Call for Proposals for Implementing Partners of Not-for-profit Organisations Employment Pathways for Refugees and Host Communities in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta
Call for Proposals for Implementing Partners of Not-for-profit Organisations
Employment Pathways for Refugees and Host Communities in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta
Project Title
PROSPECTS EGYPT - Improving Prospects for Forcibly Displaced Persons and Host Communities ILO Project DC Code
EGY/23/51/NLD (109392) Assignment Location
Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta Contact
prospects-egypt@ilo.org Application Deadline
05/07/2025, 11:59 PM, Cairo local time
CONTENTS
CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
1. GENERAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 3
2. THE INTERVENTION MODEL ........................................................................................................................ 4
3. KEY DELIVERABLES ................................................................................................................................... 10
4. MANAGEMENT AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS .......................................................................................... 14
5. HOW TO APPLY ......................................................................................................................................... 16
6. PROPOSAL EVALUATION ........................................................................................................................... 17
7. PAYMENT AND REPORTING SCHEDULE ..................................................................................................... 18
8. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .............................................................................................................. 19
9. ANNEXES .................................................................................................................................................. 20
Page 3 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
1. GENERAL BACKGROUND
While forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) face specific vulnerabilities, including psychological trauma, lack of opportunity and protection risks, host communities (HCs) also struggle to pursue their own development efforts in an environment that has been transformed by a large influx of newcomers. As displacement has become increasingly protracted, responses are focusing more on durable solutions backed by more dignified, inclusive, and comprehensive programmes for refugees and the communities that host them.
In response to the challenges facing both host communities and refugees, a partnership initiative titled: ‘PROSPECTS - Partnership for improving Prospects for host communities and forcibly displaced persons, has been launched by the Government of the Netherlands that brings together the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.
The Partnership's first phase ended in December 2024, during which partners joined their efforts to develop a new paradigm in responding to forced displacement crises in 8 countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Sudan, and Uganda), the second phase is now underway and is planned to continue through 2027.
The overall objective of PROSPECTS in Egypt is to improve the living standards and inclusiveness of refugees, asylum-seekers, and vulnerable host communities, by contributing to the expansion of socio-economic opportunities through better education and mainstreamed protection interventions.
With a geographical focus on Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta, PROSPECTS Egypt will work under four main pillars, as follows:
1.
Increase access of FDPs and HC to quality education, skills and learning opportunities.
2.
Improved livelihoods and expanded economic opportunities for FDPs and HCs, through access to entrepreneurship and employment with dignity.
3.
Increased Government Protection for FDPs and HCs and increased Inclusion of FDPs and HCs in Community-based, Local and/or National Social Protection Systems.
4.
Improved Services, Facilities, and Information Systems essential to FDPs and HCs.
Page 4 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
2. THE INTERVENTION MODEL
ILO PROSPECTS Egypt is committed to enhancing access and inclusion to the labour market for refugees and host communities in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta.
To achieve this, the ILO leverages its expertise, technical approaches, and toolkits to create wage and self-employment opportunities for both refugees and host communities. This is accomplished through skills and enterprise development services that are designed to ensure labour market inclusion.
As part of this Terms of Reference (TOR), ILO PROSPECTS Egypt is inviting not-for-profit implementing partners to design and conduct comprehensive services to the target populations mentioned in this TOR. These services will be implemented through the activities outlined below. The following visual illustrates the overall intervention model of this assignment.
Figure 1: Illustration demonstrating the intervention model
The implementing partner is encouraged to use the results framework below to inform the design of the required interventions.
Figure 2: Table of the results framework for this assignment Strategic Objective (SO): Improve livelihoods and expand economic opportunities for refugees and host communities (HCs) in Egypt through access and completion of relevant wage and self-employment interventions. Cross-Cutting (CC): Refugees and HCs access Career Guidance services to identify relevant employment pathways and opportunities.
Intermediate Result (IR) 1: Refugees and members of the HCs access wage employment pathways to facilitate labour market inclusion.
Intermediate Result (IR) 2: Refugees and members of the HCs access the self-employment pathway to integrate into the labour market.
IR2: Self-Employment Pathway
SO: Labour Market Inclusion
IR1: Wage Employment Pathway
CC: Career Guidance Services
Page 5 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
CROSS-CUTTING (CC): CAREER GUIDANCE SERVICES
The ILO PROSPECTS Egypt, in collaboration with selected implementing partners, will design a career guidance scheme that draws on ILO toolkits and the partners’ expertise. This scheme aims to support individuals in making informed choices about their education, training, and career paths, ultimately reducing skills mismatches and improving alignment between individual aspirations and labour market needs. In addition to enhancing employability by developing individuals’ self-awareness, knowledge of labour markets, and decision-making skills.
The scheme aims to guide target beneficiaries in identifying appropriate employment pathways—whether self-employment or wage employment—and referring them to the most suitable support services based on their skills, education, needs, and aspirations as per the following:
1.
Identify and engage beneficiaries through strategic and effective outreach.1
2.
