CALL FOR PROPOSAL - CAPACITY BUILDING OF SMEs IN SOMALIA

CALL FOR PROPOSAL - CAPACITY BUILDING OF SMEs IN SOMALIA

Introduction

The Somali regions have been ravaged by war, political turmoil, and humanitarian crises for decades. While the situation is still relatively unstable, conditions have improved. In the Somali regions, the nexus between unemployment and conflict has assumed great significance due to poor socio-economic conditions and limited economic opportunities, both acting as a catalyst for conflict. There is an acute need to mobilize investment, knowledge, resources, and action to drive sustainable employment and enterprise development programs, particularly those preferring youth and women participation. The primary obstacles to SME growth are access to finance in the market and a need for more services to support promising and successful businesses. Most SMEs in the Somali region function informally and will require training to help professionalize their operations. SMEs benefit significantly from support in developing business plans, improving financial management, understanding, and developing ESG Action Plans, improving corporate governance, and expanding market reach. However, capacity-building institutions are limited in scope and costly for businesses. Challenges can be intensified for women and youth entrepreneurs who are less likely to receive training and support due to the existing cultural norms.

Given the foregoing, OEF has received funding from DANIDA to undertake targeted Technical Assistance (TA) to SMEs operating in Somalia/land to help capacitate them in business management. OEF would like to use the proceeds of this funds to hire competent contractors to carry out the business development skills highlighted by the targeted SMEs.

Objective of the TA

The main objective of this contract is to conduct one to one coaching/mentoring sessions, and theoretical and practical training for SMEs working across the targeted value chains in Somalia/land under the Nordic Horn of Africa Fund (NHOAF) managed by Shuraako The contractor shall be required to provide training and customized coaching/mentoring sessions for the SMEs aiming at improving their skills and systems, to unlock their potential for financial access and therefore, position their business for growth.

Specific Scope of Work

•       Conduct cross-sectional business, financial planning, and analysis by defining targeted value chains, and tailor training needs based on capacity gaps identified.

•       The contractor will be responsible for conducting site visits to the selected SMEs and creating a profile for each SME assessing their current situation and needs. The contractor should

elaborate the curriculum based on their findings following the approval of the project manager. The contractor should also prepare the one-to-one coaching/mentoring plan based on the needs of each SMEs.

•       The contractors will work closely with OEF and other project partners to develop SME curriculum and respective training modules tailored to the needs of the SMEs and to meet the project requirements. As well as the pre and post-tests for each module. The business training will be based on the business model canvas methodology.

•       The contractors will be responsible for conducting training for 18 SMEs at their offices and selected training sites working in various value chains in South Central Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland. The SMEs will be divided into 3 regional batches (SL, PL and SCS).

•       The contractors will also provide technical assistance and support to the SMEs through one-on-one coaching/mentoring sessions to ensure that they can apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the training. The contractors should submit tangible deliverables for the beneficiary and OEF/SHURAAKO. Once reviewed and cleared by OEF/SHURAAKO team, the session will be counted. A coaching/mentoring plan should be developed based on the business assessment. It includes the gaps and the support areas along with the number of sessions and the related deliverable.

•       The contractors will report to the Project Manager at OEF/SHURAAKO and work closely with the project team in all three regions.

•       Where the SMEs are seeking for financing from SHURAKO, the contractor will take part in understanding and the evaluating SMEs needs.

•       The contractors will be responsible for delivering the final report on the training and the coaching/mentoring provided.

•       The contractors will support OEF/SHURAKO in the baseline and end-line survey to evaluate the improvement of the SMEs.

The number of working days is estimated at two to three weeks covering all the above tasks and subjects. Deliverables

1.      Develop a detailed training plan based on the initial business, financial planning and analysis from the timetable to cover all the needs identified.

2.      Develop training modules from agreed standard modules such as UN-ILO

3.      Translate the modules into Somali language.

4.      Help develop OEF-branded e-modules.

5.      Training reports

6.      Pre- and post-assessment reports

Profile of trainers

The contractors wishing to be considered for the services described herein should propose a team with diversified skills highlighting their role in the provision of training and coaching sessions. We sought teams with the following qualifications:

Expertise in Business Development:

•       Academic Qualifications: A master’s degree in finance, international development, or any related field

•       Years of experience: Minimum of 10 years of experience in conducting business-related training and capacity building

•       Technical experience: Experience in developing and delivering training modules for SMEs.

•       Examples of technical skillsets as derived from initial needs assessments of the participant SMEs include processing health and safety protocols; quality control (QC); financial tools and software; environmental, social, and governance (ESG); and access to resources, networks, and finance. Broad themes in the assessment revealed the need for advanced tools and processes to remove technical and logistical impediments to an SME’s ability to scale. Knowledge of best

practices and techniques related to business management, finance, SMEs capacity building, and market linkages.

Competencies:

•       Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

•       Fluent in Writing and spoken English and Somali language.

•       Good Knowledge in preparing timely reports on the progress of the work.

•       Previous knowledge/experience in Somalia/land

The contractors should provide the following:

•       CVs / Resumés of the proposed team members

•       Itemized Financial offer within the range of USD 20,000 –25,000 including (VAT- Tax) o Please indicate needed travel costs which will be covered by OEF.

•       Portfolio/List of similar projects implemented.

•       Valid licence & registration certificate for Somaliland / Somalia

•       Company profile showing similar projects.

•       3 Reference contacts from similar project.

•       Technical offer/proposal

If you meet the above requirements, please email to [email protected] no later than 18th May 2024 under the subject “TA contractor companies”. if you have any questions and clarifications, please contact to [email protected]

NB: OEF will handle all costs related to logistics such as travel for program participants, training/workshop venues, and per diems where necessary.