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Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) is seeking to undertake a feasibility assessment on establishing a secure and independent IT infrastructure to support its growing operational needs. While BvAT currently relies on its host’s charged core ICT services, this assessment will explore the requirements, system options, and potential implementation strategies for transitioning to an autonomous and less costly ICT infrastructure.

 About Biovision Africa Trust

BvAT is a not-for-profit organization established in Kenya in 2009 by the Biovision Foundation for ecological development in Switzerland and based in the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Nairobi.

Its vision is a food secure African continent with healthy people living in a healthy environment and a mission to alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of rural communities in Africa through disseminating relevant agricultural information to small holder farmers and supporting like-minded organizations and institutions. The overall goal is to sustainably improve the lives of the people in Africa while conserving the environment as the basis for all life.

BvAT is implementing four core programmes including the Farmer Communication Programme (FCP), the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I), the Agroecology Promotion Programme (APP) and the Knowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in Eastern Africa (KHEA) promoting agroecology practices, supporting the diversification of ecological organic agriculture value chains, influencing policy and institutional frameworks, and driving innovations and socioeconomic research.

Purpose of the assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to engage a qualified IT individual or consulting firm/ Individual  to conduct a comprehensive assessment of BvAT’s current ICT setup, identify level of ICT usage and infrastructure needs, and recommend a practical roadmap for establishing an independent, cost-effective and robust ICT infrastructure.

Current ICT Environment at BvAT

BvAT, currently hosted within the icipe campus, relies on icipe’s broader network infrastructure for core services such as internet connectivity and domain services (Active Directory). BvAT laptops and user devices are authenticated and managed under icipe’s Active Directory domain.

While BvAT benefits from basic IT support through icipe such as preliminary diagnostics and connectivity, most internal IT operations are independently managed by BvAT’s in-house ICT team. This includes management of organizational applications, user support, website administration, and data management tools

Objectives of the Assignment

The objectives of this Consultancy are to:

• Assess the current ICT infrastructure and services and level of usage.
• Identify infrastructure needs, risks, and opportunities for optimization.
• provide a proposal for establishing an independent ICT environment, including specifications for networking, servers, storage, security, collaboration tools, and backup systems.
• Provide recommendations for phased implementation, including cost estimates and timelines.

Scope of Work

The scope of work will cover the following areas:

1. Engage with BvAT and icipe ICT teams to understand current infrastructure, dependencies, and constraints.
2. Conduct an infrastructure audit of the current systems used by BvAT (hardware, software, network, storage, email, etc.).
3. Identify organizational needs and future capacity requirements.
4. Propose a design for an independent IT infrastructure, considering scalability, security, and cost-effectiveness.
5. Provide a risk analysis and business continuity considerations for transitioning.
6. Prepare a phased implementation roadmap including budget estimates, timelines, and resource requirements.
7. Present findings and recommendations to BvAT management.

Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following:

1. Inception report outlining approach, tools, and engagement plan.
2. Assessment report of BvAT’s ICT infrastructure including current-state analysis, identified gaps and recommendations.
3. Proposed infrastructure design with system architecture, components, and specifications including implementation roadmap with timelines, resource needs, and estimated costs.

Requirements and Key Qualifications

1. Legally registered company /an Individual with at least 5 years of experience in IT infrastructure projects.
2. Degree in ICT or related courses from recognized institution for the lead consultant.
3. Proven experience in network design, server configuration, and security implementation.
4. Certified professionals on staff (e.g., Cisco, Microsoft, CompTIA).
5. Ability to deliver within the agreed timelines and budget.
6. Experience working with NGOs or development organizations is an added advantage.

Criteria for Evaluation Qualifications of the Consultant

• Technical Proposal (Understanding of assignment, methodology, and approach)
• Relevant Experience and Qualifications (CVs of key staff)
• Cost-effectiveness of Financial Proposal
• Timeline and Implementation Plan
• References and past project performance

Application Process and Requirements:

Interested firms should submit:

• Technical proposal with methodology, work plan, and deliverables.
• Financial proposal (itemized).
• Company profile with relevant experience.
• CVs of key personnel.
• At least two samples of similar past work.
• At least three references.

How to Apply:

If you meet the above criteria, please submit your application to [email protected] with the subject line “ICT INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT.” The deadline for applications is 24^th  October  2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

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