Terms of Reference (ToR)

Coaching and Mentoring for Growth

Swisscontact Kosovo for the project:

Fostering Employment and Growth Opportunities (FEGO)

Background

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 the 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.

The apparel sector in Kosovo is experiencing significant growth within existing and new enterprises, especially in the Prishtina region. Startups and well-established enterprises in the sector have a high potential for business growth through local and international market penetration. However, internal assessments conducted by the FEGO project have indicated that existing market opportunities could be attained through the improvement of business and entrepreneurship-related knowledge and skills. These include management, financing, business operations, promotion, etc.

FEGO is seeking service providers to implement the “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program designed to facilitate the growth and development of these businesses by expanding and improving their knowledge in management and daily operations, digitalization, financing, growth planning, and promotion. The selected parties responsible for implementing this program will provide tailored guidance on these topics to both recently established and well-established MSMEs of the apparel industry. The program will be divided into two parts to cater to the different needs of these MSMEs.

Objectives

The objective of the “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program is to support MSMEs of the apparel industry in achieving sustainable growth and expansion by providing solutions to address gaps in their processes and equip them with knowledge towards business growth. The service provider/s are expected to coach and mentor MSMEs to improve their knowledge in the areas below:

FEGO is seeking service provider/s to reach two groups of beneficiaries:

1. Tailored coaching and mentoring for recently established MSMEs (start-ups with 1 to 5 years of business experience) in the areas of management and daily operations, e-commerce, growth planning, and reaching potential investors.
2. Tailored coaching and mentoring for well-established MSMEs in accessing new markets, networking, operations, and diversifying their products.

The selected service provider/s responsible for implementing the “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program will be required to provide tailored guidance to support recently established and well-established MSMEs of the apparel industry in Kosovo. The service provider will design training programs and develop training modules and training materials based on the given topics below for recently established and well-established MSMEs. The methodology and program are foreseen to be developed specifically for the groups of beneficiaries (A and B) to cater to the different needs of these MSMEs.

FEGO has foreseen indicative topics and modules that can be integrated into tailored coaching and mentoring programs for enterprises. Nevertheless, the “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program can be developed beyond the topics and modules presented in this ToR, based on justified market demand, and based on individual needs assessment. The proposed “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program should be developed separately for the two groups of target beneficiaries, namely groups A and B.

Indicative topics and modules:

1. Management and daily operations – assist MSMEs in improving their operational competence and reducing costs by providing guidance on effective management practices, including inventory management, quality control, and human resource management (such as recruitment and staff training).
2. Digitalization and e-commerce – provide guidance on how to develop digitalization strategies and how to effectively integrate these strategies into daily operations. This module should aim to support MSMEs increase and improve their online presence, identifying their target markets, and reaching new customers. Moreover, this module should provide guidance on how to effectively use e-commerce platforms to sell products online and how to set up and manage online payments and logistics.
3. Access to finance – provide guidance on how to identify funding sources needed to grow their businesses such as traditional lending institutions including commercial banks and micro-financial institutions, as well as alternative financing options such as venture capital and angel investors. This module should include information and guidance such as how to prepare financial projections, as well as how to develop business plans and create financial statements – key components needed for loan applications or reaching potential investors.
4. Growth planning – provide guidance on how to conduct market research to identify growth potential, identify emerging trends in the apparel industry, and assess the competition. This module should also include guidance on how to develop and improve products, enter new markets, and improve relationships with existing customers.
5. Reaching potential investors – this module should support MSMEs to identify and attract potential investors who can provide the funding needed to accelerate the growth of the businesses. In that regard, the program will provide guidance on how to develop an effective pitch for investors that clearly communicates business plans, financial projections, and growth potential.
6. Access to markets – guide MSMEs on how to access new markets through fair participation and B2B networking events including how to prepare for these events and how to present businesses and products. This program shall guide MSMEs in using online networking platforms such as LinkedIn to connect with potential partners and investors.

The “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program, particularly for the well-established MSMEs, should ideally be concluded with the initiative of establishing a business exchange platform/organization which would serve as a central point of coordination for the apparel industry and would address their common needs in an organized manner. That would consequently lead to a well-regulated industry that can compete in both local and international markets.

Scope of Work

Design the preliminary module program/offer – design the methodology and timeline for the program implementation and develop a program structure for “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” including content and topics to be covered in each module. The content and topics covered must be based on identified needs and requirements of target beneficiaries. This includes creating materials, presentations, and other resources for delivering coaching and mentoring sessions for each module.

Identify and select MSMEs from targeted groups – in close cooperation with the FEGO project, identify and select recently established and well-established MSMEs of the apparel industry in Kosovo. The selection process must be fair and based on clear criteria. After the selection process, service providers should conduct an assessment to identify specific needs, challenges, and the growth potential of these MSMEs.

Finalize the module program offer based on specific needs and requirements of selected MSMEs – tailor the modules of the program based on specific needs and requirements of selected MSMEs. The content must be customized for each group (Group A: recently established MSMEs and Group B: well-established MSMEs).

Conduct the “Mentoring and Coaching for Growth” program – through mentoring, coaching and training sessions based on tailored programs specifically for the needs of MSMEs form the two separate groups. Potentially, the content of the program for Group A MSMEs should focus on management and daily operations, e-commerce, growth planning, and reaching potential investors, whereas sessions with Group B MSMEs should focus on operations, exchange sessions, and networking opportunities, with an emphasis on accessing new markets and diversifying their products.

Monitoring the impact of implementation activities – continuously monitor the progress of MSMEs throughout the duration of the “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program and provide feedback and recommendations for improvement.

The “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program is expected to be implemented during the year 2023.

Deliverables

The selected parties are required to deliver the following:

• A detailed training program and schedule, including specific topics and activities that will be carried out in each training session.
• Identification of at least 50 MSMEs for the two groups of target beneficiaries (groups A and B) that will benefit from the “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program.
• One-on-one coaching sessions that provide guidance and support to MSMEs in implementing the strategies covered in this training program, tailored to each business’s needs.
• Progress reports for each MSME, including challenges that need to be addressed.
• If during the identification and specific needs and requirements of MSMEs other topics related to this program are identified and are not foreseen in this ToR, modules can and shall be added and adapted to the program.

Applicants must submit the following:

• Company profile, CVs of coaches and mentors, and previous experience in similar projects.
• Based on the Terms of Reference, present a detailed methodology and technical offer.
• Financial offer (indication of specific costs in gross amount).
• A proposed timeline for the identification of MSMEs, needs assessment, implementation of the activity, and monitoring of the activity.
• Companies are invited to submit their offers either for only one group of target beneficiary enterprises (A or B) or for both groups of target beneficiaries (A and B).
• Companies are encouraged to present technical and financial offers specifically for the two target beneficiary enterprises (A and B).
• The proposal must contain a full cycle of training content/modules for the “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” program for target beneficiaries (A or/and B). Applications that apply for only one or few modules will be disregarded.

Evaluation Criteria

• Proposed coaching methodologies (20 points)
• Proposed topics, tailored to the needs of MSMEs (15 points)
• Financial offer (25 points)
• Proposed methodology for identification and enrollment of benefiting MSMEs (10 points)
• CVs of proposed experts/coaches (15 points)
• Proposed deliverables and timeframe (15 points)

Contact and Submission of Offer

You may direct your inquiries no later than 05.06.2023 to the following e-mail: fegoinfo@swisscontact.org

A full proposal with required documents based on the Terms of Reference should be sent by 11.06.2023 with the subject REF: “Coaching and Mentoring for Growth” to fegoinfo@swisscontact.org.