Implementing Partner – Implementation of SIYB Training in Solomon Islands
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Background
The informal economy is a significant part of the economies of ACP countries, comprising a substantial portion of GDP and employment. Despite offering work opportunities, it tends to be linked with low productivity, incomes, and high poverty rates. Workers in this sector often lack access to essential services and social protections, leaving them vulnerable to economic downturns and hardships. Challenges such as limited access to finance and inadequate business skills further hinder the productivity and growth of informal enterprises. Addressing these issues requires a holistic approach, involving various stakeholders to create an enabling environment for formalization and growth.
The Project on “Supporting Informal Enterprises Transition Towards Sustainable Growth and Formalization in the Africa Caribbean and Pacific Regions” is an African, Caribbean and Pacific (OACPS) Group of States initiatives, financed by the European Union aims to support informal enterprises in the Solomons in transitioning to the formal economy in close collaboration with the UNDP. In addition, the joint programme on “Advancing the SDGs by Improving livelihoods and resilience via economic diversification and digital transformation” aims to support countries in the Pacific, including Solomon Islands, in accelerating SDG achievement through dedicated support through promoting demand-driven business development services and entrepreneurship in strategic sectors.
Together the two programmes aim to improve regulatory conditions, build capacity among informal businesses, and enhance support from intermediaries like cooperatives and financial institutions. By fostering collaboration and innovation, it seeks to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure inclusive growth in the informal sector.
In September 2023, the ILO provided a Training of the Trainers on the ILO’s Start and Improve Your Business Training to several business development support organizations from the Solomon Islands. While entrepreneurship training is sporadically offered in Honiara, this opportunity is largely absent in rural areas, where informal economy operators dominate. To ensure that the training reaches rural populations, the ILO is seeking a service provider capable of providing SIYB training in rural areas. Target locations include Western Province (Gizo, Munda, Noro), Malaita Province (Auki), Central Province, Choiseul Province, Makira Province, and Isabel Province.
The intervention shall be delivered in close coordination with ongoing efforts to support informal businesses, such as through the Pacific Islands Digital Economy Programme (PDEP), which is supporting the development of digital financial services and promoting the usage of digital payments.
Objective
Under this assignment, the selected implementing partner will support the project in the
Facilitation of Entrepreneurship Training Expansion: Acknowledging the limited availability of entrepreneurship training in rural the service provider will support the ILO in rolling out Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training for rural business owners, merchants and agents in selected provinces.
Promotion of Business Formalization: The recently launched Solomon Islands national formalization and action plan recommends putting together a step-by-step guide on the business registration process, which is currently under development. The intervention should raise awareness on simplified tax regulations for small businesses as well as the process to register an informal business, especially among peri-urban women business owners.
Brief Description of the Required Services
ILO invites applications from registered entities with presence in the Solomon Islands that can offer support to rural communities, in particular women, informal business owners, to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to improve productivity and grow their businesses and promote their progressive transition to formality.
The applicant organization/firm/company will be tasked with raising awareness amongst these stakeholders on the benefits of business formalization and support the beneficiaries with developing their skills and capacities in such areas as entrepreneurship, business development and digital literacy, basing on modules of the ILO Start and Improve Your Business (SYIB) programme.
At the organizational level, it is expected that the applicant organization shall have identified a project manager and a team of 3-5 personnel for timely completion of the training under this assignment. Among other are:
– Availability of certified SYIB trainers, capable of delivering capacity building activities based on the relevant modules of the ILO SIYB programme;
– Access to field-based representatives/agents who engage with and recruit stakeholders in selected rural areas, including women and informal business owners;
– Experience in engaging with local business owners and in facilitating trainings or outreach activities among the target beneficiary population;
– Strong digital, financial literacy and business development skills as well as adult training capacities.
Activities and Deliverables:
| Part A. Pre training deliverables | Deadline |
| 1. Inception Report providing a detailed workplan, staffing plan and support plan for the below deliverables. | 2 weeks after contract signature |
| 2. Design a 1.5 to 2.5-day[1] training programme and prepare training materials for informal business owners, merchants and agents comprising key elements of start and improve your business (SIYB), digitalize your business (DYB) programme as well as a session on how to formalize an enterprise. | 4 weeks after contract signature |
| 3. In close coordination with the ILO, develop an implementation plan (i.e. which trainings are to be administered in which locality at which time, approach for identification of trainees and convening, logistical arrangements)?. | 4 weeks after contract signature |
| Part B. Training Deliverables | Deadline |
| 4. Deliver trainings at locality level for a total of 400 beneficiaries (in the following 4 localities):
· Western Province: Gizo, Munda, and Noro towns · Malaita Province: Auki This includes logistical arrangements (securing participants, venue, refreshments, availability of hand out materials), |
Between September 2024 and December 2024 |
| 5. Provide monthly reports on trainings on enrolment / completion of trainings disaggregated by gender, age, and disability status. | Between September 2024 and December 2024 |
| Part C. Post-training deliverables | Deadline |
| 6. Conduct the post-training survey to track the impact of the training after 3 months and submit a summary analysis report. | March 2025 |
| 7. Submit a final implementation report, detailing relevant information (e.g., no of beneficiaries, challenges faced, lessons learned) and detailed spending to-date as agreed with the ILO. | March 2025 |
Reporting Lines
The implementing partner will work under the guidance and close supervision of the ILO project teams in the project office in the Solomons as well as the country office in Suva, and backstopping specialists in headquarters. This includes regular meetings to plan for progress and monthly reporting. All deliverables are to be shared with members of the ILO project team to receive comments/feedback, incorporate it and finalize.
Submission
The interested implementing partner should submit a technical, financial proposal and evidence of proven technical expertise and institutional and financial capacity to suva@ilo.org, no later than July 19, 2024, 4pm [CAT].
- The financial proposal should be output-based and include a sufficient breakdown of inputs for each of the outputs. The financial offer should be submitted in USD.
- The technical proposal should include at a minimum:
- The comparative advantage of the organization in implementing the deliverables;
- A work plan for the first cycle of implementation (by training programme);
- A draft training plan focusing on selected modules of the start and improve your business and digitalize your business training and sketching out the approach for delivery.
Both the technical and financial proposals should reflect planning to mitigate against issues relevant to the rainy season and security challenges.
Please note that the ILO will not consider incomplete submissions. All responses and supporting documentation received will be treated as strictly confidential and will not be made available for the public.
Evaluation Criteria
Technical Request for Proposal (weighed at 70%)
– Sound methodological framework and training approach, their appropriateness to the local conditions and the target beneficiaries, timeliness of the implementation plan (40 points).
– Demonstrated expertise and capacity of the organization to reach target beneficiaries and deliver trainings in the identified localities (30 points%).
– Qualification of key personnel, involved in developing and carrying out the described training activities. Prior experience delivering Start and Improve Your Business is an advantage (30 points).
Financial Request for Proposal (weighed at 30%)
To be computed as a ratio of the Request for Proposal’s offer to the lowest price among the Request for Proposals received
Tentative Payment Schedule
- Upon submission of deliverables 1-4, to the entire satisfaction of the ILO, and no later than 30 September, the ILO will pay the service provider 30% of the agreed upon contract volume.
- Upon submission of deliverables 5-6, to the entire satisfaction of the ILO, and no later than 30 December 2024, the ILO will pay the service provider 50 of the agreed upon contract volume.
- Upon submission of deliverables 7-8, to the entire satisfaction of the ILO, and no later than 28 February 2025, the ILO will pay the service provider 20% of the agreed upon contract volume.