Business Skills Training

Introduction:

SOLO is a non-profit organization that aims to support and empower 500 micro enterprises located in Dadaab Ifo camp. In order to achieve this, SOLO is seeking to recruit consultants to provide business skills training to participants drawn from crop production, poultry production, and hospitality (food production and food service) value chains. The training will be based on the ILO training methodology on “Generate Your Business Idea” and “Start and Improve Your Business”. The ultimate outcome of the training is to build the capacity of each participant to develop and implement their own business plans, with a cost-sharing model where 30% will be covered by the entrepreneur and 70% will be covered by SOLO.

Objectives:

The main objective of the training is to equip the participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to generate viable business ideas, develop and implement feasible business plans. Specifically, the training aims to:

• Introduce the participants to the fundamentals of business planning and management
• Provide practical tools and techniques for generating business ideas from crop production, poultry production, and hospitality (food production and food service) value chains
• Guide the participants in developing their own business plans
• Promote a cost-sharing model where 30% of the business start up costs will be covered by the beneficiaries and 70% will be covered by SOLO

Scope of Work:

The consultancy will encompass the following:

1. Develop a training plan.
2. Develop/adapt training manuals to use in training the participants.
3. Deliver the business skills training to 500 participants.
4. The Training will as a minimum include the following topics:
   • Introduction to Business Planning and Management
   • Generating Business Ideas
   • Developing Business Plans
   • Cost-Sharing Model
   • Digital Market Inclusion
   • Financial Inclusion

The training approach adopted must ensure that participants are equipped with practical knowledge and skills essential for entrepreneurial success.

Methodology:

The training will be conducted through a combination of lectures, group discussions, and practical exercises. The participants will also be provided with the necessary training materials, including the Practical guides and self learning manuals, to facilitate their learning. The training will be interactive and participatory, encouraging active engagement from the participants.

Expected Deliverables:

• At the end of the training, the participants are expected to:
• Understand the fundamentals of business planning and management
• Have a clear understanding of how to generate viable business ideas
• Develop their own business plans focused on the crop production, poultry production, and hospitality value chains.
• Be aware of the cost-sharing model and its benefits

Timeline:

The consultant will be responsible for providing training to 500 beneficiaries, 387 persons from IFO refugee Camp and 113 persons from host community of Bula Kheir village. The facilitators will implement 10 days training for each cohort comprising of 20-30 participants per cohort. The training will be conducted in YEP Centre at IFO Camp and in Bulla Kheir village. At least 4 hours of training per day will be expected.

Qualifying Criteria for Consultant(s):

Qualified consultants should meet the following criteria:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurship, Business Development, Finance, Economics, or related fields, with a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience, or equivalent experience.
• Certification as an ILO Certified Master Trainer in Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB)
• Demonstrated expertise in Business Management Skills Development, Entrepreneurship, MSMEs, Market and Value Chain Development.
• Proficiency in adult learning approaches and the ability to adapt training methods to diverse learning needs.
• Willingness to travel and work in refugee contexts, with preference given to candidates with experience in Somalia or refugee camps and proficiency in the Somali language(work with translators).