.

The contractor should identify:

The study will also identify logistical bottlenecks that may affect the movement of food between production areas and urban markets. The assignment includes a review of Senegalese decentralization law. The purpose is to identify legal and institutional pathways through which communes could formally cooperate on food-system management. The review should examine opportunities for: This legal analysis will complement the spatial and economic findings and help translate the research into practical governance options. The call is intended for qualified organizations, consultants, or teams with relevant experience in areas such as: Applicants should demonstrate relevant experience through previous projects, references, and examples of comparable work. Proposals should provide a clear and comprehensive approach to completing the assignment.

The proposal should include:

At least one member of the project team must be fluent in both English and French. All final deliverables must be submitted in French. Applicants should therefore ensure that the proposed team has sufficient French-language capacity to conduct the work and prepare the final outputs. Organizations applying for the assignment should demonstrate their commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Applicants should explain how these principles are reflected in their organizational practices and, where relevant, in the proposed research methodology and stakeholder engagement approach. The implementation schedule must cover all major activities, milestones, and deliverables within a three-month period from October 2026 to January 2027. Applicants should provide a realistic work plan showing how the research, analysis, consultations, mapping, legal review, and final deliverables will be completed within the available timeframe. A strong proposal should connect the economic evaluation directly to the broader goal of establishing a regenerative urban-rural alliance.

Applicants should:

The evaluation is intended to generate practical evidence for strengthening cooperation across Dakar’s urban, peri-urban, and rural food system. The findings can help stakeholders understand: Groundwork is an 18-month C40 project funded by Vere Initiatives that aims to strengthen local food businesses, create quality green jobs, and scale regenerative agricultural practices in Dakar and its surrounding region. The evaluation will map and analyze Dakar’s food basin, including cro