Provide individualised career guidance using ILO tools and methodologies, creating a unique and personalised journey; inspired by the illustration below.2
Figure 3: Illustration demonstrating the Career Guidance personalised journey
3.
Based on profiling and personal strategy built, channel beneficiaries into the appropriate employment pathways.
o
IR1: Wage Employment Pathway.
o
IR2: Self-Employment Pathway.
Both pathways should ultimately achieve the strategic objective of labour market integration and sustainable employment for beneficiaries.
1 Applicants are invited to develop a comprehensive outreach plan that includes various activities such as social media campaigns, partnerships with community-based organisations (CBOs), awareness sessions, and other outreach initiatives.
2 How to choose my future profession? A step-by-step guide for job seekers | International Labour Organization
Page 6 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
INTERMEDIATE RESULT (IR) 1: WAGE EMPLOYMENT PATHWAY
PROSPECTS Egypt aims to ensure that refugees and members of the host community in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta are well equipped with relevant skills that would prepare them to find sustainable job opportunities in the labour market.
Under this assignment, the Implementing Partner is required to leverage the ILO Job Search Club (JSC) Methodology to facilitate labour market inclusion. Under this assignment, the Implementing Partner is required to leverage the ILO Job Search Club (JSC) Methodology to facilitate labour market inclusion. The JSC will be used under this programme to enable job seekers to find a suitable job within the shortest feasible period by creating supportive groups of individuals who share the same need while receiving intensive coaching on job search-related skills. The JSC will be used under this programme to enable job seekers to find a suitable job within the shortest feasible period by creating supportive groups of individuals who share the same need while receiving intensive coaching on job search-related skills.
The JSC is designed to bring job seekers together for daily sessions over two weeks under a trained facilitator's guidance. This structured approach enables participants to share resources, contacts, and job search strategies while receiving professional support with tools and techniques for effective employment seeking. The JSC aims to use practical guidance and hands-on activities to support participants develop essential job search competencies: navigate employment platforms, fill in online applications, write CVs and cover letters showcasing skills, and attend mock-up interviews to practice the interview skills. This is done through a group to learn from different examples and experiences while mutually enhancing their job-hunting skills and providing encouragement.
Please refer to Annex 1 for further information on the JSC methodology, target beneficiaries, selection criteria, and certified trainers.
Page 7 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
INTERMEDIATE RESULT (IR) 2: SELF-EMPLOYMENT PATHWAY
Within the area of entrepreneurship and business development, PROSPECTS Egypt aims to enhance
the business environment and overall entrepreneurship ecosystem for creating economic
opportunities and to increase access to business development services and entrepreneurship support
for forcibly displaced persons and host communities in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta.
While in another line of work, the ILO is focusing on identifying opportunities to partner with key
stakeholders to strengthen the overall entrepreneurship ecosystem and business environment for
both refugees and Egyptian enterprises, this pathway targets Business Development Services to
promote entrepreneurial skills development and technical support to refugees and host communities.
The outline of PROSPECTS Business Development Support (BDS) interventions can be seen as follows:
STEP 1: Rapid Assessment of Market Trends and Demand
Expected results: Key information about the current market trends and market demand in relevant
communities influencing refugee and host community entrepreneurs’ competitiveness and business
growth is produced.
For a guiding outline and questions that can be helpful in achieving STEP 1, please refer to Annex 2
The findings and insights resulting from this step will inform and guide the coaching and monitoring
activities in the next steps. Also, the report produced will be shared with ILO toolkits trainers to support
the customisation and adaptation of training materials.
STEP 2: Enterprise Development Programme
Expected results: Entrepreneurs developed their entrepreneurial skills and business plans are
formulated (Enterprise Development Trainings).
During the selection phase, the implementing partner will guide the candidates to the most suitable
ILO Enterprise Development toolkits, based on clear criteria mentioned in each toolkit manual and as
detailed below.
Provide ILO entrepreneurship skills training (i.e. ILO toolkits) to support the target group in developing
and generating their business ideas and their business plans or scaling up their businesses.
The number of workshops by toolkit can be adjusted based on the needs of the beneficiaries and
approval of the ILO.
One important output of the training (STEP 2) is the development of business plans, as mentioned in
the output indicators: Number of business plans developed within 4-6 weeks after the SIYB, DYB, or
GET Ahead training. These plans require individual or group counselling to help beneficiaries finalize
the business plans they started during the training, using the findings and insights resulting from Step
1. In some cases, this counselling will also facilitate the submission of the plans to financial institutions.
Rapid
Assessment of
Market Trends
and Demand
Enterprise
Development
Programme (i.e.
ILO toolkits)
Business Development Support (BDS), post-training
support (e.g., technical/vocational support, business
management support, competitions, facilitating linkages
to financial and non-financial business development
services, etc.)
Business
running
successfully
Page 8 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
The counselling should provide potential entrepreneurs with guidance in data collection, and once completed, assistance in filling out the business plan itself. ILO trainers will be engaged in this stage.
STEP 2 will be implemented through three ILO toolkits as detailed in Annex 3.
STEP 3: Business Development Support (BDS)
Expected results: Refugees and host communities are supported in starting or scaling up their businesses.
