1. Background
Inclusive Business Accelerator Program (IBA) is the first one-stop shop initiated by SNV in Vietnam for various services needed by businesses which include low-income groups in their operations. We use innovative acceleration models to make the businesses investor-ready. Our scope of services including: Market Intelligence & Opportunity Identification, Business Design & Readiness, Investor – Investee Match making, Impact Measurements & Scalability.
There will be primarily two kinds of clients who would be attracted to its service offerings, one of which is Acceleratee (Young and growing SMEs) who enroll in the IBA's fixed 9-12 month acceleration program. The other type of clients is SMEs and IB ventures by Large Businesses, who need customized services. Part of SNV’s support to these clients is through our partnership project co-financed by IFAD and SNV, namely “Partnering for value: Promoting Public – Private Producers Partnership (4P) in IFAD-funded value chain development projects” with IFAD funded project partners in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh.
The overall goal of the project is to promote effective pro-poor 4P that will contribute to sustainable livelihoods for the rural poor in a changing environment. Specific objectives are: (i) to jump start the application of the 4P approach by facilitating the identification, development and monitoring of “4P business plans” from private enterprises in the context of IFAD funded projects; and (ii) to build capacity and develop knowledge on successful 4P best practices for future use, replication and scaling up by all stakeholders involved.
The 4P fund, which is part of the IFAD-funded SRDP (Sustainable Rural Development for the Poor project in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh) and AMD (Adaptation in the Mekong Delta in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh) projects, is designed to encourage private sector investments in support of climate-sensitive value chain development and rural employment generation by co-financing up to 49% of the total investments by private businesses. The fund can be used in quality input supply for, and raw material marketing/processing of, products from adaptive farming systems, resulting in increased income and job opportunities amongst poor and near-poor households. This will also provide an incentive for farmers and aqua culturists to adopt Climate Change adapted farming systems through the development of post-production steps in the value chain. Each qualified enterprise will have opportunity to receive up to USD 60,000 (for Ben Tre and Tra Vinh AMD) and USD 100,000 (for Ha Tinh and Quang Binh SRDP) as the maximum. In these provinces, the Provincial Project Coordination Unit (PCU) is the lead agency fully responsible for the “4P facility” management according to a “4P Manual” approved by Provincial People’s Committee (PPC).
In order to facilitate the potential and interested enterprises in accessing the 4P facility in these 4 provinces, SNV is currently looking for consultant(s) to help in (i) organizing “4P business plan/proposal writing training courses for potential enterprises and local partners; and (ii) supporting some selected business cases to develop 4P business proposals for getting “no objection” from PCU’s Appraisal Committee and IFAD and approval by respective Provincial People’s Committees.
2. Outputs/deliverables
The consultant(s) needs to deliver the following outputs:
A) Three training courses business plan/proposal writing for potential companies and provincial partners respectively in Quang Binh/Ha Tinh (1 course), Ben Tre (1 course) and Tra Vinh (1 course) in March-June 2016.
Key deliverables from each training course are as follows:
- Hand-outs (files) at least 5 days before the training delivery.
- Detailed agenda for 2-day training at least 5 days before the training delivery.
- Short report highlighting key achievements, area of improvement and recommendations for following courses – one week after the training delivery.
B) Four final “business plan/proposals” including financial analysis for 4 selected companies sent to SNV in both Vietnamese and English using templates (please see in part 5: Relevant document) from IFAD-funded projects with “no objection” from PCU and IFAD Vietnam Office for the period from February-June 2016. Specific deadline for each proposal submission will be set later after agreeing with the respective PCUs in the 4 target provinces.
Each proposal will contain main parts as follows:
- Project fact sheet (one page)
- Enterprise overview (maximum 5 pages)
- Enterprise level PPP investment (5-10 pages)
- Farm level PPP investment (5-10 pages)
- PPP project budget and workplan (2-6 pages)
- Annex 1: Financial analysis of the PPP project
- Annex 2: Required financial statement by the enterprise
- M&E baseline data collected for the selected cases in according with SNV and IFAD’s M&E framework, January 2016.
3. Tasks of the consultant(s) and time allocation
The consultants will be expected to undertake the following tasks, in close consultation with and facilitation of the 4P Project Manager and respective PCU staff, during the period from February to June 2016.
3.1 Output 1: Business plan/proposal writing training courses
- Design and prepare hand-outs for the 2-day Business Plan/Proposal Writing training for participating enterprises selected by SNV and respective PCUs taking into account of IFAD’s PPP project proposal template including financial analysis and needs from these enterprises.
- Facilitate three Business Plan/Proposal Writing training courses, in Quang Binh/Ha Tinh, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh, each one with about 20-25 participants in the period from March to June 2016.
- Conduct end-of-training course evaluation and write a short report on results, issues and recommendations to SNV from each of the delivered training courses.
3.2 Output 2: Written PPP project proposals for selective enterprises with “no objection” from respective PCU and IFAD
- In consultation with the 4P manager, select 4-5 best business cases which are highly potential for the 4P Facility requirements for 4P business plans/proposal development and writing support.
- Conduct field visits to the selected business cases and its chain actors (e.g. farming households - raw material suppliers, buyers, etc.) in order to carry out market/value chain and SWOT analysis and provide technical support to them in formulating relevant and feasible PPP business plans/project proposals (including the financial analysis).
- Taking into consideration of IFAD-funded PPP proposal template and appraisal framework, provide tailor-made coaching and editing support to these business cases in finalizing their PPP business plans/project proposals for consideration by the respective provincial Appraisal Committee and IFAD Vietnam Office.
- Provide support to the selected business cases in preparing successful “elevator pitch” to the respective Provincial Appraisal Committee’s appraisal meeting.
- Collect M&E baselines for the selected business cases.
- Submit by email the draft and final PPP business plans/proposals and M&E baselines to SNV and the selected businesses.
4. Qualifications of Consultant(s)
Essential Qualification:
- Master’s in Business Administration / Finance / Technology/Innovation/Economics or related fields;
- Having experience in delivering Business Plan/Project proposal training courses and supporting enterprises in writing the Business Plan/Project proposal.
- Familiar with financial guidance and regulations from the Ministry of Finance
- Experience in project management using log-frame approach, result chain, social impact assessment;
- At least 5 years of experience working in rural financial services, and/or market and value-chain investment;
- Having experience in finance and budgeting;
- Excellent analytical and writing skills.
Desirable Experience:
- Ten years’ experience in Programmes for SMEs;
- Managerial strategy development experience with private sector;
- Familiar with IFAD-Funded Project’s PPP approach and its requirements for funding applications;
- Consulting experience in developing Innovative Business / Market Development initiatives for SMEs.
- Preferably the consultant(s) have been certified by the SNV-IBA.
- Experience in rural trade enterprises and value-chain entrepreneurs.
5. Relevant documents
SNV will provide the consultants with some relevant documents including:
- PPP project proposal template
- Financial Analysis Template
- PPP Manual from IFAD-funded projects (AMD and SRDP)
- M&E framework and dashboard business score cards
The interested consultant team is expected to submit interest letter, CVs, and technical and financial proposals, including consultancy workplan, for consideration to SNV by 12:00 pm on 5 February 2016 with the title: “4P Business Plan/Proposal Development Support Consultant”
The financial proposal should specify unit cost per training course and 4P business plan/proposal developed.
The proposals will be sent to [email protected] [1].