Call for Proposals: Enabling Social and Solidarity Initiatives in Agriculture and Agro-food in North-Lebanon and Akkar

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 and North-Lebanon governorates and promote livelihoods and decent jobs through social and solidarity income-generating initiatives among active actors in the agriculture and agro-food sectors. Based on a need-assessment recently conducted in both governorates, the ILO has identified four villages, namely, Kfar Habou, Akroum, Bebnine, and Syr el Donnieh to support vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugees through social and solidarity initiatives. The selection of these villages was based on a number of parameters including supportive local governance, potential for social collaboration, resource availability and accessibility, local economic opportunity, opportunities in agriculture and agro food, and openness to innovation.

 

To assist in the implementation of this intervention, the ILO is seeking a local institution (consultancy firm, NGO…) with experience in promoting local economic development among vulnerable Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees in Akkar and North-Lebanon, specifically supporting social and solidarity income-generating initiatives in the agriculture and agro-food sectors.

In each of the four above-mentioned villages, the local institution will assist the ILO in the identification of entry-points such as municipalities, local economic/social development committees and local agricultural associations, and collaborate with them to promote social and solidarity income-generating initiatives. Building on the needs assessment results, the local institution is expected to identify and support in each village the following: social and economic priorities and needs; challenges and opportunities specific to agriculture/agro-food; active actors willing to engage collaboratively in social and solidarity income-generating projects in the targeted sectors, and a governance structure that ensures proper implementation of these initiatives and their sustainability.

 

The ILO will make available a network of trainers and coaches to provide capacity building to identified actors in the agriculture and agro-food sectors on entrepreneurship development to help launch social and solidarity income-generating initiatives or businesses. The ILO will also make available seed funding to provide financial support to these initiatives.

How to apply

For more information on the programme and application requirements, please refer to the attached terms of reference and submit your applications to Mr. Rayann Koudaih, SME Technical Officer, ILO Regional Office for Arab States ([email protected]) by July 20, 2020.

Expired
Deadline
Monday, 20. Jul 2020
Type of Call
Call for Proposals
Intervention Sector(s):
Agriculture, Labor & Livelihoods