Support businesses by providing post-training support for selected businesses from the training rounds (STEP 2). The support provided after the initial training could be any of the following:
i.
Technical, vocational training.
ii.
Business management training.
iii.
Business competitions, which can provide financial support (e.g. seed funding, cash grants …. etc.).
iv.
Mentorship opportunities with leaders in related fields.
v.
Opportunities (in the form of online or real-life events) for linking entrepreneurs to other potential co-founders or talented founding team members, such as participating in exhibitions and networking events.
vi.
Legal counselling provides information about the legal processes of starting a business and/or legal advice support. Also, supporting entrepreneurs on legal and operational aspects to define the legal status of the company and register it according to Egyptian law.
vii.
Provide in-kind support such as kits, equipment, and raw materials.
viii.
Facilitating linkages to financial and non-financial business development services (BDS services, venture capitalists, angel investors, incubators, etc.).
ix.
Provide support in helping beneficiaries with regard to access to finance.
x.
DYB: As a part of post-training support (i.e., STEP 3), graduates from the SIYB and GET Ahead programme and have an existing business who are interested and need to digitalize their own business can join the 3-day DYB training.
xi.
Financial Education:
As a part of post-training support (i.e., STEP 3), graduates from the “STEP 2” training who are interested and need financial education training can join the 5-day ILO Financial Education training as detailed in Annex 4
Page 9 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE (SO): LABOUR MARKET INCLUSION
In light of the above, and with the aim of strengthening employment pathways for both refugees and host communities, this programme will facilitate labour market inclusion through self-employment or wage employment services, leveraging the implementing partner’s experience with the objectives below:
Following the wage employment pathway through the JSC methodology, the partner will work closely to facilitate access between job seekers and employers. This could include building on existing networks and established partnerships, conducting referrals to employers, or creating innovative spaces or events to facilitate job matching opportunities. The partner could suggest new ways of working to ensure that beneficiaries graduating from the wage employment pathway are linked to a job opportunity that meets their professional profile and skills.
Similarly, following the self-employment pathway, the partner is expected to provide additional support needed to target groups (mainly STEP 3) such as: Promote entrepreneurship and the creation of sustainable businesses by offering capacity-building and support services, such as business planning, marketing, and financial literacy. Additionally, facilitate access to finance, markets, and networks for new entrepreneurs, post-training support activities, including coaching and counselling services for beneficiaries on their business plans, to promote entrepreneurship and the creation of sustainable businesses.
Page 10 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
3. KEY DELIVERABLES 3 No. Key Deliverables Key Activities Indicators Target CC: Outreach and Career Guidance
1
Delivery Career Guidance services
1.1 Number of beneficiaries reached out
The implementing partner should propose an enrolment figure that meets completion targets. 1.2 Number of beneficiaries who received career guidance At least 1,625
Intermediate Result (IR) 1: Wage Employment Pathway 2 Roll out Job Search Clubs (JSC)
• Deliver 25 (average of 15 beneficiaries per 10-day workshop) 2.1 Number of established Job Search Clubs. 25
2.2 Number of beneficiaries who enrolled in the Job Search Club.
The implementing partner should propose an enrolment figure that meets completion targets. 2.3 Number of beneficiaries who completed the Job Search Club 375
Intermediate Result (IR) 2: Self-Employment Pathway 3 STEP 1: Conduct a rapid assessment of market trends and demand
• A PowerPoint presentation to present and brainstorm with the ILO on the preliminary results of this rapid assessment. 3.1 Number of reports produced 1
3 All data reported will be disaggregated by age, sex, nationality, and disability (where applicable). Additionally, Indicators 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 are mutually exclusive, meaning a beneficiary can only be counted under one of these indicators throughout the duration of the programme. The same applies to Indicators 2.2 and 4.1.
Page 11 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
No. Key Deliverables Key Activities Indicators Target
• A report of a maximum of 20 pages.
4
STEP 2: Rollout the Enterprise Development Programme
•
Deliver 20 SYIB training (average of 25 beneficiaries per 7-day workshop)
•
Deliver 10 DYB training (average of 25 beneficiaries per 3-day workshop)
•
Deliver 20 GET Ahead training (average of 25 beneficiaries per 5-day workshop)
4.1 Number of beneficiaries enrolled in the entrepreneurship training programme.
The implementing partner should propose an enrolment figure that meets completion targets. 4.2 Number of participants who successfully completed the entrepreneurship training SIYB, DYB, or GET Ahead (at least 30% refugees). 1,250
4.3 Number of business plans developed within 4-6 weeks after the SIYB, DYB, or GET Ahead training.
1,250 5 STEP 3: Deliver Business Development Support (BDS)
• Support refugees and host communities in starting or scaling up their businesses (Post-Training Support) as per the list mentioned above. 5.1 Number of beneficiaries who received post-training support to start or scale their businesses (business coaching, cash grants, TVET, legal advice, networking events) At least 750 beneficiaries, at least 60% of the trained beneficiaries (Entrepreneurship Capacity Development Programme)
5.2 Number of participants who successfully completed Financial Education Training.
200, through 8 workshops (average of 25 beneficiaries per workshop)
Strategic Objective (SO): Labour Market Inclusion
6
Facilitate Labour Market Inclusion
6.1 IR1: Number of beneficiaries who have secured employment (wage or self-employment) after completion of the Job Search Clubs.
