Innovation that scales start-up ecosystems in Mediterranean countries

Terms of References (ToR) for Implementing Partnership

Contracting authority: Stichting SPARK

Programme title: Innovation that scales start-up ecosystems in Mediterranean countries

Components: Innovation, start-up, scale-up, advocacy

Country- Region: Lebanon

Duration:  12 months

Contracting Authority – SPARK

SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship to empower young, ambitious people to lead their fragile and conflict-affected societies into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing, international not-for-profit development organisation with 100+ staff members, in more than 14 offices around the world.

SPARK supports refugees in the Middle East by providing them with scholarships in universities and higher education institutions in the region. SPARK also supports young entrepreneurs in fragile states, to start or grow their own businesses.

Summary:

SPARK with the support of the European Commission is looking for partners who can support on providing existing and emerging innovation support organisations (tech hubs, accelerators, incubators, university hubs, etc.) with capacity building to enhance and diversify start-up services provided. The programme specifically aims to work with organizations working on green entrepreneurship, tech and digitalization and social entrepreneurship. Furthermore, we specifically encourage organizations aimed at women entrepreneurship and empowerment to apply. Interested organizations can apply to support on one or more sectors or components.

Overall Objective

The overall objective of this programme is to strengthen the local start-up ecosystems and its actors in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Tunisia in order to support innovation, employment and economic growth

Scope of the Work

Services will be implemented through a local partner who will be responsible for the delivery and monitoring of the following activities in Lebanon:

• Cooperate with SPARK and its existing partners to design training modules and materials to enhance existing services and tailor services to new emerging markets and trends;
• Provide training and coaching to local innovation support organisations to enhance existing services and tailor services to new emerging markets and trends;
• Support local innovation support organisations on identifying new beneficiaries and expand their database of high potential start-ups and SMEs;
• Facilitate and contribute to regular coordination meetings linking relevant stakeholders to share best practices and inform the policy agenda;
• Monitor delivery of services.

Selection and Evaluation Criteria:

The tender evaluation committee will evaluate and award the contract on the basis of the following selection criteria:

• Technical Offer
• Financial Offer

1. Selection method (selection criteria evaluation):

       Evaluation method (selection criteria evaluation):

• Financial Offer
  • Criteria weight is 50%
  • Formula: (Best Tenderer Price/Evaluated Tenderer Price) * Criterion Weight
  • Price shall be quoted in EURO

• Technical Offer
  • Criteria weight is 50%
  •  

Point evaluation (weighted points):

Criterion will obtain between 0 and 5-point, 5 points being the maximum, 0 points the minimum and the points obtained will be multiplied by criterion weight. An analysis will include assessing the proposals’ methodology, expertise, background, etc.

PIN expert evaluation committee will assign up to 5 points for the best quality of the sample, based on the following evaluation grid:

Score

Benchmark for Services/Works

5

Excellent response with no weaknesses shown and exceeds the requirement - also provides comprehensive, detailed, and convincing assurances that the services will be delivered to an excellent standard

4

A response that demonstrates real understanding and fully meets the requirements - offers assurances that the service delivered will be of a high standard

3

A satisfactory response which demonstrates a reasonable understanding of the requirements and gives reasonable assurance of delivery of services to an adequate standard, but does not provide sufficiently convincing assurance to be able to award them a higher mark

2

A response where reservations exist - lacks full credibility/convincing detail, and there is a significant risk that the response will not deliver/be successful

1

A response where serious reservations exist, for example, insufficient detail is provided and the response has fundamental flaws, or seriously lacks credibility with a high risk of non-delivery

0

Response completely fails to address the criterion under consideration

Those bidders who get less than 3 for the capacity of the bidder shall not be accepted or considered and their offer will be rejected.

For each bid, points from all evaluation criteria will be added up and the winning bid will be the bid with the highest number of points. In case of equal number of points, the winning bid will be the one with the lowest price. However, SPARK retains the right to select any bidder who they deem as most suitable to produce the highest quality deliverables within a reasonable budget.

Target Group:

• innovation support organisations (tech hubs, accelerators, incubators, university hubs, etc.), operating in Lebanon