RFA: Requesting Applications from Qualified Applicants for the Implementation of a Youth Employment Project

ations from qualified applicants
for the implementation of a youth employment project in the following, but not
limited, districts: Kicukiro, Nyarugenge Gasabo, Kamonyi, Muhanga,
Rugango, Nyanza, Huye, Rwamagana, Kayonza, Nyagatare Bugesera, Musanze, Huye,
Rubavu andNyabihu. Applicants are encouraged to propose districts other
than those highlighted above, provided that they can substantiateexisting
employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in specific value chains for
youth as well as conditions or partnerships to deliver the proposed youth
training and support packages in that district.

1. Purpose
   of the RFA

• An
  ability to provide a 10% minimum cost share of the total requested
  subaward;
• An
  ability to recruit accredited trainers.  For technical trainers, this
  may be demonstrated by WDA approved certificates or internationally
  recognized certificates; while for Work Readiness and Entrepreneurship,
  trainers must be Akazi Kanoze certified.
• Familiarity
  with selecting program participants based on the program participant
  eligibility criteria outlined in section 5b.  Familiarity with
  program eligibility criteria may be demonstrated by listing 2 – 5 similar
  programs that include selection criteria for enrollment of beneficiaries.
• Demonstrated
  capacity
  to conduct local labor market assessments identifying in-demand training
  areasand link youth into employment and business start-ups as well as
  accompaniment or coaching. Applicants will demonstrate previous
  experiences in linking youth with employment, business opportunities in
  emerging value chains, market facilitation, entrepreneurship development,
  etc. Such opportunities must lead to sustainable livelihoods for youth
  participating in the Huguka Dukore program.
• Applicant
  must demonstrate the capacity to train youth in demand driven vocational
  training, and/or providing additional services that may supplement the
  training, i.e. contributing to acquisition of skills, jobs and business
  start-ups or growth. Applicant must demonstrate that any proposed
  complementary training/service is informed by market demand as well as the
  GOR and districts sector priorities.

1. Delivery
   of the 100-hour Work Ready Now! Curriculum;
2. Market
   driven complementary technical skills training and/or services;
3. Bridging/linking
   youth into employment and self-employment
4. Internships/work
   based learning experiences leading into job placements, business start-ups
   and micro enterprise development and/or continuation of further education.

1. Identify
   and hire potential Work Ready Now!(WRN!)and EntrepreneurshipTrainerswho
   meet the eligibility criteria described in below sections for 10-15 day
   training of trainers (TOT) following applicants selection and coaching
   during WRN! rollout at youth level. Applicants are also encouraged to use
   existing experienced Akazi Kanoze WRN! and Entrepreneurship trainers
   forbetter leverage. HugukaDukore recommends therefore  that
   applicants reach out to Akazi Kanoze Access for list and contacts of WRN!
   trainers at: info@akazikanoze.org.

• Minimum
  education completion of secondary school;
• English
  proficiency;
• Strong
  facilitation and organizational skills;
• Excellent
  communication skills;
• Experience
  working in employment preparation or business start-ups a plus.

1. Enroll
   youth participants: Applicants should demonstrate
   capacity and strategies to recruit500 youth at minimum per the following
   eligibility criteria. In addition, applicants must demonstrate their
   ability to engage local leaders to identify and recruit
   participants/youth, ensuring that the government socio economic
   classification – Ubudehe is followed.

1. Gender:
   Men
   and women, out of school, aged 16-30. Selected subrecipients are
   encouraged to strive for a gender balance, unless their organizational
   mandate expressly focuses on one gender in particular.
2. Education:
   Youth with an education level of at least P6 (Primary) and below Nine
   Years Basic Education. Enrolled youth must have dropped out from school
   for last 3 years at minimum.
3. Socio-economic
   status: unemployed
   youth and/or with an informal type of job or underemployed earning less
   than 1,200 RWF per day. Applicants will demonstrate their capacity working
   with local leaders, and follow the “Ubudehe” classification/category to
   meet these eligibility criteria.
4. Youth
   who are both motivated and have the minimal skills to succeed. Selected
   subrecipients will be expected to adopt recruitment and an intake process
   that will ensure selected youth display proper motivation and have the
   minimum literacy and numeracy skills to follow the HD training packages
   designed to respond to workforce demand.  The applicants should
   assess logistical challenges individuals face and ways youth propose to
   overcome them. e.g. youth who have to travel some distance but have a
   system of getting to training, childcare coverage, etc.
5. Social
   inclusion: Applicants
   must demonstrate a social inclusive approach to recruiting, training, job
   placements and other transition services opportunities of youth with
   disabilities, women, and other vulnerable groups.
6. Deliver
   the WRN! Curriculum. All participating youth will be
   expected to complete the full WRN! training course. WRN! contains modules
   on topics such as: Personal Development, Communication, Work habits and
   Professional Conduct, Leadership, Safety and Health at Work,
   FinancialLiteracy, Workers and Employer Rights and Responsibilities.

