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Terms of Reference (TOR) For The Recruitment Of Firms/Partners To Lead The Establishment Of Agripreneurship Support Centers And Programs Under The ACTIVATE Project.

JOB SUMMARY
Company	World Univers...
Industry	NGO/IGO/INGO
Category	Human Resourc...
Location	Ghana
Job Status	Contractor/Co...
Salary	GH¢
Education	Qualified
Experience	N/A
Job Expires	Dec 30, 2024
Contact	...

Company Profile

The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is one of Canada’s leading non-profit international development organizations, committed to building a more equitable and sustainable world. Our vision is a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world for youth. It is a world in which all young people, especially women and refugees, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for themselves, their families, and their communities. We work with a diverse network of students, volunteers, institutions, governments, and businesses to improve education, economic, and empowerment opportunities for youth, and to improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged people around the world.

Job Description

Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Recruitment of Firms/Partners to Lead the Establishment of Agripreneurship Support Centers and Programs under the ACTIVATE Project.

Background and Context

The Accelerating Change Through Innovation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) project, implemented by WUSC in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is designed to enhance the Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) system in Ghana. The project, which spans over five years, focuses on improving youth resilience and economic well-being by fostering a demand-driven and industry-led ATVET system. This initiative aims to unlock the potential of the agricultural sector, which contributes 23% of Ghana’s GDP and employs over 54% of the national workforce.

One of the core components of the ACTIVATE project is the Agripreneurship Support Program (ASP), which is aimed at developing a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem within Ghana’s agricultural sector by creating dedicated training centers and providing entrepreneurship support to aspiring agripreneurs. The agripreneurship support programs will be run at the Agripreneurship Support Centers (ASCs) located at the ATVET institutions. These centres will serve as hubs for skills development, mentorship, business incubation, and facilitating access to finance and markets. The centres will focus on equipping participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to start and scale their agricultural ventures. The centres will play a vital role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices, improving food security, and driving job creation in rural areas, while fostering a new generation of innovative agripreneurs

Objectives of the Consultancy

The objective of this Terms of Reference (TOR) is to invite proposals from qualified firms or consulting teams to lead the establishment of Agripreneurship Support Centres (ASCs) for hosting the Agripreneurship Support Programs (ASPs). The successful firm or consultant will collaborate with ATVET institutions to design and implement the ASPs within these centres. The key responsibilities of the firm or consultant will include the following:

Design and Establish Agripreneurship Support Centers (ASCs): Set up agripreneurship support centers at Agricultural Colleges and Farm Institutes in underserved regions, whilst enhancing existing agricultural colleges with agripreneurship programs.
Program Design and Delivery: Develop a comprehensive, modular curriculum focused on agribusiness, including business development, financial literacy, sustainable agricultural practices, agricultural innovation, and marketing.
Mentorship and Networking: Design and implement mentorship programs, organize networking events, and facilitate matchmaking between agripreneurs, investors and industry.
Resource Mobilization: Provide technical assistance to established centres at the Colleges and Farm Institutes to become commercially viable by building their capacity to generate revenue and pursue strategic partnerships with donors.
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): In collaboration with the ACTIVATE MERL team, develop a robust M&E plan to track the participants and the progress of the program in line with the project output and outcome indicators, measure its impact, and ensure continuous improvement.

Scope of Work

The scope of this consultancy will include the following activities:

Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement:

Consult with key players in the agricultural and education sectors, including government agencies (e.g., GEA, MoTI), private sector organizations, and local agribusinesses in the design of the agripreneurship centres programs and operational strategy..
Facilitate workshops with stakeholders to align on the design and operational strategy of the ASP.

Establishment of Agripreneurship Support Centers (ASCs):

Design and develop the structure and content of agripreneurship training centers, ensuring that they are scalable, accessible, and inclusive, particularly for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
Assess the needs of new and existing centers, focusing on addressing basic defects and ensuring upgrades meet modern educational and entrepreneurial standards.
Program Development:
Develop a diverse and inclusive curriculum tailored to various levels of learners, focusing on business skills, financial management, sustainable agricultural practices, marketing strategies, and innovation.
Develop both in-person and online learning modules and ensure that materials are localized to meet the unique needs of each region.

