WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME

BUSINESS GRANTS FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS (BGWE)

Conflicts with armed opposition groups in Iraq have led to massive internal displacement. Iraq is now contending with one of the largest internally displaced populations (IDPs) in the world; over 1.8 million people have been displaced since January 2014, in addition to approximately 220,000 Syrian refugees.

The exodus of IDPs and Syrian refugees have greatly impacted the capacity of local communities, authorities and humanitarian actors to adequately respond to urgent needs. At the same time that many actors focusing on the immediate and emergency needs of the displacement affected population, the focus on livelihoods and longer-term sustainable solutions is in process of adequately addressed as well.  Livelihoods and sustainable income generation opportunities are needed to alleviate the burden of rental costs, provide access to basic facilities such as health and education and to meet daily needs including safe water and shelter. Providing livelihood opportunities has the advantage of supporting the local economy, minimizes tensions between host and displaced communities, and empowers households to become self-sustaining allowing for a protection environment, particularly for women and children.

In response to this crisis, ECCI/BIC (Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry/Business Development & Information Center), with support from UNDP, is launching a Call for Proposals (Business Grants for Women Entrepreneurs – BGWE), in order to support women entrepreneurs creating sustainable, profitable businesses which in return will create stable jobs and income generation for one of the most vulnerable fragments of the society; women affected by the current crisis.

I.OBJECTIVES, EXPECTED RESULTSAND TARGET BENEFICIARIES

The objective of the BGWEis to support women entrepreneurs in KRI to set up new businesses or enlarge existing businesses in order to foster opportunities for the employment of women IDPs, refugees and members of host communities.

1. i.                    Overall Objective:

All Business Grant Applications should aim to:

1)      Respond to the urgent socio-economic needs of the displaced population and the host communities through ensuring sustainable and profitable business ideas.

2)      Promote social cohesion through employment of women IDPs, refugees, and host community members with no ethnic, religious or other types of discrimination.

1. ii.                  Expected Output

Business Grant Applicant should target to achieve one or more output(s) described below:

1. Small-medium size businesses are set up with new business ideas
2. Successful small/medium size businesses are expanded
3. Women IDPs, refugees and members of host communities are employed
4. Women entrepreneurs' vocational skills/ business skills are enhanced to respond to market needs.
5. Improved access to networking among other market actors for women entrepreneurs is ensured.

1. iii.                Target Beneficiaries

Eligible business proposals will focus on the following target beneficiaries:

• Women entrepreneurs as employers, women from IDP/refugee communities and host communities as employees.

II.ELIGIBILITY

In order to evaluate and select Inclusive Business Applications, the first filter to be applied will be the review for compliance with following criteria (companies should fully meet all the following criteria to be eligible for assessment):

• The applicant business must be owned/ initiated by a woman entrepreneur
• The applying businesses to work with and employ the ECCI/BIC target populations, meaning women IDPs, refugees, members of the host community in KRI.
• The business, and/or its main shareholders or management team should have proven experience in a relevant sector of the proposed project.
• The applicant business have one of the following legal status:

• Private and Limited liability companies (LLC) registered and operating in KRI
• Joint stock companies (JSC) registered and operating in KRI
• Cooperatives registered and operating in KRI

• The applicant businesses main activities must take place and be operational in KRI.

III. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Please see the Application Form (Business Plan) in Annex A.

IV. BUDGET and DURATION

A detailed budget that fulfils the following requirements:

• Result-based budgeting that shows how much is required to achieve each output;
• Proposal amounts should be less than or up to a maximum of 50,000 USD.
• The amount requested in the proposal should be commensurate with the company’s/ business owner’s administrative and financial management capabilities.

 The business plan has to be operational from March 2015 on.

V. SUBMISSION PROCESS

Applicants shall bear all costs related to proposal preparation and submission.

Applicants must submit their proposals in one envelope in hard copy or one pdf file electronically to:

* Proposal submission address for Hard-Copy: ECCI/BIC (Postal address: Erbil, Gulan Str, 40 mr, near Sofymall, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Building, Bic ,4^th floor.)

(Note: Please indicate “Call for Proposal for Women’s Economic Empowerment” on top right-hand corner of the sealed envelope)

* E-mail Address for Electronic Copy: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Notes:

1-Please indicate the subject: Call for Proposal for Women’s Economic Empowerment.

2-All applications should be written in English language.

3-Number of copies: 1(One)

Submission Deadline

Proposals, with supporting documents, should be submitted by 12^thFeb 2015at 12PM.

For additional questions about the Call for Proposals Guidelines or application forms, please e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Note; ECCI/BIC reserves the right not to fund any proposals arising from this Call for Proposals

Estimate Competition Timeline

Below is an estimated timeline for this Call for Proposals.

