1.0 INTRODUCTION
Solidaridad Network is an international solution-oriented civil society organisation working through eight regional expertise centres to transform markets to make them more sustainable and inclusive. Our eight regional expertise centres include Asia, Eastern and Central Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Southern Africa, South America, West Africa and our global Secretariat in the Netherlands. Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa, one of the regional centres, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with country offices and programmes in Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. We bring together supply chain players and engage them with innovative solutions to improve production, ensuring the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy that maximises the benefit for all. We facilitate strengthening of local capacity in developing countries, support the creation of enabling environments for economies to thrive, and improve market access. Solidaridad embraces the public-private and people partnerships (PPPP) in order to test innovations, speed up change, and take success to scale. Globally, Solidaridad works around Coffee and other 12 commodities/sectors (http://www.solidaridadnetwork.org)
2.0 The Pathways to Prosperity Coffee Project in Kenya Summary
The Pathways to Prosperity (P2P) Coffee Project is a 7-year project funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs supporting smallholder coffee farmers through 3 pathways: (i) creating viable and resilient production systems ii) catalysing inclusive service delivery systems, and iii) championing inclusive markets. The programme will co-create and implement tailored interventions to facilitate transformation in the coffee sector, contributing to increased sustainable production (productivity and quality) and incomes, enhancing resilience to the impacts of climate change and other shocks, and the creation of decent jobs and inclusive supply chains.
The P2P project aims to build the capacity of 101,500 smallholder coffee farmers (30% women and 15% youth) from Bomet, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, Nandi, Bungoma, Transnzoia and West Pokot counties. Also, strengthen the leadership and governance of 84 Coffee Cooperative Societies within the project regions and provide a platform for cooperatives to link & interact with over 500 service providers in their respective regions to establish long-term relations that serve the interests of both.
The intended long-term impact is that small- holder coffee farmers thrive by participating in the supply chain that is economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally sound by 2029. Smallholder coffee farmers will have an opportunity to participate in economically viable value chains by increasing their productivity through adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP’s) for increased incomes. It prioritises the inclusion of women and youth. Environmental conservation is a key element focusing on adoption of climate resilient practices, implementing carbon projects as well as adopting agroforestry.
3.0 Background
Coffee remains the main cash crop for many smallholder households in Kenya’s highland regions, yet most farmers depend on a single harvest cycle that generates income only once or twice a year. This seasonal pattern creates long periods of limited cash flow, during which households often struggle to meet basic needs or invest consistently in essential farm management practices such as fertiliser application, pruning, pest control, and labour. Diversification into complementary farm enterprises is therefore critical to stabilising household income and to sustaining investment in coffee production throughout the year.
Dairy farming is one of the most practical diversification options available in coffee-growing areas and it generates regular daily or weekly income while integrating well with existing coffee-based farming systems. However, the productivity and profitability of smallholder dairy systems are often constrained by inadequate feeding and fodder conservation, poor breeding decisions, weak calf management, preventable animal-health challenges, sub-optimal housing, inconsistent milking hygiene, limited quality testing, post-harvest losses and insufficient knowledge of climate-smart dairy farming technologies. Additionally, other factors like poor milk handling, use of unclean containers, delays and exposure to heat often undermine milk quality even when production practices at farm level are good.
These interventions are expected to improve dairy productivity, animal health and milk quality while promoting more efficient use of locally available resources and reducing production costs. Practical demonstrations will reinforce farmer learning, support adoption of improved practices and establish accessible learning points within the target communities. Overall, the intervention aims to enhance the resilience, productivity and sustainability of dairy enterprises, while contributing to more consistent household income alongside coffee production.
3.0 Objectives
The overall objective of the assignment is to strengthen the capacity of coffee-farming households participating in the Pathways to Prosperity Coffee Project to improve the productivity, profitability, resilience and sustainability of their dairy enterprises.
The specific objectives are to:
- Strengthen farmers’ knowledge and skills in improved dairy production and management practices to enhance animal productivity, milk yields, milk quality and overall farm performance.
- Improve dairy herd performance and productivity through better feeding, breeding, animal health management, calf rearing and access to targeted artificial insemination and veterinary services.
- Promote climate-smart and resource-efficient dairy farming practices that strengthen integration between dairy and coffee production systems, including improved utilisation of manure through biogas where applicable and composting.
- Strengthen milk quality management and hygienic handling practices to improve food safety, minimise losses and support more consistent access to reliable dairy markets.
Overall, this will Improve the sustainability and resilience of dairy enterprises by enabling farmers to better manage production risks, maintain animal health and productivity, optimise locally available resources, and adopt practical technologies that reduce costs and support consistent year-round performance.
4. 0 Responsibilities of Consultant & Scope of Work
The consultant will be responsible for planning, coordinating and delivering practical dairy capacity-building and technical support services to approximately 1,500 farmers across Bungoma, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Kericho, Kisii and Bomet counties.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Develop a practical dairy training curriculum covering fodder production, feed formulation and planning, breeding and artificial insemination, calf rearing, dairy housing, waste management (manure), animal health, milking hygiene and milk quality, and other climate-smart dairy farming practices to improve productivity, animal performance, milk quality and farm resilience.
