CALL FOR CONSULTANT(S) ON SOCIAL BUSINESS MODELING AND BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPMENT

People in Need (PIN) and WINNET Armenia Network of Women Resource Centers are announcing a call for a consultant (consulting company) to conduct “Social Business Modeling and Business Plan Development” training program within the framework of “Strengthening and scale-up of WINNET Armenia Network in the regions” Component of the “Future Today: Empowering Women, Youth And Children For Deepening Democracy In Armenia” EU-funded project. 

The participants of the training program will be project beneficiary Women Resource Centers (WRCs) 

Starting from April, 2020 WINNET Armenia Network of Women Resource Centers with the support of United Nations Population Fund is implementing the “Strengthening and scale-up of WINNET Armenia Network in the regions” Component of the “Future Today: Empowering Women, Youth And Children For Deepening Democracy In Armenia” 3 year EU-funded project. The initiative is based on the main Components of I) strengthening the organizational capacity of WINNET Armenia Network and member Women Resource Centers (WRCs) to enhance their effectiveness and sustainability and II) providing women’s economic opportunities through creation of Social Enterprises for women, mainly for those in need in Shirak, Lori and Tavush regions of Armenia. Under this initiative, WINNET Armenia works with its strategic partner People in Need NGO to identify opportunities where additional investments in capacity building of WRCs will drive organizational change to produce sustainable results and to provide innovative solutions on social entrepreneurship with the aim of supporting women and empowering local communities. 

Particularly, under the Component II) Outline Strategy and Priorities for Action to develop the Social Enterprises for newly established WRCs in Shirak, Lori and Tavush regions of Armenia is required, with  a strategic vision of enabling ecosystem for the social economy, which contributes to a sustainable and gender equal economic development and strengthens social cohesion. This will involve offering innovative methodology to develop a sustainable social enterprise model, including a plan on how to build capacity of WRCs in that area. 

Purpose and scope of work 

WINNET Armenia Network of Women Resource Centers and its partner People in Need NGO seek a consultant(s) that can provide specialist social business modeling support to our team and beneficiary newly established WRCs, drawing on their own experience of working with local civil society and global good practice, to contribute towards the achievement of Component II of this project.  

The Social Business Modeling Consultant will work closely with WINNET Armenia and People in Need team leaders and with the beneficiary WRCs, to deliver the following support: 

• to introduce beneficiary WRCs to the social business model and values, that underpin this type of enterprise and offer innovative methodology to develop a sustainable social enterprises in their respective communities with emphasis on empowerment of women, youth and marginalized groups, including their entrepreneurial/ business capacity building. 

• to develop and deliver a series of trainings on social entrepreneurship & business management aimed to empower WRCs to identify and assess viable business opportunities in their communities, invest, start and manage sustainable income generation activities through application of entrepreneurial & business skills.  

• The beneficiary WRCs should undergo a business training course, that covers the modules on introduction to entrepreneurship, record keeping, marketing, costing and pricing, completion, demand & supply, profit and loss calculation, business planning, business income versus personal expenditure, etc.  

The business training course should guide the participant WRCs to obtain skills/ knowledge on developing their business plans and be prepared for pitching competition. The advantage will be given to interactive methods using self-learning techniques and hands-on activities. The training package should include both short-term training and follow-up coaching. 

Within the business training course the consultant(s) will be expected to: 

• Support the beneficiary WRCs in planning of their own business models (using Business Model Canvas) and provide them with relevant theory, by working individually with every participant to supervise business planning whole process 

• Explain the principles of sales and the basics of marketing 

• Provide information on relevant legal and administrative requirements 

• Train participants in practical way about conducting market research 

• Train participants in basics of Financial Planning (break-even-point, income statements, etc.) and support them in preparation of budgets for the business competition 

• Support the participants to prepare their full applications 

• Prepare the participants to the Pitching Competition with a unified approach 

• Provide a final report after the training (including pre/post-tests analysis showing the growth of skills/knowledge of participants) 

• Provide a feedback on follow-up consultations. 

Using the findings of an in depth institutional needs assessment carried out by experts of People in Need experts, the Social Business Modeling Consultant will work with them to develop and deliver tailored training to the WRCs. Further details on the proposal will be provided upon signature of the contract.