1. Project background
IMPACT FOUNDATION is a private sector development organisation, a local co-facilitator of the RECONOMY programme, guided by the market systems development (MSD) approach. The foundation was established by the local team of MSD practitioners and experts that started the first MSD project in the Republic of North Macedonia.
In the frame of RECONOMY, Impact Foundation is executing pilot intervention. The focus of this pilot idea will be on promoting and strengthening self-employment through freelancing opportunities for women and young people as well as other disadvantaged groups.
In North Macedonia, women and young people are less likely to start freelancing job(s) as an option for (or part of) career development. There is low awareness about opportunities or high misperception about freelancing – as a low-paid and insecure working arrangement. Freelancers are more motivated by freedom, flexibility, and autonomy than corporate benefits and job security. Vulnerable groups are especially important for the intervention, in order to benefit anyone, even the ones without a computer. Rural population, women and other marginalized communities lack opportunities for revenue generation in comparison to other citizens of North Macedonia. Encouraging and building interest among these groups to take advantage of freelancing training and work will significantly boost economic growth within these communities.
This project will work on enhancing informed self-employment through freelancing among providers and target groups of various types of online work platforms, including increasing the level of mentorship between the target groups and more accomplished peers. Awareness-raising is the key element in making this pilot a success and addressing some of the misperceptions attached to freelancing. This, however, does not ignore the weakness/pitfalls of self-employment through freelancing which are mainly policy-related (e.g. minimum wages, working time legislation).
The pilot in this Inception Phase will focus on enhancing the awareness of the target groups to make an informed decision and contributing to the quality of the benefits to them. Interventions include communication through different channels and sending a simple message understandable by the target groups. The communication strategy needs to also explain the types of work and associated benefits and the nature of the job not only to our target group but also to their families. Working with key stakeholders such as relevant ministries, business associations, and educational institutions is crucial to building awareness on both freelancing opportunities at home and online.
The pilot intervention is a part of the SIDA’s founded, RECONOMY programme. The overarching objective of the RECONOMY programme is to enable women and men, particularly young people, and those from disadvantaged and excluded groups to benefit from economic opportunities by increasing their income and taking up decent employment/self-employment. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has a long-standing commitment to the growth and prosperity of Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. As part of this commitment, Sida has partnered with HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation for implementing an inclusive economic development programme in 12 countries in the region.
2. Objective of the invitation to tender
The aim of the current call is to select a legal entity (agency) to hire people in accordance with delivering freelancing education modules and outreach to target groups. People will be hired for expertise in curricula development, training providers and project coordination in overall.
Criteria and qualification for participation in the tendering process are:
The selected legal entity/individual experts will need to have professional expertise and track record in the following areas and services:
- Capacity to provide human capital to satisfy the activities outlined in the ToR
- Value-for-price, the legal entity (agency) will offer competitive price for the people engaged
- Relevance of the methodology proposed for the research
The experts provided by the legal entity (agency) should fulfil and provide the following professional criteria and proof for the knowledge and experience as follows:
Academic qualifications
- Certification, in the fields described in the ToR, will be considered an asset.
Language:
- Excellent knowledge of English language.
Other criteria:
- Proven ability to work with a tight schedule and deliver the services within the given time frame.
3. Application procedure
In order to be considered, the interested applicant needs to submit the following documents:
- Methodology for services
- CVs of experts which will be involved in the research
- Proposed budget
A group of experts in accordance with the objective of this call may team up to make a decision for the Proposal Selection.
The requested documents should be submitted to the following e-mail address: reconomy@impactfoundation.mk, no later than 10 days after this tender was opened.
Incomplete applications will not be considered for evaluation.
4. Evaluation and selection process
The call is open for international, as well as local experts.
Any award to be made will be based on the applicant’s proposal with appropriate consideration given to the required qualifications, experience, technical deliverables, cost and management requirements.
5. Financial allocation
The payment schedule will be developed per deliverables, timing and the proposed methodology.