Mentorship and Networking Programs:

Develop mentorship programs that pair aspiring agripreneurs with experienced professionals in the agricultural sector.
Organize matchmaking events, both virtual and in-person, to connect entrepreneurs with investors, financial institutions, and business development organizations.

Resource Mobilization:

Support the center to design and implement strategies that will enable it to generate internal income, ensuring the sustainability of its operations and the routine maintenance of the center. Support ASCs to develop proposals and pitch materials to attract investment for the sustainability of the agripreneurship centers.

Implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework:

In collaboration with the project MERL team, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for assessing the success of the agripreneurship training program, including metrics on participant satisfaction, business outcomes, and sustainability of the centers.
In collaboration with the Project MERL Team, design and implement tools for ongoing data collection and feedback mechanisms.

Deliverables

The following deliverables are expected from the selected firm/consultant:

#	Deliverable Statement	Due Date
a)	Inception Report: A comprehensive report outlining the work plan, methodology, timeline, and stakeholder engagement strategy and tools to deliver the end goal of the assignment -	20th January2025
b)	Agripreneurship Support Centres Profiling, and Assessment Report: A comprehensive report that profiles existing ATVET institutions, and other ATVET Training service providers, evaluates regional agribusiness needs, and assesses the feasibility of establishing or enhancing Agripreneurship Support Centres (ASCs). The report will include actionable recommendations for ASC design, operational models, stakeholder collaboration, and resource mobilization strategies to support sustainable agripreneurship development in Ghana.	20th February 2025
c)	Agripreneurship Support Centers Setup: A detailed plan for the establishment or enhancement of 16 agripreneurship centers (preferably 4 centres per zone), including budget estimates (co-creation with the project), centres upgrading requirements, and capacity-building strategies, outreach, and demand generation strategies.	28th February 2025
d)	Program Development: A complete program with training materials and modules for both in-person and online delivery (where applicable) for each established ASC.	20th April 2025
e)	Mentorship and Networking Program: A design document for the mentorship and networking programs, including event plans, participant engagement strategies, and success metrics.	20th April 2025
f)	Resource Mobilization Plan: A strategy for generating income and securing partnerships for the program’s sustainability, including engagement frameworks.	20th April 2025
g)	ASC Coordination and Management Plan: A fully developed annual tentative plan to support the operationalization and management of the ASCs	30th May 2025
h)	Sustainability/ exit at entry Strategy: A long-term sustainability strategy focused on building local capacity, securing diverse income genetating sources, and fostering institutional ownership to enable the centers to operate independently and continue supporting agripreneurs beyond the project's duration	15th June 2025
i)	Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: A fully developed M&E plan aligned with ACTIVATE MERL Plan with clear indicators (align with the project results areas), methodologies, and reporting tools to assess program impact and outcomes.	15th June 2025
j)	Report on successful Agripreneurship Support Programs organized: A comprehensive report submitted for each Agripreneurship Support Program organized at the center, covering at least one program with a minimum of 500 project participants. The report must summarize the centres’ activities, key outcomes, achievements, and participant feedback, demonstrating its overall success and impact on agripreneurship development.	15th December 2025

Zonal Coordination

The ACTIVATE Project, while a national initiative, is implemented across four distinct zones in Ghana to ensure that interventions are regionally tailored and effective. These zones include the Northern Zone, the Transitional Zone, the Middle Zone, and the Southern Zone. Each of these zones presents unique agricultural and socio-economic characteristics, and the Agripreneurship Support Program (ASP) will need to be adapted to address the specific needs of the regions within them.

To facilitate the implementation of the ASP, Agripreneurship Support Centres (ASCs) will be established in each zone. Four ASCs will be set up per zone, ensuring a localized approach to running the agripreneurship support programs. These ASCs will serve as the operational hubs for the agripreneurship support initiatives, providing essential resources, training, and guidance to agripreneurs in their respective regions.

Successful firms selected for this initiative will be required to work closely with the ATVET institutions to establish the ASCs and to design the ASP. Additionally, these firms will provide technical backstopping to the ATVET institutions to ensure they take ownership and effectively run the ASPs within the ASCs. This collaboration will be key to fostering sustainable and impactful agripreneurship support, empowering the ATVET institutions to lead and manage the programs long-term.

