Call for Expressions of Interest (EoI): infodev business incubation training program administration host in Africa

Transcription

1 Call for Expressions of Interest (EoI): infodev business incubation training program administration host in Africa infodev, a donor-funded agency hosted by the World Bank, invites suitable organizations from Africa to administer the implementation of infodev s training program for business incubator managers in Africa. Please respond to the initial call for expressions of interest by to Julia Brethenoux at jbrethenoux@worldbank.org with copy to info@infodev.org by Monday 29 August 2011 at pm ET indicating in the subject line: infodev business incubation training program - African host. Shortlisted bidders may be invited to respond to a more detailed request for proposals. 1. infodev Business Incubation Training Program infodev ( is a research, capacity building and advisory services program, coordinated and served by an expert Secretariat hosted by the Financial and Private Sector Development Department of the World Bank Group. It helps developing countries and their international partners enable the start up and growth of innovative small and medium sized enterprises for inclusive economic growth and sustainable development. infodev is a leader in business incubation of technology-enabled enterprises. infodev s global business incubation network reaches 300+ business incubators, more than 20,000 small and medium enterprises, and has helped create over 230,000 jobs across 90+ developing countries.1 infodev has found that high quality leadership is a key factor determining the probability of success for an incubator. infodev therefore seeks to increase the capacity of business incubation managers and their stakeholders through one-onone technical assistance, regional and topical peer-to-peer networks, the bi-annual Global Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and its web-based networking and knowledge-sharing tool This training program was designed in direct response to repeated requests from infodev s innovation and entrepreneurship community for an in-depth business incubation training program relevant to the developing country context. This training program is the first-of-its-kind, drawing from the lessons, models, and examples in business incubation from across Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, and South 1 Source: infodev activities from 2002 to 2009: 1

2 Asia. More than 30 experts contributed directly to the writing of the training modules, and the materials were tested with more than 300 professionals in developing countries all of whom provided inputs to the final design. This training program is designed for business incubation managers and other business incubation stakeholders wishing to increase their understanding and knowhow of the business incubation process. It consists of 11 training modules ranging from basic introductory topics designed for professionals new to business incubation, to specialized topics such as Technology Commercialization and Virtual Business Incubation Services. In Africa, the training will be delivered under the brand of infodev and the African Incubation Network (AIN). As AIN is not a legal entity and has no staff associated with it, infodev and AIN are seeking a third party organization to promote, roll-out and manage the training program in Africa. 2. Scope of work The selected organization will manage the roll-out of infodev s business incubation training program in Africa on behalf of infodev and the African Incubation Network. The selected third party will be provided with the right to use infodev Business Incubation training material in order to implement the training in the region of Africa. The selected organization will hence play the role of main point of contact for African incubation stakeholders who seek training; treasurer collecting trainee fees and pay trainers; provider of quality control continuously collecting and analyzing trainees feedback; aggregator of new content; and business developer continuously seeking new opportunities for AIN to deliver training. The training can only be delivered by infodev certified trainers. infodev has started the certification process of trainees in Africa, and it is expected that the first 3-4 trainers will be available as of September In order to administer the implementation of its business incubation training program in Africa, infodev is seeking an African organization with demonstrated experience and the capacity to manage capacity building activities at a continental level and to collect fees and pay trainers. infodev will provide an 18 month grant of up to USD 50,000. The selected organization will be expected to sign an agreement with infodev outlining the terms and conditions of the relationship between infodev and the host organization towards managing the delivery of the training program in Africa. The price for the training will be set in collaboration with infodev and AIN. Any proceeds should be provided to AIN. 2

3 3. Tasks and Duties The selected training program administrator will be expected to work closely with infodev and its regional network of business incubators while undertaking the following tasks: Promote the training program, by reaching out to likely interested business incubation stakeholders from Africa and by conducting market research and assess the market size, willingness and ability to pay from regional incubation stakeholders seeking training and identify, as a result, opportunities for the regional network to deliver training. Host and manage the implementation of the business incubation training program in Africa. The selected organization must 1) ensure the training is delivered professionally and with high quality standards; 2) receive and store submissions from African business incubation stakeholders seeking training; 3) ensure a timely and responsive communication flow with both the trainers and the trainees. Conduct due diligence for each individual/organization seeking training. This may require, for instance, making sure they will benefit for the training and have the capacity to pay for it. This will require that all expressions of interest be gently handled by managing expectations. Collect and analyze trainee evaluation forms from trainees and communicate results to infodev after each training has been completed. Collect incubation examples and methodologies from trainees and add these to the infodev database of training materials. Monitor the number of trainings held and the number of participants and communicate these to AIN and infodev. Negotiate pricing policy and develop a pricing strategy with trainers and infodev in order to ensure the implementation and updating costs are covered by the fees collected. Collect training fees and pay trainers. Collect the names, titles, organizations, countries, and phone contact details for all trainees and maintain a database of the same for use by infodev and AIN. The following tasks are infodev s responsibility, but the selected organization will support infodev in carrying out those: 3

4 To identify, train and certify trainers enabled to deliver the training program in the region. To assist infodev with monitoring the quality of the training program and support infodev in its efforts to keep the material up-to-date and improved. To this end: The selected organization will be expected to communicate any issues of concern to infodev. The selected organization will manage the updating of the training material in collaboration with with infodev. 4. Deliverables The deliverables will consist of: 1. Ensuring that at least 60 individuals in at least 10 African countries are trained during the project period. 2. Providing a market research report on the market size and the willingness and capacity of the target audience to pay. 3. Sending a summary evaluation of pre and post training assessment forms submitted by trainees to trainers and infodev. 4. A disbursement report, detailing the fees collected and the costs incurred by the delivery of the training (including trainers fees, catering costs, etc.) 5. A semi annual report on mobilized efforts to date, the number of trainings held, the number of participants who attended, and the fees collected and costs incurred through delivery of training. Also included should be an aggregation of examples from Africa that should be added to the training materials and any curriculum modification sought by the trainers. 6. Regular updates provided to infodev and the trainers at different stages during the course of the preparation of the implementation of the training program. 5. Evaluation criteria The evaluation criteria by which proposals for the role of training administrator will be judged will include: The relevant experience of the staff member(s) proposed to conduct the management of the delivery of the training program (50%). 4

5 Demonstrated experience and thorough knowledge of the regional business incubation environment for raising awareness about the training program (25%). Added value to improve the training material and its business model. This might include, for instance, suggestions for trainers to be certified, for more efficient and systematic improvements on the material (15%). Experience in managing capacity building activities in the Africa (10%). To respond to the call for expressions of interest, please indicate in the subject line of your infodev business incubation training program - African host and submit by to Julia Brethenoux at jbrethenoux@worldbank.org copying info@infodev.org no later than pm EST on Monday 29 August 2011: a technical proposal outlining the way the organizations envisages to manage the training program in Africa and a financial proposal detailing the estimated costs of administering the training program in the region and how funds from infodev and collected from the trainees will be spent. Please note that the World Bank requires all grant recipients to provide proof of the following before awarding a grant: Registration Financial management capacity this includes a requirement for audited financial statements. Procurement capacity Annexes: 1. infodev business incubation training program overview 2. infodev training program introduction 5