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 Accelerate Prosperity 

Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) in Central and South Asia. It aspires to work towards a society that is powered by innovative and successful young entrepreneurs. Through its services, AP extends tailored training, advice, and technical assistance to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to help them launch or expand their innovative business ventures. It also extends tailored financing to start- ups and SGBs to help them unlock external investments by improving their bankability and investment readiness. 

Women Techpreneurs

Women Techpreneurs is an incubation program that aims to develop an entrepreneurial mindset within the aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs with potential business ideas or existing businesses around following problems in Chitral and Hunza regions.

Chitral 

1. The Chitral region faces a critical challenge in the limited diversification of cash crop production. The current reliance on a narrow range of crops poses economic vulnerabilities and inhibits the exploration of new market opportunities.  

2. The women hold great talent in the handicraft sector but the lack of modern fusions in the design and insufficient knowledge of digital integration in the businesses has kept them away from the potential market.  

3. Insufficient healthcare facilities, telehealth facilities and a notable absence of accessible pharmacies is a pain point in the region. This scarcity undermines the delivery of essential medical services and disrupts the timely availability of medications.  

4. The absence of dedicated infrastructure catering to activities like trekking, mountaineering, and river rafting hinders the full potential of adventure tourism.  

Hunza: 

1. Poor town planning exacerbates challenges, creating logistical and supply chain issues that hinder efficient operations for local businesses. 

2. A critical gap in innovative solutions is also due to the absence of a facility that is equipped with all the necessary tools especially those that contribute to hardware products that are otherwise unavailable to local entrepreneurs due to cost and supply issues.   

3. Limitations in sustainable accommodation options, transportation, and recreational facilities for the tourists, leading to challenges in providing a seamless and enjoyable experience. 

4. The absence of standardized practices in adventure tourism has resulted in inconsistencies in safety protocols, service quality, and overall tourist experience. 

5. The growing tourism industry has led to a lack of authentic and organic experiences for visitors. Commercialization and overdevelopment have diluted the genuine cultural and natural elements that make Hunza unique. 

The incubation services include multiple business training focusing on business modelling, marketing and sales strategies, legal compliance, financial modelling, pitch making and investor relations. This 4-day long journey not only helps entrepreneurs to identify market opportunities but also guides them through developing a business model based on their idea and helps them forecast their costs and revenues through financial modelling as well as sales and marketing.

One-on-one business advisory will also be provided to selected startups, along with access to co-working space after the completion of business training. A key goal is to help women and youth get exclusive business coaching and mentorship to build sustainable businesses in the future that will help positively uplift the community.  

Program’s Objectives and Goals  

• Equip women entrepreneurs with the required skills and knowledge for launching and growing a business.  
• Improve investment readiness of women-led businesses by adopting sustainable business models, using tools such as Business Model Canvas, Financial Model, and Pitch Deck, alongside tailored guidance and mentorship
• Educate women entrepreneurs about the local and global market opportunities and create market linkages  
• Help women entrepreneurs secure potential financing from AP and external investors. 

Purpose of Engagement 

The purpose of this service provision is to conduct outreach, in-person expert-led training on 3 modules and on-ground management of the 4-day long business training sessions for the aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs with potential business ideas or existing businesses around the identified local problems in the Chitral and Hunza regions and help foster the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in both the regions.

Following 3 modules will be covered by the trainers during training sessions:

Module 1: Sales and Marketing

      It is expected that the cohort entrepreneurs will be able to do the following things after attending this training:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of sales and marketing principles, strategies, and techniques essential for driving business growth and success.

Key Learning Outcomes

      This module will delve into the fundamentals and intricacies of developing and implementing effective sales and marketing strategies.

      Key learning outcomes include:

• Understanding customer behavior and segmentation to tailor marketing efforts effectively.
• Analyzing sales performance metrics and KPIs to measure and optimize marketing efforts for maximum ROI.
• Creating integrated sales and marketing plans that align with business goals and objectives, fostering sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

Module 2: Legal Compliance

     It is expected that the cohort entrepreneurs will be able to do the following things after attending this training:

• Women Entrepreneurs can identify and comply with legal and regulatory requirements for their startup.

Key Learning Outcomes

      The aim of this module is to help women entrepreneurs navigate the legal and regulatory landscape in Pakistan with the following learning outcomes.

• Understand the legal and regulatory challenges faced by startups in Pakistan.
• Understand recent changes made by the SECP to company law and regulations.
• Understand the legal regulations pertaining to gender-sensitive policies, ensuring compliance and fostering inclusivity within their businesses.

Module 3: Financial Modeling

     It is expected that the cohort entrepreneurs will be able to do the following things after attending this training:

• Develop a basic understanding of how to create a simple yet clear financial statement of the business, primarily for the shareholders and potential investors.

