#### **PUBLIC NOTICE / INVITATION FOR EMPANELMENT OF TECHNICAL EXPERTS/ BUSINESS COACHES, MENTORS \& TRAINERS**
- *Business Coaching and Technical Assistance for funded enterprises to deliver on their investment plan and business growth. under Agroecology Value Chain Projects (GAP Fund Program)**
ACCESS is a fund manager for IFAD supported Investment in Agroecology Value Chain Projects (IAVCP) under the title Supporting Local Learning \& Capabilities for Scaling Up Value Chain Development. The project has been rebranded by ADS as Grant for Agroecology Program (GAP) that aims to accelerate and expand the income for small ‘agroecologically sound’ producers and enterprises by providing grant support and technical assistance (TA) for business development and supply chain linking, while catalyzing commercial investment in agroecological (AE) value chain (VC) development. There are 72 projects that are sanctioned with an expected total numbering between 90\-100 projects. The projects are at the different levels of execution. Applications are invited from qualified and experienced **Technical Experts, Coaches, Mentors and Trainers** to support capacity building/ business coaching technical assistance to funded entities under the project.
A structured Business Coaching/ Mentoring Needs Assessment of participating enterprises to identify capacity gaps across technical, financial, operational, governance and market domains. Based on the assessment, customized, demand\-driven mentoring and training interventions will be designed and delivered to strengthen enterprise performance, farmer impact and long\-term value chain resilience.
ACCESS is inviting application to empanel trainers/ coach/ mentors/ consultants on the below six identified domains. The Technical Experts/ Trainers/ Coaches/ Consultants will provide structured training/ coaching or mentoring support in one or more domain areas.
- *A. Objectives of the Assignment**
- Strengthen enterprise governance, operational efficiency and financial management
- Improve market competitiveness and commercial strategy
- Enhance farmer engagement and value chain integration with Agroecology Principles
- Build investment readiness and future scale\-up capacity
- Strengthen compliance, risk management and sustainability practices
- Help enterprises to become competitive and become progressive by strengthening their operational efficiency, market understanding and linkages, accounting and financial management systems, innovation capacity, leverage financing, and long\-term sustainability.
- Support in related quality and other compliances through linkages with service providers, inputs on branding and packaging
- Joint review and tracking of performance metrics with the enterprise and preparing corrective action plan if and as required
This is a timebound target based contract for a duration of 6\-9 months based on the assessment of coaching requirement with the enterprises. Coaching needs will be identified based on the requirements of the grantee/ entities and could be high touch/intensive support covering more aspects or low touch support for one specific gap area such as market access, identification, market alignment, branding or packaging or integration of appropriate technology, quality improvement, certification options, access to finance, etc.
ACCESS has identified domains in which the coaching/ mentoring may be required which is illustrative in nature. The TA/ Coach may identify the need based on interactions with entity and exact need
- *C. Nature of Assignment**
- Review the Training \& Coaching Needs Assessment findings for assigned enterprises based on leaders and laggards.
- Conduct enterprise\-level diagnostics where required.
- Development customized practical toolkits of modules, mentoring plans and based on the assessment with entities
- Develop action plan jointly with enterprises.
- Enterprise diagnostics and handholding support
- One\-to\-one or cohort\-based outcome\-based mentoring (physical/ virtual/ hybrid)
- Periodic progress reporting and outcome documentation
- Provide recommendation for long term sustainability and scale up.
Engagement may be short\-term, assignment\-based or empanelment\-based depending on expertise and requirement.
- *D. Eligibility Criteria**
- Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in agribusiness, enterprise development, agroecology, value chain development, finance, governance, market systems, or related domains as per the above identified domains
- Demonstrated experience in business coaching/ training/ mentoring or enterprise advisory in one or more domains
- Experience working with FPOs/FPCs, agribusiness enterprises, MSMEs or rural enterprises
- Strong understanding of compliance, market dynamics, and scaling strategies preferred.
- *E. Deliverables**
- Inception note outlining approach and methodology
- Small Customized training module and toolkits
- Delivery of agreed number of training/mentoring sessions
- Enterprise action plans
- Interim progress reports
- Final completion report including measurable outcomes and recommendations
- *F. Duration of Assignment**
- *The assignment may range from 6\-9 months, depending on scope and thematic area. Engagement may be, Assignment\-based, Cohort based, retainer/ empanelment based. This will be discussed and mutually agreed.**
- *ACCESS will provide the list of entities to empanelled coaches\-based segmentation of enterprises into leaders and laggards. The business coach/ mentor will apply diagnostic framework across the final cohort, identify intensive mentoring needs for laggards and leaders, and develop intensive or light touch mentoring/ coaching plan for leaders/ laggard.**
- *F. Application Process**
Interested professionals may submit
- Detailed CV/Profile indicating clearly articulated Statement of expertise indicating domain(s) of specialization (aligned with Sections A–F above)
- Brief note on previous assignments of similar nature
- Proposed approach for enterprise business coaching/ capacity building
- Professional fee expectations (per day basis)
- Personal Interaction with shortlisted applicants.
Applications may be submitted via email/digital mode within **21 days** from the date of publication of this notice.
The organization reserves the right to shortlist and empanel experts based on suitability and program requirements.
- *E. For submission of application and queries:**
Email: iavcp@accessdev.org
Website: agroecology\-fund.org
Phone : \+91 11 45697039/ 45761146
- *GAP Fund Management Unit**
ACCESS Development Services
22, Hauz Khas Village,
Ground Floor, New Delhi – 16