TAF - pre-TA Implementation - SME - Mayiya Investments - Ghana Background of the assignmentBased on the findings of the ESG and TA assessment that have been performed during the due diligence by Injaro and Advance Consulting from 9 to 11 July  and agreed upon with Mayiya in the course of July 2020  the Risk Committee of the ABC Fund approved the following pre-investment technical assistance package:Recruitment of critical personnelImplementation of an integrated ERP systemComprehensive training of management in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)Introduction to MayiyaMayiya Investment Company Limited (Mayiya) is primarily involved in the production of seeds and grains. It produces maize  rice  soya bean and sesame seeds and grains on their own farmland and through its outgrower scheme. Under the outgrower scheme  smallholder farmers are supplied with farm inputs such as seeds  fertilizers and agrochemicals and provided with farm support services for the production of seeds and grains. These services are provided mostly by Mayiya; third party service providers are used when the need exceeds Mayiya’s capacity. Total revenue in 2019 was EUR 154k  to which grain contributed about ~60% and seed about ~40%. Mayiya operates its business in West Mamprusi District  Savelugu Nanton Municipality and in Tamale Metro  all in the Northern Region of Ghana.The company currently has 1000 acres of its own farm under cultivation for seed and grain production and works with 987 smallholder farmers on seed and grain production currently cultivating a total of 1150 acres. Due to the increasing demand from the company’s off-takers  there is the need for the company to scale up its operations and secure more sales contracts. To achieve this  the company is seeking a facility of EUR 347 600 from the ABC Fund to mainly finance its working capital needs and to acquire some key assets to effectively manage post-harvest activities on-site.Mayiya has been assessed as a company with a lot of potential  while also having a lot of areas to improve on. Considering the TA absorption capacity of the company in combination with the key areas that may negatively affect Mayiya’s pay back capacity  the proposed TA activities have been organised in pre-investment TA and regular post-investment TA. Moreover  the proposed combination of pre-investment and post-investment TA is expected to significantly reduce and mitigate the identified social and environmental risks.This document presents the terms of reference for a package of pre-investment technical assistance needed for making Mayiya investment-ready. The following weaknesses were observed during the due diligence by Injaro and Advance Consulting  which will be addressed by the pre-investment technical assistance package:Mayiya needs improved HR capacity to recruit new key staff that is critical to the professionalization and upscaling of the company and expansion of its outgrower network. The key functions include an Accountant and an Outgrower Manager.The company lacks an effective Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system  and is not yet able to steer effectively towards the company’s strategic and operational goals.There is need for Mayiya and its outgrowers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to increase their productivity and competitiveness in the maize  rice and soybean value chains. A visit to the field by the due diligence team showed the need for both farm staff and outgrowers to be trained on GAP  including the safe storage and application of pesticides and herbicides.