Call for experts trainers – Clusters Value Chain & Innovation Development in the ICT & creative industries sectors - ECF

About Berytech:

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 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.

Berytech’s support falls under capacity building/networking, policy reform, startup and SME development, acceleration and incubation, student entrepreneurship development, technology transfer support, and women empowerment.

About ECF
Berytech is the implementing partner in Lebanon of ECF, EuroMed Clusters Forward, that is funded by the European Union and coordinated by Anima Investment Network with three implementing partners and nine affiliates from the Euromed region.

ECF is a 4-year project that aims at fostering cluster excellence, promoting inclusive innovation, enhancing sustainable growth, driving economic diversification, and boosting employment in the Euromed region.

About the activity

The Face-to-face academy is a 3-day intensive training that consists of capacity-building and benchmarking visits for more than 15 Cluster Managers and Board Members. The academy will focus on understanding of the ICT value chain, mapping of opportunities, and integration of research and innovation in the ICT and Creative industry sectors to support the clusters development in the South-Med region. The training will be implemented in Lebanon.

Academy Background:

As per the ECF diagnostic research, clusters in the targeted countries face common challenges regarding the factors of production (land, labor, and capital) such as:

• Lack of resources to meet the demands of production: Lack of resources and low level of excellence or suitability of resources to meet the demands of production.
• Lack of access to technological innovation and scientific knowledge: Clusters’ inability to benefit from the latest innovations in technology and scientific discoveries due to various barriers. This lack of access can have significant implications for economic development.
• Lack of access to markets: Clusters face barriers that prevent them from participating fully or effectively in economic exchanges within a market system.
• Difficulty in attracting members from the different divisions of the value chain in the cluster sector.

Goals: By participating in this academy, more than 15 cluster managers and board members representing 5 clusters from the South Med region (Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco) will be better equipped with knowledge and tools to understand and map their value chains, identify opportunities, and build strategies to attract new members, improve sectoral efficiency, diversify their service offering and increase the competitiveness of their members.

Methodology: Following the selection of the consulting agency/ expert, Berytech team will closely coordinate with them to develop the agenda. The expert will first conduct a needs assessment with the selected clusters, then develop the training material that shall include case studies, hands-on tools & templates, benchmarking & networking visits, best practices, and interventions from speakers from the ICT, Creative industry and knowledge economy sectors.

Value Chain Expert scope of work:

• Conduct a needs assessment with the selected clusters’ managers.
• To enable cluster managers and board members with the knowledge and tools to understand, map and analyze regional value chains in the ICT, knowledge economy and creative industries sectors and identify opportunities.
• To guide and assist the cluster managers and board members in building their value chain strategy by:
  • Defining strategic goals for the cluster's value chain development that align with overall regional economic growth objectives. 
  • Identify strategic partnerships needed to build new business opportunities.

• To help clusters integrate innovation by enhancing collaboration with academic research that serves that value chain strategy developed.
• To build the capacity of the cluster managers and board members to better attract new members and diversify their service portfolio by:
  • Revisiting and developing their value proposition and service offering.
  • Developing a strategy to attract new members and potential partners (national, regional, and international).
  • Developing the market strategy.

• To report on the training performed and the learning level of achievement.

Requirements and Deliverables:

The expert will be working on the "scope of work" while adding complementary suggestions and personal input to achieve the desired outcomes based on the clusters’ needs assessment.

Timeline:

The physical academy will be implemented on October 16, 17 & 18, 2023.

Deliverables:

• Needs assessment report.
• The preparation of the contents and materials for the academy.
• The expert(s) will deliver training in English and it will be implemented in Lebanon in a location set by Berytech.
• Upon completion of the training, the expert(s) will provide the training report. This includes:
  • i) the training material (including the presentations, tools & templates used);
  • ii) a report on the training activities including the assessment of the achieved level by participants and a recommendation on how to further develop and implement the training topic.
  • The reporting material shall be in quality English.

Qualifications:

• Expertise and educational background relevant to the required assignment.
• Full proficiency in English. Arabic is a plus.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in training and building capacity.
• Previous training experience with organizations in the value chain and innovation sectors.
• Previous experience with cluster-development training or support is a plus.
• Proven track records in the field.

Specific Experience and Qualifications:

• Excellent inter-personal communication skills including experience of facilitation of trainings/workshops and presentations.
• Proven broad knowledge of and ability to integrate innovation and research in training to optimize clusters value chain.
• Applicants can be either organizations (companies, foundations, etc.) or freelance experts.
• Applications must be completed in all its parts (administrative, technical and financial proposals, CV, portfolio & interest letter) and must be written in English.

Selection criteria:

Experts or firms will be selected based on:

• The proposal suggested for the academy’s objectives.
• Experts' bio, proven track records and experience in the required field.
• Budget scope.