Implementation Agreement - Enhancing the Business Capacity of MSMEs and Start-ups through Non-Financial Services and Access to Finance Referral Support under the PROSPECTS Phase II Opportunity Fund

Enhancing the Business Capacity of MSMEs and Start-ups through Non-Financial Services and Access to Finance Referral Support under the PROSPECTS Phase II Opportunity Fund Project “Return and Rebuild: Advancing Voluntary Returns and Sustainable Reintegration for Syrians”

Syria's recovery requires a comprehensive approach that combines labour market governance reforms with targeted interventions that enable vulnerable populations to access economic opportunities, strengthen their livelihoods, and contribute to inclusive economic recovery. MSMEs and start-ups remain central to Syria’s economic recovery and job creation; however, many enterprises continue to face challenges related to informality, weak business management capacity, damaged infrastructure, low productivity, limited access to markets and finance, and limited access to quality Business Development Services (BDS). In response, the ILO seeks to partner with a qualified NGO or INGO to enhance the business capacity of MSMEs and start-ups through the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme, Financial Education, and tailored advisory services. The intervention will focus on Aleppo, Rural Damascus, Idleb, and Hama.

Objective

The overall objective of this TOR is to strengthen sustainable and market-oriented Business Development Service (BDS) provision in Syria that extends beyond short-term subsidized business support interventions by strengthening local service delivery capacities, improving coordination among enterprise support actors, and promoting more sustainable mechanisms for MSME development and economic inclusion. During the implementation period, the selected NGO/INGO will support the entrepreneurial, managerial, and business development capacities of 1,000 aspiring and existing entrepreneurs, MSMEs, and start-ups in Aleppo, Rural Damascus, Idleb, and Hama—including returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women, youth, and host communities.

Major activities under this intervention:

• Identify, mobilize, and enroll eligible MSMEs and start-ups through inclusive and transparent outreach and selection criteria targeting returnees, IDPs, women, youth, and local communities.
• Conduct business diagnostics, training needs assessments, and market segmentation exercises to inform the design of tailored business support interventions.
• Deliver high-quality, gender-responsive business management and entrepreneurship support activities to 1,000 MSMEs and start-ups using ILO tools (SIYB) in coordination with ILO-nominated Syrian trainers.
• Deliver Financial Education training to 500 selected MSMEs and start-ups to strengthen financial literacy and management practices.
• Provide post-training coaching, mentoring, and tailored business advisory support to selected MSMEs and start-ups.
• Support 500 MSMEs and start-ups to open bank accounts or strengthen engagement with formal financial institutions.
• Assess investment readiness and refer at least 350 eligible entrepreneurs to partner financial institutions for loan consideration.

Required Qualifications

The project shall be implemented with a non-profit organization/entity that shall satisfy the below requirements:

• Relevant institutional capacity, presence, and operational experience in Syria, particularly in Aleppo, Rural Damascus, Idleb, and Hama.
• Previous experience in implementing Business Development Services (BDS), entrepreneurship support, MSME recovery programmes, livelihoods, market systems, or economic inclusion interventions targeting MSMEs, start-ups, returnees, IDPs, women, youth, and vulnerable communities.
• Detailed description of relevant experience related to the delivery of entrepreneurship and business management support programmes, MSME development, and business advisory services.
• Previous experience in entrepreneurship coaching, mentoring, market linkages, investment readiness, access to finance referrals, and support to MSMEs to open bank accounts.
• Qualified and competent human resources and technical team, including a Team Leader, MEAL Officer, and technical experts/coaches with relevant MSME and entrepreneurship support experience.
• Experience working with the UN, ILO, or international organizations is an advantage.

Interested organizations must submit technical and financial proposals in two separate digital folders clearly marked "Technical Proposal" and "Financial Proposal". Both folders shall be saved within one compressed (ZIP) folder titled with the full name of the bidder followed by the project title and submission date. Proposals should be submitted by email to the following:

• Mrs. Amaal Bani Awwad ILO - project Manager - Baniawwad@ilo.org
• Mrs. Roua Jammal-National officer – jammal@ilo.org

The subject line of the email should be: "Enhance the Business Capacity of MSMEs and Start-ups through Non-Financial Services under the PROSPECTS Phase II Opportunity Fund Project “Return and Rebuild: Advancing Voluntary Returns and Sustainable Reintegration for Syrians". The deadline for submitting technical and financial proposals is: 27 July 2026. A confirmation email will be shared upon receipt of the proposal. Both technical and financial proposals shall remain valid for 90 days from the submission deadline. Questions from potential bidders shall be submitted to the designated ILO/Syria email addresses within five calendar days from the publication date.

The selected organization will be chosen in accordance with ILO procurement rules and procedures, based on the technical and financial evaluation of submitted proposals.

• Technical Proposal (70%): Will be evaluated on relevant institutional experience, operational and field presence, previous experience in entrepreneurship coaching and access to finance referrals, implementation methodology, and qualifications of the proposed human resources.
• Financial Proposal (30%): Will be evaluated based on cost reasonableness, cost effectiveness, alignment between the proposed budget and implementation methodology, overall value for money, and realism of staffing and operational costs.

 For the complete scope of work, implementation methodology, and proposal submission criteria, please refer to the attached ToR.