Terms of Reference (ToR)

Identification of service providers in the furniture sector in Kosovo

Swisscontact Kosovo for the project:

Fostering Employment and Growth Opportunities (FEGO)

Introduction

The Fostering Employment and Growth Opportunities (FEGO) project in Kosovo is financed by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and implemented by Swisscontact in Kosovo. The project aims to generate employment and income for women, men, and youth, presently living in poverty and socio-economic marginalization. This is intended to be achieved through sustainable and scalable growth of micro/small (family) businesses and start-ups, in the apparel, furniture, and rural tourism sectors.

FEGO applies a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, specifically focusing on market facilitation through new, innovative business models to ensure large-scale sustainable changes in respective sectors. The project will reach its goal through two main objectives: 1) Fostering the growth and development of micro/small (family) businesses in the apparel and furniture sectors and facilitating their entrepreneurship growth and 2) supporting local communities operating with rural tourism activities, and their micro and small enterprises towards development of rural tourism. Both outcomes will contribute to more sustainable and inclusive market systems, improving income, productivity and enhancing job creation in the private sector, therefore contributing to addressing high unemployment and poverty rates in the country, especially amongst youth and women. Swisscontact, through the FEGO project, promotes inclusive social, economic, and ecological development to make an effective contribution towards sustainable and widespread prosperity, offering the chance to economically and socially disadvantaged people to improve their lives on their own initiative.

Background

The recent rapid growth of the furniture sector has not been met with the required support services in the market. The growth of companies and the penetration of additional markets has increased the demand for specialized services such as industrial design, industrial painting, CNC programming and operating, and machinery maintenance among others.

Some of these support services are present at some level in Kosovo but are not tailored to the needs of the furniture market. The FEGO team seeks to facilitate the provision and matching of required services for the furniture sector MSMEs. FEGO seeks to cooperate with service providers in developing/tailoring their offer to match furniture sector needs. This will be done through the provision of capacity building, knowledge exposure, targeting promotion, etc. for service providers.

FEGO aims to achieve a systemic market shift where furniture sector companies continuously utilize services such as:

• industrial design,
• industrial painting,
• CNC programming and operating, and
• machinery maintenance

among others which are provided in an affordable manner and tailored to sector needs and market trends.

Objectives and Scope

Through this consultancy assignment, the FEGO project seeks to obtain information on the existing service providers for the furniture sector, as well as to understand their challenges and opportunities which would enable FEGO Project to design impactful interventions/activities.

The research should be done partially through desk research and field visits in the 7 regions of Kosovo with the primary focus on identifying relevant or specific service providers for the furniture sector in areas such are: industrial design, industrial painting, CNC programming and operating, machinery maintenance and others that can be identified. Additionally, the selected consultant shall describe in detail each identified service providers’ business model: offerings, pricing, clients, costs, challenges, and opportunities for growth.

The consultancy-related work outlined in this ToR shall be conducted in close coordination with the FEGO project team.

The key objective of the assignment is:

• To identify relevant or specific service providers for the furniture sector with a profile of each identified service provider. Profile for each identified service provider should include a short summary with the business model, relevance, and potential described. The FEGO team will assist in the development of the short profile structure.

Activities

To achieve the objectives, the consultant is expected to conduct the following activities in close coordination with the FEGO team:

• Provide a methodology for undertaking the research assignment;
• Conduct desk research on the relevant and specific service providers and innovative businesses in the furniture sector and a plan for field visits;
• Conduct field visits throughout Kosovo for the purpose of identification and profiling of those identified service providers and innovative businesses in the furniture sector;
• Prepare and submit the draft report containing the lists and profiles to the FEGO team;
• Revise the draft report as per the FEGO team’s comments; and
• Submit the Final Report.

Deliverables

The consultant/s is expected to deliver the following:

• A research report comprised of
  • An overall situation of the service providers to the furniture sector with main challenges and opportunities for growth elaborated; and
  • A list of identified service providers relevant and specific to the furniture sector with a profile for each identified service provider.

The report must be written in English.

Timeframe

The assignment period is planned from August 2023 to September 2023. All deliverables foreseen must be completed by the 27th of October 2023.

All costs (travel, meals, etc.) should be foreseen in the consultant’s gross daily fee proposal.

The total working days for the consultant are reflected in the table below:

Consultant/s experience:

• Education in relevant areas such that include market research, business administration, management, economics, and furniture.
• A minimum of 5 years of proven experience in sectorial and assessment research, market studies, feasibility studies, development plans, and related fields;
• Experience in the furniture sector is an advantage;
• Ability and proven successful track history to deliver a clear, structured, and comprehensive evidence-based research analysis. A sample of previous similar work should be provided in the technical offer.
• Capability to deliver required outputs on schedule;
• Good interpersonal, social, communication, and computer skills;
• Fluency in English. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Contact and Submission of Offer

Interested consultants shall submit a technical and financial offer based on the terms of reference by 31.08.2023 with the subject REF: “Identification of service providers in the furniture sector in Kosovo” to fegoinfo@swisscontact.org

Applicants must submit the following:

• Updated CV;
• Short Technical Proposal;
• Sample of the previous work; and
• Financial offer (the daily fee should be presented in gross amount).