IDEALAB- Call for Expert: Business Model Canvas Sprint

Park Innovation is a mission-driven organization focused on innovation, combining a community project, coworking space, tech hub, and business accelerator to promote community development. With over six years of active engagement, Park Innovation offers unique programs and resources to empower youth and women with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and employability programs. The initiatives at Park Innovation align with its two core pillars:

1- Entrepreneurship, focusing on fostering innovation and empowering startups through tailored support, mentorship, and access to resources that enable sustainable business growth.

2- Employability and Employment, aiming to bridge the gap between education and employment by equipping youth with essential, market-relevant skills and practical experiences to thrive in a competitive workforce.

For the fourth batch in a row, Park Innovation is implementing Idea Lab in South Mount Lebanon, a 10-week entrepreneurship support program being implemented across Lebanon with the aim of providing the proper technical, financial, and business support needed for entrepreneurs to validate their solutions and turn their ideas into businesses. It allows entrepreneurs with Cleantech and Agrifoodtech solutions to learn how to identify their problem, validate their solution in the market, use the 1500 USD to build their first prototype, and create a strong team that has the capacity to take on challenges and scale their startup.

We are seeking an experienced and skilled trainer to lead the Business Model Canvas Sprint, guiding startups through the process of developing and refining their business models using the Business Model Canvas framework. The trainer will help startups clearly define the key components of their business, including customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure. Through hands-on activities, startups will learn how to align their business models with their vision, test assumptions, and create a solid foundation for their ventures. The training will focus on fostering strategic thinking and enabling startups to map out a scalable, sustainable business model.

Scope of Services

The selected expert will be responsible for the workshop from planning to execution, monitoring, and reporting. The duration of the in-person physical workshop is 5 hours including practical exercises, for 10 teams concurrently. Following the training, the expert will be leading 2 VIRTUAL (online) clinics: Business Model Canvas and Go-to-Market Strategy one hour per clinic per startup for the 10 startups (20 sessions in total for the two clinics with all startups).

Key areas to be covered:

• Conduct a practical Business Model Canvas Workshop for startups, focusing on developing and refining their Business Model Canvas in the context of their industry.

• Guide startups through key components of the Business Model Canvas, including customer segments, value propositions, channels, and revenue streams, using structured approaches to align their business model with customer needs and market opportunities.

• Facilitate the adoption of a Build-Measure-Learn mindset, mentoring startups on applying Agile principles for continuous iteration and refinement of their business models. Emphasize feedback loops and real-world validation to ensure a robust, customer-centric business model.

• Assist startups in defining key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the effectiveness of their business models, ensuring data-driven decisions aligned with their industry goals.

• Encourage startups to create a flexible, adaptable roadmap for business model development, integrating Lean and Agile principles for ongoing learning and model optimization.

• Lead two clinics: Business Model Clinic and Go to Market Strategy Clinic, providing one-hour tailored sessions per startup (20 sessions in total).

  • Business Model Clinic: Helps startups develop and refine their Business Model Canvas (BMC) by focusing on stakeholder engagement, competitive analysis, and aligning revenue models with value propositions.

  • Go to Market Strategy Clinic: Assists startups in optimizing their BMC with data-driven insights, customer segmentation, and predictive analytics to refine their revenue models and go-to-market strategy.

• Startups will complete two structured exercises that reinforce their business model identification:

  • Business Model Canvas – Ensure teams develop a refinement of their comprehensive BMC that aligns customer needs, value propositions, market opportunities, and revenue streams.

  • Go to Market Strategy – Assist the startups in creating an actionable strategy that incorporates technology solutions, market insights, and a clear plan to enter and scale in the market.

Qualifications and Requirements

This call welcomes applications from independent trainers/consultants or legal entities based in Lebanon.

• A Bachelor's degree in Business, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, or a related field is required, with preference given to candidates holding a Masters or PhD.

• 5+ years of experience guiding startups through early-stage development, building solid and scalable business models, validating their feasibility and viability, and setting a clear and actionable go-to-market plan.

• Strong knowledge of Lean and Agile methodologies, focusing on iterative learning and efficiency.

• Experience in guiding startups to develop sustainable revenue models and closely align them with value propositions, monitoring business growth, and assessing/recommending ways for models to remain scalable.

• Skilled in facilitating hands-on exercises that translate theory into actionable practice.

• Background in AgrifoodTech/Agriculture, or Clean Energy startups is a plus.

• Strong communication skills in English and Arabic, with an engaging and interactive training style.

• Availability to conduct the workshop at Park Innovation, Semkanieh- El Chouf (tiny.cc/pi-location)

Expected Deliverables

• The selected expert is required to provide a comprehensive curriculum outline, detailing the various subtopics to be covered during the workshop, along with estimated durations for each segment. 
• Upon approval, the selected expert will be responsible for delivering the 5-hour workshop and 20 total clinics in accordance with the approved curriculum.
• The trainer must complete a feedback form for each startup, one after the training and another after the clinics, detailing their observations and assessments.
• The expert shall be ready for an oral briefing about the startups right after the sprint to highlight all strengths and areas of improvement to the IdeaLab program manager.
• Furthermore, the trainer is required to adhere to the relevant procurement procedures (quotation, signature of a service agreement, invoice, receipt, MOF certificate and/or ID/Passport, programmatic deliverables).