Terms of Reference to conduct study on “Youth & Returnee Migrant’s Engagement in Food System Transformation”

Terms of Reference to conduct study on “Youth & Returnee Migrant’s Engagement in Food System Transformation”

1. INTRODUCTION

Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany; it is politically independent and non-denominational. With courage and determination, it is striving for a world without hunger. Since it was founded on December 14, 1962, 13,424 overseas projects in about 72 countries and territories have been supported with 5.76 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe follows the principle of empowering people to help themselves to sustainably improve their living conditions, through approaches ranging from fast disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.

Welthungerhilfe (WHH) has been working in Nepal since 2012 and currently implements projects across fourteen districts under eight thematic areas: Humanitarian Action, Agriculture, Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management, Nutrition and Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Economic Development, Civil Society Empowerment, Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), and other cross-cutting areas. Working in close partnership with civil society organizations, government institutions, and local communities, WHH supports socially marginalized and economically disadvantaged populations to strengthen their resilience, improve food and nutrition security, and realize their right to adequate food through a systems-based and sustainable development approach.

Against this backdrop, Nepal's agri-food system is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by demographic shifts, labour migration, climate change, technological advancements, and evolving market opportunities. Although agriculture continues to be a major source of livelihoods, youth participation in the sector is steadily declining due to limited economic prospects, changing aspirations, and increased migration. At the same time, returnee migrants represent an emerging opportunity, bringing valuable skills, knowledge, financial resources, and networks that can foster innovation, agri-entrepreneurship, and resilient food systems. Recognizing both the challenges and opportunities, WHH intends to undertake a study to generate evidence on the role of youth and returnee migrants in food system transformation and to identify practical strategies for strengthening their meaningful engagement in sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems. This study aims to generate practical evidence on how youth and returnee migrants can be better engaged as agents of change in food system transformation. The findings will support WHH Nepal’s programme design, resource mobilization, policy engagement and partnership strategies in agriculture, livelihoods, entrepreneurship and food systems.

2. PURPOSE, AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this assignment is to generate robust, evidence-based, and implementation-oriented recommendations for Welthungerhilfe (WHH) Nepal on how youth and returnee migrants can become meaningful actors and leaders in transforming agri-food systems in Sudurpaschim Province. Guided by WHH's Food Systems Transformation Framework, the study will identify where, for whom, and under what ecological, market, institutional, and policy conditions youth and returnee migrants can participate effectively across different food system functions. Recognizing that not all young people aspire to become farmers or entrepreneurs, the study will explore diverse opportunities for engagement across production, aggregation, processing, logistics, service provision, finance, digital technologies, market systems, and other food system nodes.

The study will examine youth as agents of change by assessing their aspirations, motivations, perceptions, livelihood assets, skills, migration experiences, and the social, economic, and institutional factors influencing their participation in food systems. Particular attention will be given to understanding how the knowledge, capital, skills, and networks of returnee migrants can be leveraged to promote innovation, enterprise development, resilience, and decent employment. It will also analyse barriers and opportunities related to gender equality, social inclusion, climate change, disaster risk, governance, market access, and institutional support that shape youth engagement in agri-food systems.

In addition, the assignment will review existing policies, programmes, financial incentives, and institutional mechanisms affecting youth and returnee participation in agri-food systems and agri-entrepreneurship, identifying critical gaps and opportunities for improvement. Ultimately, the study will provide WHH Nepal and its partners with practical recommendations on priority food system functions, business models, policy reforms, market interventions, institutional strengthening, financial inclusion, and ecosystem support required to accelerate youth-led, climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive, and inclusive food system transformation in Sudurpaschim Province.

2.1 Overall Objective

• To generate evidence on how youth and returnee migrants can act as agents of change in transforming agri-food systems by assessing their aspirations, capacities, livelihood assets, opportunities, constraints, and enabling environment, and by identifying inclusive, climate-resilient, and market-oriented pathways, policies, and interventions that strengthen their meaningful participation and leadership across food system functions in the Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal.

2.2 Specific Objectives

• Look at youth as an agent of change as leaders in Food Systems Transformation.
• Assess the aspirations, perceptions, motivations, bottlenecks, and livelihood assets of youth (including returnees) that influence their engagement in agriculture food systems using WHH’s framework for food system transformation without assuming that all the participants want to become farmers or entrepreneurs
• Analyze the most promising food system functions, business models, and leverage points through which youth and returnee migrants can generate decent income, employment, innovation, and wider food system transformation.
• Identify pathways for leveraging the knowledge, capital, and networks of returnee migrants to strengthen agri- food system resilience.
• Analyze barriers, opportunities, contextual factors, and existing capacities, including gender and social inclusion dimensions, that influence the participation of youth and returnee migrants across different nodes (especially in production, aggregation, processing, logistics, service provision, finance, digital tools, or market linkages) of the food system.
• Assess how climate change and disaster risk, influences youths and returnees' decisions to engage in agriculture food system transformation
• Review and analyze policies and incentives from government and financial institutions that promote or constrain youth and returnee migrant engagement in food systems and agri-entrepreneurship.
• Identify policy, institutional, market, and ecosystem interventions needed to strengthen youth-led agri-food system and accelerate food system transformation.

For Detailed TOR, click on the link below:

TOR-youths in food transformation.docx

Proposal Submission Deadline

Interested and qualified consultants/consulting firms are invited to submit their proposals no later than 17:00 hours (Close of Business), 31 August 2026. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the etender portal: Public RFT - Terms of Reference to conduct study on “Youth & Returnee Migrant’s Engagement in Food System Transformation

Any questions/clarifications needed can be requested via the same email address mentioned above by 24 August 2026.

Proposal Requirements

The proposal package must include the following documents:

1. A signed Letter of Expression of Interest (EoI) from the lead applicant.
2. A comprehensive Technical and Financial Proposal, prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined in Section 10 of this ToR.
3. A Company/Firm Profile detailing relevant organizational experience, including descriptions of similar assignments undertaken. Applicants should submit at least two sample reports from comparable studies or assignments.
4. Curriculum Vitae (CVs) of the Team Leader and all proposed team members, clearly highlighting their qualifications, relevant expertise, and professional experience.
5. A valid Company Registration Certificate.
6. A valid Tax Clearance Certificate.
7. A valid VAT Registration Certificate (applicable to both firms and individual consultants).
8. A duly completed and signed Supplier Declaration Form (uploaded in the same e-tender portal).

Compliance Requirements

The selected consultant/consulting firm will be required to comply with Welthungerhilfe's Data Protection Policy, safeguarding requirements, and all other relevant organizational policies and procedures throughout the duration of the assignment.

Selection Process

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted and invited to participate in the subsequent stages of the evaluation and selection process.

Welthungerhilfe Nepal reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, and to cancel or modify the procurement process at any stage without incurring any liability or obligation to provide justification to applicants. The organization will share the following documents to the consultant:

1. Country Strategy
2. Global strategy
3. Framework for food system transformation 
4. Capacity document