EOI - Expression of Interest by Survey Firms: Pilot Agricultural Household Survey in India

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About the Organization

The Foundation for Agrarian Studies (FAS) is a charitable trust established in 2003 and based in Bengaluru, India. As an independent research organisation, FAS is committed to facilitating multi-disciplinary theoretical and empirical enquiry in agrarian studies in India and other less-developed countries. It works as a network of a wide section of people interested in the agrarian question, including academic and other scholars, policy professionals, and members of mass organisations working in the countryside. The Foundation collaborates with young researchers and students, senior scholars, leading academic institutions, donor agencies, and governmental and intergovernmental organisations interested in different socio-economic aspects of rural life in India.

About the Proposal

As part of the collaborative study “The Dynamics of Agricultural Innovation in India” by the Foundation for Agrarian Studies and Monash University, Monash University seeks to invite qualified survey firms to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) to conduct a pilot survey in preparation for the Integrated Agricultural Household Survey (IAHS) 2026.

The Pilot will take place in November-December 2025. We expect to engage 3-4 survey firms for this Pilot and will select one or two firms for the IAHS survey, based on performance in the Pilot.

Who you will work with: You will work with the research team of investigators from Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia), the Indian Statistical Institute (Bengaluru), and the Foundation for Agrarian Studies (Bengaluru).

Pilot scope: The pilot survey will cover approximately 100 households across any two of the six target states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha.

Activities include:

• Farmer listing in selected villages to create a sampling frame for household selection
• Socioeconomic survey: abbreviated agricultural household survey, focusing on farm inputs and yields for the previous cropping season, agronomic practices, and access to extension services
• Plot identification and measurement:
• Perimeter walk with GPS to measure plot size (main plot only)
• Collect soil samples (main plot only)
• Identifying and photographing plots with zero-tillage and residue retention

Biophysical data: collection and storage of young leaf samples from the farmer’s main plots

• Target crops: wheat (north-western region, Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh) and potato (eastern region: Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha)

Deliverables for the Pilot

• Raw and cleaned data files in .csv format, together with a full data dictionary (with variable names, labels, and descriptions)
• Labelled leaf and soil samples
• Documentation covering enumerator recruitment, training, and fieldwork
• A cost estimate for the full 2026 IAHS data collection, with detailed cost breakdowns

Eligibility

Firms should demonstrate:

• Proven experience with agricultural household surveys
• Capacity to handle both socioeconomic and biophysical data collection
• Familiarity with high-quality CAPI-based survey implementation, data management, and quality assurance
• Strong logistical capacity to operate in multiple regions

How to Apply

Interested firms should submit:

• A statement of interest and relevant experience (including an indication of interest in operating in the north-western region, the eastern region, or both) [maximum 500 words; survey firms may append a brief annex (maximum 2 pages) with details of relevant experience]
• Proposed approach to implementing the Pilot [maximum 1000 words]
• Comprehensive budget for Pilot data collection [Excel spreadsheet]

Send EoIs to Associate Professor Gaurav Datt (gaurav.datt@monash.edu). Please direct any questions to Gaurav Datt, Jose María Martínez (josemaria.martinez@monash.edu), and Emilia Tjernstrom (emilia.tjernstrom@mq.edu.au).

Closing date/time for submission of EoIs is 7 October 2025, 23:59 hrs Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).

For more information please check the Link

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Tags Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Research Others