Call for Proposals: Promoting Entrepreneurship Development in Agriculture and Agro-food in North-Lebanon, Akkar and Beqaa

Background:

In response to high levels of unemployment and increasing poverty and vulnerability levels of both Lebanese host and Syrian refugee communities, the Government of the Netherlands has launched a new Partnership entitled “Improved Prospects for Forcibly Displaced Persons and Host Communities” or “PROSPECTS” bringing together the ILO, UNICEF, UNHCR, WB, and IFC to jointly focus on nexuses between education, protection and employment. Implemented in eight countries, namely, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, PROSPECTS aims to help transform the way governments and other stakeholders, including the private sector, respond to forced displacement crises.  In particular, the Partnership aims to:

(1) enhance the enabling environment for the socio-economic inclusion of forcibly displaced persons (to mitigate their plight during years of exile and to best prepare them for their return);

(2) enhance access to education and child protection for vulnerable children on the move;

(3) strengthen the resilience of host communities through inclusive socio-economic development that also benefits forcibly displaced persons.

Within the framework of PROSPECTS in Lebanon, the ultimate objective of ILO’s intervention is promote access for vulnerable host communities and Syrian refugees to decent work opportunities (rights to work); and to ensure workers from both communities have safe working conditions and social protection (rights at work), in line with international labour standards.

Objective of ILO’s intervention:

In light of the above-mentioned challenges, the ILO seeks to support vulnerable Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees in Akkar, North-Lebanon and Beqaa governorates and promote livelihoods and decent jobs through entrepreneurship and start-up development in the agriculture and agro-food sectors.

To assist in implementation, the ILO is seeking a business development service (BDS) provider with extensive experience in entrepreneurship and start-up development training and coaching targeting vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugees. The selected institution will be trained on the ILO My First Business (MFB) entrepreneurship training programme to ensure the delivery of non-financial support services to vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugees and support the creation of microbusinesses in agriculture and agro-food sectors. The selected institution will also be in charge of providing grants to beneficiaries for start-up and operationalization phases, which will be made available by the ILO.

The ILO MFB Training programme is a youth-specific adaptation of the ILO Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) Programme, which targets potential owners of small businesses to develop and strengthen their basic management skills. SIYB is one of the largest global business management training programmes that has led to the creation of 9 million jobs in 90 countries and the establishment of 2.65 million new businesses.