Accelerate Prosperity

Introduction 
Accelerate Prosperity (AP) Pakistan is a global initiative of the Aga Khan Development Network to facilitate the creation and growth of high impact high growth potential startups and existing businesses in Central and South Asia. The overall mandate of AP is to promote entrepreneurial mindset with critical thinking and innovative strategies for early stage/pre-revenue startups and Small and Growing Businesses (SGB), which are “commercially viable businesses with a potential to create wealth and jobs” through relevant trainings, knowledge, advice, and capital.

To cater to the growing need for grass root intervention in the entrepreneurship ecosystem of Pakistan, AP is seeking service providers to co-design and implement training and advisory services in an output driven and interactive fast track ideation program for aspiring entrepreneurs. The objective of this program is to provide new entrepreneurs, especially youth and women the right tools and guidance to ideate, innovate and pilot new initiatives, leading to a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

Scope of Services, Sectors and Geographies

AP is seeking ideation services from independent trainers/ advisors/ institutions for ideas associated with the following sectors in Ghizer, Gilgit Baltistan:

• Primary: Tech-based Startups, Green Solutions Businesses, Business Process Outsourcing Services (BPOs) and Tourism
• Secondary: Education, Health and Agriculture

Consortium applications are encouraged.  

Program Components

1. Outreach and Selection
   Open call for applications, carry out quality marketing campaigns and scout for quality individuals/ ideas, relevant to the above-mentioned geographies and sectors. An AP representative will also be part of the selection committee to assist in onboarding individuals and ideas most aligned with AP’s vision.
2. Fast Track Ideation
   Customized, short and idea driven ideation program offered to passionate youth to begin fostering interest around entrepreneurship in AP priority areas. This will primarily be an offline program to help entrepreneurs understand their market needs and develop an MVP. Following are some of the expected components of the fast-track ideation program along with their suggested weightages:
   • Entrepreneurship Hackathons/ Roadshows (20%): Carry out short, idea driven bootcamps at universities and community groups to foster a pipeline of passionate entrepreneurs wanting to begin or join high potential business ideas.
   • Design Thinking Workshops (40%): Customized workshops to help entrepreneurs convert their ideas into viable solutions and/or improve their existing solutions through design thinking approach. Extending subject matter expertise to the entrepreneurs through consultants/ trainers/ mentors who will provide business advice to the entrepreneurs on their solutions and guide them to develop an MVP and a basic pitch.
   • Training and Courses (20%): Carry out delivery of trainings and various businesses courses/ modules in areas such as Human Centered Design, Business Modeling, Sales and Marketing (online delivery of this component will be subject to quality internet availability in the selected geographies).
   • External Advice (20%):Under this component, investors or business mentors will help entrepreneurs understand the current dynamics/ trends of the industry through experience sharing and building a journey with the business.

*Please note that you can adjust weightages of each component, based on cohort type and geographies, as long as the expected outcomes are being met.

3. Presenting a Minimum Viable Product
   A pitch session organized for selected entrepreneurs, giving them an opportunity to showcase their MVP to AP and graduate to AP’s incubation program.

Selection Criteria

Individuals and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to launch or develop a Minimal Viable Product (MVP).

Expected Outputs

• • • 1 Ideation cohort of 25-30 individuals
    • 50 % of the participants are women
    • 50% of the cohort participants are classified as youth (16-29 years)
    • 70% of the cohort participants develop and present an MVP

Key Capacities Required

• • • At least 2 year’s experience in designing and implementing business incubation programs, running ideation bootcamps and coaching businesses
    • Strong management/project team with area and sector expertise
    • Presence and experience in working AP’s core geographies
    • Strong network in the startup ecosystem

Scope of Engagement

The service provider is expected to understand the vision and goals of AP and carry out the design and execution of the project with AP. This will remain an AP led program being implemented with a service provider.

Proposed Time Period for the Project (Design till Execution)

1.5 Months

Eligibility Requirement

Only SECP registered companies with a scheduled business bank account and NTN number are eligible to apply.

Budget Ceiling

PKR 1.6 million per cohort

Application Requirements

Please submit the following to apply:

• • • Company Profile with examples of your previous relevant work
    • Technical Methodology (not more than 4 pages)
    • Implementing Team and Consultant Profiles/ CVs (at least 2 trainers/ core team members should have local expertise and experience)
    • Financial quote with detailed cost breakdown by each item

Deadline

24^th September 2021, 17:00 PST

Mode of Submitting Applications

Please submit your application documents compiled in one email with the subject line “Application for Fast Track Ideation- Ghizer” to the following email address:

nadeem.ullah@accelerateprosperity.org and CC to start@accelerateprosperity.org

If you are applying for more than one geography, please share separate applications for each. If you are applying as a consortium, please provide details for all organizations in the application. 

For TOR related queries, please write to us at start@accelerateprosperity.org