CLUSTER PLAYBOOK & SOPS DEVELOPMENT

Berytech is a leading organization in Lebanon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, providing a conducive environment for the creation and development of startups through incubation, business support, counseling, funding, networking, and company hosting.

Under the ACT Smart program, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Berytech is advancing two strategic cluster initiatives: QEEMA, the Waste Valorization Cluster and SE Cluster; the Sustainable Energy Cluster. Both clusters aim to drive innovation, strengthen collaboration, and promote sustainable, resilient solutions across their respective sectors.

The development of the Cluster Playbook and SOPs will be carried out under the supervision of both cluster managers, ensuring alignment with each cluster’s strategic direction and operational needs.

Berytech seeks an external consultant to develop a Cluster Development Playbook and Cluster Operations SOPs that are:

• Practical and actionable for establishing new clusters in Lebanon and similar fragile or emerging contexts.
• Equipped with tools, frameworks, templates, and SOPs to guide the early development phase.
• Adapted from international best practices, tailored to Lebanon’s local context.
• Supportive of replication or expansion of cluster models at the national and local level.

Note: One of Berytech’s programs (ECF) is currently developing a cluster toolkit. The selected consultant will be required to coordinate with the program team to ensure full alignment, complementarity, and avoidance of any duplication in the development of the Cluster SOPs.

The consultant will work under the joint supervision of both cluster managers, in close coordination with the Program Director at Berytech, ensuring alignment with the strategic objectives, operational needs, and long-term vision of both clusters.

The consultant should deliver the following requirements:

• Conduct a review of international cluster development playbooks and extract global best practices.
• Ensure complementarity and avoid duplication with the previously mentioned ECF toolkit
• Review Berytech’s documentation and lessons learned from existing cluster initiatives.
• Conduct interviews with Berytech’s team and selected stakeholders.

•Draft and validate a Playbook structure covering:

1. Cluster lifecycle and phases (early design & early implementation):

The cluster lifecycle model must be delivered as a simple, visual, and practical framework covering three phases (Design → Activation → Early Implementation). Each phase should be presented on a one-page summary with objectives, core activities, roles, and simple decision points. Lengthy theoretical descriptions should be avoided.

2. Ecosystem assessments and opportunity mapping:

Ecosystem assessment should be light and actionable, focusing on simple mapping tools, templates, and a concise 3–4-page summary. The consultant is not expected to conduct a full research study or market analysis.

3. Cluster vision, strategy development, focus areas, and value proposition design.
4. Stakeholder mapping and nucleus member onboarding.
5. Early activities: awareness, networking, joint initiatives.
6. Governance models for Year 0–2.
7. Communication, visibility, and engagement tools.
8. Early KPIs and simple monitoring tools.
9. Templates, checklists, and visual frameworks.

•  Develop a Cluster Operations SOPs (12 SOPs, with templates and checklists), including:

1. Strategy Co-development & Annual Planning
2. Member eligibility, Onboarding and Verification
3. Activity & Event Design, Delivery & Follow-Up
4. Communications, Branding and Content Approval
5. Board and Taskforce Meetings
6. Stakeholders Collaborations Requests & Internal coordination
7. Stakeholders Engagement
8. Partnerships, MoUs & Formal Agreements
9. Monitoring, KPI Collection, Reporting & Learning
10. Cluster Governance & Decision-Making
11. Risk, Issue & Crisis Management
12. Cluster Excellence Management & Certification

All SOPs should be developed through a co-creation approach with the cluster team to ensure practicality, ownership, and ease of adoption. The consultant should facilitate co-design discussions and incorporate team feedback into the final SOPs

• Include relevant case studies, tools, and templates.
• Facilitate a validation session to test SOPs and collect feedback.
• Finalize and deliver a visually engaging, editable version of the Playbook and SOP Pack.

1. Inception Report: Methodology, work plan, and annotated Playbook outline
2. Global Benchmarking Summary: Key insights from international playbooks and their relevance to Lebanon
3. Draft SOP Pack: First version of all SOPs with tools and templates.
4. Draft Playbook: First full version for review and feedback
5. Validation Workshop: Presentation and discussion with Berytech and selected stakeholders
6. Final Cluster Playbook: Edited and formatted version with annexes
7. Final SOP Pach (edited and formatted): with templates, tools and visual workflows.
8. Quick Wins Matrix: A list of high-impact, low-effort actions for the first 3–6 months of cluster activation, including a 100-day plan and a Year 0 activation checklist.
9. Annexes: Tools, templates, stakeholder maps, and checklists

All templates and tools should be delivered in editable formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

The consultant should have the following qualifications:

• Extensive experience in cluster development, innovation ecosystems, or economic development
• Proven ability to conduct international benchmarking and contextual adaptation
• A strong portfolio of developing practical guides, playbooks, or frameworks
• Experience engaging in multi-stakeholder environments
• Familiarity with the Lebanese ecosystem or similar emerging markets
• Excellent writing, facilitation, and communication skills
• Fluency in English

To ensure the selection of the most qualified candidate, the following criteria will be used to assess expertise, experience, and approach:

• Technical expertise and relevant experience
• Methodological approach and work plan
• Research, analytical and training capabilities
• Relevant international experience and stakeholder engagement
• Feasibility and realism of the proposed plan

Phase 1: Desk Research & Preliminary Benchmarking (4 weeks)

• Review of international cluster development playbooks and best practices.
• Mapping complementary elements from the ECF Toolkit.
• Review of Berytech’s internal documentation, lessons learned, and existing cluster materials.

Phase 2: Stakeholder Engagement & Final Benchmarking (4 weeks)

• Conduct interviews with Berytech teams, cluster managers, and selected stakeholders.
• Consolidate benchmarking insights into a practical, contextualized reference.
• Deliver the Global Benchmarking Summary.

Phase 3: SOP Drafting & Tool Development (5 weeks)

• Development of 11 SOPs, including workflows, templates, visual process maps, and checklists.
• SOPs drafted iteratively and reviewed with both cluster teams through a co-creation approach.

Phase 4: Playbook Drafting (3 weeks)

• Development of the Cluster Playbook, including lifecycle phases, ecosystem tools, governance for Year 0–2, early KPIs, and activation methodologies.

All content adapted to Lebanon’s operational constraints and fragile institutional environment.

Phase 5 — Validation, Piloting & Refinement (2 weeks)

• Facilitation of a validation workshop with Berytech teams and selected stakeholders.
• Testing the usability of tools and SOPs through practical scenarios.
• Integration of final revisions into the Playbook and SOP Pack.

The final report, Playbook, SOP Pack, Quick Wins Matrix, and annexes will be delivered by end of June 2026.