Public Call for Tender n. 83465100-CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES COUNCIL CONSULTANCY- PN 16.2088.9-001.00 EPL

1.   Context

 1.1 Brief Information on the project

Lebanon has been facing a severe financial and economic crisis since late 2019. Around 78 % of people live below the poverty line (UN, 2021). These challenges were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and the explosion in the Beirut port in 2020. Another crisis emerged as a result of the war in Ukraine, which has caused additional supply chain disruptions. 

Young people are particularly affected by unemployment. At the same time, they are Lebanon’s future. While many have lost their job as a result of the crises, those coming into the labour market are facing limited vacancies. In addition, young people often lack the skills required by those employers that are still hiring. 

Seeking to improve the employment situation of young Lebanese adults (aged 17 to 35), women, and people with disabilities in the areas of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned the Project “Employment Promotion in Lebanon (EPL)”. 

The “Employment Promotion Lebanon” (EPL) project started operating in February 2022. The current duration of the project is until September 2024.

Specifically, EPL seeks to:  

• Provide employment-related services to at least 2500 Lebanese, 90% of which are youth, 35% of which are women and 5 % of which are people with disabilities.  
• Increase employability of at least 1875 young adults, women, and persons with disabilities  
• Support the employment or income generation of at least 625 youth.  
• Provide business development services to at least 250 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in selected sectors.  
• Increase the competitiveness of at least 125 MSMEs.  
• Improve the employment conditions of 1200 Lebanese, 90% of which are youth, 35% of which are women and 5 % of which are people with disabilities. 

To achieve these goals, EPL has adopted a decentralized implementation approach engaging in partnerships with several local organizations (NGOs, social enterprises, business associations, etc.) that have received grant agreements to implement activities targeted at end-beneficiaries (individuals and firms). These activities are complemented by activities implemented by specialized service providers through service contracts.

   1.2 Context

Lebanon has a rich and diverse Cultural and Creative Industries CCI, encompassing a wide range of artistic expressions. However, the ongoing crises (e.g., economic, blast...) have severely affected the cultural and creative sector. Creative industries have suffered from limited financial support, limitations in infrastructure, and a lack of institutional support. As a result, many talented Lebanese artists and creative have been facing significant obstacles in realizing their potential and showcasing their work.

Based on the lack of cultural policies and financial support from the Lebanese authorities, along with the limited cooperation between national, regional, and international CCI platforms, and drawing from extensive discussions with Lebanon's creatives regarding the challenges and potential solutions for the CCI sector, the following conclusion was reached: The formalization of a structure (council for CCI) to support and promote the growth of the creative industries in all Lebanon is an essential step towards fostering innovation, enhancing economic development, and further maintaining and enriching the cultural landscape of the country.

The council is currently endowed with an elaborated strategy and legal advice but requires an establishment action plan. Thus, it necessitates such steps of surveying quality data pertinent to the focus sub-fields to start with, along with practical establishment undertakings.

  1.3 Objective of Services tendered

The objective of the requested services is to prepare the practical and foundational grounds for the CCI Council to be set on track and to align with relevant policies and governmental structures. Consequently, an external expert is required to execute this objective.

2.    Tasks to be performed by the contractor

Task 1: Surveys of the 4 focus sub-fields

Four consultants will be brought on board to conduct surveys in four distinct sub-fields within the cultural and creative industries: Graphic design, Animation, Fashion, and Music. The hired expert will employ his/her extensive comprehension of Lebanon's cultural and creative sectors to supervise and assist the consultants in executing these surveys.

1. Selection: The expert will assist GIZ’s staff in selecting the consultants to undertake 4 surveys regarding the focus sub-fields. The expert will assist in the development of the main deliverables needed from the consultants.
2. Action plan: The expert will present an action plan to execute Task 1, and the subsequent assistance undertaking.
3. Report: The expert will deliver a report at the end of Task1.

Task 2: Communication and web development

1. Developing directives and steps: The expert will assist GIZ’s staff in the development of the first version of the CCI Council’s web platform through working with the selected consultants in this respect, to ensure the adequate expression of the Council’s identity and branding dimensions.
2. Report: The expert will deliver a report on Task 2.

Task 3: CCI Council Founders’ board formation

1. Action plan: The expert will assist GIZ’s staff in the CCI Council foundation in suggesting candidates for CCI Council’s founders’ board developing the action plan and content focusing on the sub-fields stated in the terms of reference.
2. Report: The expert will deliver a report on Task 3.

Task 4: Coordination and arranging support for the CCI Council from key organizations

1. Mapping and assisting: The expert will assist GIZ’s staff in identifying key organizations to provide support for the establishment and take-off of the CCI Council through developing presentations for the organizations and eventual partnership schemes and terms.
2. Report: The expert will present a report on the organizations, support schemes, and partnerships.

Task 5: Preparing and facilitating foundation meetings – governance, budget, formalization

1. Developing and presenting necessary governance: The expert will assist in facilitating the foundation execution, including necessary governance and establishment material in line with the vision, objectives, and initial focus of defined sub-fields of the Council.
2. Report: The expert will deliver a report regarding Task 5.

Certain milestones, as laid out in the table below, are to be achieved during the contract term:

Refer to the milestones table attached in section 2 in the Attached Tor Annex-2 

Period of assignment: from 1 July 2024 until 30 September 2024.

3.      Concept

In the tender, the tenderer is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the tenderer must describe the project management system for service provision.

Note: The numbers in parentheses correspond to the lines of the technical assessment grid.

