UEBT/RA Certification for Phuc Thinh Export Import Invesment Corporation

The Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) is a non-profit organization specializing in implementing poverty reduction programs and increasing the participation of disadvantaged groups including the poor, women, youth and ethnic group minorities into the process of sustainable development and economic growth. CRED is a pioneering organization that applies the method of developing market systems and connecting the community with businesses and high-quality service providers to promote sustainable production practices and enhance capacity. ready for export by small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

CRED is currently implementing the Regional BioTrade Project – Phase II in Vietnam, which aims to improve the competitiveness of businesses in international markets through the implementation of 4 main components covering trade promotion, businesses process improvement, sustainable supply chain development, and communication and policy advocacy.

Today, Vietnam is one of the world’s leading exporters of cinnamon products, both in terms of quantity and quality, to various market segments such as America; Europe; Japan; Korea; India and the Middle East. In recent years, regulations regarding heavy metal residues in cinnamon products have become increasingly stringent, especially in high-end markets. In addition, the market is demanding that cinnamon products comply with and be certified according to voluntary sustainability standards such as UEBT/RA, organic, etc.

Currently, the proportion of sustainable cinnamon products in Vietnam that meet the requirements of major import markets is very small.

Therefore, the aim is to support enterprises to improve their capacity to create sustainable products that meet market requirements and conserve biodiversity in the raw material areas and surrounding areas. There is a need to support businesses to apply and be certified to UEBT/RA standards for cinnamon products, thereby improving the livelihoods of cinnamon-growing households.

We are looking for a Professional certification organization to perform UEBT/RA certification for Phuc Thinh Export Import Invesment Corporation as followed details: 

Objective

• Provide farmers, companies and stakeholders with the knowledge they need to produce in a sustainable way, while respecting biodiversity.
• Improve the internal quality control capacity of the company and farmer groups in sustainable cinnamon production according to UEBT/RA.
• Maintain, conserve and enhance biodiversity for raw cinnamon growing areas
• Add value to products and improve farmers’ livelihoods

Specific tasks and steps

• Providing UEBT/RA assessment and certification services in Phuc Thinh Company

Implementation time

The consultants are expected to start this assignment during 01/04/2024 to 30/06/2024

	Task	Completion time
1	Exchange and establish UEBT/RA certification service agreement	01-30/04/2024
2	Signing of UEBT/RA certification contract and preparation for certification assessment	01/04/2024
3	Conduct UEBT/RA certification assessment	5-9/05/2024
4	Conduct review and approval of post-certification corrective actions	10-30/05/2024
5	Issue UEBT/RA certificate	30/06/2024 (or later depend on certification body)

Expected deliverables

1. PTEXIM become a member of UEBT
2. PTEXIM Achieved UEBT/RA certification issued by certification body

Requirements:

• The certification body is approved and authorized by UEBT
• Have an understanding of Cinnamon plantation in Viet nam

The complete application set included Certification body profile, Quotation for certification fee and Certification agenda should be sent to the following email address: biotrade@cred.org.vn; Or sent by post to CRED office address: Room 808, 8th Floor, Building 17T1 Hoang Dao Thuy, Trung Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi. Application deadline: 15th March 2024