1 About Gain

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, GAIN has Programmes and projects being carried out in a variety of other countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people.

In 2007, GAIN stepped in Pakistan to improve the malnutrition landscape of the country by focussing on Large Scale Food Fortification. Later, GAIN expanded its horizon and started programs in Pakistan on biodiversification of crops, improving adolescent’s nutrition along with private sector engagement for a wider impact. GAIN plays a significant role in the public policy landscape in Pakistan, as it does in many other countries around the world.

While focusing on the macro-level, GAIN in Pakistan is striving to transform the food-systems in the country by advocating for the data-driven initiatives by developing a data bank through its Food Systems Dashboard. Capitalising on this, GAIN is also pursuing for the data-driven food and nutrition policies in the country by formulating alliances with public sector, research think-tanks and academia of the country.

By understanding that there is no “one-size-fits-all” model, GAIN develops alliances and buil tailored programmes, using a variety of flexible models and approaches. GAIN builds alliances between governments, local and global businesses, and civil society to deliver sustainable improvements at scale. GAIN is part of a global network of partners working together to create sustainable solutions to malnutrition. Through alliances, GAIN provides technical, financial and policy support to key participants in the food system. The specific learnings, evidence of impact, and results of projects and programmes are being used by GAIN to shape and influence the actions of others.

2 Background

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is supporting the development of school meal and nutrition guidelines to improve nutrition and food safety outcomes in Pakistan. GAIN, together with Punjab Food Authority (PFA), is providing technical assistance on various aspects of food safety and nutrition in Punjab.

In this collaboration, one of the priorities is the development of School Meal and Nutrition Guidelines (for any public/private sector meal distributor/provider) at a provincial level (those may be adapted by the other provinces/regions) along with toolkits for practical implementation from the respective government authorities of public and private schools. The aim is to mitigate malnutrition and adverse dietary habits in children attending schools by implementing standards of any school meal intervention and providing instruments that schools, parents, and students could use.GAIN requires a suitably qualified consultant to lead and manage the design and developmen of the guidelines and stakeholder toolkits to ensure contextual relevance, scientific rigor, and stakeholder consensus.

Objectives

The objectives of this RFP are given as follows.

• Preparation of comprehensive and contextually suitable School Meal and Nutrition Guidelines for schools in Punjab.

• Development of an assorted set of tools that can be used for implementation by the stakeholders targeted. The stakeholders include:

• Schoolteachers (curricular materials, monitoring tools)

• Parents and caregivers (awareness materials, food safety tips)

• Schoolchildren (interactive and engaging educational tools)

3 Scope of Work and Deliverables

3.1 Scope of Work

The scope of work focuses on the development of comprehensive School Meal Guidelines tailored to the context of Punjab, aligning with global best practices and national frameworks.

It entails a thorough review of international standards (such as those by WHO, FAO, and the School Meals Coalition) and national references including the National Nutrition Survey 2018, PC-1s, and relevant pilot programs. Based on this review, the guidelines will outline age-specific nutrition standards, food quality and safety protocols, delivery models, implementation and accountability mechanisms, and recommendations for integrating the program within school systems—emphasizing equity, sustainability, and local sourcing. The assignment also includes the development of practical toolkits for teachers, parents, and students to support implementation and engagement. Extensive stakeholder consultations—including situational assessments and provincial workshops—will ensure contextual relevance and buy-in. Finally, a policy alignment strategy and implementation roadmap will be prepared to facilitate the integration of the school meals initiative within existing provincial nutrition and education policies.

3.1.1 Desk Review

• Review international guidelines and best practices on school meals from WHO, FAO, and the School Meals Coalition.

• Analyze national policies and frameworks, including the National Nutrition Survey 2018, PC-1s, and any documented school meal pilot projects in Pakistan.

• Examine nutrition standards by age group, food safety protocols, and delivery models adopted in other comparable contexts.

3.1.2 Formulation of Guidelines

• Review global best practices (WHO, FAO, School Meals Coalition) and national references (NNS 2018, PC-1 frameworks, any existing school meal pilots).

• Draft guidelines specific to Punjab, including• Nutrition Standards by age group,

• Food quality and safety requirements,

• Recommended models for meal delivery,

• Implementation and accountability mechanisms,

• Integration into school systems and workflows,

• Equity and sustainability, and local sourcing considerations.

