Call for Proposals -Promoting Sustainable Local Development and Job Creation in Lebanon

Deadline: 08-Apr-2024

With this Call for Proposal, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in Lebanon intends to identify four Implementing Organisations for the execution of the initiative named “Promoting sustainable local development and job creation in Lebanon”.

The Initiative will be implemented by AICS Beirut by awarding the activities implementation to four (4) CSOs selected through a CFPs and coherently with the procedures for Affidati.

The proposed intervention aims at promoting an inclusive and sustainable local development as follows:

• by supporting local business/cooperatives oriented to public value and social impact through technical and financial assistance to scale up the market, create new decent job opportunities and stimulate an increase in job demand.
• by fostering employment opportunities through the improvement of the job placement services and through pilot interventions to support technical and professional training, as well as job placement pathways for vulnerable beneficiaries, unemployed persons, and first-time job seekers at the community level and in collaboration with local authorities.

The Initiative intends to promote the economic local development of the target areas and the active role of the Lebanese local authorities in the development processes and strategic planning; it will adopt market-oriented approaches to boost local economies, as well as a systematic and participatory approach focused on the promotion of synergies among public, private and non-profit stakeholders.

The Initiative aims to respond to the following main challenges:

• Lack/weakness of local and sector development plans capable of mapping and promoting the business and defining value chains.
• Poor coordination between public, private, and non-profit entities.
• Insufficiency of capital and barriers in attracting alternative sources of financing for MSMEs/startups/cooperatives/small producers.
• Lack of financial resources and therefore weak management capacity of local institutions.
• Difficult access to the job market, especially for vulnerable categories of the population.
• Lack of knowledge of decent working conditions among workers and relevant authorities.
• Work placement paths not adequately market oriented.

Sectors

• The relevant sectors, assessed as priorities during the meetings held with local stakeholders, are the following:
  • Agriculture/food processing
    • Despite the large number of people employed in and affected by it, the sector received little support in terms of share of national budget. With its capacity of providing a safety net for the most vulnerable population, agriculture and food processing are among the main sectors to reduce poverty, increase food security and boost local economy through scalability of the actions and the value-adding potential.
  • Waste management and recycling
    • It represents a growing priority for local administrations and, based on Lebanon Solid Waste Roadmap for 2023-2026, an urgent problem to be addressed to promote environmentally sustainable territorial development.
  • Sustainable and responsible tourism
    • It is a driving force for the Lebanese economic development and is a sector with high revenue and employment potential, despite the current crisis.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this Call for proposals is Euro 4.800.000,00 which will be awarded by a maximum of 4 CSOs and/or ATS according to the following division.
  • Total contribution in Euro: 4.800.000,00
  • Maximum amount in Euros per CSO/ATS: 1.200.000,00

Duration

• Each Applicant’s proposal must have an implementation period of maximum 24 months. An inception phase of three months will be dedicated to the elaboration of the General Operation Plan and to the collection and assessment of relevant information for baseline and the specific targets identification.

Proposed Logical Framework

• Overall Objective
  • To contribute to the human, economic and social development at the local level by strengthening synergies among public, private, and non-profit stakeholders.
• Specific Objectives
  • To boost local economies through the promotion of inclusive development and business oriented to public value and social impact.
• Expected Results 1
  • Local economies are revitalised through the strengthening of economic actors and by involving all the stakeholders at the local level.
• Expected Results 2
  • The labour market access at the local level is improved for unemployed people and first-time job seekers.

Activities

• Suggested activities under Result 1
  • Setting and/or reactivating public and private working groups to define the action plan of the intervention, to monitor and ensure the sustainability.
  • Studies aimed at mapping and analysing stakeholders within the relevant sectors of intervention.
  • Identification and selection of startups/MSMEs/cooperatives to deliver social impact services and implement public value interventions in line with local development processes.
  • Training and capacity building to the local public entities on local government management and safeguarding of local economies.
• Suggested activities under Result2
  • Technical and financial support to enhance job placement services in synergy with public, private, and non-profit stakeholders.
  • Orientation, identification and selection vulnerable categories, unemployed persons and first-time job seekers through community-based outreach campaigns involving public/private professional training centres.
  • Mentorships’ activities and job orientation to the selected beneficiaries.
  • Supporting selected job seekers through vocational and technical trainings, on the job training, and paid internships.

Beneficiaries

• The overall population economically active within the target area of intervention; supported MSMEs/startups/cooperatives families; the families of unemployed who have started a new job; and the population residing in the intervention areas. Additionally, Central Institutions will indirectly benefit from the project activities thanks to the constant involvement of their decentralised offices in the implementation of the activities.

Eligibility Criteria

• CSOs eligible to participate in the selection procedure must, at the date of publication of the call for proposals, meet the following requirements:
  • Being registered in the List in article 26, Paragraph 3, of Law no.125/2014;
  • Having proved capacity to operate in Lebanon and in the areas of intervention: this is proved either through the formal registration of the CSOs with the relevant Lebanese authorities or a documented 2-year (minimum) experience in the country in the cooperation sector;
  • Not being debtors to public administrations, for assured, cash and due debts, including those debts arising from measures of cancellation/revocation of contributions related to “promossi” and/or “affidati”, and/or humanitarian aid projects;
  • Not being in a state of bankruptcy, insolvency, or liquidation, where the assets are managed by a liquidator or a judge, or where there is an agreement with creditors, or where the activities are frozen, or any other similar situation as defined by national law;
  • Being compliant with the regulations related to the right to work of persons with disabilities according to the Italian legislation (Law no. 68 of 12 March 1999 and subsequent modifications and integrations;
  • Being compliant with the anti-mafia documentation, pursuant to Article 85 of Law n. 159/2011 and subsequent modifications and integrations and submit the necessary documentation to obtain the anti-mafia certificate issued by the competent Italian authorities;
  • Being up-to-date with the payment of taxes, social security, and welfare contributions as required by the current national legislation or the legislation in force in the country where the contract is being executed.

For more information, visit AICS.