- Deliver dairy capacity building to 1,500 farmers across 8 counties and 10 training sites.
- Provide targeted AI, breeding and veterinary support to 200 selected model farmers, including proper initial assessment, service delivery, follow-up and record keeping.
- Document and report on implementation, including farmer participation, services delivered, demonstrations conducted, lessons learned and recommendations for follow-up interventions.
5.0 Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to build the capacity of targeted coffee-farming households to improve dairy productivity, animal performance, milk quality and farm resilience through practical training, technical support and adoption of improved dairy management practices. The assignment will also promote more efficient use of farm resources, improved herd management and climate-smart practices that support sustainable dairy production. In addition, it will strengthen the role of dairy as a complementary enterprise that can provide more regular household income alongside coffee production.
6.0 Methology
The consultant will apply a participatory, practical and demonstration-based approach, combining technical instruction, hands-on demonstrations, farmer engagement and targeted technical services. Implementation will be undertaken in close collaboration with Solidaridad project staff, county technical teams, cooperatives and selected farmers to ensure that the interventions respond to local dairy production conditions and are practical for adoption by smallholder farmers.
Activity, Timelines and Responsibility
- Inception meeting – to review the assignment, confirm expectations, assess capacity gaps target counties, farmer numbers, implementation arrangements, reporting requirements and coordination mechanisms – Day 1 – Consultant & Solidaridad
- Development and submission the training curriculum, materials and detailed implementation plan – Day 2 – Day 15 – Consultant Consultant, with support from Solidaridad & County Teams where possible.
- Review and approval of the training curriculum, implementation schedule and technical materials – Day 15 to Day 22 – Solidaridad & Consultant
- Mobilisation and confirmation of participants, training venues, demonstration sites and selected beneficiaries – Day 22 to Day 30 – Solidaridad
- Conduct county-based dairy capacity-building sessions covering the agreed technical areas – Day 30 to Day 45 – Solidaridad & Consultant – Provide targeted AI, breeding and veterinary services to selected model farmers – Day 15 to Day 60 – Solidaridad & Consultant
- Conduct milk quality testing and practical demonstrations on hygienic milk production, handling and quality management at selected farmer/cooperative sites – Day 45 to Day 50 – Solidaridad & Consultant
- Submit a draft technical report documenting activities undertaken, farmers reached, results, challenges, lessons learned and recommendations for follow-up – Day 50 to Day 60 – Consultant
- Review and approval of the final report – Day 60 to Day 75 – Solidaridad
7.0 Expert/Consultants’ Profile
The bidder shall demonstrate the technical and organisational capacity to deliver a multi-county dairy assignment. At minimum, the proposal should demonstrate:
- Legal registration and ability to contract and operate in Kenya.
- At least five years of demonstrable experience in dairy farmer training, dairy extension, animal nutrition, breeding/AI, animal health, milk quality or related dairy-value-chain services.
- A multidisciplinary team that includes, at minimum, a dairy/livestock production specialist, a qualified veterinary or reproductive-services practitioner for AI, and a dairy technologist/food-safety specialist. Expertise in manure management/biogas and practical farmer training shall also be demonstrated.
- Relevant professional licences or registrations for personnel undertaking regulated veterinary and AI services.
- Evidence of successful delivery of comparable farmer-capacity-building assignments, preferably across multiple counties and with cooperatives or smallholder producer organizations.
- Capacity to mobilise sufficient facilitators and equipment to manage large county groups through practical breakout stations while maintaining training quality.
- References for similar assignments completed within the last 5 years.
8.0 Deliverables
i) Inception report and detailed implementation plan.
ii) A comprehensive dairy training curriculum.
iii) Delivery of dairy capacity-building sessions to 1,500 farmers across the targeted counties and training sites.
iv) Provision of targeted artificial insemination, breeding and veterinary services to 200 selected model farmers.
v) Milk quality testing and practical demonstrations on hygienic milk production, handling and quality management at 3 selected farmer and cooperative sites.
vi) A final assignment report incorporating Solidaridad’s feedback and consolidating all implementation results, supporting documentation, lessons learned and recommendations for future dairy interventions.
How to apply
9.0 Submission:
The completed quotations (inclusive of relevant taxes) should be submitted via email to [email protected] by 2nd September 2026 while addressed to:
Attn: Managing Director
Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa Expertise
Europa Towers, 5th Floor Lantana Road, Westlands Nairobi,
P.O. Box 42234 – 00100
GPO Nairobi
With the Subject below:
Expression of Interest for “CAPACITY BUILDING ON DAIRY PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTIVITY AND RESILIENCE UNDER THE PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY COFFEE PROGRAMME IN KENYA”
Only successful candidate will be contacted.
More Information
- Job City Kenya

