Integrated, Intense Capacity building program for MSEs (Firm)

About Mercy Corps:

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long-term impact.

Project Background:

The Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity Iqlaa is a USAID-funded five- year activity that aims to put Jordanian Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) on a path to recovery after the extraordinary crisis that the businesses have faced, help them access the safety net measures in Jordan, and, most importantly, regain productivity and growth.

Mercy Corps approach to IQLAA integrates direct assistance with market systems development (MSD) interventions to support MSEs along the full journey from recovery to growth and resilience. Grounded in evidence-based, adaptive, and inclusive support, Jordan’s MSEs can emerge from the COVID-19 crisis stronger and more resilient, transformed through new ways of doing business and improved access to finance, markets, and services. Understanding that women, youth, and people living with disabilities (PLWD) face unique constraints to starting up and leading resilient MSEs, Mercy Corps design will infuse a Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) lens throughout all interventions. Mercy Corps approach is committed to supporting MSEs build back, formalize, and grow, emphasizing systems-level change, equitable opportunities, and a dignified work environment for all women, men, and youth, and PLWD in Jordan.

Purpose and Project Description

In collaboration with the Iqlaaع team, the firm will assist in the provision of a highly intensive integrated capacity-building program for MSEs and the advancement of entrepreneurial skills, with the goal of assisting high-potential entrepreneurs in putting their ideas into action and growing micro and small businesses in Jordan, targeting various areas and sectors.

The program should include specific criteria for selecting MSEs based on their stage, innovation, sector, gender, disability, age, and area of implementation, as well as a detailed plan for reaching out to the enterprises and building their capacity to grow their businesses or translate their ideas into new businesses.

The program should begin with an outreach campaign in the chosen targeted areas, followed by the development of training materials focusing on the development of entrepreneurial capacity, behavioral competencies, and the use of a unique approach for equipping enterprises with the intentions for deeds and advancement, achievement, affiliation, and power – to build successful businesses.

Main Activities

1. Develop specific, detailed criteria for selecting individuals and business owners based on sectors, scale, innovation, sex, age, disability, and implementation area.
2. Develop an outreach plan that includes awareness sessions and digital marketing to reach out to specific participants including women, youth and persons with disabilities and evaluate them based on the approved criteria.
3. Contact various stakeholders (government institutes, non-governmental organizations,

CBOs, private sector, etc.) to assist in reaching out to the most vulnerable MSEs, including those woned by women, youth and persons with disabilities.

1. Disseminate the final approved list of MSEs and business owners who passed the evaluation process and will participate in the program.
2. Creating a timetable for the entire program, including all stages, exercises, workshops, and trainings that will take place, while ensuring accessibility and inclusion is taken into consideration for women, youth and persons disabilities to be able to participate
3. Create materials and/or exercises that emphasize the behavioral competencies of a successful entrepreneur and business owner and this material must be branded based on Mercy Corps and USAID Iqlaa branding guidelines, along with emphasizing the behaviors women, youth and persons with disabilities must exhibit given the unique barriers they face
4. Develop and deliver training material with manual and guidelines for entrepreneurial capacity building that takes a new approach to equipping entrepreneurs and business owners with the intention of establishing and growing their enterprise and this material must be branded based on Mercy Corps and USAID Iqlaa branding guidelines, while ensuring that training is provided in a way that ensure accessibility and inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities
5. Share relevant research and references that the company used to create the materials.
6. Assistance in developing a post-program sustainability plan for MSEs and business owners, potentially linking it with existing entities already providing similar services.
7. Plan for monitoring and evaluating progress during and after implementation
8. Provide a final technical report for the entire program.

Audience

The audience for this program will be individuals with business ideas, business owners in the early stage, and Micro and small enterprises

Duration

The duration of this program should not exceed 3 months

Qualifications of the Firm

• • At least 6 years of experience in conducting such program in this field
    – Previous projects that focus in supporting Micro & Small Enterprises
    – Previous similar projects with international organizations (especially USAID projects) are preferred.
    – Strong familiarity with the Jordanian economic development context required
    – Experience in working in the governorate with the vulnerable communities is preferred.