The project plans to engage a third-party institution to conduct research on financial innovation mechanisms for agricultural product quality and safety including studying the funding needs and risk characteristics of agricultural production entities.
Summary
Description
Expression of Intererst
Country: The People's Republic of China
Project Name: IBRD Guangdong Agricultural Product Quality Safety Improvement (Demonstration) Project
Loan No.: 9213-CN
Assignment Name:Research Topic on the Innovative Model of Financial Risk Sharing Mechanism
Contract No.: GDCS-022
The Government of the People's Republic of China has received a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to improve food safety management at the national and sub-national levels and to reduce food safety risks in selected value chains. The project is being implemented by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Province, and Shandong Province (Yantai City).
As part of the project, Guangdong Province plans to establish a financial risk sharing mechanism by utilizing US$40 million of World Bank loan proceeds to set up a Financial Risk Compensation Fund Pool (hereinafter referred to as the "Fund Pool"). This initiative aims to targetedly enhance the quality and safety control levels within the value chains of key agricultural products—such as vegetables, lychees, pigs, and aquatic products—in the project areas. Furthermore, it seeks to address the difficulties and high costs of financing faced by new agricultural business entities, rural collective economic organizations, and farmers (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementing Entities"). In the preliminary phase, the project will focus on four key industries (vegetables, lychees, pigs, and aquatic products) across five cities: Guangzhou, Foshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing, while also taking other industries into consideration.
Under this Contract, World Bank loan proceeds are utilized to procure the services of a Consulting Firm (hereinafter referred to as the "Consultant") for the Research Topic on Innovative Models of Financial Risk Sharing Mechanism. By conducting research and pilot programs on agricultural product quality and safety finance, the initiative aims to systematically explore and design a set of efficient, sustainable financial incentive and risk-sharing mechanisms tailored to the characteristics of Guangdong's agriculture. The ultimate goal is to maximize the policy impact and fund effectiveness of the World Bank loan in enhancing agricultural product quality and safety. In particular, through sophisticated financial mechanism design, this project seeks to transform the World Bank loan—an external resource—into a "catalyst" that stimulates endogenous momentum. By establishing a new paradigm for agricultural product quality and safety governance characterized by government guidance, market leadership, multi-party participation, risk sharing, and benefit sharing, the project holds immense strategic value and practical urgency.
The implementation period of this Contract is 12 months, with an estimated total input of 9 person-months. The anticipated start date for the assignment is June 1st, 2026. Please refer to the Attachment for the detailed Terms of Reference.
Guangdong Provincial Center of Agro-product Safety and Quality (Guangdong Green Food Development Center) hereby invites qualified and interested Consultants to submit proposals for consulting services.
Selection Criteria for the Consultants' Shortlist:
1.Capability to independently bear civil liability (Must provide ① a copy of the Business License or the Certificate of Legal Person for Public Institutions);
2.Sound financial accounting system (Must provide ② audited financial reports for the past 3 years);
3.Good record of tax and social security payment in accordance with the law (Must provide ③ proof of tax payment and social security contribution for the past 3 months);
4.Good business credit and sound business performance (Must provide ④ a statement certifying no major illegal or irregular business activities in the past 3 years, and that the applicant is not listed on the "Credit China" website as a "person subject to enforcement for dishonesty," "major tax violation entity," or "entity with serious illegal acts in government procurement").
5.Within the past 5 years (from January 1, 2021, to the deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest for this project, based on the contract signing date), the Consultant shall have signed no fewer than one (1) contract for research topic services related to agricultural finance innovation. (Relevant supporting documents must be provided⑤, including key pages of the contract reflecting the contract name, service content, signing date, and signatures and seals of both parties).
Please note that the Consultant must provide all the supporting materials stipulated in the above "Selection Criteria for the Consultants' Shortlist," along with detailed contact information (including contact person, address, telephone number, email address, etc.). The Consultant shall solely bear the relevant responsibilities and consequences for any issues arising from incomplete submission or failure to meet the requirements.
Interested Consultants are advised to refer to the provisions regarding Conflict of Interest policy in Sections 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17, and the provisions regarding Eligibility in Sections 3.21, 3.22, 3.23, and 3.24 of the "World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers" (November 2020).
Consulting firms may form an association with other firms, but it must be clearly indicated whether the arrangement is in the form of a Joint Venture or Subcontracting. If the Joint Venture form is chosen, each member of the Joint Venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire Contract. Please note that every member of the Joint Venture must meet the requirements of the above "Selection Criteria for the Consultants' Shortlist".
The Consultant will be selected through the Consultant Qualification Selection (CQS) method as specified in the Procurement Regulations.
This Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) is published on the "World Bank Section of China Tendering and Bidding Public Service Platform" (https://bulletin.cebpubservice.com/bank/index.html) and "China Tendering and Bidding Network" (https://www.chinabidding.cn/).
For further information, please contact the Procurement Agent during working hours from April 23, 2026, to May 13, 2026, between 9:00-11:30 AM and 1:00-5:00 PM (Beijing Time).
The number of hard copies of the Expression of Interest (including: specified supporting materials, a brief introduction of the company's basic information and business scope, and any other materials the Consultant deems necessary) shall be: one original and four copies in Chinese. Each copy must be perfect bound. In addition, the Consultant shall submit an electronic version separately on a USB flash drive at the same time as the submission of the Expression of Interest. The USB flash drive must be labeled with the Contract Number and the full name of the Consultant. The USB flash drive shall be sealed together with the original Expression of Interest.
Deadline and Address for Submission of Expressions of Interest:
Deadline for submission: 10:00 AM (Beijing Time) on May 14, 2026;
Address: Room 1, Bid Opening Room, 6th Floor, Guangren Building, No. 1 Guangren Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
Client: Guangdong Provincial Center of Agro-product Safety and Quality (Guangdong Green Food Development Center)
Contact Person: Ms. Wu
Address: No. 135, Xianlie East Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
Postal Code: 510230
Tel: +86-20-87590235
E-mail: mailto:nynct_ncpzx_zhangsh@gd.gov.cn
Procurement Agent: CITIC International Tendering Co., Ltd.
Contact Person: Ms. Guo, Mr. Zhang
Address: Room 1811, 18/F, Tower 59, No. 59 Dongsanhuan Middle Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Postal Code: 100022
Tel: +86-10-87945198-503/504
E-mail: mailto:guoying@ck.citic.com; mailto:zhangfan@ck.citic.com
Attachment: Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Consulting Services on the Research Topic on the Innovative Model of Financial Risk Sharing Mechanism under the IBRD Guangdong Agricultural Product Quality Safety Improvement (Demonstration) Project
About This Opportunity
This is a consulting contract in the agriculture and food security, finance and banking and Research sectors, with a focus on Food Safety, Banking, Taxation and Innovation. Located in China, Asia, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums. Proposals must be submitted before May 14, 2026.
Published through WB - World Bank, a multilateral development bank that follows standardized international procurement guidelines. Projects funded by multilateral institutions are generally open to international bidders from eligible member countries for consulting in the agriculture and food security sector. Consulting assignments are typically evaluated with a strong emphasis on the technical proposal, including the methodology and qualifications of key experts. Shortlisted firms may be invited to submit financial proposals in a second stage. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.