Ref.
2025/ACTSTWOZFHAIDPET/14099
Job offer type
Experts
Type of contract
Service contract
Activity sectors
Sustainable development
Deadline date
2025/11/14 09:37
Duration of the assignment
Short term
Contract
Freelancer
Duration
120 days (Implemented in 12 month- January - December 2026
A consultant to Support the Whitelisting of Zimbabwe for Honey and its derivative product Exports to (M/W)
Departement Economie Durable et Inclusive - EDIN > Direction du département - EDIN
Published on : 2025/10/23
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
ZIMBABWE
Mission description
Project Description
The project aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the honey value chain, unlocking its potential for: a) reducing vulnerabilities among rural populations, and b) generating exports of higher value-added products. Implemented by Expertise France in collaboration with ZimTrade, the project covers three apicultural clusters comprising 455 producers and is structured around three components:
1) Strengthening the capacities of ZimTrade,
2) Establishing a “Center of Excellence” for honey research, studies, and analysis, and
3) Supporting the structuring of the apiculture sector, with a strong focus on women, under the supervision of ZimTrade, in order to improve the sector’s overall functionality.
Expected Project Impact:
1) Improvement in living conditions for populations in the 3 beneficiary clusters:
2) 455 honey producers adopt sustainable and environmentally friendly beekeeping practices through training and the provision of equipment, leading to improved living conditions through increased incomes.
3) Additionally, honey production in the three clusters increases in both quantity and quality, with new markets and derivative products being developed, thereby fostering diversification of local production. This diversification contributes to the creation of decent jobs within the three beneficiary clusters.
- Context
Zimbabwe faces a difficult macro-economic situation which is reflected in several factors: a chronic hyperinflation, leading to increased poverty and significant food insecurity (affecting 20% of the population). The honey sector represents a high-potential avenue for sustainable and inclusive economic development: productive and marketing capacities exist, and intermediary organizations have been established. However, the sector’s limited structuring, along with current production and processing practices, prevent it from realizing its full potential. The potential includes preserving and enhancing natural resources and biodiversity, generating decent income for producers (the majority of whom are women), creating jobs through the growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the sector, and capturing lucrative markets regionally and internationally. The national export promotion agency, ZimTrade, supports programs aimed at productive clusters to improve both the quantity and quality of export-ready production, creating economic opportunities for rural populations.
Project or context description
Background
Zimbabwe’s honey sector holds strong potential for export growth, particularly to premium markets such as the European Union (EU) and the GCCC markets. However, Zimbabwe is currently not listed among third countries authorized to export honey and bee products to the EU. To unlock this opportunity, Zimbabwe must establish and operationalize systems that comply with EU food safety, hygiene, and traceability standards as outlined in Regulations (EC) No. 852/2004, 853/2004, and 178/2002 and the revised honey directive (2001/110) which came to force in June, 2024.
This consultancy seeks to provide technical support to the Ministry of Agriculture (Department of Veterinary Services DVS) and key stakeholders to support Zimbabwe get whitelisted and allowed to support to EU countries.
Objective of the Assignment
To provide technical expertise and coordination support to guide the Government of Zimbabwe in fulfilling all regulatory, institutional, and technical requirements for whitelisting the country to export honey to EU and other markets
Secific Objectives
- To facilitate the EU DG SANTE audit process and address corrective measures leading to whitelisting approval
- To support the competent Authority (Department of veterinary Services) to comply with EU honey export requirement
- To align Zimbabwe’s honey standards, legislation, and inspection systems with EU regulations.
- To design and implement a National Residue Monitoring Plan (NRMP) for honey and bee products.
- To strengthen laboratory, certification, and traceability systems in line with EU requirements
Scope of Work / Key Tasks
The Consultant or Firm will:
|
Scope |
Tasks |
|
1. Institutional Setup and Coordination |
- Support the establishment of a multi-agency task force for honey export compliance - Define roles, procedures, and reporting mechanisms between agencies. |
|
2. Regulatory and Standards Alignment |
- Review and align national honey regulations and standards with EU directives - Draft or update national guidelines on honey hygiene, contaminants, and labeling. |
|
3. Residue Monitoring and Laboratory Strengthening |
- Develop a comprehensive NRMP for honey and bee products for submission to DG SANTE - Assess laboratory capacities and recommend upgrades or partnerships with accredited labs |
|
4. Traceability and Certification Systems |
- Design a traceability and certification framework from apiary to export stage. - Develop training modules and deliver capacity-building sessions for inspectors and exporters. |
|
5. Audit Preparation and Facilitation |
- Prepare the Competent Authority and relevant stakeholders for the EU inspection mission - Develop corrective action plans following DG SANTE’s recommendations. |
|
6. Reporting and Knowledge Sharing |
- Prepare progress reports and a final report detailing compliance achievements, challenges, and sustainability recommendations. |
Expected Deliverables
- Inception Report with detailed work plan and methodology.
- Gap Assessment Report on honey export regulatory and laboratory systems.
- Draft and finalized National Residue Monitoring Plan (NRMP).
- Updated honey standards, regulations, and operational manuals.
- Functional traceability and certification framework.
- EU Audit Readiness Report and corrective action plan.
- Zimbabwe is allowed to export to EU and other markets
- Final product Zimbabwe is listed to export to EU and other markets
Reporting and supervison
The Consultant/Firm will report to the Ministry of Agriculture (Department of Veterinary Services) in collaboration with Expertise France and the ZimTrade. Oversight will be provided by an inter-agency steering committee.
Required profile
Qualifications and Experience
For Individual Consultant:
- A degree in Food Safety, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Trade, or related field, candidates with a masters is an added advantage.
- Minimum 3 years and above of experience in food export certification, residue monitoring, or trade facilitation.
- Demonstrated experience supporting EU market access or whitelisting processes in agri-food sectors.
- Proven familiarity with EU regulatory frameworks (DG SANTE, EFSA).
- Strong stakeholder coordination and capacity-building experience.
For Consulting Firm:
- Proven track record in designing and implementing food export compliance systems.
- Access to experts in food safety, laboratory accreditation, and trade regulations.
- Experience in facilitating whitelisting of agricultural products to the EU market.
Application Requirement
- Submit implementation plan and methodology
- Your update resume/profile
- Attach your degree certificates
- Financial proposal
- Deadline for submission – 14th November, 2025
Additional information
Clarifications
- All clarifications concerning this advert should be sent to- vincent.bwire@expertisefrance.fr during normal working hours
Selection criteria for applications
The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :
- Candidate’s expected linguistic understanding
Deadline for application : 2025/11/14 09:37
File(s) attached : Terms of Reference for Whitelisting Zimbabwe (DRAFT 0).pdf
Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :
- democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
- peace, stability, and security ;
- climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
- health and human development ;
In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.