UK CONSULTANCY TO PLAN AND DELIVER CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES FOR THE STUDENT WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME (SWEEP)

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The British Council is collaborating with the EDHE programme to deliver specific activities under the SWEEP programme. This programme is envisioned to address the barriers to entrepreneurship faced by student and graduate women through dedicated skills and opportunities intervention with a strong focus on leveraging UK expertise in the design and delivery of the intervention.<br />Key objectives: <br />• To develop an awareness of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activity as a means of economic participation amongst university female students and graduates.<br />• To promote the participation of women in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activities in universities with a focus on creating businesses that have a positive societal impact.<br />• To connect women with UK and South African entrepreneurship mentors with the skills and knowledge needed to guide and mentor student women and professional women entrepreneurs in creating businesses that have a positive societal impact.<br />2.3 The purpose and scope of this Terms of Reference (TOR) is to explain in further detail the consultancy requirements of the British Council. <br />3 Specification <br /><br />Background and objectives<br />As a response to the realities of women’s under-representation in entrepreneurship and gender-based violence, the SWEEP programme was designed by Universities’ South Africa to equip student women and graduates across public universities in South Africa for entrepreneurial activities. The programme aims to empower student women and professional women entrepreneurs to become successful in the world of entrepreneurship and to create businesses that have a positive societal impact. Through a governance structure that includes coordinators of SWEEP in public universities, the project is designed to contribute to system-wide change by advancing gender equity and economic empowerment of student and graduate women at a national level. <br />Overview of consultancy scope<br />We are seeking a UK partner or consortium of partners who can lead on the planning and delivery of the joint activities. This will include capacity building, content development and identification of relevant UK expertise, event management and other related services. <br /><br />Key components: <br />• Content development & alignment to South African context <br />Content to focus on three broad areas: <br />1. Professional and employability skills and opportunities<br />2. Entrepreneurship and economic activation skills and opportunities<br />3. Sustainability and survival skills and opportunities.<br />• Capacity strengthening for women entrepreneurs/students/graduates including UK Ecosystem engagement.<br /><br />Objectives <br />The overall objectives of the consultancy include: <br />• To promote the participation of women in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activities in universities with a focus on creating businesses that have a positive societal impact.<br />• To expose women to the UK entrepreneurial ecosystem and connect women with UK and South African entrepreneurship mentors <br /><br />Outcomes<br />Short term:<br />• Female students and graduates upskilled with employability, entrepreneurship, and relevant soft skills for the development of businesses that have a positive societal impact.<br />• Contextualised curriculum/capacity strengthening content developed to support training and capacitation of South African women entrepreneurs in Higher Education <br />Medium term: <br />• Development of online micro site/web page to provide open access to contextualised curriculum/content for any students/graduates from South African institutions<br />Long term: <br />• Improved employability and economic participation outcomes for female students and graduates.<br /><br />Deliverables and Milestones<br /> Below are specific deliverables expected from the organisation/consortium: <br />• Design one residential knowledge exchange study visit to the UK including face-to-face mentoring sessions for female entrepreneurs.<br />• Develop and align curriculum /training content. <br />• Coordinate and manage proposed activities.<br />• Reporting- Drafting and submitting a concise post-event narrative report.<br />• Dissemination: Support Dissemination of project outputs.<br /><br />Below are specific milestones related to this brief: <br />1. Initial consultations/briefings with the British Council team.<br />2. Inception plan/work plan developed and signed off by the British Council.<br />3. Plan and deliver the agreed activities in consultation with the British Council and USAf- EDHE.<br />4. Submit the project report not more than 14 days after wrapping up- to be reviewed and signed off by the British Council.<br />5. Support a virtual/hybrid dissemination event/activity.<br />