TENDER FOR PROVISION OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (BDS) MENTORSHIP AND COACHING TOTVET GRADUATES, VSLA AND LCIG GROUPS IN GARSE AND KILIWAHERI UNDER BORESHA-NABAD PROGRAMME

RURAL AGENCY FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ASSISTANCE TENDER OCTOBER 2025 

FOR PROVISION OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (BDS) MENTORSHIP AND COACHING TOTVET GRADUATES, VSLA AND LCIG GROUPS IN GARSE AND KILIWAHERI UNDER BORESHA-NABAD PROGRAMME

Deadline for Submission of Bids: 13th October 2025

Time: 5:00 PM EAT

Submission Method: Email

Disclaimer: RACIDA reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice, and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.

1. Background

RACIDA is a co-applicant with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and a consortium of partners in implementing the EU-funded Building Opportunities for Resilience in the Horn of Africa (BORESHA-NABAD) programme in the borderland areas of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, also known as the Mandera Triangle. The BORESHA-NABAD Programme aims to enhance the effectiveness of conflict prevention and mitigation, disaster risk reduction and management, and resilience-building in these borderland areas that are faced with multifaceted shocks such as drought, floods, conflicts, violence extremism, and diseases. The programme focuses on strengthening the resilience capacities of communities, government, and businesses using mixed approaches to help them withstand these shocks and stresses that also exacerbate conflict and violence extremism. BORESHA-NABAD is building on investments and lessons learned from the successful, Previous BORESHA programmes (Phases I, II, and III) to maximize impact.
The Programme through RACIDA being one of its Implementing partners seeks to empower communities, especially youth and women, by improving their capacity to engage in sustainable and resilient livelihoods. As part of its intervention strategy, BORESHA-NABAD is committed to fostering inclusive market systems and equipping youth and women with entrepreneurial skills necessary to navigate and thrive in dynamic market environments.

Rural Agency for Community Development (RACIDA) is a regional non-profit organization headquartered in Kenya. Founded in 2001 and with offices in Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan, RACIDA implements development and relief programmes in food security and livelihoods, natural resource management, climate change, education, health and nutrition and governance, particularly in hard-to-reach sub- counties/districts/woredas. RACIDA aims to expand its capacity in disaster risk reduction and peacebuilding through DRC’s technical support and experience. This will be achieved through research, training, and practical implementation, particularly in DRR and M&E database management. Collaborations with stakeholders in the table below will also expand RACIDA’s networks.

BORESHA-NABAD Overall Goal
To enhance the effectiveness of conflict prevention and mitigation, disaster risk reduction and management, and resilience-building in cross-border communities.

Specific Objectives to Achieve Results:

1. a)Disaster risk reduction and conflict prevention capacities of cross-border stakeholders and communities are strengthened: This first outcome focuses on building the capacity of community structures, fostering (horizontal) cross-border engagements, and testing their delivery and response capacity. This will be achieved with an integrated approach by linking different thematic interventions. Equally important will be to build on horizontal linkages (connections between communities and actors across borders) and establish vertical linkages (foster engagement between vulnerable groups/communities and government actors).
2. b)Peacebuilding is enhanced through stronger linkages between communities and local, national, and regional authorities: This outcome focuses on ensuring the community-level efforts (Outcome l) are integrated into existing mechanisms and higher-level institutions. These linkages will ensure efforts are aligned with wider government priorities and help to achieve the programme’s
3. c)Women and youth in marginalized borderland communities have improved access to income generation opportunities: This outcome focuses on improving access to income generation opportunities for women and youth in marginalized borderland communities. Using a market systems approach, women and youth will be prioritized for activities such as expanding access to financial and business development services, accessing loans through formal and informal financial structures and provision of TVET training and apprentices in sectors with market demand.
4. d)Borderland communities are better able to adapt their livelihoods to climate change and environmental degradation: This outcome focuses on improving the communities’ adaptation to climate change and environmental degradation, including climate-smart livelihood activities.
5. Objective of the Consultancy
6. i)To support this goal and provide a trainings model that leaves a lasting impact, the project under RACIDA Implementing Partner intends to engage a qualified Business Development Services (BDS) firm to mentor and coach 90 Village Savings and Loan groups members, 125 TVET graduates and 120 Livestock Common Interest Group (LCIG)members in Fikow, Burabor, Maygag, Khalicha/Mado, Garse and Kiliwaheri in Mandera County.

The proposed firm will play the role of a “growth partner” and empower Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), TVET Graduates and LCIG groups by building their entrepreneurial and business management capacities. Building on lessons learned from previous BORESHA phases and emphasizing value for money, BORESHA-NABAD will offer these groups one-two months of on-the-job mentorship and coaching provided by an experienced BDS firm to achieve greater impact and sustainability. In contrast to traditional short-term boardroom training sessions that have minimal impact and last only three days, this comprehensive coaching and mentorship approach of embedding BDS firms as a “growth partner” among these groups aims to:

1. a)Develop and implement comprehensive business plans tailored to their businesses.
2. b)Access structured markets and value chains for their products and services.
3. c)Improve operational efficiency through innovative technologies and effective management practices.
4. d)Enhance their business acumen to navigate market dynamics and improve competitiveness.
5. e)Establish sustainable production and marketing models for business growth and scalability.
6. f)Improve access to financial services including savings and credit.
   By introducing this BDS firm to the project areas, there will be an increased demand for such services in the borderland regions, fostering business relationship linkages between the BDS providers, VSLA and LCIG stakeholders and enabling direct engagement among them based on service demand. Additionally, this model will create a behavioral shift among the implementing partners on how such trainings are conducted in such contexts.

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