At least 112
Page 12 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
No. Key Deliverables Key Activities Indicators Target 6.2 IR2: Number of beneficiaries who started their own businesses. (at least 30% of beneficiaries who received training under Step 2). At least 375
6.3 IR2: Number of beneficiaries who scaled their existing businesses. (at least 30% of beneficiaries who received training under Step 2).
At least 375
** All data reported will be disaggregated by age, sex, nationality, and disability (where applicable).
** Indicators 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 are mutually exclusive, meaning a beneficiary can only be counted under one of these indicators throughout the duration of the programme. The same applies to Indicators 2.2 and 4.1.
Page 13 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
Other Supporting Activities
1.
Develop a solid, realistic workplan that ensures the proper implementation within the designated time frame.
2.
Consult and engage national implementing partners (for example: Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) and Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS) in relevant assignment activities, particularly in reaching out to candidates, promoting the workshops, and, also hiring certified trainers to run the training, including the fees of trainers, their accommodations, and transportation, as relevant. The fees of trainers include the training, coaching regarding the business plans, and counselling.
3.
Outreach and selection of beneficiaries based on a clear set of criteria.
4.
Selection of certified trainers: The implementing partner will be provided with a list of certified trainers from the ILO, so the implementing partner can select the best suited trainers to reach the expected results.
5.
Conduct the implementation of training workshops, ensuring the provision of relevant technical content as well as the management of necessary logistical arrangements.
6.
Develop a follow-up plan and clear monitoring and evaluation system that demonstrates how the program is assessing and responding to the beneficiaries’ individual challenges.
Target Groups & Areas
The programme will be implemented in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta. The implementing partner needs to identify exact locations, and the target beneficiaries based on clear criteria (for example, the refugees’ populations, beneficiaries’ criteria of selection identified in each ILO toolkit, etc.). The ILO will provide support and clearance to the selection criteria and the outreach methodology.
The programme must also ensure the inclusion of disadvantaged groups, including persons with disabilities, and promote gender mainstreaming and social inclusion. At least 50% of beneficiaries should be women, while maintaining a balanced and inclusive approach.
For Intermediate Result (IR) 1: Wage Employment Pathway, the target composition should be 80% host community members and 20% refugees. For Intermediate Result (IR) 2: Self-Employment Pathway, the target should be 40% host community members and 60% refugees.
Page 14 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
4. MANAGEMENT AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS
Partners and Counterparts
The assignment will be conducted in close collaboration with PROSPECTS UN partners and ILO implementing partners in target areas.
The implementing partner should make itself available to collaborate with project partners when needed/requested.
Required Expertise
•
The implementing partner must have previous experience in a similar assignment and a relevant background to the assignment scope.
•
Knowledge of or experience in the target governorate and target groups.
•
Excellent report writing skills.
•
The implementing partner is expected to have a presence in the target areas and/or travel to the project target areas and to have a good understanding of community development fieldwork and local cultures & traditions.
•
The implementing partner should have the ability to coordinate and collaborate with relevant government entities and local partners.
Expected Duration
All assignment deliverables are expected to be delivered to the satisfaction of the ILO in 18 months.
Supervision and Logistical Arrangements
The programme will be implemented under the supervision of the National Project Coordinator for Enterprise Development and the overall guidance of the PROSPECTS Egypt Programme Manager.
The ILO will facilitate any required technical and methodological information, technical documents, and project information, and partner meetings to help the implementing partner achieve their expected deliverables.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The implementing partner is expected to submit a logical framework that includes programme’s strategic objective, results, outputs, and activities along with relevant indicators, definitions, and their means of verification as part of the proposal. Before the implementation starts, an M&E plan for the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of project activities and for measuring progress towards indicators is expected to be developed in close collaboration with the ILO PROSPECTS M&E officer.
The M&E system should also support ongoing learning and adaptive management by analysing data trends, identifying implementation challenges, and informing programme adjustments in collaboration with the ILO PROSPECTS technical team.
The implementing partner is also expected to establish a shared folder containing all supporting documents referenced in the logical framework, to facilitate transparent and organized reporting. In addition, the partner should maintain a regularly updated beneficiary database (in Excel format), as agreed in the M&E plan. This database should capture key participant information and track their progress across the various activities implemented throughout the project lifecycle.
Page 15 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
The implementing partner is also expected to conduct a final evaluation at the end of the project. This activity should be adequately budgeted for in the financial proposal. The evaluation should assess at a minimum, the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability in line with OECD-DAC criteria. It should also capture best practices, lessons learned, and actionable recommendations for future programming. The design and implementation of the evaluation will be conducted in collaboration with the ILO PROSPECTS M&E officer and technical team.
Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Rights
All data and information received from the ILO for this assignment are to be treated confidentially and are only to be used in connection with the execution of these Terms of Reference (TOR). The contents of written materials obtained and used in this assignment may not be disclosed to any third parties without the express advance written authorization of the ILO. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these TOR are assigned to the International Labour Organization. The intellectual property rights of the materials developed through the assignment remain with the International Labour Organization.
All intellectual property rights and all other proprietary rights (including copyrights, patents, trademarks, source codes, products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how) with regard to any materials (jointly referred to as Intellectual Property), either developed by the implementing partner or its Personnel in connection with the Contract or furnished to the Contractor by or on behalf of the ILO to support the performance of the implementing partner’s obligations under the Contract, are the exclusive property of the International Labour Organization; and, will be used by the implementing partner and its Personnel solely for the purposes of the Contract.
Terms And Conditions Applicable to ILO Implementation Agreements
wcms_826431.pdf (ilo.org)
Page 16 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
5. HOW TO APPLY
The following documents/information are required to apply for this assignment:
1
- Technical proposal.
2
- Financial proposal.
3
- CVs of the proposed implementing team.
4
- A copy of the bidder's legal status document(s).
Proposals must be submitted using the double envelope system, i.e., the outer parcel containing two separate, sealed envelopes, both bearing the title of the TOR, while one bearing the words "Envelope A - Technical Proposal" and the other "Envelope B - Financial offer".
It is the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that a Proposal is submitted to the ILO strictly in accordance with the stipulations in the solicitation documents. Proposals must be received on or before 05/07/2025 at 11:59 PM Cairo Time. Proposals and modifications to Proposals received after the proposal receipt deadline will be rejected. Proposals must include all the documents requested in these Instructions to Bidders and shall be submitted by:
•
Registered Mail (official postal service) to:
International Labour Office
PROSPECTS Programme
9,Taha Hussein St., Zamalek
11211, Cairo, Egypt
•
Or Hand-delivered (including by courier services) directly to the above ILO address in return for a signed and dated receipt.
By submitting a proposal, the applicant accepts in full without restrictions the Terms and Conditions applicable to ILO Implementations Agreements provided in this Call for Proposals (section 8).
Proposals submitted by any other means will be rejected.
Key Dates Clarification questions, if any, related to this TOR must be submitted to prospects-egypt@ilo.org Please mention the title of the TOR in the email subject. 15/06/2025, COB
Email prospects-egypt@ilo.org with a show of interest to apply, is recommended to help you receive answers to clarifications questions asked by other prospective Bidder.
15/06/2025, COB ILO response to clarification questions by: 22/06/2025, COB
Proposals Receipt Deadline:
05/07/2025, 11:59 PM
Cairo local time
Clarification Questions
A prospective Bidder requiring any clarification of the TOR document may notify the ILO in writing. The ILO’s response will be provided in writing to any request for clarification received by the deadline indicated above. Written copies of the response (including an explanation of the query but without identifying the source of inquiry) will be sent to all prospective Bidders that received the RFP documents.
Page 17 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
6. PROPOSAL EVALUATION
The ILO will award the contract to the Proposal (Technical and Financial) which represents the best value for money, i.e. achieving the highest overall score.
The ILO could select one implementing partner or more based on the need to cover additional target groups or geographical areas. This will be identified based on the proposals received for this TOR.
The ILO reserves the right to accept or reject any Proposal in whole or in part, to annul the solicitation process and reject all Proposals at any time prior to the issue of the purchase order, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected Bidder(s) or any obligation to provide information on the grounds for the ILO’s decision(s).
The award of the contract arising from this RFP will be made at the absolute discretion of the ILO.
The Contract or the benefit of the Contract shall not be assigned, sub-contracted or otherwise transferred by the successful Bidder in whole or in part, without ILO’s prior written consent, to be given at its sole discretion.
The proposals will be evaluated according to the criteria described below:
Technical Proposal
1.
Technical compliance with the Terms of Reference and its planned deliverables (30 points)
2.
Expressed methodology and creative approach to the assignment. (30 points)
3.
The proposed implementation and management plan (30 points)
4.
The qualifications and experience of proposed key personnel who will manage and implement the programme (10 points)
Financial Proposal
1.
The budget and its overall costs are realistic. (10 points)
2.
The budget breakdown and costing per budget lines. (10 points)
3.
The percentage of indirect costs to the total budget. (10 points)
The process of evaluating the proposals will be based on the following percentage combination of Technical and Financial elements: Percentage Technical Proposal 70%
Financial Offer
30%
Total
100%
A two-stage procedure will be utilised in evaluating the Proposals, with an evaluation of each Technical Proposal being completed prior to any Financial Offer being opened and compared. Financial Offers will be opened only for Bidder submissions that meet or exceed the minimum technical score of (70 per cent) of the obtainable score during the evaluation of Technical Proposals. Where the assessment of a Technical Proposal results in the minimum specified score not being achieved, the corresponding Financial Offer will not be eligible for further consideration.
Page 18 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
7. PAYMENT AND REPORTING SCHEDULE
The payment and reporting schedule will be finalised with exact dates based on the start date of the implementation agreement. Important information to help with the planning:
•
The technical and financial reports will be on a quarter basis.
