GSMA requires the services of a biodiversity specialist consultant to support Monsoon Tea Company, a start-up based in Thailand that has been awarded a grant under the GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation 2.0 to implement a forest and biodiversity friendly tea farming project, with the following:

1. A desk-based review of a) Monsoon Tea Company’s plan to improve and measure biodiversity change in tea farms in Northern Thailand; b) key biodiversity literature, considerations and regulations in relation to the project and the context.
2. An in-person workshop with recommendations to enhance Monsoon Tea Company’s biodiversity measurement plan, and guidance in establishing a baseline biodiversity assessment for the project (both advisory and where appropriate assisting with data collection and testing of tools).
3. Local biodiversity monitoring ad-hoc technical assistance for the project on an ongoing basis.

The details are outlined below. The deadline to submit expressions of interest is 23:59 (UK time) on Thursday 27^th June 2024. GSMA will review submissions on a rolling basis and may extend the deadline, if needed. The desk-based review, the workshop and the work to establish the baseline are to be completed between August to September 2024. The ad-hoc technical assistance will be required on an ongoing basis throughout the lifecycle of the projects, up until September 2025.

GSMA Mobile for Development

GSMA’s Mobile for Development team drives innovation in digital technology to reduce inequalities in our world. Singularly positioned at the intersection of the mobile ecosystem and the development sector, we stimulate digital innovation to deliver both sustainable business and large-scale socio-economic impact for the underserved.

Our unique research and insights platform advances digital innovations and implementations that empower underserved populations to build a better future. Our in-market expertise informs partnerships between the mobile industry, tech innovators, governments and the development sector. And our unparalleled convening power motivates conversations and inspires action.

GSMA ClimateTech Programme

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity and we continue to see its impacts, including: frequent extreme weather events; food and water insecurity; displacement of vulnerable populations; increase in temperatures; wildfires and droughts; reduction of wildlife populations and biodiversity; lower agricultural yields; sea-level rises and daily loss of forest.

The mission of theGSMA’s ClimateTech Programme[1] is to unlock the power of digital technology for climate action to create a low-carbon, climate resilient, and environmentally sustainable future. Through our research activities, we identify, promote and inform opportunities for digital innovation and develop pathways for aligning climate action with the sustainable development agenda. We also catalyse vital partnerships between the GSMA, the mobile industry, tech innovators, governments and the development sector with the aim of reducing fragmentation, facilitating scale and promoting collective action.

GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation

The GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation Cohort 2.0 was launched during the GSMA’s MWC Barcelona event in February 2023, and is supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).The fund is designed to help accelerate the testing, adoption and scalability of digital innovations that enable the world’s most vulnerable populations to adapt to, anticipate and absorb the negative impacts of climate change, or strengthen biodiversity. It builds on the previous GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation, currently supporting 11 start-ups.

The fund seeks to support start-ups, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to leverage mobile and digital technology to build the climate resilience of vulnerable low-income communities and marginalised groups in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Grantees are to receive an equity-free grant of between £100,000 and £250,00 to pilot and scale their innovation over an 18-month period, with additional soft benefits such as GSMA facilitated industry partnerships, provision of mobile and digital, monitoring and evaluation, and market expertise through GSMA staff, and a platform to raise the profile of their start-up or SME to potential investors.

Under this fund, up to 12 start-ups and SMEs across Africa and Asia have been awarded grants to pilot and scale innovative digital solutions for climate action.

Monsoon Tea Company

The upland areas of Northern Thailand and neighboring areas in Laos, Myanmar, and China have been home to forest-dwelling communities for thousands of years. These communities are under threat, as Northern Thailand has lost over a fifth of its forest cover between 1973 and 2020, primarily due to logging and the expansion of cash crops. Deforestation was accompanied by a loss of biodiversity and increased exposure to the impacts of climate change. Minority upland communities face increasing difficulties in sustaining their livelihoods amidst these challenges.

Monsoon Tea Company are one of the recipients of the GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation 2.0. They specialise in unique tea grown in harmony with the forests of Northern Thailand. By growing tea in the forest and creating delicious blends for customers, the company seeks to help prevent deforestation, preserve biodiversity, and provide local communities with a stable source of income. Monsoon Tea Company has five shops in Thailand and receives orders from all over the world. Their customer base includes some of the world’s best hotels and restaurants.

For the project supported by GSMA, Monsoon Tea Company will create a traceability app for forest grown tea from mountains in northern Thailand. The app will reward farmers for biodiversity services and inform tea buyers about the positive impact of the tea on forest biodiversity. As part of their project plan, they will be measuring change in biodiversity using digital tools such as biosensors. They expect to measure flora, fauna and soil health indicators to establish a baseline, and then again at the end of the project.

Biodiversity Assessment and Technical Advisory Assignment

We are seeking the services of a biodiversity specialist consultant to support Monsoon Tea Company in working towards assessing the impact of their project on biodiversity. We expect this to take approx.18 days in total, and be done through the following three phases (suggestions for alternative approaches are welcomed by consultants):

• Desk-based review (6 days)

A)   A review of Monsoon Tea Company’s plan to improve and measure biodiversity change in tea farms in Northern Thailand. This should draw from discussions with Monsoon Tea Company and GSMA, and all project documentation shared by Monsoon Tea Company and GSMA.

B)   A rapid review of the existing scientific literature on biodiversity in tea farming communities of Northern Thailand and parallel examples, impact of tea farming on biodiversity, and appropriate measures to restore and improve biodiversity in the tea farming context, sustainable tea farming practices in a forest context, and relevant local and national policies and regulations. It should draw from academic literature, policy documents and reports from relevant organisations, with the to supplement this with a small number of expert interviews that the consultant would need to identify and schedule. The review should be summarised in a word document and pdf no longer than 4 pages.

• Biodiversity Enhancement Workshop & Assessment (10 days)

A)   Guidance in establishing a baseline biodiversity assessment for the project (both advisory and where appropriate assisting with in-person data lection and testing of tools). This should draw upon the consultant’s expertise and knowledge, as well as the desk-based review.

B)   Development of capacity building material and recommendations for an in-person workshop with recommendations to strengthen Monsoon Tea Company’s biodiversity measurement approach. This should draw upon the consultant’s expertise and knowledge, as well as the desk-based review and testing of Monsoon Tea Company’s tools.

• Ad-hoc Technical Assistance (2 days)

Provision of ad-hoc technical assistance on the local biodiversity and biodiversity monitoring as required, particularly in relation to the testing and development of Monsoon Tea Company’s digital tools for measuring biodiversity.

Working with GSMA and Monsoon Tea Company

The GSMA Climate Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager will provide overall direction to the consultant, as well as facilitate initial communication with Monsoon Tea Company. The consultant is expected to lead on project communications with Monsoon Tea Company thereafter.

Key Deliverables and Timeline

• Desk-based review
• Biodiversity enhancement workshop & assessment

September 2024 – August 2025

• Ad-hoc technical assistance

Application and ion process

Interested applicants are asked to submit:

The deadline to submit expressions of interest is 23:59 (UK time) on Thursday 27^th June 2024. Proposals should be submitted to Samir Hafiz [email protected] and Sami Salter [email protected]. GSMA anticipates that interviews will be conducted on 1st and 2^nd July, or earlier on a rolling basis.