Consultancy Services to develop a Residual Monitoring Plan and Traceability System for Sea Cucumber Products

Project: Tanzania Scaling-up Sustainable Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Project (TASFAM)

THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES - TASFAM

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

REF. NO.: TR99/TASFAM/P179969/2025/2026/C/05; TZ-MLF-516097-CS-QCBS

FOR

Consultancy Services to develop a Residual Monitoring Plan and Traceability System for Sea Cucumber Products

01/05/2026

Table of contents

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 4

INVITATION NOTICE 5

QUALIFICATION AND EVALUATION CRITERIA 7

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY/SERVICES 12

SCOPE OF ACTIVITY / SERVICES 13

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

EoI	Expression of Interest
G.N.	Government Notice
GPN	General Procurement Notice
ICS	International Competitive Selection
NCS	National Competitive Selection
NeST	National e-Procurement System of Tanzania
PPA	Public Procurement Act, Cap. 410

THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES - TASFAM

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

TR99/TASFAM/P179969/2025/2026/C/05; TZ-MLF-516097-CS-QCBS

FOR

Consultancy Services to develop a Residual Monitoring Plan and Traceability System for Sea Cucumber Products

01/05/2026

1. This invitation for expression of interest (pre-qualification) follows the General Procurement Notice (GPN) dated 23/02/2026.

The MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES - TASFAM has received a Credit from the World Bank toward the cost of Consultancy Services to develop a Residual Monitoring Plan and Traceability System for Sea Cucumber Products, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The consulting services (“the Services”) include Consultancy Services to develop a Residual Monitoring Plan and Traceability System for Sea Cucumber Products.

1. The MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES - TASFAM now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services for a period of 150.
2. Interested all eligible tenderers must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services by submitting consultant’s profile, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc. The specific shortlisting criteria are indicated in section of qualification and evaluation criteria.
3. Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub - consultancy to enhance their qualifications.
4. The Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.
5. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Gui delines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by World Bank Borrowers of Fourth Edition November 2020 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
6. Interested eligible consultants may obtain further information through National e- Procurement system (NeST)
7. Expressions of Interest (EoI) must be delivered though NeST before deadline indicated on NeST.

Permanent Secretary

P.o.Box 2847, Dodoma

EVALUATION CRITERIA

• • Commercial Evaluation

1. 1. 1. Eligibility

• • • • Litigation History (SCORE: Comply/Not Comply to specified minimum requirements)

Litigation History Start Year	2023-01-01
Litigation History End Year	2025-12-31

1. 1. 1. Standard Tender Forms

• • • • Notarized Special Power of Attorney (SCORE: Comply/Not Comply to specified minimum requirements)

Bidder must fill in Standard Power of Attorney as per the required format and upload it into the system.

• • Technical Evaluation

1. 1. 1. Experience

• • • • Specific Experience (SCORE: Comply/Not Comply to specified minimum requirements)

	completed at least three (3) similar projects
Specific Experience Start Year	2023-01-01
Specific Experience End Year	2025-12-31
Number of Specific Experience Contracts	3
Value of each specific experience contract in the specified tender currency	100000000

• • • • General Experience (SCORE: Comply/Not Comply to specified minimum requirements)

General experience start date	2023-01-01
General experience end date	2025-12-31
Number of contract	3
Contract value in the specified currency	100000000

1. 1. 1. Key Personnel

• • • • Key Personnel (SCORE: Comply/Not Comply to specified minimum requirements)

Education Level	Advanced degrees in Analytical Chemistry, Fisheries Science, Veterinary Sciences, Food Safety, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Environmental Toxicology, Marine Biology, or related field.

Experience of Key Personnel

7+ years of experience in food safety, residual monitoring, or traceability systems for fisheries or aquaculture products. Proficiency in laboratory techniques (e.g., HPLC, GC-MS/MS, ICP-MS) and digital traceability tools. Familiarity with international food safety standards (e.g., Codex Alimentarius, EU regulations, ISO 22005). Experience with export market compliance for seafood products. Experience developing grievance redress mechanisms. Strong report writing and ability to produce training materials in English and Kiswahili. Experience conducting workshops for diverse audiences (e.g., fishers, regulators). Excellent writing and oral communication skills in Kiswahili and English.

Description of Services

Sea cucumbers are a high-value marine resource in Tanzania’s coastal fisheries, particularly along the Indian Ocean. However, concerns over product safety, species misidentification, and lack of traceability have limited access to premium export markets. International buyers increasingly demand compliance with Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and robust traceability systems to ensure food safety and sustainability. This consultancy aims to develop a national framework for monitoring chemical residues and tracing sea cucumber products from harvest to export.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

4.0Scope of the Consultancy

The Consultant shall develop a Residual Monitoring Plan and Traceability System for sea cucumber products across mainland Tanzania (e.g., Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Mtwara) covering the following tasks:

1.Inception and Mobilization:

oConduct consultations with MLF and stakeholders to define scope and risks.

oDevelop an Inception Report with methodology, stakeholder mapping, and work plan.

2.Baseline Assessment:

oAssess current sea cucumber harvesting (e.g., diving, gleaning), processing (e.g., drying, boiling), and trade practices (e.g., export chains).

oIdentify contamination risks (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics) and traceability gaps (e.g., lack of batch records).

oMap the sea cucumber value chain and identify critical control points.

3.Residual Monitoring Plan Development:

oDesign a plan to monitor contaminants in sea cucumber products, including:

§Sampling protocols (e.g., sample size, frequency, sites).

§Develop SOPs for sampling, laboratory testing (e.g., LC-MS/MS, ICP-MS), and data reporting.

§Testing parameters (e.g., lead, cadmium, antibiotic residues).

§Analytical methods (e.g., HPLC, ICP-MS) aligned with Codex Alimentarius.

§Responsible institutions (e.g., Tanzania Bureau of Standards, NMRC).

oPropose mitigation measures for contamination risks (e.g., source control, processing hygiene).

4.Traceability System Development:

oDesign a system to track sea cucumber products from harvest to export, including:

§Recommend traceability technologies (e.g., batch code, QR codes, blockchain, barcoding) suitable for artisanal and industrial contexts.

§Data collection tools (e.g., logbooks, mobile apps).

§Database structure for tracking (e.g., harvest location, processor, exporter).

§Integration with existing systems (e.g., Tanzania Fisheries Database).

oEnsure compliance with EU, US, and Asian market requirements.

5.Stakeholder Engagement:

oEngage at least 100 stakeholders (50% women/youth) through focus groups, interviews, and workshops with fishers, processors, traders, BMUs, and regulators.

oDevelop a grievance redress mechanism (GRM) for traceability disputes (e.g., mislabeling complaints).

oApply Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles where applicable.

6.Monitoring and Evaluation:

oDevelop a monitoring framework with SMART indicators (e.g., % compliance with residue limits, % products traced to source) to evaluate plan effectiveness.