Business Development Expert

Background

For the 5th consecutive year, the Palestine Information and Communications Technology incubator (PICTI) in partnership with Women’s Technical Affairs Committee (WATC), Alianza Por La Solidaridad (APS), Palestine Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) and Culture & Free Thought Association (CFTA) are currently implementing the project “Reducing Gender Inequalities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

Under this project, PICTI will support 5 Palestinian women entrepreneurs from the West Bank & Gaza Strip in the creation of their start-up. By providing them with the needed guidance, mentoring and training in the areas of innovation & entrepreneurship before and during the incubation phase.

As such, PICTI is to select a highly qualified Business Development Expert, where he/she will follow up and keep track of the full entrepreneurship program for a period of 2 months. The expert will provide guidance to the selected 5 female entrepreneurs, who are leading an innovative start-up idea. Throughout the incubation period at PICTI, the expert is to help them expand and improve their business ideas to reach sustained growth through understanding their vision and goals, assessing strengths and weaknesses, and also helping optimize current business practices while developing new and improved management methods.

Scope of work:

• Full guidance along the 2 months incubation program.
• Introduce new business methods and systems.
• Educate, lead, and supervise to ensure achievement.
• Help with implementing suggested plans and strategies. 
• Identify problems - contribute to problem-solving or minimize the negative impacts on the business.
• Collaborate with the assigned technical expert to provide technical assistance to startups.
• Perform a Gap analysis regarding the capacity strengths and weaknesses of the startup.
• Help entrepreneurs/women overcome challenges in order to increase revenue or growth.
• Improve the way entrepreneurial women manage their resources (Both financial and technical).
• Organization & supervision of training sessions for startups for the duration of incubation.

The Expert must ensure delivering the following:

• An initial needs assessment report of beneficiaries of the entrepreneurship programme.
• Record of benefits template, including seed funding.
• Testimonies of success and empowerment stories: including interviewing the 5 startups in the incubation programme and conducting focus group discussions for the 5 startups altogether at the end of the programme.
• Training report for the training offered to the startups (including methodology, content, attendance, pictures, training material, etc.).
• All documents, required by the beneficiary, are delivered and/ or filled as requested.

Important Notes:

1. The above activities for the Business Development Expert are estimated to consist of 40 hours (including preparation hours) over the 2
2. The 5 selected women are divided as such; 3 reside in the Gaza Strip, and 2 in the West Bank (who will participate virtually in the incubation program).

The Expert will be expected to have the following competencies:

• Experience in training, coaching, and mentoring especially for start-ups.
• Good knowledge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem including Venture Capital and fundraising and teaching.
• Proven innovation and design thinking skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Proven project management skills.
• Experience in training and teaching.
• Ability to influence and inspire.

Guidelines and Selection Criteria:

In undertaking this assignment, the service provider should consider submitting:

• Technical proposal (70%) covering the following items:

1. CVs and portfolio, showcasing examples of previous relevant experience in the support and guidance of ICT SMEs and entrepreneurs. (25%)
2. Methodology/Approach used to achieve the final report (include appropriate data collection instruments and procedures such as questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups). (25%)
3. Action Plan to achieve the final report (Including all working days for conducting interviews and focus groups with all aforementioned parties). (20%)

• Financial proposal (30%). The price quotation for the training delivery should be in EURO.

Please note that the price quotation should be submitted in:

1. English language.
2. The Price must be in Euro Including income Tax– and PICTI is not responsible for any currency differences.
3. The price offer must be valid for a period of 6 months.
4. PICTI has the right to withdraw or cancel the solicitation, without incurring any costs and without any justifications.
5. The consultant to whom the quotation is awarded bears all responsibility in the case that they submit a quotation and are unable to submit any of the reinforcements necessary for the payment.
6. The payment with the selected expert will be made after signing the contract, completing the required service by submitting the work completion report, and providing the financial payment request, 10% of the total amount will be deducted as income tax to be submitted to the Ministry of Finance.
7. PICTI reserves the right to reject any offer without stating the reasons and to solicit offers from abroad in the case of rejection of the submitted offers and in case of violation and non-compliance with the required specifications.
8. The amount due to the supplier shall be paid by Checks or bank transfer from the bank account of the project, after submitting the necessary.
9. PICTI is not obligated to the lowest prices without giving reasons, and it is also entitled to split or cancel without giving reasons, Therefore, the offers will be evaluated from a technical and financial point.
10. Any clause or any of the general conditions relating to PICTI that have been inadvertently omitted and are not mentioned within these Terms of Reference is subject to PICTI internal standard procedures or the Palestinian Procurement and Supplies Law or any financial procedures related to that.
11. Please stamp and sign all pages of the quotation.

Please take into consideration that the budget is highly limited, therefore provide us with the lowest price offers possible.

Application Submission and Deadline

Interested persons are encouraged to submit their price offers to envelopes to the following address: Al-Shohdaa' St., Hassania Building 6th Fl, indicating on the cover page “Business Development Expert” no later than Sunday, 06 August 2023, at 4.00 pm.

Note: If you have any further inquiries, please contact Majd W. AbuMudallala, on the following number:  05984040465 or send the inquiries by email: [email protected]