Call for proposals: Developing a Self-guided Inclusivity Toolkit for Youth Business International’s Network

We are seeking a Consultant/Consultancy Team to work with YBI, YBI members and external experts to develop a self-guided Inclusivity Toolkit for our network to support members to improve their inclusivity.

Background

YBI has a proven commitment to supporting underserved groups. In recent years we have focused on ensuring youth on the move, young entrepreneurs living in rural areas, women entrepreneurs and young people living with disabilities can access the services they need to start, scale and sustain their business. As events of 2020 have further exposed and exacerbated inequalities, we recognise the need to do more to ensure that entrepreneurship is a viable pathway for all. Within our new strategy, YBI is determined to drive greater diversity and inclusion in youth entrepreneurship to ensure inclusive economic recovery.

We want to tackle the barriers to entrepreneurship facing women, youth on the move (refugees/migrants), and young people living with disabilities amongst others and address unconscious discrimination based on race and/or ethnicity. To do this we need to deepen the understanding of inclusivity within the network and encourage systemic change at an organisation, people and culture, policy and programme level within our members and delivery partners. Many members are already embracing inclusive approaches and we intend to learn from them, amplify their expertise across the network and further support and solidify their activities.

We are seeking a Consultant/Consultancy Team to work with YBI, YBI members and external experts to develop a self-guided Inclusivity Toolkit for our network. The purpose of the Inclusivity Toolkit is to support members to improve their inclusivity through two processes. The first pathway will enable organisations to consider inclusivity dimensions when designing their programmes so their products, services and trainings better reach and support underserved young people wanting to become entrepreneurs. And recognising systemic change needs to be underpinned by wider organisational diversity and inclusion, the second pathway of the Inclusivity Toolkit will be used to address organisational diversity. The process will support an organisation to identify diversity and inclusion priorities, identify gaps within the organisation and the output of the process is a roadmap with guidance for how organisations can become more inclusive considering changes in governance, people and culture and policies.

We envision the Toolkit as an online collection of engaging digital content, profiles, recorded webinars, worksheets, best practices as well as practical tips and checklists.

YBI would like to pilot the Inclusivity Labs with 4 members and support them to realise and monitor some of the changes suggested from the roadmap and develop an inclusive programme.

Aim and Objectives

The overall aim of this consultancy is to develop a self-guided toolkit for YBI members. The objectives are to,  

1. Foster understanding of inclusivity within organisations and programmes across YBI’s Network  
2. Develop a structured and adaptable approach for members to embed and measure inclusivity both organisationally and programmatically 
3. Build confidence in truly inclusive programmes that reach the most disadvantaged young entrepreneurs. 

The project will have four phases,  

1. Research across YBI network and external partners to identify, collate and where necessary develop practical guides  
2. Collaboration with 6 members and industry experts to develop YBI’s Inclusivity Toolkit  
3. Piloting the Inclusivity Toolkit with 4 members  
4. Support members to realise the roadmap and monitor success of the intervention.  

The consultant will lead on the first two phrases and provide support on the third phase.

Outputs

1. YBI’s Inclusivity Lab Toolkit made up of a self-guided process and a collection of best practices, practical methodologies and tools of inclusive approaches within youth entrepreneurship programmes 
2. An inclusivity monitoring and evaluation framework 

There are two key considerations for this project, developing an Inclusivity Toolkit (process and guides) that is applicable, accessible and relevant for the diverse range of organisations in YBI’s Network considering their varied sizes, focuses and approaches and embedding a monitoring framework to support members to measure the impact of their inclusivity interventions.

Audience

The primary audiences for the toolkit are the YBI members who will undergo the plot. The secondary audiences will be YBI’s broader network. The Network Team will use the research to guide network-wide strategy and services.

Key Activities, Deliverables and Timeline

Pilots must be completed by 30 June 2021. Please view the Terms of Reference for an indicative timeline, key activities and deliverables.

Consultant Requirements

The Consultant/ Consultancy Team should possess:

• Demonstrable experience of developing inclusivity audits and toolkits for a diverse range of audiences, specifically NGOs and training-focused organisations.  
• Preferrable experience working with youth-focused organisations   
• Experience producing dynamic and accessible self-guided tools for international audiences  
• Knowledge and experience in adult learning principles and experiential learning 
• Technical skills in developing frameworks to monitor inclusivity  
• Project management skills 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 
• Proficiency in English

Submission of Proposals

Proposals must be submitted in English to Emilia McElvenney at emilia.mcelvenney@youthbusiness.org by 18:00 GMT on Friday, 29 January 2021.

Proposals must include:

• CV (max two pages) for each consultant involved; 
• Examples of comparable work; 
• Technical proposal (max five pages) including: understanding of the work to be completed; methodology; detailed work plan with timeline; 
• Financial proposal separating out fees and any expenses; and 
• 3 professional references.

Proposals will be reviewed by YBI’s Network Team, and the process may include a short phone call or interview. For an informal discussion, please contact Emilia McElvenney: emilia.mcelvenney@youthbusiness.org.

YBI promises to respect any personal data you share with us. We aim to be clear about why we need to collect your data and we will not do anything you wouldn’t reasonably expect. We store all data securely and restrict access to only those people necessary. This may include other agencies, which are bound by Confidentiality agreements. In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act, we want and strive to ensure that the data we hold is accurate, adequate, relevant and not excessive. We will only retain it for as long as we need it. Please see our Data Protection policy to find out more. You have the right to a copy of all the information we hold about you. To obtain a copy, write to the Data Protection Officer at YBI. The most efficient way to do this is by email to info@youthbusiness.org, including the words “Subject Access Request” in the subject line. We aim to reply as promptly as we can and, in any case, within the legal maximum of one month.