Inclusive Business Accelerator Programme (IBA) Vietnam
Call for Expression of Interest (2017)
Background
SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (www.snvworld.org [1]) is a not-for-profit international development organization. Founded in the Netherlands 50 years ago, we have built a long-term, local presence in 38 of the poorest countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Our global team of local and international advisors work with local partners to equip communities, businesses and organizations with the tools, knowledge and connections they need to increase their incomes and gain access to basic services – empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and guide their own development.
SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995. Using market based approaches, SNV is committed to reducing poverty by catalysing environmentally sustainable solutions for the poor in agriculture, energy, water & sanitation, and REDD+.
In Vietnam, SNV manages the Inclusive Business Accelerator program ( IBA Vietnam). IBA Vietnam is the first programme in the country that supports inclusive business development with integrated solutions connecting businesses with Funders, Development Funds, service providers and other technical and financial support. IBA is the brainchild of SNV, BoP Innovation Center, Venture Capital for Africa (VC4A), and Nyenrode Business University, and is co-funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS). The programme supports companies to develop and apply innovative Inclusive Business (IB) models that deliver both commercial benefits to themselves, and development benefits for people in low-income groups, in terms of job creation, income improvements and availability of more affordable goods and services.
In 2014, the programme started with two local platforms for inclusive advisory services in Vietnam and Mozambique. IBA Vietnam has now become one of Inclusive Business Accelerator Locals creating local platform of inclusive business advisory services to identify, incubate and accelerate business solutions to development challenges.
IBA Vietnam has provided Inclusive Business Toolkits and other trainings to nearly 50 IB Advisors of 25 business consulting companies/institutes who thereafter together with IBA Vietnam have successfully supported 40 companies with knowledge, expertise and services to initiate and scale up their business activities in low-income markets.
For more information about our program, please visit www.ibavietnam.com [2]
IBA Vietnam has launched the call for proposals to support companies who have solid growth plans for 2017-2018 and need additional financing and technical support for the inclusive business, especially those who are under transition process or seek to apply inclusive business model.
For more information about the Call, please visit
http://ibavietnam.com/news/?id=150 (Vietnamese); or
https://iba.ventures/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/IBA-Vietnam-2017-2018-Gu... [3] (English)
Purpose
The aim of the Call is to establish a pool of qualified consultants who can deliver services on a short-term basis (for the duration of 3-6 months) to be used for the Innovative Inclusive Business Portfolio’s projects. Main areas within the Innovative Inclusive Business Portfolio include:
- Agriculture/Aquaculture/Medicinal Plants
- Renewable Energy
- Water and Hygiene
- IT and other innovations for above-mentioned sectors
An Inclusive Business is a business initiative that incorporates members from the low-income population (Base of the Pyramid) into the company’s core processes, generating a win-win relationship. Members from the low-income population typically fill one or more of several roles:
- Producers: new sources of input supply
- Employees: new qualified and competitive labour force
- Entrepreneurs: new distribution networks
- Consumers: new markets for affordable goods and services
The Base of the Pyramid (BoP) refers to people with a purchasing power of USD 8 a day or less. They are value-demanding consumers, resilient and creative entrepreneurs, producers, business partners and innovators. Because they are largely excluded from formal markets, there is a strong demand for innovative products, services and technologies that provide access to basic needs.
Eligibility
This Call for Expression of Interest is open to both individual consultants and legal entities (e.g. Companies, Universities, Institutes, Foundations, Associations etc.). An ideal candidate has at least 10 years of relevant work experience at operational level or at least five to seven years of appropriate business consulting experience in local and international context. Being familiar with inclusive business concept and Toolkits are advantage. Previous experience in the fields of business consulting, market access, business readiness, certification, distribution, marketing & communication, etc. are appreciated. To be eligible, a candidate has to hold at minimum a relevant Bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution. International university degrees are appreciated.
Scope of work and Financing mechanism
Relevant Consultants will be invited to submit proposals for specific IB assignments for negotiations. Selected Consultants will be in charge of providing specific technical assistances to IB companies under the full financing of IBA Vietnam. The maximum value of each assignment is $25,000. The Consultant(s) will work closely with both IBA team and IB companies in the delivering of business consulting services.
A cost-free training on inclusive business concept and IBA Toolkits will be provided to selected consultants who are not familiar with the concept. The training is aimed to equip business consultants with necessary inclusive business tools to enable them to assist Inclusive Business entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors in Base of the Pyramid markets.
Expected Timeline
- Deadline for Expression of Interest submission: 20 October 2017
- Call for technical proposals from IBA Vietnam: 25 October – 10 November 2017
- Selection and negotiation: 30 October – 25 November 2017
- Contracting: 25 – 30 November 2017
- Implementation: 01 December 2017 – 15 June 2018
How to apply
Interested candidates that meet the eligibility criteria are invited to send written Expression of Interest with proposed consultancy fee by daily rate and CV and/or Corporate profiles with capacity statement by 17:00 on 20 October 2017 by email to the IBA Vietnam at [email protected] [4] or by posts to:
IBA Vietnam
SNV Netherlands Development Organisation
3rd Floor, Building D, La Thanh Hotel
218 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi, Viet Nam