Directorate of Science Technology and Innovation Government of Sierra Leone
Request for Proposals for eUPSHIFT Challenge Incubator Program
Date: 13th June 2024
Introduction
THE DIRECTORATE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION has received funds from the UNICEF to run the eUPSHIFT CHALLENGE INCUBATOR PROGRAM and now invites sealed proposals/bids from eligible bidders for the consultancy services for the: eUPSHIFT Challenge Incubator Program
UPSHIFT is a global initiative by UNICEF that seeks to empower a generation of change-makers. UPSHIFT gives an opportunity to support youth and adolescents to become a force for positive social and economic change, contributing to a competitive labour force, sustained economic growth, improved governance, and vibrant civil societies. The UPSHIFT curriculum blends leading approaches to youth and adolescent development with social innovation and social entrepreneurship. UPSHIFT empowers young people to identify challenges in their communities and create entrepreneurial solutions to address them.
UPSHIFT is tailored to be easily adaptable to different contexts and delivered in different settings, from youth innovation labs to schools and non-formal education centres. Through a combination of outreach and inspiration, human-centred design workshops, mentorship, coaching, etc., participants in UPSHIFT can gain valuable and transferable skills, including; problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and leadership.
UPSHIFT is featured as part of the World Bank’s Solutions for Youth Employment Impact Portfolio and is one of the solutions being recommended for scale by Generation Unlimited. Generation Unlimited has formed the basis for developing the Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge which uses the UPSHIFT modular curriculum. UPSHIFT started its journey in Kosovo in 2014 and is now in 38 different countries, but more importantly, it is impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people.
eUPSHIFT Incubation Phase
The eUPSHIFT challenge was launched in November 2023 with the aim of meaningfully engaging youth and generating excitement around the eUPSHIFT course. The focus of this digital challenge is to enhance Climate and Green Solutions in alignment with the outcomes of COP27, covering areas such as agriculture, waste management, water & sanitation, deforestation, National Protective Areas, and Aqua Culture.
Participants or teams consisting of 3 to 5 members go through a formal application process, guided by instructions through various channels including U-Report, Social Media, radio, and designated digital hubs across the country. The challenge spans across five regions: Western Area, Northern West Area, Northern Area, Eastern Area, and Southern Area. Five winners will be selected from these regions, each standing a chance to win up to $2,000 to scale up their ideas.
The digital challenge is completed online, where young participants engage in the eUPSHIFT course via digital labs, cell phones, or tablets through the Learning Passport HCD instance. They are required to present their certificates alongside their application submissions. Additionally, each team member is encouraged to register as a U-Reporter. Submissions entail a clearly articulated problem solution, an eUPSHIFT certificate, and a problem solution outlined in a Google sheet embedded at the end of the eUPSHIFT course. The submissions should also include a link to a 3 to 5-minute YouTube video explaining their solution to the chosen problem. Selected teams attend a boot camp to refine their ideas and then take part in a pitch competition. 5 winners will be selected from the pitch competition and will receive seed fund up to $2,000 to help develop their solutions. After the pitch competition, teams will undergo a 4-month mentorship/incubation program to further develop their business solutions under expert guidance.
The incubation and mentorship session is aimed at assisting teams in utilizing their seed funding for idea development and implementation. Technical experts will be assigned as mentors to provide peer-to-peer support through online and face-to-face sessions. Additionally, partners and stakeholders are expected to engage in the mentorship phase. The 4-month eUPSHIFT mentorship program will provide teams with personalized guidance from subject area experts to refine their solutions into viable business propositions, covering aspects like product development, marketing, finance, and scalability.
Purpose and intended impact of the work
The overall objectives of the project are to:
- Transfer knowledge by working with young people, enhancing any self-directed teaching/learning. Localizefacilitation guide for use with adolescents and young people in the country bearing in mind context to make thecontent more culturally relevant.
- Use a human-centered design process to undertake the localization; working with young people incommunities and other key stakeholders.
- Create a solution first-based approach to all problems which are faced locally, motivating entrepreneurshipamong participants to find means to scale up independently.
- Train young people to start taking up responsibility and be the designers of proactive and productive societies. Help them take ownership of the future and frame their mind to turn everyday challenges into opportunities.