Key Learning Outcomes

      Upon completing this training, cohort entrepreneurs will be better able to:

• Name and understand key considerations when developing a financial model.
• Identifying key revenue streams and cost structures of each startup
• Apply a structured process to develop a financial model.
• Translate the business model of the firm into sound numbers and projections of the company.

Methodology 

• Mini lecture (20%), Exercise/ Practice (40%), Group Mentoring (30%)
• The trainer should customize the modules based on the AP’s provided content for the 3 assigned modules and adopt a case-study based approach to engage cohort entrepreneurs actively in the learning process.
• The trainer is required to get the content reviewed by the AP’s team at least 2 weeks prior before delivery.
• The trainer is required to share the training agenda of the assigned modules at least 1 week prior to the training sessions.
• During the training, the trainer acts as a facilitator as well as a mentor, using interactive   learning methods to help participants to share their experiences and learn through participation in activities such as group discussions, case studies, and simple exercises.
• The trainer is expected to deliver the training in a way that all participants can apply the knowledge gained during the training and be able to build their financial models and marketing plans.
• For one-on-one advisory sessions, trainers would be connected to 6-8 selected startups from each location by the AP’s team through an email and/or an orientation call.
• The trainer/expert would conduct at least 2 one-on-one advisory sessions with the selected startups by AP.

Accelerate Prosperity will be delivering training on business modeling, pitch making, and investor relations while on-boarded trainers by the service providers will deliver customized  training based on the AP’s provided content on sales and marketing, financial modeling, and legal compliances to the aspiring and existing pre-revenue stage startups.

The overall objective of this program is bringing viable solutions to the identified problems and to invest in the capacity building and investment readiness of the women entrepreneurs driving these solutions by providing business training to them with the goal of creating innovative and sustainable small and growing businesses (SGBs).  

Nature of Service Provision

• Venue arrangement for all 4 days (approximately 6-8 hours per day)
• Arranging trainers for the 3 modules and the advisory sessions.
• Conducting outreach and marketing for the Women Techpreneur in the local community, educational institutes, local market etc following the guidelines of AP.
• Managing logistics for the entrepreneurs coming from the far-flung areas during the 4-day training.
• Managing refreshments during the 4-day training.

Scope of Engagement:

 

• Conducting outreach sessions to bring in 200 potential applications around the defined problem statements targeting the local community and stakeholders
• Customized business training on financial modeling, legal compliance, and sales and marketing based on the AP’s provided content
• Conducting one-on-one advisory sessions with the selected startups from each location after the training sessions.
• Facilitating logistics and food arrangements throughout the training duration in Hunza and Chitral.

 

 Location:

Chitral and Hunza

Expected Dates

Business training (Hunza): 16^th April 2024 – 19^th April 2024

Business training (Chitral): 23^rd April 2024 – 26^th April 2024

Advisory Sessions (Hunza): 22^nd April 2024 – 30^th April 2024

Advisory Sessions (Chitral): 29^th April 2024 – 7^th May 2024

Expected Number of Participants

• 50-65 participants each in Hunza and Chitral regions

Deliverables:

• Outreach plan for the outreach and information sessions.
• 180-200 quality applications around the problem statements mentioned.
• An activity report for the 4 day long in-person business training along with a basic financial model and a marketing plan for each startup.
• 2 one-on-one advisory sessions with the selected 6-8 startups from each location. Each session will long for 2 hours.
• A detailed record of the advisory sessions for each recommended startup including key discussion points, action items, and decisions.
• Revised documented business and financial models, marketing plan and pitch decks for each selected business after the training sessions.

 

Key Capacities Required

The required capacities include:

• Consulting firms with relevant experience of working with the entrepreneurial ecosystem in conducting and managing different entrepreneurship training programs.

Results Based Payment

• 50% of the total value of services will be given upon the delivery of the outreach plan and the potential 180+ applications from the aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs.
• 50% of the total value of services will be given upon the completion of the 4-day long program and the advisory sessions.

Eligibility Requirements

• Consulting firms are eligible to apply to either one or both locations.
• Consulting firms must be SECP
• Consulting firms must have relevant experience of working with the entrepreneurial ecosystem in conducting and managing different entrepreneurship programs.

Evaluation Criteria

• Relevant Experience: 20 marks (Technical Proposal)
• Profile Completeness: 30 marks (Detailed company profile)
• Financial Bid: 50 marks

Application Requirements

Please submit the following to us in order to apply:

• Detailed technical proposal mentioning relevant experience and expertise regarding the “Key Capacities Required” for the activity as mentioned above.
• Financial quote, gross figures inclusive of all types of costs and all applicable taxes as per the Law.

Deadline

8 March 2024, 17:00 PST

Mode of Submission

Please submit your detailed technical proposal including company profile and financial bid atprocurement_appk@akdn.org and send a financial bid in sealed envelope to the following postal address:

Manager Finance and Administration,

Accelerate Prosperity Office Professional Development Centre North (PDCN), Konodas  Gilgit.