The selected consultant or firm will work with the ACTIVATE team to adapt the ASP approach across these four regions, with a focus on the unique characteristics and needs of each zone. This may involve the recruitment of organizations to implement the program in one of the four project zones. Unsuccessful applications may still be considered for implementation in their zone and are encouraged to demonstrate a deep understanding of the regional context they are applying to. The firm(s) will be required to coordinate the implementation of the ASP within these zones, ensuring the success of the agripreneurship support initiatives in each area.

Prospective firms can select at most two zones to work in. The zones and their regions are:

Northern Zone: Upper East, Upper West, North_East and Northern Regions,
Transitional Zone: Bono East, Ahafo,Bono, and Savannah Regions
Middle Zone: Ashanti, Western North , Western Regions.
Southern Zone: Central, Greater Accra, Eastern, Oti and Volta Regions.

Required Skills or Experience

Qualifications and Requirements

The selected firm/consultant must meet the following criteria:

Expertise in Agribusiness and Agricultural Education: Proven experience in agribusiness development, agricultural education, and vocational training programs.
Experience in Program Development: Ability to develop customized, modular training programs with a focus on entrepreneurship, financial management, and sustainable agricultural practices.
Project Management Experience: Proven track record in managing multi-stakeholder projects, with a demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, manage budgets, and deliver high-quality results.
Experience in Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated experience in working with a range of stakeholders, including government bodies, NGOs, educational institutions, and private-sector actors.
Monitoring and Evaluation Expertise: Strong understanding of M&E methodologies and experience in setting up and implementing M&E frameworks for development projects.
Local Knowledge: A deep understanding of the agricultural sector in Ghana, including local entrepreneurial challenges and opportunities.

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment is expected to last for 12 months with a total level of effort of 150 days starting from the date of the contract award. This may be extended based on the project’s needs and the performance of the selected firm/consultant.

How To Apply

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Technical Approach (30%): Understanding of the scope of work, proposed methodology, and approach to stakeholder engagement and program development.
Expertise and Experience (30%): Demonstrated experience in agribusiness, program development, and project management.
Sustainability and Scalability (10%): Proposed strategies for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the agripreneurship centers and the overall program.
Value for Money (30%): Proposed budget and financial sustainability, including cost-effectiveness and alignment with deliverables

Proposal Submission Requirements

Technical Proposal

Firms/consultants interested in this assignment must submit the following documents:

Brief profile of the firm or consultant (0.5 page).
Understanding of the assignment (0.5 page).
Proposed methodology; and strategies for addressing each of the itemized deliverables (5 pages)
List of past experiences/work in similar assignments or case studies of agripreneurship and agricultural education interventions (1page).
Summary experience of the team related to the assignment (1 page).
Detailed work plan with assigned responsibilities (Annex 1).
Summary CVs (max 2 pages per each) of key personnel who will be involved in the project, demonstrating relevant experience and qualifications (Annex 2).
References (at least 3) from previous clients (Annex 3).

Financial proposal

Applicants are requested to submit a financial proposal outlining the fees and reimbursable expenses for the 150 days estimated as the level of effort required for the assignment. The budget should be provided in Ghana Cedis (GHS). Please note that the financial proposal should not include the cost of establishing the Agripreneurship Support Centres (ASCs), as this cost will be determined after the submission of deliverable (b) in Section 4.0 above.

Application Procedure:

To apply, please submit a technical and financial proposal meeting the above requirements, along with an estimate of the effort required, to wuscghanaoffice@wusc.ca by 30th December, 2024. The proposed start date for the consultancy is 10th January 2025. Indicate in the email subject line “Consultancy Services to Lead the Agripreneurship Support Program (ASP) Under the ACTIVATE Project.” Only shortlisted applications will be evaluated.

WUSC is committed to promoting equity and sustainable development globally. We uphold principles of responsibility, respect, and professional excellence, and we do not tolerate harassment or abuse of any form.

Note

Please note, employers receive numerous applications per posting and will only shortlist the most qualified candidates. Also Jobsinghana.com is not involved in any decision made by an employer/recruiter and therefore does not guarantee that applications sent will result in a candidate being shortlisted/selected for that position.

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