•
The advance payment does not exceed 30% of the total value of the agreement or USD 30,000, whichever is less.
•
Progress payments are linked to deliverables as identified in the agreement.
•
The final payment corresponds to not less than 5% of the total value of the agreement.
Page 19 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
8. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q1: Are there templates for the technical and financial proposals? Yes, please contact prospects-egypt@ilo.org
Q2: Regarding the technical proposal, what is the expected number of key personnel to be included in the financial proposal? And what are their expected roles (the team that will be working on the assignment directly or key persons from the Foundation's management)? This is at the discretion of the bidder. There are no limitations as long as you can justify and demonstrate how the overall cost of your proposal is proportionate to the quality of the technical output. Please refer back to the TOR section ‘Proposal evaluation’ to ensure your application is competitive.
Q3: It was mentioned that only certified ILO trainers can give the entrepreneurship skills training, however, the post-training support and mentorship can be from the implementing partners’ network? Or will the ILO provide us with suggestions? Yes, there are no restrictions on the post-training support and activities can be identified from your network, and the toolkits you decide to use can be specified during implementation. The most important milestone is that the post-training support is based on the individual needs of the target groups.
Q4: Is there a specific rate for the ILO-certified trainers so we can plug it into the budget for the workshops? The specified rates are mentioned in the TOR.
Q5: Can the applicants apply for one or two governorates instead of the three? The bidder can submit a proposal to conduct the activities in up to three governorates (Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta) under certain conditions:
•
The bidder should have a presence in the governorates that are mentioned in the submitted proposal.
•
The total number of targeted beneficiaries remains the same, even if the bidder develops a proposal for one, two, or three governorates.
Please ensure that the technical and financial proposal for each governorate is submitted separately.
Q6: Can the JSC be an integrated approach of virtual and physical training? JSC nature is NOT a training but rather based on peer support. It is a group activity – a Club – that helps people understand that job search starts by themselves, that job search is a job in itself, and that it requires skills, practice, and motivation to do it. It is primarily about peer support under guidance by a facilitator, accordingly, virtual delivery is not considered.
This is also applicable to all ILO toolkits mentioned under this TOR (SIYB, GET Ahead, DYB, and Financial Education)
Q7: Do need to have in-house JSCs facilitators? How do we find the JSC facilitators? This is not a condition to apply for this RFP, as the ILO will provide the implementing partner with a list of certified facilitators so the implementing partner can select what they see best to reach expected results.
This is also applicable to all ILO toolkits mentioned under this ToR (SIYB, GET Ahead, DYB, and Financial Education).
Page 20 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
9. ANNEXES
Annex 1: ILO JOB SEARCH CLUB METHODOLOGY, SELECTION CRITERIA, TRAINER CERTIFICATION and PHASES
The JSC was launched in 2017 in four governorates, and it has been integrated into the Ministry of Youth and Sports' annual work plan and rolled out in 15 governorates. In 2025, the JSC toolkit has been adapted to the recent labour market changes, which includes new digital tools and methodologies used in the market.
JSC in a nutshell
•
The club members meet daily for 2 weeks (10 days).
•
Each club member receives follow-up for 3 months after the club. Including tracking employment status.
•
Please note that the fees of the certified ILO trainers are approximately 1500 EGP/day.
•
Each club is supported by 2 trained facilitators at a time.
•
Each club is formed by a group of up to 16 young job seekers/members.
JSC Target Beneficiaries
The current call for proposals intends to target Egyptians and refugees who are job-ready but lack the job search skills to navigate the labour market and the ability to showcase their skill set to employers. Job Clubs are intended to support job seekers in entering the labour market.
The criteria for selection for JSCs beneficiaries
•
Youth and adults seeking employment.
•
Lack of adequate job search skills or the ability to market themselves to employers.
•
Preferably long-term (one-year) unemployed.
•
Facing specific challenges to enter the labour market (Challenges to enter the job market that don’t include technical skills or language barriers).
Certified Trainers
•
Only ILO-certified trainers can deliver the training course. The ILO will provide the list of certified trainers for the selected implementing partner to select suitable certified trainers.
•
Each training will have two certified trainers.
JSCs Phases
A.
Preparation Phase:
1.
Ensure JSC programme design responds to the JSC facilitators’ manual which will be updated and shared by the start-up phase of this programme.
2.
Develop a solid, realistic work plan that will ensure the proper implementation with the designated time frame.
3.
Identify exact locations and the target beneficiaries based on clear criteria (for example, the refugees’ populations, beneficiaries’ criteria of selection identified in each ILO toolkit …etc.). The ILO will provide support and clearance to the selection criteria and the outreach methodology.
Page 21 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
4.
Consult and engage national implementing partners in assignment activities as relevant, particularly in reaching out for candidates, and in promoting the workshops, and, also, in hiring certified trainers to run the training including the fees of trainers, their accommodations and transportations, as relevant.
B.
JSC Implementation Phase:
1.
Selection of certified trainer: the implementing partner will be given a list of certified trainers from the ILO, so that the implementing partner can select what they see best to reach expected results.
