Support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises - Call for Applications

Project description

The Alliance2015 Partnership, represented by ACTED, Cesvi, Concern and Hivos in Lebanon, is leading a programme that aims to address root causes and instability in Lebanon through the creation of sustainable income-generating and livelihood opportunities for vulnerable populations. The Alliance2015 is funded by the ARC Initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands over a period of three years, from 2017 to 2019.

In the framework of this programme, Cesvi is launching a Call for Applications to support the growth and competitiveness of Micro, Small and Medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the Saida area.

Cesvi intends to provide business-related and financial support to 5 MSMEs. The support can take the form of: a) training in areas such as Human Resources, Financial Management, Marketing, Business Plan Development, Administration, etc.; b) counselling and mentorship, legal advice and support, assistance in accessing financial opportunities, referral to incubators and accelerators, etc.; c) financial grants up to 25.000$, depending on evaluation of needs, business model and potential for job creation of the selected businesses. 

Objective

The call for proposals aims to provide practical and relevant technical assistance and resource support to MSMEs in the Saida area.

Support to selected businesses should contribute to the achievement of the following outcome:

Outcome: Improving the capacity of the private sector for growth and job creation

Eligibility

This call for proposals is open to MSMEs that meet the following criteria:

  • Must have between 1 and 100 employees, and an annual turnover that does not exceed L.B.P. 25 billion (U.S. $16.75 million);
  • Must operate or be registered in Saida or Chouf governorates;
  • Must operate in one of the following sectors: agro-food processing, handicrafts and original products, construction, green jobs (waste management, green construction, manufacturing and renewable energies), or digital IT

Eligible MSMEs can fall under one the following stages:

  1. Business start-up
  2. Establishment
  3. Scale-up

Preference will be given to MSMEs that integrate one or more of the following components:

  • Potential for job creation
  • Innovation (business idea, approach, market)
  • Environmental sustainability (green component)
  • Social impact
  • Women participation

Selection process:

In order to apply for the business support program, MSMEs shall:

  1. Fill in the Assessment Questionnaire, providing overall information on their business. This questionnaire will help assess if the MSME meets the minimum required criteria

Upon screening of the MSMEs who applied through the Assessment Questionnaire, Cesvi will short-list eligible candidates who will continue on to step 2 of the selection process:

  1. Fill in the Business Model Questionnaire, containing more detailed information on the business financial and legal status, services/products provided, market capture and business plan

Upon evaluation of the information collected from step 1 and 2 of the application process, Cesvi will short-list 10 candidates who will continue on in the selection process. In order to verify the information provided in the questionnaires, Cesvi’s staff will conduct field visits to the applicants.

  1. Cesvi’s staff will conduct individual interviews and/or Focus Groups Discussions with pre-selected businesses in order to assess their needs and gaps
  2. The 10 candidates will be invited to pitch their ideas in front of a jury (guidelines to present business ideas will be provided by Cesvi)
  3. The jury will evaluate the MSMEs based on the pitch and Business Model Questionnaire and select the 5 companies whose goals and characteristics best align with those of the project and whose potential for achieving the goals are highest. Selected businesses have 3 working days to accept the grant
  4. First post-grant meeting: selected business owners will meet with Cesvi’s staff to discuss the type of support/training/mentorship they will receive through the grant, based on the information gathered through the questionnaires, field visits, interviews/Focus Groups and pitch

How to apply

  1. Please read the full Call for Proposal carefully (Arabic version available in PDF as an attachment to this call)
  2. Complete the Assessment Questionnaire following this link (English: https://goo.gl/forms/XV4C03ySNC9Z425P2) (Arabic: https://goo.gl/forms/HknVeIo6xaGypDmO2) and complete it in all its parts
  3. Check your e-mail: Cesvi’s staff will get back to you within 4 working days after closure of the Call
  4. If short-listed, you will be sent and asked to fill in the Business Model Questionnaire. You will have 3 working days after reception of first feedback from Cesvi to send the Business Model Questionnaire filled in in all its parts and signed to [email protected]. Applicants who do not respect this deadline, will be automatically excluded from the selection process
  5. Cesvi’s staff will follow-up with successful applicants to schedule field visits and interviews and will provide instructions on how the selection process will proceed
منتهية الصلاحية
آخر مدة للتقديم
الجمعة, 15. يونيو 2018
نوع الدعوة
دعوة لتقديم مقترحات
قطاع(ات) التدخل:
العمل وسبل العيش
randomness