- Equip young people with the skills and resources they need to design solutions to the problems they face in their communities.
Scope of Work and Terms of Reference
SCOPE OF WORK
These services to be provided under the assignment include:
- Develop a 4-month Incubation Plan/ Workplan for the team’s enterprise development based on project deliverables
- Develop contextualised training manuals and participants’ workbooks in alignment with UNICEF incubation curriculum for the incubation phase to aid learning.
- Conduct a Needs Assessment report and submit requests for participants’ financial and non-financial needs for project delivery and support management of funds alongside youth.
- Organize pitch event with relevant stakeholders and potential investors.
- Assign at least one focal point (mentor, coach,) with a relevant organizational development background (understands the development process of a young business).
- Ensured that the teams received sufficient capacity building around organizational development for 4 months (e.g., project management, financial management, pitch support, etc.)
- Connect to the relevant technical stakeholders and entrepreneurs in the local ecosystem, by providing mentors for the teams.
- Develop and outline pathways to local accelerators to scale up existing youth solutions
- Support DSTI with programme monitoring & Evaluation activities. Submit monthly reports outlining all activities in the youth workplans.
- Develop Human Interest Stories on each team aligned to UNICEF and DSTI requirements
Deliverables
The contract will be awarded in time to ensure content is ready to be used on time for a 2024 adoption. The contractedfirm will have the following deliverables:
- A detailed plan of the 4 month incubation program.
- Work Plan for the Incubator programs appropriate for young adults and current workforce
- Reporting on progress.
- Communications materials.
Proposal submission, requirements and evaluation Proposal submission guidelines
Please attach the following documents in addition to your technical and financial proposals:
- Valid Business Registration Certificate
- Valid Certificate of GST Registration
- Valid Certificate of TIN Registration
- Valid Tax Clearance Certificate
- Valid NASSIT Clearance Certificate
Technical proposal
There is no fixed format for writing out the technical narrative of the proposal. In summary, the technical narrative should reflect the following without exceeding a maximum of 10 pages:
- Background information on the firm
- Proposed methodology for the implementation of services
- The firm’s relevant experience and the expertise of its staff (including CVs of main project team that will lead implementation)
Financial proposal
GoSL expects service providers to reflect value for money throughout the development of their financial proposal. Thiswill be critical in the evaluation process. Financial proposals should be developed with due consideration.
Proposal scoring rubric
| Scoring Category | Points possible |
| Technical proposal | |
| Expertise and experience of the Firm/team | 20 |
| Methodology | 30 |
| Financial proposal | |
| Costed budget that reflects value for money | 30 |
| Service provider’s capacity to deliver | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
Qualification of the prospective enumerator firm
The enumerator firm must demonstrate capacity and capabilities in the following to be considered for this activity:
>Demonstrated experience in establishing and/or supporting youth Entrepreneurship programs in Sierra Leone.
>Demonstrated HR capacity to support a program for 4 months.
>Demonstrated capacity to support and mentor up to 50 learners.
>Qualified trainers with demonstrated experience mentoring and working with young people.
>Previous experience in similar modality is preferred.
Application review and selection
Submitted applications will be reviewed by a credible evaluation committee. Scoring will be based on the demonstration of a clear pathway for implementing this activity and the listed scoring rubric categories above. Selectionwill be done by the evaluation committee based on the firm’s track record, experience and capability.
The selected firm will be contacted by the evaluation committee to engage them and negotiate technical details of the implementation. This will include ascertaining their ability to conduct the work against the above deliverables andterms of reference. It may include review of their technical proposal and recommendations for improvement, negotiation of financials submitted by the applicant where applicable. At the end of the engagement, the selected firm and the projectteam should have clarity on what is required of them and their obligations in the content development.
Payment terms
Further information on the payment terms and structure will be discussed during negotiation with the selected firm.
Terms and Conditions
DSTI is not obligated to accept any of the proposals submitted or to enter into an agreement with any of the applicants. It reserves the right to reject any or all responses, to waive any technical requirement, and to select the firm that, in the Project Team’s judgment, best meets the requirements of this project and the needs of the Sierra Leone Human CapitalDevelopment.
