CAPACITY STRENGTHENING OF SMES IN SYRIA

Swisscontact, in partnership with Caritas Syria, has successfully completed an Inclusive System Development (ISD) study, and is launching a targeted Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) support initiative in Aleppo, Syria. The objective is to enhance the productivity and resilience of 25 MSEs in the textile and construction sectors. This phase focuses on providing tailored capacity strengthening through training, coaching, and business development services in collaboration with local coaches currently implementing an MSE support project.

• Objective of the Assignment

The consultant or service provider will be responsible for leading the design and delivery of a structured and contextually tailored capacity strengthening package for 25 pre-identified MSEs. The project aims to enhance the productivity of the MSEs and to support them in improving or adopting business practices that lead to more efficient operations, stronger market positioning, and/or higher quality outputs.

•  Scope of Work

The selected consultant or service provider will be responsible for the design and implementation of a tailored capacity strengthening program aimed at addressing the diverse needs of the 25 MSEs operating in Syria’s textile and construction sectors. These MSEs have been pre-identified based on their potential for economic recovery, contribution to inclusive sector growth, and willingness to engage in collaborative learning processes. The provider will work in close coordination with Swisscontact, Caritas Syria, and locally assigned coaches to ensure that interventions are relevant, context-sensitive, and responsive to the realities of operating in the local environment.

The assignment will consist of four core components:

 Rapid Needs Assessment

The consultant or service provider will lead the design and implementation of a concise but effective rapid needs assessment tool, in coordination with Swisscontact and Caritas Syria.

The aim of the assessment is to:

• Identify the immediate business development and operational needs of each SME;
• Capture key baseline data for eventual evaluation of the program’s impact;
• Cluster SMEs based on common needs to guide the structuring of group-based training sessions;
• Screen SME eligibility and readiness based on previously identified criteria such as vulnerability, growth potential, gender inclusivity, and willingness to engage.

The assessment will form the foundation for designing the training and coaching components of the program, ensuring that support is tailored, relevant, and grounded in real-time insights.

Design and Delivery of Training

Based on the results of the needs assessment, the consultant will develop a responsive training program. The training will focus on key areas such as business planning, operations management, marketing, financial literacy, and other themes aligned with the identified gaps.

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing 2 to 4 modular training sessions tailored to MSE groups, incorporating both technical and soft skills development.
• Preparing training materials, tools, and pre/post-training evaluation instruments for Swisscontact’s review.
• Coordinating and delivering training in cycles, in line with MSE onboarding phases.
• Promoting a participatory and inclusive learning environment, encouraging experience-sharing among MSEs.

Training sessions should be flexible and adapted to local dynamics, with groupings kept small and contextually appropriate to ensure comfort, privacy, and relevance.

Provision of One-on-One Coaching

In parallel with training, the consultant will lead the provision of individualized coaching sessions for each SME. These sessions are intended to offer practical, hands-on support tailored to each enterprise's strategic and operational challenges.

The consultant will:

• Deliver, on average, 4 one-on-one coaching sessions per SME over the course of the assignment.
• Develop individualized coaching plans and track progress against each plan.
• Collaborate with local coaches to deliver coaching through a hybrid model that blends remote expert guidance with in-person, localized support.
• Ensure coaching focuses on measurable business improvements—such as increased efficiency, market reach, or resilience to shocks—and that it integrates feedback from both MSEs and local coaches.

Throughout the assignment, consultant will work with local coaches who are pre-identified by Caritas Syria from within their local partner organizations. The consultant is expected to involve the coaches where possible along the different stages of implementation to allow for knowledge and skills transfer where applicable, contributing to enhancing local capacities beyond the project lifecycle.

Endline Administration

As the final step in the capacity strengthening process, the service provider will oversee the administration of the endline survey in close coordination with Swisscontact and Caritas Syria. This survey will mirror key indicators captured during the baseline assessment and is intended to measure changes in business capacity, performance, and practices among supported MSEs. The service provider will work with local coaches to ensure data is collected in a consistent and timely manner and will be responsible for compiling and analyzing the results. These findings will feed into the final report and contribute to assessing the overall effectiveness and impact of the intervention.

• Deliverables

1. Inception report: an inception report with methodology, timeline, and needs assessment tool for implementation of the consultancy activities.
2. Needs assessment summary: a brief report highlighting the needs assessment findings/results and recommendations, and MSE grouping rationale.
3. Training plan: a plan including what will be covered under the training modules, pre/post-tests, and delivery schedule.
4. Training report: a brief summary including impressions, pre/post-test results, and recommendations.
5. Coaching framework: a matrix providing the coaching plan for the sessions for each MSE.
6. Final report: a final report including:
   • Summary of activities
   • Analysis of baseline/endline data
   • Summary of coaching outcomes

Recommendations for continued MSE support