Technical-methodological concept

Strategy (1.1): The tenderer is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the tenderer presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2).

The tenderer is required to present the actors relevant for the services for which it is responsible and describe the cooperation (1.2) with them.

The tenderer is required to describe the key processes for the services for which it is responsible and create an operational plan or schedule (1.4.1) that describes how the services according to Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) are to be provided. In particular, the tenderer is required to describe the necessary work steps and, if applicable, take account of the milestones and contributions of other actors (partner contributions) in accordance with Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) (1.4.2).

The tenderer is required to describe its contribution to knowledge management for the partner (1.5.1) and GIZ and to promote scaling-up effects (1.5.2) under learning and innovation.

Further requirements (1.7)

The contract should have:

• Experience in undertaking bottom-up approach to strategy formulation and data-based survey development and execution for national initiatives and/or policymaking. Experience in the legal and regulatory aspects of national initiative establishment, strategy formulation, and action planning.
• Experience in institutional strategy and capacity building, especially in international and/or local NGO public projects.
• Previous and relevant experience in terms of public policy making, in the CCI arena, especially in relation to international and local NGO advocacy and initiative launching.

Commercial and Technical eligibility of the tender

In order to proceed with the technical assessment, the bidder is required to comply with the below minimum requirements referring to the Annex-Cultural Policy Consultant-Eligibility Grid. Failure to submit them will result in commercial disqualification of the bidder, and therefore overall disqualification from the bidding process.

• Submit a reference for assignments done for a commission value of at least 25,000 EUR.
• Submit at least 2 reference projects in the technical field of Institutional Development.
• Submit at least 2 reference projects performed in Lebanon during the past 3 years.

4.     Personnel concept

The tenderer is required to provide personnel who are suited to filling the positions described, based on their CVs (see Chapter 7), the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications. The below specified qualifications represent the requirements to reach the maximum number of points in the technical assessment.

Expert 1: Cultural Policy, strategy, process, and organisational Consultant

Tasks of expert

• Overall responsibility for the advisory packages of the contractor (quality and deadlines)
• Coordinating and ensuring communication with GIZ, partners and others involved in the project.
• Personnel management, in particular identifying the need for short-term assignments within the available budget, as well as planning and steering assignments and supporting local and international short-term experts.
• Regular reporting in accordance with deadlines.

Qualifications of the expert

• Education/training (2.2.1): University qualification (first degree/Master’s) in Strategy planning/policies and or social sciences (weighed with 15%)
• Language (2.2.2): C2-level language proficiency in Arabic and English, French is a plus. (weighed with 5%)
• General professional experience (2.2.3): More than 20 years professional experience in conducting research, consultancy and strategy planning and policies with deep knowledge of the Cultural and Creative Industries in Lebanon in relation to governmental structures and main stakeholders (weighed with 10%)
• Specific professional experience (2.2.4): 15 years’ experience in organisational strategy planning and organisational governance and organizational policies (weighed with 10%)
• Leadership/management experience (2.2.5): 10 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a company (weighed with 5%)
• Regional experience (2.2.6): 20 years of experience in projects in MENA (region), of which 15 years in projects in Lebanon (country) (weighed with 10%)
• Development cooperation (DC) experience (2.2.7): 10 years of experience in DC projects (weighed with 5%)

5.    Costing requirements

Specification of inputs

Refer to the FeeDays Table attached in Annex 2- TOR.

6.     Requirements on the format of the tender

The structure of the tender must correspond to the structure of the ToRs. In particular, the detailed structure of the concept (Chapter 3) should be organised in accordance with the positively weighted criteria in the assessment grid (not with zero). The tender must be legible (font size 11 or larger) and clearly formulated. It must be drawn up in English language).

The complete tender must not exceed 10 pages (excluding CVs). If one of the maximum page lengths is exceeded, the content appearing after the cut-off point will not be included in the assessment. External content (e.g. links to websites) will also not be considered.

The CVs of the personnel proposed in accordance with Chapter 4 of the ToRs must be submitted using the format specified in the terms and conditions for application. The CVs shall not exceed 4 pages each. They must clearly show the position and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long. The CVs can also be submitted in English.

Please calculate your financial tender based exactly on the parameters specified in Chapter 5 Quantitative requirements. The contractor is not contractually entitled to use up the days, trips, workshops or budgets in full. The number of days, trips and workshops and the budgets will be contractually agreed as maximum limits. The specifications for pricing are defined in the price schedule.

7.     Data Protection

The performance of the contract may be associated with the processing of personal data by the contractor, such as (but not limited to) names and contact information and who would alone define the nature of such data and how such processing would be carried out. In such cases, the contractor shall act as an independent DATA CONTROLLER and must alone comply with ALL applicable data protection obligations, including those stemming from regional and local laws. The contractor shall process personal data only when a given goal cannot be reasonably attained without such data. The data protection principles such as lawfulness, data minimization, accuracy, purpose limitation, storage limitation, transparency, integrity and confidentiality, and accountability, as well as the numerous rights of the data subject must be paid due attention. The GIZ is NOT in any way responsible for such processing.

Whenever the contractor executes the instructions of a partner to the GIZ with regard to such processing, the partner shall be the data controller, and the data processing shall be carried out in accordance with the partner’s instructions as well as laws and standards to which it is subject.

If the contractor is not subject to the GDPR and the applicable laws do not contain any explanation on the data protection principles and rights mentioned here, the definitions and meanings provided by the GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) could be helpful. The GIZ is available to support the contractor whenever need arises.”