2.
Oversee the process of the trainers who will conduct the implementation of training workshops, ensuring the provision of relevant technical content as well as the handling of necessary logistical arrangements.
3.
Conduct evaluation of JSC and develop evaluation for the participants (this is geared to develop a rating of facilitators and identify future capacity development needs of facilitators).
C.
Post-training Phase:
1.
Develop a follow-up scheme after 3 months, for trained beneficiaries aiming to further support them after the JSC delivery.
2.
Refer beneficiaries to other ILO programmes, if further services are needed. this includes programmes as: the TVET, the apprenticeship, and the employability skills programmes.
3.
Link beneficiaries to employment services (for example, job matching services).
Page 22 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
Annex 2: GUIDANCE ON BDS DEMAND RAPID ASSESSMENT
•
An overview of key driving sectors where refugees and entrepreneurs engage in selected districts
•
An analysis of the role and situation of these businesses, including specific strengths and weaknesses in the driving sectors
•
A quick assessment on market demand and trends in these driving sectors: what are these sectors requiring from entrepreneurs and businesses to be competitive? What is hindering the sustainability and growth of entrepreneurs in these sectors?
•
A quick overview of the BDS offer accessible to refugees and their business in these sectors. Is the current BDS offer responding to the market demand identified above? If not, why? What is needed? Include an analysis of the most common business models of BDS providers.
•
Collect demand and feedback on existing BDS offer from refugees’ entrepreneurs and business owners engaged in these high-growth sectors, including on awareness of existing offer, needs in the sectors, feedback on content, relevance, quality, delivery model and costs of existing offer, post-training needs.
Page 23 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
Annex 3: ILO TOOLKITS ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Toolkit 1: Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB)
Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) is a management-training programme that supports starting up and maintaining emerging businesses as means to generate more and better employment for women and men, particularly in developing economies. The SIYB training package focuses on capacitating potential entrepreneurs who want to start a small business and already have a concrete business idea.
The programme is a combination of training, fieldwork, and after-training support, and helps participants assess their readiness to start a business and to prepare a business plan and evaluate its viability.
In Egypt, the SIYB programme has been adapted and translated into Arabic to better address the needs and challenges of the Egyptian business environment, as the more general socio-economic context.
The Implementation Model for SIYB:
The SIYB programme is structured into four separate training packages, which are designed to respond to the progressive stages of business development and the activity are focusing on the first two training packages.
•
Generate Your Business Idea (GYB) is intended for people who would like to start a business, and who, through the training, develop a concrete business idea ready for implementation.
•
Start Your Business (SYB) is for potential entrepreneurs who want to start a small business and already have a concrete business idea. The programme is a combination of training, field work and after-training support, and helps participants assess their readiness to start a business and to prepare a business plan and evaluate its viability.
For more information about the SIYB Program, please visit the ILO website at this link.
Certified Trainers
•
Only ILO certified trainers can deliver the training course. The ILO will provide a list of certified trainers for the implementing partner to select the most suitable ones.
•
Please note that the fees of the certified ILO trainers are approximately 1500 EGP/day.
•
Each training will have two trainers.
•
The certified trainers are responsible for the selection of the final beneficiaries along with the implementing partner, based on the outreach conducted by the implementing partner, ILO, or any other partners.
The Training of Entrepreneurs Cycle
1.
Marketing: The implementing partner is in charge of implementing the SIYB intervention needs to link up to customers in the market. This will be done in coordination with the ILO. Outreach will include online, reaching out through the organisation’s networks, through partner organisations, etc.
Page 24 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
2.
Participant selection: The selection of training participants from among interested applicants should be based on general and business-related SIYB selection criteria and the specified target groups of the project. The selection criteria are as follows: General Criteria Business- Related Criteria All Candidates Potential Entrepreneurs Existing Entrepreneurs
Literacy
Motivation and availability to start a business
Have a viable business
Age: 18-50
Have a concrete business idea
Experience in business
Gender: Male and female
Have technical skills to start the business
Position in business
3.
Training needs analysis: Apart from making sure that SIYB participants receive the right level of training from the SIYB packages (GYB, SYB), an analysis of their specific learning aspirations should be done so that the training intervention can be designed to respond to these.
4.
Preparing for the training and designing the sessions: This step involves making all practical arrangements (booking a venue, inviting the participants, preparing materials and equipment, etc.) for carrying out the training, as well as designing the workshop programme based on the training needs analysis. Guidance for preparations is included in the SIYB Trainer’s Guides. It should be noted that there should be 25-30 participants per session.
5.
Implementing the ToE workshop for the SIYB package demanded by the participants: The core element of the ToE cycle is the actual ToE workshop, which will vary in length depending on the package. Joint GYB-SYB workshops are popular because they allow for delivery of training for the two packages within a condensed timeframe. The SIYB Trainer’s Guides provide assistance and standards on how to structure and conduct SIYB workshops.
6.
Monitoring and evaluating the result of the SIYB training on the participants: This step relates to the process of collecting and analysing information to check on progress in the implementation of SIYB activities and to assess their results.
