Agri-Food Export Readiness Consultant – ACT SMART INNOVATION HUB STARTUPS

Berytech is a leading organization in the Entrepreneurial Eco-system in Lebanon, that aims to provide a conducive environment for the creation and development of startups, through incubation, business support, counseling, funding, networking, and the company hosting, hence taking part in the economic revival of the country, participating in wealth and job creation, and retaining graduates and high-level skills in Lebanon.

Through the Agrytech Accelerator Program, startups receive support to develop their Minimum Viable Product, test it with early adopters, and build their capacity to establish their business from marketing, financial, management and operational levels. The Program aims to contribute to job creation and sustainable economic development while advancing the Lebanese entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Agrytech Accelerator Program's mission is to nurture and grow proof of concepts, and prototypes that share three common characteristics:

• An innovation with scientific or technological focus in the agri-food sector.
• The possibility to scale beyond the local market
• The potential to create sustainable job opportunities locally

The Accelerator Program seeks an expert in Food product compliance at food safety national and international levels to help startups better understand and comply with food safety, quality, and packaging requirements, so they become technically export ready. The engagement consists of half-day in-person workshop in addition to up to 2 one-on-one sessions (based on the needs of each team) with up to 8 startups for tailored guidance to cover the below points:

• Explain the different methodologies, techniques, regulations, and certificates that food / food related manufacturers are required to comply by
• Identify different types of certifications and guidelines for global markets
• Identify manufacturing/processing facility requirements at GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) level to get certified
• Guide startups through the different strategies of sourcing, testing, and controlling raw materials and end products for export
• List the different packaging and labeling requirements for export with concrete examples on GCC, EU and USA.

• Explain the food handling and storing requirements before and during export.

Deliverables

• Workshop Outline and Materials
• Deliver a half-day workshop covering the scope of work mentioned above
• Conduct up to 2 one-on-one sessions for up to 8 startups (total of up to 16 one-on-one sessions) based on the need of the startups
• Provide a report summarizing the outcomes, feedback, and recommendations for each startup.

Qualifications

• At least 7 years of experience as a food safety and quality expert in the areas mentioned.  
• Possess strong knowledge in areas related to the export readiness and global standards and regulations.
• Hands on experience managing the full training cycle.
• Exceptional platform delivery and facilitation skills
• Demonstrates strong communications skills and professional credibility to influence entrepreneurs and sales professionals.