Rikolto in Tanzania is seeking a consultant to support the implementation of an acceleration program for youth and women-led SMEs in green and circular sectors. In partnership with local institutions, this program aims to enhance business readiness, sustainable practices, and investment opportunities for entrepreneurs in Tanga City. The consultant will lead training sessions, facilitate cohort programs, and provide coaching to boost business capacity and investment appeal. Interested consultants should submit their proposals to eastafrica@rikolto.org by November 8, 2024.
Deadline:
TERMSOF REFERENCE
CONSULTANCY: SUPPORTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ACCELERATION PROGRAM FOR YOUTH & WOMEN LED SMEs IN THE GREEN &CIRCULAR SECTORS
1. Background
Rikolto in East Africa is supporting several beneficiaries who are farmers, traders, consumers and cities. It works to transform food chains and ensure food is produced with respect for people and the planet by supporting collective actions, innovations, and better ways for actors in the food chain to realize their potential to feed the growing population while caring for nature.
Rikolto aims to improve the non-financial and financial business development services for the agri-food sector in Tanga City, especially targeting women and youth.This is well aligned with the EU’s objective to improve the availability of quality and accessible financial products and capital investments in key sustainable economic sectors and strengthen local business development service provider ecosystems. It is also aligned with Enabel’s IncluCities programme objective to ensure an inclusive and sustainable socio-economic integration for all in cities to improve the sustainability of the local economy. The proposed action is designed to address and offer innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges hindering women and youth entrepreneurs. By focusing on capacity building, access to resources, and practical skills development, the initiative aims to empower these underserved groups to overcome barriers to business success.
TangaCity, a key economic hub in northeastern Tanzania, holds significant potential for growth across various sectors. However, youth and women entrepreneurs face persistent challenges in scaling their businesses, accessing essential resources, and achieving investment readiness. These challenges span multiple industries, including manufacturing, services, agribusiness, and eco-friendly ventures. Despite efforts by local institutions such as Partner Institution, there remains a need for comprehensive support to enhance entrepreneurial capacity and improve business outcomes. In response to these challenges, Rikolto seeks to provide a holistic approach by strengthening Partner Institution ’S capacity in implementing acceleration program to support investment readiness for youth and women-led SMEs in the green and circular economy sectors.
Rikolto seeks a consultant build the capacity of Partner Institution Tanga to conduct an acceleration program for youth and women entrepreneurs in the green and circular economy sectors in Tanga to access business opportunities, transform waste into valuable resources, and contribute to a local sustainable local economy.
2. Objective
The objective of this assignment is to strengthen the capacity of Partner Institution Tanga to effectively design and implement an acceleration program focused on green and circular economy sectors. This program aims to ensure the investment readiness of youth and women-led businesses by providing targeted support in areas such as business planning, financial management, and sustainable business practices. The initiative will foster an enabling environment where these entrepreneurs can overcome the challenges of scaling their businesses, access investment opportunities, and contribute to sustainable economic growth. By building Partner Institution Tanga’s expertise in delivering tailored capacity-building programs, the assignment seeks to enhance the long-term development of an inclusive, innovative, and resilient business ecosystem inTanga City.
3. Scope of Work
i. Inception meeting together with Rikolto to establish a clear understanding of project goals, stakeholder expectations, and operational plans
ii. Conduct a detailed assessment to identify gaps in Partner Institution’s current capacity to support youth and women entrepreneurs and develop a roadmap to address these gaps, including strategies to improve program delivery and sustainability.
iii. Using Rikolto’s GenerationFood acceleration program methodology design and implementing a capacity building program for the Partner Institution staff on acceleration program
iv. Assist Partner Institution in planning and conducting two cohorts of the Generation Food acceleration program, focusing on equipping 45 youth and women entrepreneurs with practical skills in business management, financial management and business planning
v. Provide targeted support to ensure investment readiness of these entrepreneurs by supporting in developing robust business plans, financial models and value proposition by equipping them with necessary tools and knowledge needed to be attractive to potential investors and financiers and specifically under the IncluCities project support about 30 entrepreneurs to receive financing from the Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDT)
4. Expected Deliverables
- A detailed timeline of activities, milestones, and deliverables for the project duration of one year
- A comprehensive document detailing the findings from the needs assessment, including identified gaps in PartnerInstitution’s capacity and the key recommendations for addressing identify gaps.
- A customized training curriculum covering essential acceleration program methodologies,
- Documentation of training sessions conducted, including participants lists disaggregated by age and gender, feedback from participants and Evaluation of training effectiveness.
- A plan outlining the back stopping support and mentoring mechanisms for Partner Institution staff after training.
- Cohort Structure and curriculum include detailed outlines for the two cohorts, learning objectives, Content and format of workshops, schedule and timeline.
- Evaluation reports summarising participant feedback and progress throughout the cohorts.
- Final reports for each cohort detailing participant achievements, skills gained, and recommendations for future cohorts.
- Business Plans for 45 entrepreneurs and pitch decks that are ready for submission to the IncluCities Investment committee and other potential investors
- Coaching Session Summaries, Records of individual and group coaching sessions, including key takeaways and progress made by entrepreneurs.
- A comprehensive evaluation of the overall program's impact, including participant outcomes related to investment readiness and business planning.
5. Qualifications and Experience
a. Educational Background
- Master’s Degree or Higher infields such as Business Administration, Development Studies, Entrepreneurship, or related discipline.
b. Professional Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in business development, entrepreneurship, or capacity building, particularly in supporting youth and women entrepreneurs.
- Proven track record of designing and implementing acceleration programs or similar initiatives that focus on startup incubation and investment readiness.
- Experience working with governmental organizations, NGOs, or development agencies, especially in the context of entrepreneurship and economic development.
c. Specific Skills
- Strong understanding of business planning processes, including financial modeling, market analysis, and strategy development.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver training programs or workshops tailored to diverse audiences, particularly for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- Proficient in facilitating group sessions and providing individual coaching to entrepreneurs, with a focus on practical skills development.
d. Technical Expertise
- Familiarity with acceleration program methodologies, including startup incubation and business scaling techniques.
- Knowledge of the local business environment and challenges faced by youth and women entrepreneurs in the target region.
e. Interpersonal Skills
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage and inspire diverse stakeholders.
- Strong interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with Partner Institution staff, entrepreneurs, and other relevant partners.
6. Application Procedure
- Interested and qualified consultants are requested to submit their proposals by November 8th,2024. through eastafrica@rikolto.org with the heading Accelerator Program for Youth & Women-Led SMEs in Green &Circular Sectors and must including the following:
- A letter describing interest in undertaking the assignment, with an indication of target regions.
- A comprehensive proposal outlining how the consultant will address the outlined objectives.
- A proposed budget for the program, including consultancy fees and other associated costs.
- A detailed work plan for cohort 1 of the program.
- CV(s) of the consultant or proposed team members.
- Details of similar assignments conducted in the recent past, particularly in waste management orfood waste collection projects