81323050-Transforming agribusinesses to improve the employment situation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

EPSI seeks to commission external technical expertise to contribute to Output 3 ("Fit for Business") of the project: "The technical and financial capacities of refugees, IDPs and people from the host communities to set up, expand or reactivate MSMEs have been enhanced." Output 3 focuses on strengthening the technical, managerial, and financial capacities of MSMEs through structured training, coaching and mentoring, access to financial support, and market linkages. Entrepreneurs are supported to establish or expand their businesses, improve productivity and incomes, and create employment opportunities. In parallel, local Business Development Service (BDS) providers are capacitated to sustainably deliver high-quality services to MSMEs. In all measures under Output 3, the different realities of IDPs, refugees and returnees-particularly women and persons with disabilities-are taken into account. In addition, the acquisition of professional skills relevant to environmental protection, climate action and climate-smart agriculture is prioritised in the output.

Objective and Scope of the Assignment The objective of this assignment is to build the capacity of 70 existing agribusiness SMEs to expand their operations, improve working conditions and incomes, and contribute to employment creation in underserved areas of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The contractor shall plan and implement one full SME Loop cycle (GIZ methodology) for 70 agribusiness SMEs, in close cooperation with one competitively selected local BDS provider, which will be capacitated to independently deliver training and coaching services. The assignment will be implemented in Soran Administration (Erbil Governorate) and Garmyan Independent Administration (Sulaimaniyah Governorate).

Scope of Services and Work Packages The assignment consists of four interlinked Work Packages (WP1-WP4), all under the responsibility of the contractor and contributing to the achievement of EPSI"s Output 3. WP1: Selection and Capacity Building of Local BDS Provider The contractor shall competitively select and capacitate one local BDS provider to deliver the SME Loop methodology. This includes the development of a transparent selection process, support to establish an implementation team, and delivery of Training of Trainers and Training of Coaches, ensuring readiness to implement WP2 and WP3. WP2: Training and Coaching of Agribusiness SMEs The contractor shall support the BDS provider to deliver SME Loop classroom trainings and structured coaching to 70 selected agribusiness SMEs. This includes adaptation of training modules to the agribusiness and climate-smart context, inclusive SME selection, delivery of trainings and coaching cycles, and systematic monitoring of SME progress and performance. WP3: Financial Support to Agribusiness SMEs The contractor shall provide technical support for the provision of financial support to 34 high-performing agribusiness SMEs that successfully complete WP2 and demonstrate competitive, market-relevant business models. This includes technical support during the grant application and selection process, as well as monitoring of grant utilisation and business investment outcomes in line with project requirements. WP4: Peer Learning, Youth Linkages and Market Networking The contractor shall facilitate peer learning, employment linkages, and market access to translate capacity development and financial support into sustainable outcomes. This includes cross-governorate peer learning among agribusiness SMEs, linking youth (students and graduates of agriculture-related disciplines) to SMEs for internships and employment, strengthening private-sector and market linkages, and documenting lessons learned and good practices. For the implementation fo these work packages, fo these work packages, the tenderer shall provide: - Two key experts responsible for overall technical leadership, coordination, and quality assurance; - One expert pool with international expertise providing specialised technical expertise; and - One expert pool with national expertise providing coaching and field-level support. Travel to and within KRI will be required for the implementation of the assignment by the key experts as well as the expert pool members.