Consultant to provide Crowdfunding Support for Youth-led Social Enterprises in Asia and the Pacific

Project Title
Youth Co:Lab, Regional Youth Project on Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Project Description 
1) Brief context: Youth, Global Goals and UNDP in Asia and the Pacific

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the important role of youth in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Global Goals) and calls for action against the challenges faced by young people that limits their economic, social and political inclusion. Today, young people are more connected, more creative, more informed and more persuasive than any previous generation. Young people are responding to the challenges of the day with innovative approaches, contributing fresh ideas, creating the world they want, and driving human development for themselves, their communities and their societies. But at the same time, approximately 300 million young people are either unemployed or underemployed . In other words, nearly half of the 700 million young people in the region face economic insecurity. In addition, many young people are left out of decision-making process, which further contributes to their marginalization and exclusion.

2) Regional Youth Project on Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Youth Co: Lab)

The Regional Youth Project on Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Youth CoLab) is UNDP’s multi-dimensional and multi-level response to tackle the challenges of young people, including the most marginalized, face today in the Asia-Pacific region. Its main objective is to “establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest and empower youth to accelerate implementation of the Global Goals through social innovation and entrepreneurship”. Specifically, the project focuses on establishing a network to foster youth-led social entrepreneurship, supporting youth leadership initiatives, and providing grants for incubation financial mechanisms to fund youth-led programmes aimed at achieving the SDGs.

3) Youth Co:Lab Springboard Programme
The Youth Co:Lab Springboard Programme is a pre-incubation platform for young SDG entrepreneurs, aiming to capture and extend the lifespan of ideas sparked during Innovation Challenges and to provide young social entrepreneurs with networks and resources to increase their impact, employment capability and revenue.

The underlying main causes for this challenge, as identified by the Youth Co:Lab Theory of Change, are a lack of availability and impact of business support services for young social entrepreneurs, weak individual capabilities and social networks for young social entrepreneurs, and a lack of enabling environment, including relevant policies, regulations and financing mechanisms.

Scope of Work:
The proposed activities will focus on the capacity development and improving the access to finance for young social entrepreneurs. The main duty of the individual consultant is to advise, design, launch and manage crowdfunding campaigns for 3 Youth Co:Lab portfolio start-ups. The scope of work includes but not limited to the following tasks:

o The Consultant shall submit a workplan and get approval from UNDP before implementing the crowdfunding campaign.

• Draft an overall workplan for the crowdfunding campaign which includes but not limited to main activities, timeline, crowdfunding and marketing strategy, significant KPIs, etc.

o Together with Youth Co:Lab startup support team, design a crowdfunding toolkit and convene a series of capacity building online workshop for entrepreneurs.

• The crowdfunding toolkit should ideally include: a brief introduction to what crowdfunding is and why is it could be a good option for growth, a mapping of existing crowdfunding platforms,  storytelling, building reward schemes, launch and promote the crowdfunding campaigns, ways to build a community for your mission –Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and rewards fulfilment, etc.
• The online workshops will be developed in collaboration with the Springboard Programme team to publicize the toolkit and brief the crowdfunding services that will be provided. The outline and example of Springboard Programme could be found in the Annex.

o Work with selected young social entrepreneurs on crowdfunding and identify the most suitable crowdfunding platform and strategy.

• The Consultant will work with Youth Co:Lab Team to identify and select an initial cohort of 3 start-ups to launch crowdfunding campaigns. (The list of start-ups could be found in the Annex)
• Based on the crowdfunding platform mapping in the toolkit, the Consultant is expected to support start-ups to select the most suitable crowdfunding platform based on industry, fundraising goals, fundraising models, market of operation, service provided, etc.

o Design and launch crowdfunding campaigns for 3 Youth Co:Lab Portfolio Start-ups.

• The Consultant is expected to schedule consultation calls with each start-up before designing the campaign.
• Design an overall crowdfunding strategy.
• Assist start-ups to set up necessary accounts.
• Draft crowdfunding campaign text/pitch.
• Design well-executed rewards structure and draft rewards text.
• Create related graphics and GIFs for campaign pitch and marketing.
• Write video scripts and produce videos for crowdfunding campaign using raw materials provided by start-ups and UNDP.
• Assist start-ups to launch crowdfunding campaigns.
• Supply relevant promotional materials such as (social media cards or press release).
• Assist the entrepreneurs to promote the crowdfunding campaign through multiple social media channels.
• Support start-ups in CRM and campaign management throughout the crowdfunding campaign period. (e.g. posting progress update on crowdfunding platform)

o  Monitoring and evaluation

• Final report on a summary of the activities in the crowdfunding campaign, key results, highlight, lessons learned, etc.
• Each team’s progress/result after the crowdfunding programme.  (e.g. funding mobilized, backers engaged, etc.)
• A survey/ feedback form designed and collected from each of the participating teams, recognizing values this crowdfunding programme has brought to them and sharing lessons learned.
• Final report should be accepted by UNDP before proceeding with payment.

o Other tasks related to crowdfunding campaigns as assigned

• Other tasks based on the needs of start-ups and UNDP

Expected Outputs and Deliverables
The Consultant is expected to work towards the following work plan, and timelines to achieve the stated outputs.

