Engaging Local Partners - CASHA Project

SNV Netherlands Development Organization is an international development organisation supporting communities to achieve social and economic development through agri-food systems, productive and renewable use of energy and improved water and sanitation systems. In a world that is fast changing and facing increased challenges from pandemics to environmental crises, and low access to energy, food, food, feed, and water, SNV wants to see all people live with dignity and have fair opportunities to thrive sustainably in every society. This is achieved through strengthening capacities and catalyzing partnerships that can transform the interconnected agri-food, energy, and water systems. SNV implements projects that directly benefit millions of people across Africa and Asia. We have a team of over 1,600 staff who are dedicated to ensuring projects contribute to true systems transformation while promoting gender equality and social inclusion, facilitating climate adaptation and mitigation, and strengthening institutions for effective governance.

SNV Kenya’s agri-food systems program focuses on enhancing market systems for agri-food products by stimulating private sector to participate in market-led commercialization of smallholder farming, employing good agriculture practices, and observing climate smart and environmentally friendly practices. Projects in the agriculture program aim to improve access to markets through improved product quality, increased yield and enhanced food, nutrition, and water security. The global objective is to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods through innovative solutions that address food and nutrition security, sustainable markets, climate smart agriculture, and equal opportunity for women and youth in employment and business, while ensuring systemic change across value chains.

For more information on SNV, visit our website: www.snv.org

About the CASHA project

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, in partnership with FAO, ILRI, BOMA, E4Impact, and KLMC, is implementing the Creating Shared Value in the Livestock Sector with Young People in Kenya's ASALs (CASHA) Project. The initiative seeks to enhance inclusive and climate-resilient economic opportunities for financially disadvantaged young women and men, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and refugees across 15 of Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).

CASHA focuses on strengthening agri-food value chains by integrating gender equality, market systems development, climate-smart approaches, and private sector engagement. Under market access pathways SNV aims to promote inclusive market systems and decent job creation in poultry and related agri-food enterprises through skills development, strengthening input & output market structures including value addition, aggregation, and market linkages. A key component in market systems development is the engagement and active participation of private sector.

The Purpose of this project is to create climate-smart and resilient work opportunities through entrepreneurship with a specific focus on financially disadvantaged young women, displaced persons, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in ASAL areas. Specific strategies for refugees and PWDs include collaborating with local NGOs, community-based organizations, and refugee camps to reach and engage with refugee communities to facilitate trust-building and effective communication.

The overall goal is to improve the livelihood opportunities of young women and men in these regions and thus contribute to the socio-economic well-being of communities in the ASAL areas of Kenya. Despite the numerous efforts by both national, county governments and development actors in the ASAL areas of Kenya, youth unemployment, especially of young women, remains the most critical challenge. In the context of pastoral and agro-pastoral areas, the problem exacerbated by traditional practices and beliefs that preclude women from engaging in productive work. The CASHA program aims to transform the livestock market system holistically, thereby focusing on the feed/fodder and red meat value chains as well as other agri-food-related livelihood opportunities in the ASALs such as poultry, aquaculture, beekeeping, dairy, and horticulture. The assumption is that an inclusive and favorable ecosystem will create entrepreneurship opportunities in the livestock sector and that the project will enable youth and women to take advantage of these opportunities. The project will implement innovative, scalable, and sustainable interventions by working closely with the local government, private sector actors, as well as community-based organizations.

Project context

Kenya faces growing food and nutrition insecurity, intensified by the accelerating impacts of climate change. This challenge is most severe in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), which make up 80% of Kenya’s landmass and support 70 million livestock, representing 70% of the national herd. Despite being home to 40% of the population and serving as the backbone of the country’s livestock economy, ASAL communities remain highly vulnerable due to weak resilience systems, limited social protection, and repeated climate shocks such as prolonged droughts and flash floods.

The result is recurring livelihood losses, widespread poverty, and erosion of productive assets. In the 15 CASHA target counties, poverty levels average 56%, significantly higher than the national average of 40%. Chronic underinvestment and marginalisation of ASAL regions have further deepened food insecurity, malnutrition, youth unemployment, and gender inequality.

