Experts to Deliver Coaching, Theoretical and Practical Training for MSMEs

Project title: Improving the Social and Economic Resilience of Vulnerable Host and Refugee Communities in Lebanon

Project number:  LBN 1005

Project Donor: The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Project Partners

1. Welthungerhilfe – Lead partner
2. RMF Lead implementing partner in Akkar and North Lebanon
3. Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training – Lead Implementing partner in Bekaa and Baalback el Hermel
4. Fondazione Giovanni Paolo II – Lead technical partner related to cooperatives
5. Hadatha – Lead technical partner related to peaceful coexistence

Project Duration:

The project started at the beginning of November 2022 and the implementation phase will end in December 2025.

Project Main Activities implemented by RMF in the North and Akkar:

1. conduct cross-sectional and marketing studies to define targeted value chains, and villages, and tailor project activities
2. provide capacity building and in-kind support for 450 farmers working across the targeted agriculture value chains
3. provide capacity building for 45 MSMEs working across the targeted agriculture value chains and in-kind support for 15 out of the 40 MSMEs trained
4. implement 7 community projects through cash-for-work activities targeting 320 vulnerable community members
5. implement 6 networking events

Objective of the Consultancy

The main objective of this consultancy is to conduct one to one coaching/mentoring sessions, and theoretical and practical training for MSMEs working across the targeted agriculture value chains in Akkar and North Lebanon.

The value chains targeted under this project are:

• Peanuts
• Onion and garlic
• Pomegranate
• Aromatic plants (with a focus on the Zaatar production)
• Greenhouse vegetables (with a focus on tomato, cucumber, and zucchini)

The consultants will be requested to provide training and customized coaching/mentoring sessions for the MSMEs aiming at improving their skills and systems in the below fields:

• procurement
• bookkeeping
• business plan development
• food safety subjects and good manufacturing practices
• cost calculations / optimization and pricing
• financial management
• inventory management
• labelling
• Market research
• marketing and sales improvements
• communication and social media literacy
• knowledge of legal regulations
• certification requirements
• proposal writing (to support the participants to elaborate their proposal for the in-kind support competition)

Scope of Work

• The consultants will be responsible for conducting site visits to the selected MSMEs and creating a profile for each MSME assessing their situation current situation and their needs. The consultants should elaborate the curriculum based on their findings following the approval of the project manager. The consultants should also prepare the one-to-one coaching/mentoring plan based on the needs of the each MSMEs
• The consultants will work closely with RMF and other project partners to develop training modules tailored to the needs of the MSMEs and to meet the project requirements. As well as the pre and post-tests for each module. The business training will be based on the business model canvas methodology.
• The consultants will be responsible for conducting training for 45 MSMEs working in food processing in Akkar and North Lebanon. The MSMEs will be divided into 2 batches.
• The consultants will also provide technical assistance and support to the MSMEs through one-on-one coaching/mentoring sessions to ensure that they can apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the training. The consultants should submit tangible deliverables for the beneficiary and RMF. Once reviewed and cleared by RMF team, the session will be counted. A mentoring plan should be developed based on the business assessment. It includes the gaps and the support areas along with the number of sessions and the related deliverable.
• The consultants will report to the Project Manager at RMF and work closely with the project team in Akkar and North Lebanon.
• The consultants will take part in the evaluation committee for the MSME proposals
• The consultants should support RMF with the specification of the equipment/services approved by the committee.
• The consultants will support the technical evaluation for the above-mentioned procurements
• The consultants will be responsible for delivering the following final report on the training and the coaching/mentoring provided.
• The consultants will support RMF in the baseline and end-line survey to evaluate the improvement of the MSMEs

The number of working days is estimated between 80 and 110 as a total covering all the above tasks and subjects.

Consultants Qualifications

The consultants wishing to be considered for the services described herein should have the following qualifications:

Expert in Food Technology and Food safety:

• Academic Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in food technology or any related field

• Years of experience:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in food processing consultancy and capacity building

• Technical experience:

• Experience in developing and delivering training modules for MSMEs
• Knowledge of best practices and techniques related, to food technology, food safety, and market linkage

• Competencies:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 
• Fluent in Writing and spoken English and Arabic.
• Good Knowledge in preparing timely reports on the progress of the work.

• Previous knowledge/experience in Akkar and North Lebanon

Expert in Business development:

• Academic Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in Marketing, Business, or any related field

• Years of experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in conducting business-related training and capacity building

• Technical experience:

• Experience in developing and delivering training modules for MSMEs

• Competencies:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 
• Fluent in Writing and spoken English and Arabic.
• Good Knowledge in preparing timely reports on the progress of the work.

• Previous knowledge/experience in Akkar and North Lebanon

The consultants should provide the following:

• CVs / Resumés
• Financial offer
• Portfolio/List of similar projects implemented
• 3 Reference contacts from similar project
• Technical offer/proposal

The consultant could include in its offer a proposal regarding his/her support team composition and structure with recent CVs. The requested team should have diversified skills highlighting their role in the provision of training and coaching sessions.

Info-session will be conducted on (Friday) 14/03/2024 at 11:00 (Beirut time) via Teams. Interested bidders who want to get the Teams link and attend the info-session to send their confirmation to: [email protected]

For more information, kindly refer to the attached documents.