Institutional Arrangement:
The individual Consultant will report to the Youth and Civil Society Advisor at UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub and work in close collaboration other parties. The success of the project depends on the timely delivery of each component.  The Consultant should ensure timely identification of potential risks and signal any delays in deliverables. The contract will be effective immediately upon signature by UNDP.

UNDP will have the following responsibilities: (i) Provide relevant documents; (ii) Discuss and agree on the methodologies of the assignment; and (iii) Monitor and evaluate the progress of the assignment. The contract and payments will be performance-based and regularly assessed by the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub.

The present ToR may be subject to modification, without changing the overall objective and the scope of work, on the basis of mutual agreement. UNDP will hold the copyright of the assignment deliverables.
 

Duration of Work:
In accordance with the requirements above, the consultant is expected to commit to a maximum of 60 working days for a period of 15th October 2020 – 30th April 2021.
The Consultant is expected to provide update of progress to UNDP BRH Regional Youth Project Team every month.
 

Duty Station:
The consultancy is home based with no travel required. The consultancy will be managed by the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub.

• Demonstrates commitment to the UN’s mission, vision and values;
• Demonstrates sound judgment, diplomacy and sensitivity to confidential matters;
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure;
• Innovative forward thinking, good coordination and organizational skills, teamwork;
• Participate effectively in team-based, information sharing environment, collaborating and cooperating with others.

The consultant should possess the following expertise and qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or other related fields.

Experience and required skills:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in designing and managing crowdfunding campaigns.
• At least 20 successfully finished crowdfunding campaigns is required (please submit links of previous crowdfunding campaigns)
• Proven expertise in strategic marketing, business copywriting, website content creating, proofreading and editing.
• Strong skills in graphic design and video editing.
• Practical experience with organizing crowdfunding trainings/educations is required;
• Good understanding of social innovation and social entrepreneurship will be an asset.
• Demonstrable experience designing and managing crowdfunding campaigns particularly in a development context, for development agencies or similar organisations, and in developing countries.
• Strong network and relationship with the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in this region and beyond (preferable)
• Experience working with UNDP or UN family (preferable);

Language:

• Good command of English, written and oral.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments
Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, living allowance and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

• First instalment (10%): upon satisfactory completion of the 1st deliverable;
• Second instalment (30%): upon satisfactory completion of the 2nd deliverable;
• Third instalment (50%): upon satisfactory completion of the 3rd deliverable;
• Fourth instalment (10%): upon satisfactory completion of the 4th deliverable.

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Travel costs shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer:

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%), and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (70 points)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested candidates must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided (in USD currency) using the template provided by UNDP;
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects (please include links to previous crowdfunding campaigns), as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (2) professional references;
• A draft workplan/strategy of crowdfunding campaign for a specific social enterprise selected from the list provided in the Annex. (maximum 3 pages) This draft workplan/strategy should articulate how do you plan to assist this social enterprise, including but not limited to identifying the most appropriate crowdfunding platform, setting a timeline, how the different service elements shall be organized, controlled and delivered, etc.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The short listed candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified.

ANNEXES:

Annex I – ToR Consultant to provide Crowdfunding Support

Additional Information:

• Youth Co:Lab Website: https://www.youthcolab.org
• Springboard programme: https://www.youthcolab-springboard.org
• Previous Springboard module: https://www.youthcolab-springboard.org/blog/capital
• Youth Co:Lab Social Enterprises Catalogue (for crowdfunding): https://airtable.com/shriTOAkG7qxWZSs8

Annex II – General_Terms_and_Conditions_for_Contracts_Individual_Consultants
Annex III – Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and financial proposal
Annex IV – P11 Form_for_ICs_optional
All documents can be downloaded at: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=70122

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to [email protected] under subject: JobAds 94009- Consultant to provide Crowdfunding Support for Youth-led Social Enterprises in Asia and the Pacific .