1.0 INTRODUCTION

Solidaridad Network is an international solution-oriented civil society organization working through eight regional expertise centres to transform markets to make them more sustainable and inclusive. Our eight regional expertise centres include Asia, Eastern and Central Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Southern Africa, South America, West Africa and our global Secretariat in the Netherlands. Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa, one of the regional centres, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with country offices and programmes in Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. We bring together supply chain players and engage them with innovative solutions to improve production, ensuring the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy that maximizes the benefit for all. We facilitate strengthening of local capacity in developing countries, support the creation of enabling environments for economies to thrive, and improve market access.

1.1 The Ge-Specific SME Support Mechanism.

Gen – Specific SME Support Mechanism (GOWN) program aims to accelerate SMEs with high growth potential through education, mentorship, financing and addresses gender and social barriers. GOWN believes that learning by doing accelerates business growth. The program condenses years’ worth of learning into learning modules with tangible results within a period of six (6) months.

GOWN targets potential SMEs that can create visible and meaningful impact and can be scaled to be a potential investment-ready opportunity for investors.

2. Objectives:

The main objective of the assignment is to develop a gender and inclusion guide that SMEs will use to address gender and social cultural barriers and inequalities at household and in the business spaces that affect their businesses to thrive, attract investment and markets.

The specific objectives are:

(i) Develop a gender and social assessment tool that will be placed on the digital platform

(ii) Conduct assessment of the gender and social cultural barriers and inequalities at household and the business spaces that affect SMEs (mainly women led) to thrive, attract investment and markets. (A selected sample of SMEs to be assessed and this will have option of virtual due to COVID 19)

(iii) Develop a gender and inclusion guide/handbook that will be placed on the digital platform and in hard book form that SMEs will use to address gender and social cultural barriers and inequalities e.g at household and in the business spaces that affect their businesses to thrive, attract investment and markets.

3. Deliverables:

(i) A gender and social assessment tool. This can be placed on the digital platform

(ii) A report on the gender and social cultural barriers and inequalities at household and in the business spaces that affect SMEs (mainly women led) to thrive, attract investment and markets.

(iii) A gender and inclusion guide/handbook that will be placed on the digital platform and in hard book form that SMEs will use to address gender and social cultural barriers and inequalities e.g at household and in the business spaces that affect their businesses to thrive, attract investment and markets.

4. Expert/Consultant’s Profile:

The consultant

5. Consultancy Period:

The consultancy will entail up to 30 days spread out in 2 months. Prior to commencement of this assignment, there will be an inception meeting between the consultant Gender Specialist AND Solidaridad Regional Gender Advisor who is in charge of the Technical aspects of the assignment, and the GOWN team Lead.

Activity Deadline

1

Applications should be submitted no later than 14th June 2021. Applications should include the following:

• One (1) updated CV for the consultant. The CV should illustrate relevant work experience and qualifications; indicate Consultancy fee per day on the CV.


• Evidence of previous work in gender assessments and development of gender materials.

14^th June 2021, 5:00pm (EAT)

2

Decision of selected consultant – only selected candidates will be contacted.

18th June 2021

3

Inception meeting (virtual or in-person depending on covid19 situation).

22nd June 2021, 5:00pm (EAT)

4

Date of submission of products for review.

Assignment 1: By June 25^th 2021 5:00pm (EAT)

Assignment 2: By July 25^th 2021**, 5:00pm (EAT)**

5

Date of submission of final products for approval.

Assignment 1: By June 30^th 2021 5:00pm (EAT)

Assignment 2: By July 30^th 2021**, 5:00pm (EAT))**