Call for Applications: Agro Innovation Start-up Lab (Libya)

This Request for Proposals is specifically related to the UNDP project Strengthening Local Capacities for Resilience and Recovery Project (SLCRR) funded by the European Union, Baladyati 2.

Specific Objectives

• Libya is in the process of diversification of its economy after the prolong period of instability. As part of the UNDP implementation of Local Peacebuilding and Resilience strategy for the South, and its active projects of SLCRR, UNDP is focused on building a socio-economic structure that is resilient to shocks; reintegrating Libya in the global economy; and creating employment that is safe, productive and remunerated equally, available to different groups of vulnerable people in Libya. For South of Libya, agriculture remains top priority interest for starting a business or a startup as reported through the survey conducted by Deraya programme.
• The planned intervention includes setting up the strategy for Agriculture Innovation Start-up Lab – a track for 40 start-ups in 5 selected municipalities. The selected start-ups will participate in the design workshops with agriculture and food industry experts, participate in the hands-on learning of new methods, technologies or tools, and receive business incubation training and seed grants of $8,000 to form new businesses.

Scope, Deliverables and Schedules/Expected Outputs

• Output 1. Programme design for Agriculture Innovation Lab
  • The Service Provider will collate various agriculture innovation materials, and adopt to Libyan interest and content as a curriculum for Agriculture Innovation Lab.
  • The planned activities include:
    • Analysis and desk research of baseline studies and reports for Agriculture and Food Industry in Libya, and in particular, in the South of Libya.
    • Consolidation and adaptation of best practices and new techniques increasing effectiveness of agriculture and its value chain, including post-harvest handling, fertilization, storage, food industry and food preservation.
    • Online consultation with stakeholders in Libya, including relevant line ministries, municipalities and verification of findings, suggestions, and strategies for Agriculture Innovation Lab.
    • Developing and conducting additional creative outreach campaign and engagement activities to attract and engage target groups to apply to programme, to ensure broader participation list across all 5 municipalities. The outreach campaign shall be based on previous engagements with the farmers.
    • Providing incentives and outreach strategy to attract the most vulnerable i.e., IDPs, migrants, refugees or returnees or people with disabilities, and maintain a high level of female participation from the application. Ensuring high participation of women in the programme (not less than 30%).
    • Profiling the beneficiaries, and collecting baseline data on education, past experiences, career paths and access to opportunities, and past experiences and challenges in agriculture sector.
    • Developing context-specific curriculum based on agriculture innovation expertise and basic business incubation component. This programme needs to be built on existing/standard UNDP materials for business incubation and only require agriculture innovation component.
    • Testing, verifying the materials with stakeholders and UNDP and preparing a final version with guidelines on the Training of Training and adoption in municipal business incubators under the Ministry of Local Government focused on Agriculture Track.
    • Launch Agriculture Innovation Lab communication in the Deraya website, and social media.
• Output 2: Grants distribution and setting up the M&E mechanisms for implementation.
  • The grants mechanisms shall be established in tranches according to the business plans submitted.
  • The planned activities include:
    • Developing risk mitigation strategy for the financial management of the grant pool.
    • Discuss with UNDP the grant agreement and the payment terms which should be in line with UNDP’s rules and regulations.
    • Evaluating the business plans and submissions to select 40 start-ups receiving the grant (grants equal to 8,000 USD each). The business plans submission should be delivered during the 2 months Business Incubation programme.
    • Organizing the ceremonies in each municipality following the graduation from the training and business launch.
    • Ensuring the registration, and legal status of the start-ups.
    • Setting up eligible expenses of start-ups and setting up mechanisms of financial monitoring.

Expected Duration

• Target date for commencement of activities is 01 December 2023.
• The total expected duration of assignment, including outputs can be delivered in parallel, to not exceed 9 months, or 36 weeks.

Professional Qualifications

• The application should identify exact experts that will be involved in the activities, with clear description of their experience, in Libya and internationally. For foreign experts and events planned in Libya the time needed to get Libyan visa should be featured in the proposal, along with all other logistical details.
• Team Leader:
  • Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree in Engineering, Economy, Public Administration, Management, Entrepreneurship or related field
  • Minimum 5 years of professional experience in project management
  • Minimum 3 years of professional experience in innovation, start-up or entrepreneurship programming is an asset
  • Excellent knowledge of Arabic and English.
• Assessments and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist:
  • Bachelor’s (or higher) degree in Engineering, Economy, Statistics, or Public Administration
  • Minimum 2 years of experience in working with Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks
  • Minimum 2 years in administering reports writing
  • Proven exposure to the start-up ecosystem in Libya, experience in monitoring of start-up grants through at least 1 experience of grants evaluation in Libya
  • Excellent knowledge of Arabic and English.
• Agriculture Innovation Expert:
  • Bachelor’s (or higher) degree in Agriculture, Environment, Biology, Economics, Management, Engineering (Bachelor – 5 points, Master’s – 10);
  • Minimum 2 years of experience in corporate consulting related to food industry, agriculture, or light manufacturing in Libya (2 years – 20 points, 6-7 years – 25 points, 8+ years – 30 points).
  • At least one experience in project working with cooperatives or start-ups in Libya (Yes – 20 points, No – 0 points).
  • Excellent knowledge of Arabic and English.
• Financial Specialist/Grant Management Specialist:
  • Bachelor’s (or higher) degree in Accounting, Finance or Statistics, Economics
  • Minimum 2 years of experience as financial management specialist, accounting or grant management
  • Proven at least 1 project experience in financial management of grants distributions in Libya
  • Excellent knowledge of Arabic and English.

For more information, visit UNDP.