Call for Proposal opens and relevant documents are posted online:  26^thtJanuary 2015

Deadline for organizations to submit proposals under this Call:        12^th Feb 2015

Assessment and selection processes will take place:              19-20^thFeb 2015

Selected applicants will be notified:                                   25^thFeb 2015

ANNEX A:

BUSINESS INFORMATION

1.      Business executive summary

• The lead applicant (name of the person, name of the company, contact details):           

·         Business idea location:                                                                            

• Sector:

• Requested investment from ECCI/BIC:

• Total investment amount:

2.      Business idea background

This section must address all the following questions:

• What is the main business idea? Why did the applicants support this business ideain terms of commercial opportunities and social impact?
• Please describe the market opportunity for the company and the particular business idea?
• Please describe the opportunities for the target beneficiaries (women IDPs, refugees, members of host communities) to be included in this business model.

3.      Business Model

In this section, the applicant should describe their business model by clearly answering the following:

• How is/will be the business running (including its supply and distribution networks)?
• How will the applicant be able to generate revenues and profits from the proposed business model?
• How will the sustainability of the business be ensured?
• How will target beneficiaries be able to participate and benefit from cooperating with the business?
• What is the opportunity for scaling up?

The company should consider the following points, when developing this section as applicable and needed:

• Supply chain
  • Composition
  • Structure
  • Individual roles
  • Rationale for technical key factors
    • Technical assistance / Training activities / Extension services
    • Key inputs needed: \
    • Equipment and tools needed
    • Productivity & quality increase
    • Rationale formarket access
      • Sustainability of the market access opportunity and its potential for growth
      • Cost, margins and prices along the value chain
      • Financing mechanisms
      • Other partnerships and alliances needed or proposed.
      • Expected changes in quality, quantity, productivity, value, etc.
      • Other areas of interest such as:

• What are the goods and services proposed in this business idea proposal?
• How are they different from “others” in the market?
• Who are the target consumers?
• What is the value proposition of thegoods/services been proposed?
• What are the key/critical resources needed?
• Are there any key partners involved? Who are they and which are their roles?
• How does the distribution (if there is any) channel work?
• What is the strategy for marketing and sales?
• How will the business model be sustained in the long run?
• Cost structure and revenue streams description

4.      Business idea objectives, output and activity

5.      Budgeting

Please provide a budget planning:

Please provide a statement and forecast (with calculations included) of the following:

1. 1.      Projection of revenue and expenses  (any assumptions made should be included)
2. 2.      Profitability analysis
3. 3.      Project sensitivity analysis based on key driving factors such as price fluctuation, demand or input cost changes (if possible)
4. 4.       Projection of the key profitability indicators to be used when the project is carried out.

Please provide as well:

Monthly project cash-flow forecast:

6.      Business idea feasibility

a.      Market feasibility

Provide data on market research as applicable to show that there are market opportunities for the goods and/or services mentioned in the proposal, for example:

• Targeted market and targeted customers
• Existing contracts, agreements, etc.
• Competitors and the applicant’s competitive positioning in the market
• Market volume, existing and potential market share
• Local and/or international prices analysis
• Rationale in niche markets, commodities markets, certifications or standards.
• Any assumptions made: growth, prices, trends, etc.

b.      Technical feasibility

Describe the technical feasibility of the business idea around the following elements

a) Key technical factors, knowledge and human resource that company currently has and that will use for the business model implementation.

b) Key technical factors which the company doesn’t have yet. The company will get the knowledge, human resources or others from which partners, suppliers, etc.

7.      Business idea organisation

• Describe how the implementation will be organised internally?
• Provide a list and CV’s of project team, including key partners

8.      Risk and success factors

(Analyse the key risks and success factors needed for a successful implementation

• What are the critical success factors for the project?

BUSINESS IDEA IMPACT and MONITORING

9.      Social impact for the target beneficiaries

In this section the applicant should explain the social impact of the business idea in terms of:

• How many jobs will be created by this project (all levels)? Please disaggregate by type of job (direct/ indirect, part-time/full time)
• How many people will be able to improve their income? How much as direct or indirect impact of the project implementation?
• What is the potential gender and ethnic composition of all beneficiaries?
• What could be the other benefits of the project?

For and on behalf of the Lead Business Applicant, I understand that,

1. This is an application to a competitively assessed fund.
2. The submissiondoes not represent any commitment, nor guarantee from the ECCI/BIC to funding and technical services access for me and/or my company.
3. The Business Plan now submitted will be evaluated according to technical, financial, social, economic and other criteria as deemed relevant by the evaluation team.
4. If our proposal is selected, we understand that ECCI/BIC might request some changes, improvements in the project plan and budget to maximize feasibility and/or the social impact of the project. This will be reflected in the negotiated contract to be signed.

(Signed and sealed)

Name: 

Title: 

Date: