Adaptation and validation of biochar technologies to improve the resilience of soils and cocoa-based livelihoods in the Bolivian Amazon.

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), on behalf of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), invites qualified and interested firms to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in an upcoming solicitation for the provision of technical assistance for Adaptation and validation of biochar technologies to improve the resilience of soils and cocoa-based livelihoods in the Bolivian Amazon. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), on behalf of CTCN, seeks to engage a qualified consulting firm to provide the technical assistance requested and endorsed by the National Designated Entity (NDE) of Bolivia. The objective of this assignment is to strengthen technical, institutional, and local capacities to adapt, validate, and scale up biochar technologies produced from cocoa waste, demonstrating their effectiveness as a climate adaptation measure and developing an operational and financial model that enables their sustainable provision as a service or input for cocoa-producing organizations and other agroforestry systems in the Bolivian Amazon. In Bolivia, cocoa agroforestry systems in northern La Paz face two primary climate threats: droughts and water stress during the dry season, which reduce productivity, and erratic and intense rainfall during the wet season, which accelerate erosion and nutrient leaching. Degraded soils have lost their ability to retain moisture, amplifying their vulnerability to these climate extremes. Although biochar can improve soil structure and water retention, its adoption in Bolivia remains in its early stages due to a lack of adapted technologies, validated protocols, local evidence, technical capacity, and sustainable supply models. The country is highly vulnerable to climate change, with growing impacts on food security, ecosystems, and rural livelihoods. This vulnerability is most severe in cocoa agroforestry systems in northern La Paz, where threats such as droughts and seasonal water stress during the dry season (May–October) reduce yields; and erratic and intense rainfall during the wet season (November–March) accelerate erosion and nutrient leaching. Soil degradation exacerbates these climate threats by reducing the system’s ability to buffer water variability, making rural livelihoods increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Cocoa production generates residual biomass—primarily husks and pods—which often accumulates without being put to good use. Transforming this biomass into biochar represents an opportunity for circular value creation with direct potential for climate adaptation; if validated technically and economically, it could be gradually incorporated as a service or input for rural organizations and families. This potential is supported by Bolivia’s NDC 3.0 (2026–2035), which sets directly related targets (Target 2: restoration of 1 million hectares of agricultural land through sustainable management and recycling of organic waste; and Target 5: at least 25,000 hectares of resilient agroforestry systems incorporating technological innovation); and the Economic and Social Development Plan PDES 2026–2030, which reinforces this mandate by prioritizing the bioeconomy and the utilization of agricultural waste. Despite the goals of NDC 3.0, Bolivia faces a gap between planning and action on the ground. In the cocoa-growing areas of northern La Paz, soil degradation—exacerbated by seasonal droughts and erratic rainfalls, reducing productivity and eroding the resilience of livelihoods. This vulnerability is compounded by a missed opportunity: cocoa waste biomass accumulates on farm plots, creating conditions conducive to pests and diseases, when it could instead be converted into biochar to restore soils and improve their water retention capacity in the face of extreme weather events. In addition, the adoption of biochar as an adaptation measure faces barriers: (i) the absence of technologies adapted to local conditions; (ii) the lack of validated technical protocols for its production and application; (iii) insufficient capacity among producers and institutions; and (iv) a lack of technical and financial evidence validated under local conditions, as well as a lack of an operational-financial model that would enable local organizations to produce, supply, or facilitate access to biochar as a sustainable service or input for their members. These barriers prevent the integration of biochar into climate adaptation programs and limit its sustainability beyond isolated pilot projects. Expected Outputs include: 1. Project Management (Mandatory Output). 2. Technical and territorial assessment, opportunity mapping and roadmap for adaptation of biochar technologies in Cocoa Agroforestry Systems. 3. Technical validation of biochar technologies and development of operational protocols under local conditions. 4. Capacity building, operational and financial model, and scaling-up strategy for a local biochar supply chain. Detailed requirements will be provided in the solicitation documents to be issued following the closure of this REOI. Note: At this stage it is sufficient to click on the 'Express Interest' button in UNGM and no documentation is required. Specific Requirements/Information The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) is the Operational arm of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and hosted by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The mission of the CTCN is to promote accelerated development and transfer of climate technologies at the request of developing countries for energy-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient development. CTCN provides technical assistance to the countries using its own funds ( which it receives through voluntary contributions of donor) or through the other funding sources specifically the Green Climate Funds (GCF) through the Readiness Programme. The requests for Technical Assistance (TA) are submitted to the CTCN by the National Designated Entity (NDE) of the respective country. CTCN has developed a response plan and expects to implement the technical assistance. In case you are not a CTCN network member yet, you may apply for this REOI and subsequent solicitation (Request for Proposal), subject to the condition that you submit your completed application for CTCN membership before the proposal submission closing date, which will be communicated in the subsequent Request for Proposal in due course of time. Furthermore, the contract award – should your proposal be selected – is conditional to your application for CTCN network membership being approved by CTCN management. The requirement to join the CTCN network is only relevant to the main bidder and not subcontractors. Please find more information to join CTCN Network at- https://www.ctc-n.org/network The purpose of this REOI is to identify suitable firms who may be invited for the Request for Proposal after the REOI is closed. In addition to CTCN registration, all applicants should also be registered (free of charge) at United Nations Global Marketplace (www.ungm.org). IMPORTANT: Please note that this REOI is not an invitation for submission of tenders. Its purpose is to identify companies that would be interested and eligible to participate in the solicitation when issued. UNON will examine the outcome of this request for EOI and will consider those companies that have expressed their interest . UNON reserves the right to change or cancel the requirement at any time during the EOI and/or solicitation process. Thus, submitting a reply to this Request for EOI does not automatically guarantee your company will be considered for receipt of the solicitation when issued.