1. Identify
   and link each youthto at least one paid work experience opportunity that
   leads to either an employment opportunity or to further training or
   education through specialized trainings. For
   instance, after completing work experience, a youth could be placed in
   training in hairdressing, supplemented by an English business
   communication course; or a youth interested in agribusiness may be placed
   in additional training in marketing and/or packaging or savings and
   internal lending communities (SILC), access to capital facilitation for
   business start-ups. Appendix 3provides a graphic of potential pathways.

• Based
  on identified opportunities in growing sectors, i.e. agribusiness value
  chains, additional support could mean training youth on improved
  production of specific crops, packaging, processing and linking with
  existing markets/buyers
• Based
  on clearly identified economic opportunities. Example: a company is
  looking to hire hotel staff. Training could be needed in English language,
  housekeeping, etc.
• Based
  on growing economic sectors. Training will be offered either by existing
  vocational/technical training institutions or by private sector partners
  themselves in form of in-house trainings. Example: short term specialized
  construction training as the demand for workforce is identified and needed
  for specific construction work to be done.
• Based
  on identified new market opportunities. Youth could participate in
  training in entrepreneurship and benefit from mentorship/coaching services
  as they start their businesses.
• Based
  on specifically identified youth needs. Example: additional support for a
  specific group such as orphans and vulnerable children.

1. Provide
   Transition Support to further livelihood opportunities (either work,
   entrepreneurial resources or training—vocational, formal or non-formal
   education, or other specialized training) for each youth that completes
   the Huguka Dukore program. The applicant will need to
   demonstrate in its response to this RFA how it intends to work with the
   youth in either placing them in longer term paid internships, jobs,
   coaching for business start-up, linking to financial services, and/or
   further training or return to formal schooling.
2. Track
   and report youth results. Selected subrecipients are
   expected to track youth who enter the program, carefully document youth
   progress and where youth continue after they complete the program. The
   tracking will include gender, age, education, economic and social status,
   disability type where applicable and other variables.  In particular,
   organizations through this RFA process will be expected to assess all
   youth who complete WRN! training. Youth who pass will receive work
   readiness certification. Huguka Dukore will provide a Monitoring and
   Evaluation training and the selected applicants will be expected to adhere
   to the Huguka Dukore project reporting guidelines as instructed in the
   related training to be provided by EDC.

1. Demonstrate
   sound financial management capacity. All selected
   implementing partners will be expected to adhere to internationally
   accepted accounting practices, to demonstrate sound financial management
   capacity, and to be prepared for unannounced site visits during which
   project-related accounting practices will be checked, and onsite coaching
   will be provided as necessary. Selected applicants/organizations will be
   expected to participate in a financial management workshop provided by the
   Huguka Dukore project prior the launch of activities.

1. Roles
   and Responsibilities of EDC and Subrecipient

1. Provide
   financial support to selected partners through subawards to accomplish
   proposed project activities.
2.  Monitor
   and supervise training, mentoring, internship, apprenticeship and job
   placement processes of the partnering agency.
3. Provide
   sub award monitoring and capacity building in management.
4. Facilitate
   the certification of select aspects of the program by communicating with
   the Workforce Development Authority and by convening necessary
   stakeholders.
5. Review
   and approve/provide feedback on applicant’s proposed training programs.
6. Provide
   guidance in select technical areas.
7. If
   deemed necessary by EDC, conduct short Training of Trainers courses on
   employability skills training, mentoring, identification of placement
   opportunities for youth.
8. Assist
   in building support and cooperation among businesses and NGOs for the
   program.

1. Meeting
   all minimum requirements as described in section 3 above.
2. Submitting
   monthly progress reports to EDC. Depending on length of subaward,
   quarterly and end-of-project progress reports may also be required.
3. Submitting
   all required financial documentation monthly to EDC to secure funds to
   implement the project. 
4. In
   some cases, if justified as needed by youth target group and/or identified
   economic opportunity, can also provide additional specialized training.
5. Complying
   with all terms and conditions of the subaward.