3.1.3 Development of Implementation Tools

Design and develop practical, user-friendly toolkits:

• Teachers Toolkit: Training materials, lesson plans, inspection checklists, nutrition monitoring tools

• Parents Toolkit: Meal prep tips, low-cost lunch ideas, food safety messages

• Children’s Toolkit: Booklets, games, comics, posters, gardening guides, food safety mascots

3.1.4 Stakeholder Engagement and Consultations

• Conducting inception meetings and scoping discussions with GAIN and key partners

• Doing situational assessments through school visits (urban and rural)

• Conducting consultative sessions with teachers, parents, students, nutritionists, and food regulators

• Holding a provincial validation workshop to finalize the outputs

3.1.5 Policy Integration and Implementation Strategy

• Prepare a roadmap for practical implementation and policy alignment

• Recommend potential linkages with existing provincial nutrition and education policies.

3.2 Deliverables

• Inception report

• Zero draft of Guidelines and Toolkit framework

• Finalized stakeholder toolkits (teachers, parents, children)

• Draft implementation roadmap and policy integration strategy

• Final Guidelines & Toolkit Package (English + Urdu)

• Summary report from the provincial validation workshop

4 Timeframe of the Assignment

The assignment is required to be completed by 30th June, 2025.

5 Proposal Outline

The consultant/service provider needs to prepare and submit a technical proposal that is 15-

20 pages or less. The technical proposal, financial proposal and the CVs of the expert must

be included in the single PDF file with the following headings:✓ Introduction and organizational capacity of the consultancy firm/consultant.

✓ Objectives

✓ Methodology

✓ Scope of Work

✓ Examples of Previous Relevant Experience

✓ Team Member’s Competencies and Clear Roles and Responsibilities (full CVs can be

included in an annex)

✓ References

✓ Timeline against the deliverables

The financial proposal should indicate the following details and all the prices must be quoted

in Pakistani Rupees (PKR):

✓ Budget Items

✓ Unit Cost

✓ Activity Cost

✓ Personnel Cost

✓ Travel and Accommodation Cost

✓ Taxes

✓ Admin Cost

The total proposed budget should include all items like fees, travel,

meetings/workshops/FGDs, Taxes etc.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, the following criteria must be

met:

• A Master’s degree or higher in Public Health, Nutrition, Education, or Food Policy

• At least 8 years prior experience in designing nutrition programs or policy tools, particularly in school settings

• An understanding of education, nutrition, and food regulation contexts within Punjab is essential.

• Experience in developing training and communication materials

• Experience in stakeholder facilitation and government engagement

• Familiarity with English and Urdu (written and verbal)

6 Submission of Proposal:

6.1 Submission and Deadline

Completed proposals should only be submitted in electronic format to email address [email protected] by 28th May 2025 with subject line ‘Consultancy Services for School Meal Guidelines for Punjab Province’

.6.2 Unacceptable

The following proposals will automatically not be considered or accepted:

• Proposals that are received after the RFP deadline at the specified receiving office.

• Proposals received by fax/hard copy.

• Incomplete proposals.

• Proposals that are not signed.

6.3 Acceptance

GAIN will not necessarily accept the lowest cost or any of the Proposals submitted.

Accordingly, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and mandatory requirements shall govern.

6.4 Completion

Proposals must be submitted on official letterhead of the lead organisation or firm and must be signed by a principal or authorising signatory of the lead firm or organisation.

In case of errors in calculating overall costs, the unit costs will govern. While GAIN has used considerable efforts to ensure an accurate representation in this Request for Proposal (RFP), the information contained in this RFP is supplied solely as a guideline. The information is not warranted to be accurate by GAIN. Nothing in this RFP is intended to relieve applicants from forming their own opinions and conclusions with respect to the matters addressed in this RFP.

By responding to this RFP, the applicant confirms its understanding that failing to comply with any of the RFP conditions may result in the disqualification of their submission.

6.5 Rights of Rejection

GAIN reserves the right to reject any or all submissions or to cancel or withdraw this RFP for any reason and at its sole discretion without incurring any cost or liability for costs or damages incurred by any applicant, including, without limitation, any expenses incurred in the preparation of the submission. The applicant acknowledges and agrees that GAIN will not indemnify the applicant for any costs, expenses, payments, or damages directly or indirectly linked to the preparation of the submission.

6.6 References

GAIN reserves the right, before awarding the Proposal, to require the applicant to submit such evidence of qualifications as it may deem necessary, and will consider evidence concerning the financial, technical, and other qualifications and abilities of the applicant