While livestock is central to livelihoods, over-dependence on a climate-sensitive sector increases risk exposure. There are growing opportunities for diversification—poultry, horticulture, apiculture, aquaculture, nature-based enterprises, fodder systems, and other climate-adaptive value chains—which align with the CASHA mandate to strengthen household resilience and income security. Gender and social inclusion remain critical barriers. A 2023 study by the British High Commission shows that 65% of women in Kenya are multidimensionally poor, compared to 56% of men, with the deepest inequalities experienced by women in ASALs, adolescent girls, women with disabilities, and those in informal or low-income settings. Youth unemployment is equally severe: 64% of unemployed Kenyans are youth, and 40% of the national youth population lives in ASALs. In CASHA counties, 36% of young women and men are unemployed. Over 1 million young people enter the labor market each year—many from the ASALs—without adequate skills or opportunities. This combination of climate vulnerability, economic marginalization, gender inequality, and youth exclusion makes the ASALs a priority region for CASHA to drive resilience, diversification, inclusive enterprises & livelihoods, and climate-smart household agriculture.

Objective of Call for Application & Intervention areas

The Creating Shared Value in the Livestock Sector with Young People in Kenya's ASALs CASHA) project aims to strengthen climate resilience, food and nutrition security, and inclusive livelihoods among vulnerable households—especially women, youth, and persons with disabilities—in 15 ASAL counties of Kenya. The project promotes diversified, climate-adaptive income sources, market development, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and social inclusion.

To support community-level implementation, mobilization, and county engagement, the CASHA project seeks to contract local CBOs/NGOs/Private with strong local presence, proven experience in community development, and capacity to deliver climate-resilient enterprises focused interventions on livestock and related value chains. The objective of this assignment is to engage qualified county-level CBOs/NGOs/Private sector to support the effective implementation of CASHA interventions by:

• Mobilizing communities, producer groups, and vulnerable households including refugees where applicable
• Supporting climate-resilient poultry, food security, and livelihood diversification.
• Recruit and train local Master Trainers and Village Based Advisors (VBAs)
• Facilitating youth and women inclusion, capacity building, and local empowerment.
• Strengthening community structures for market access, income generation, and resilience.
• Enhancing participatory monitoring, accountability, and learning at the county level.
• Supporting coordination with county governments and stakeholders through the County Cluster Coordinating Units

Local Implementing partners will work closely with the CASHA Cluster Coordinating Units and contribute to project outcomes across climate resilience, household agriculture, nutrition, market inclusion, and social protection.

Program Target Areas

The SNV is open to receiving applications from qualified local CBOs/NGOs operating in the 15 project counties Full TOR. 

The selected CBO/NGO will sign a partnership agreement detailing roles and responsibilities in the selected Counties.

Eligibility Criteria for Application

SNV seeks to engage existing and operational local CBOs/NGOs/Private sector that fulfil the following ELIGIBILITY criteria:

• Registered CBO/NGO/private company or community-based institution legally operating in Kenya
• Physical presence and active operations in the target county or cluster.
• Knowledge of ASAL context, vulnerability drivers, and local governance systems.
• Proven capacity for community mobilisation and actual delivery of trainings in targeted sub counties. You can work in several sub-counties depending on your capacity

• Existing and operational presence in target sub-counties working on CASHA priority areas.
  1. At a minimum, the applicant should be in operation for more than 2 years before the date of the application.
  2. Should be legally registered under Kenyan laws and policies and should have active registration status
  3. Committed and willing to contribute co-invest in the activities of the project financially or in kind towards establishing a viable supply chain business model with producers.
  4. Commitment/interest to work with young people, PWDs and other marginalised groups
  5. Clear understanding of needs of young people in specific areas of enterprise development and capacity
  6. Sound financial management and reporting systems.
  7. Ability to manage grants of KES 20M and above per year
  8. Proven ability to meet donor compliance requirements
  9. Experience working with FAO and Mastercard Foundation is an added advantage

Application requirements

• Organisation profile
• Understanding of CASHA context in the county
• Proposed activities and approach
• Gender and social inclusion strategy
• Staffing and implementation structure
• Experience and evidence of similar work
• Proposed number of young people you can reach and create jobs
• Indicative annual budget
• Administrative Documents
• Registration certificate
• Latest annual report and audited financial statements
• CVs of key staff
• Tax compliance/exemption certificate
• References from previous donors/partners

How To Apply

SNV is an equal opportunity employer, and this position is available for filling at the earliest possible opportunity. Interested firms should write to kenyahr@snv.org   with ProcurementKenya@snv.org   with in copy to get the complete application form do so by the 18th December 2025. 

Applications should be submitted to kenyahr@snv.org and ProcurementKenya@snv.org  no later than 24th December 2025 by close of business. 

Shortlisting

 Only applicants fulfilling the above requirements will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within one month from the submission date of your application, consider your application unsuccessful.