1. Application
   Information

1. Application
   Cover Sheet:
   Name of the applying organization; location and telephone of the office;
   name and contact information of the President or Owner or Executive
   Director; name and contact information for routine correspondence
   regarding the application, and name and contact information for the
   Treasurer or other Authorized Representative who is the person legally
   responsible for receiving subaward funds should such an award be made;
   List of Board of Directors.
2. Summary
   Explanation – Describes the proposal (1page maximum)
3. Organization
   History and Capacity (1page maximum plus form):

1. Complete
   and submit the form in the Appendix of this RFA
2. Provide
   a narrative description of the organization’s mission, history, capacity
   and main activities: Describe the organization’s
   history and capacityin youth development; livelihood support; particular
   industries; management and financial; and other relevant topics as deemed
   relevant by applicant.

1.  
1. An
   ability to provide a 10% minimum cost share of the total requested
   subaward;
2. An
   ability to recruit accredited trainers.  This may be demonstrated by
   WDA recognized certificates in case of technical trainers and certified
   by Akazi Kanoze in case of WRN!
3. Familiarity
   with selecting program participants based on the program participant
   eligibility criteria outlined in section 5b.  Familiarity with
   program eligibility criteria may be demonstrated by listing 2 – 5 similar
   programs that include selection criteria for enrollment of beneficiaries.
4. Demonstrated
   capacity
   to conduct local labor market assessments identifying in-demand training
   areas and link youth into employment and business start-ups. Applicants
   will demonstrate previous experiences in linking youth with employment,
   business opportunities in emerging value chains, market facilitation,
   entrepreneurship development, etc. Such opportunities must lead to
   sustainable livelihoods for youth participating in the Huguka Dukore
   program.
5. Applicant
   must demonstrate the capacity to train youth in vocational training,
   and/or providing additional services that may supplement the training,
   i.e. contributing to acquisition of skills, jobs and business start-ups
   or growth. Applicant must demonstrate that any proposed complementary
   training/service is informed by market demand.
2. Proposed
   Activity Description / program components (5 pages maximum)

1. Youth
   recruitment approach. Applicants must describe their
   recruitment process; districts and sectors of interventions and describe
   how youth they intend to serve willmeet the eligibility criteria (age,
   gender, levels of education, current social and economic situation, etc.);
   social inclusion approach for youth with disabilities.
2. Approach
   to Training youth. Applicants must describe the
   training schedule: WRN! vs. Complementary training/services; how the
   applicant will select the trainers, the training facilities, how quality
   assurance will be conducted, curriculums and trainings materials if not
   provided by Huguka Dukore, any additional information.
3. Approach
   to work experience/training placement:  Describe
   how,and with whom, (either specific partners or types of
   industry/sector)you plan to place all trainees in a work/training
   experience. Work experience can take place either as an internship or as
   part of a paid job. Applicants will be rewarded for providing as much
   detail as possible regarding the existence or pursuit of collaborative
   relationships with potential work/training experience providers.Applicants
   must also describe in general or specific terms the duration and skills
   emphasized through the experience.
4. Youth
   transition support approach. Describe what (include when and
   with whom) you will do to secure at least one follow on opportunity (in
   work, entrepreneurship or training) to each youth who completes the Huguka
   Dukore program. Specifically:

• If
  they transition to further training: what type? How do you ensure
  placement?
• If
  they go into employment: How will you secure youth placement in job or
  paid internship?
• If
  they go into cooperative or business creation, describe what support will
  be provided at start-up, grow business and market facilitation, any
  linkages with financials services providers, demonstrate how youth will be
  helped to success after the start-up phases.

1. Budgeting
   and costing approach. (No page limit)

1. Costing

• A
  breakdown of all costs for the planned activities strictly related to the
  project being proposed.  Each expense will have to include the
  following breakdown: cost per unit, number of units, total amount.
  Examples: (1) cost per unit could be cost of a training manual, number of
  units would be number of manuals projected to be used, total amount would
  be cost per unit times number of units; (2) cost per unit could be
  hourly/daily rate of trainer; number of units would be number of
  hours/days (units) of training that will be delivered; total amount would
  be cost per unit times number of units.

• Indirect
  or general costs as a percent of total budget will not be covered.
  Administrative costs that are directly related to this program may be
  proposed. These costs must be detailed as noted above.  3. Budget
  Narrative

1. Extra
   supporting material (no page limit)

• A
  recent institutional financial report that illustrates the operating
  budget of the organization(s).
• Official
  List of Board of Directors (certified by relevant government agency)
• A
  completed copy of the Capacity Statement Form attached in Appendix 2