Toolkit 2: Digitalise Your Business DYB
Digitalise your Business (DYB) is a new ILO training module that could be considered as part of the “Start and Improve your Business (SIYB)” family of training products. It has been designed to support business owners and entrepreneurs to use digital tools and digital solutions to improve and grow their business.
DYB is useful for business owners and entrepreneurs already operating a micro, small or medium sized business and wishing to grasp the opportunities of digital technologies to improve the way their business operates and reach customers. The reader is expected to have a minimum level of computer literacy and knowledge of basic concepts for using the Internet. While most of the digital users access the internet and perform digital transactions using a mobile phone, possessing a computer is recommended to navigate the contents of the guide comfortably.
The Improve Your Business (IYB) package consists of a set of 6 training modules (marketing, costing, record keeping, buying and stock control, people and productivity, planning for your business) to help already existing entrepreneurs improve various aspects of their business and their overall business management. DYB has been integrated as an additional training module to help existing businesses
Page 25 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
expand their market opportunities and improve business efficiency through digitalization. All modules of IYB can benefit from a combined training with DYB. Although not all entrepreneurs will need to deploy a full digital transformation of their business, DYB will help understand the opportunities offered by digital tools and decide how to move in the digitalisation pathway.
This specific adaptation of DYB has been developed based on the context of the digital economy in Egypt and on the needs of business owners from the refugees and host communities. This DYB training manual is intended to provide practical guidance on the digitalisation of business processes and operations, including the use of e-commerce to sell products and/or services online. The DYB training offers strategic synergies and complementarities with the IYB training manual.
As well as the SIYB training programme, DYB uses an implementation model based on certification system enabling the ILO to ensure the quality and pedagogical skills of trainers going through the DYB certification cycle. This process includes an initial trainer’s selection based on established criteria, followed by a training of trainers and the roll out of the training with entrepreneurs. This process is monitored by an already certified Master trainer or an ILO international technical officer.
Participant selection: The selection of training participants among interested applicants should be based on general and business-related selection criteria and the specified target groups of the project.
The final beneficiaries will be selected among existing entrepreneurs with the following criteria:
•
Candidate should have an existing and viable business (tech business is a plus).
•
Candidate should acquire experience in the same field of his/her viable business.
•
Candidate should acquire technical knowledge and technology experience.
•
Candidate should report his/her position in business.
•
Candidate should be interested in strengthening knowledge on the use of digital tools and ready to apply training content in his/her business.
Toolkit 3: Gender and Entrepreneurship Together (GET Ahead)
GET Ahead training package aims to promote enterprise development among low-income women with little formal education who are willing to start or already running their small-scale business. GET Ahead provides essential entrepreneurial knowledge and basic business and people-management skills, from a gender perspective. Drawing from SIYB tools and resources, GET Ahead tends to place more emphasis on women entrepreneurs, while not excluding men.
Basically, the GET Ahead programme is designed to promote the economic and social empowerment of women, alongside men, in enterprises, taking into account the disadvantaged status of women (particularly in rural settings) in terms of adequate access to education and training, and also in light of their mobility and networking constraints. GET Ahead trainings are usually delivered in 5 days.
The GET Ahead programme offers an action-oriented, real-life-based, participatory methods programme, involving learning-by-doing exercises that have proved to be effective and appropriate for low-income women with little formal education as well as for top managers in the public and in the private sector.
GET Ahead objectives:
1.
Provide practical information about income-generation and enterprise activities.
Page 26 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
2.
Enable low-income women entrepreneurs and their families to shift from marginal income generation to profitable business development.
3.
Take into account strategic gender-based issues affecting the rights of women to have equal access to property, financial and business support, and business opportunities.
For more information, please refer to the GET Ahead for Women in Enterprise Training Package and Resource Kit.
GET Ahead Selection Criteria:
•
Age: 18-50
•
Gender: Male and female
•
Motivation and availability to start or scale up a business
•
Participants with limited formal education.
Page 27 of 27
Read more about PROSPECTS: www.ilo.org/prospects
ANNEX 4: ILO TOOLKIT ON FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Toolkit: Financial Education
The ILO has been working for more than a decade in the financial education (FE) area. The ILO’s FE programme is a holistic programme addressing policy dialogue and capacity building on all levels. It works with policymakers, meso-level training providers, and multipliers, as well as directly with beneficiaries. In particular, the ILO supports rollout and dissemination on the local level as well as specific adaptations for the country and target groups.
The ILO programme used its research activities and impact assessment studies to fine-tune the content and delivery methodology and refine its policy advice.
The training materials on financial education aim to strengthen the behaviour of targeted groups to encourage better budget planning, increase savings, promote prudent spending, foster wise borrowing, and make appropriate risk management decisions.
For more information about the Financial Education Program, please visit the ILO website at this link.
Certified Trainers:
•
Only ILO-certified trainers can deliver the training course. The ILO will provide a list of certified trainers for the implementing partner to select the most suitable ones.
•
Please note that the fees of the certified ILO trainers are approximately 1500 EGP/day.
•
Each training will have one certified trainer.