TERMS OF REFERENCE
|
Title |
: Market linkage for Hoa De Cooperative |
|
Client |
: Hoa De Cooperative (HACO) |
|
Country |
: VIETNAM |
|
Project number |
: 24HACO-10072 |
|
Assignment number |
: ADV.22423 |
|
Period |
: November – December 2025 |
|
Cooperative advisor (CA) |
: Nguyen Thanh Trang, Le Thi Thu Hien |
|
Mode of Agripool involvement |
: ☐ Remote (Online) only |
|
|
☐ Field visit included |
Introduction cooperative
Hoa De Cooperative was established in 2016 in Can Tho city (formerly Soc Trang province). The cooperative currently has 53 members managing a total of 63 hectares of integrated rice-shrimp farming area.
Hoa De Cooperative produces a variety of value-added products, including brackish water tilapia cake (chả cá rô phi), one-sun dried brackish water tilapia (khô cá rô phi một nắng), tilapia floss (chà bông cá rô phi), shrimp salt (muối tôm), shrimp cracker (bánh phồng tôm), and dried shrimp (tôm khô).
The tilapia-based products are made from naturally farmed fish and were certified 3-star OCOP products in 2023. The remaining products: shrimp salt, shrimp crackers, and dried shrimp are currently under registration for 3-star OCOP certification in 2025.
The cooperative’s average monthly production capacity is as follows:
- Brackish water tilapia cake: 200 kg/month
- Dried brackish water tilapia: 150 kg/month
- Tilapia floss: 15 kg/month
- Shrimp salt: 500 kg/month
- Shrimp crackers: 100 kg/month
- Dried shrimp: 25 kg/month
The cooperative has one member responsible for overseeing production and managing sales.
Background of the assignment
Recent Strategic Business Plan, developed with technical support from Agriterra, has emphasized Hoa De Cooperative’s key strengths in producing value-added products derived from eco-friendly rice-shrimp farming system and in creating local employment opportunities, particularly for women.
Despite these achievements, Hoa De Cooperative still faces several critical challenges that hinder its competitiveness. These include limited buyer segmentation, weak product differentiation and branding, and insufficient marketing capacity. These constraints limit the cooperative’s ability to sustain access to higher-value domestic markets.
To overcome these barriers, Hoa De Cooperative intends to expand the market reach of its key products, such as brackish water tilapia cake (chả cá rô phi), one-sun dried brackish water tilapia (khô cá rô phi một nắng), tilapia floss (chà bông cá rô phi), shrimp salt (muối tôm), shrimp cracker (bánh phồng tôm), and dried shrimp (tôm khô) to the Central and Northern provinces of Vietnam, where consumer demand is larger and direct competition remains moderate.
To realize this ambition, the cooperative has requested Agriterra’s support to facilitate market linkage and to develop a market expansion plan tailored to its product portfolio and target regions.
Main objective
To support Hoa De Cooperative understand market demand of focused products, connect to potential buyers, and formulate market expansion plan for the cooperative.
Specific objectives
- To understand the market demand of focused products in the Central and Northern provinces, where there is a larger consumer base and less direct competition (demand trends, customer preferences, and competitive positioning).
- To identify and connect Hoa De Cooperative with potential buyers (retailers, distributors, supermarkets…).
- To analyze Hoa De Cooperative’ brand positioning, pricing strategy, and promotional efforts.
- To facilitate at least one supply agreement or sale contract between Hoa De Cooperative and new buyers.
- To formulate market expansion plan for the cooperative.
Expected results
- One assignment report in English, including a market study report, comprehensive market expansion plan.
- Potential buyers in the Central and Northern identified.
- The market study knowledge of the cooperative’ staff improved.
Assignment details
- Composition of the Agriterra assignment team: 06 people
- 01 national consultant: The consultant will lead on methodology (key informant interview, SWOT analysis, supplier/cooperative pitch), B2B connection and reporting.
- 02 Agriterra cooperative advisors: Responsible for planning, coordinating and the quality of the assignment.
- 02 representatives from Hoa De coop (01 chairman & 01 person in charge of marketing/sale): Participate online meeting, provide required information, prepare products, quotations and participate the assignment.
- 01 representative of Cooperative Alliance of Can Tho city.
- Duration of the assignment: The timeframe of the assignment will be 10 days in the period of November – December 2025. This includes 02 days for preparation and 02 days for reporting.
- Arrangements: Agriterra Vietnam team will handle all logistics arrangements.
Tentative programme
|
Day |
Date |
Programme |
Available |
|
02 days |
November |
|
National consultant/ CAs/ the coop |
|
06 days |
November (as soon as possible) |
Customer interview and connecting to potential buyers in the Central and Northern provinces |
National consultant/ CAs/ the coops/ Can Tho Cooperative Alliance |
|
02 days |
November – Mid December |
Reporting and closing the assignment |
National consultant/ CAs/ the coop |
|
10 days |
TOTAL |
|
|
CAs = Nguyen Thanh Trang or Tran Quang Dieu and Le Thi Thu Hien, Agriterra Cooperative Advisors
Application and selection process
Interested national consultants with a strong network of seafood buyers, retailers, and distributors in the Central and Northern provinces are invited to submit a complete application package. Application should include:
- Cover letter: Indicating the applicant’s interest in the assignment, highlighting relevant experience, and outlining suitability for the role.
- Technical proposal: Presenting the proposed methodology, tools, workplan to carry out the tasks and deliverables outlined in the ToR.
- Financial proposal: Including the daily rate in VND (inclusive of taxes), with a clear breakdown of estimated costs.
- Updated CV(s): Detailing qualifications and professional experience. Examples of similar past assignments in market linkage should be attached.
Qualifications required:
- Proven experience in agri/aquaculture marketing and value chain development.
- Knowledge of shrimp sector in Vietnam (and abroad, this is credit)
- Experience in facilitating B2B linkages or trade promotion.
- Strong analytical and reporting skills.
- Vietnamese language skills preferred; English proficiency required for reporting.
Submission guidelines:
- All application documents must be in English.
- Please submit the full package by email with the subject line: “Consultant – Market linkage for Hoa De Cooperative”
- Email submissions should be sent to: [email protected]
Selection process:
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for an interview.
The closing date for applications is 17:00, 10 November, 2025.