Provision of business coaching and mentorship services to 1,500 youth led MSMEs under the YEA-R program Tender at SNV

1, About SNV

SNV is a global development partner rooted in the African and Asian countries where we operate. With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, it is our mission to strengthen capacities and catalyze partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems to enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

2. Background and Objectives of the Assignment

The Youth Entrepreneurship in Agriculture in Rwanda (YEA-R) Program is a transformative five-year initiative designed to create dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for 40,000 young people across Rwanda’s agrifood sector. With a deliberate focus on inclusion, the program ensures that 70% of participants are young women and 5% are young persons with disabilities, thereby advancing equity while contributing to the Mastercard Foundation’s 2030 vision of creating 300,000 youth employment opportunities in Rwanda.

Led by SNV and implemented through a consortium of local and international partners, YEA-R empowers youth aged 18 to 35 with technical expertise in the horticulture and poultry value chains, complemented by life skills, entrepreneurship coaching, and mentorship. Beyond individual capacity building, the program strengthens market systems, fosters entrepreneurship, promotes access to finance, and integrates Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices. Operating across ten districts Bugesera, Burera, Karongi, Muhanga, Musanze, Ngororero, Nyamasheke, Rubavu, Rusizi, and Rutsiro the program implements its mission through three interconnected pathways:

1. Strengthening Production and Financial Resilience, supporting youth to improve productivity and build financial resilience.
2. Strengthening Business Operations and Market Linkages
3. Empowerment, Voice, and Agency fostering leadership, gender equity, and youth participation in decision-making.

Together, these pathways position the YEA-R program as a key driver of inclusive growth, youth empowerment, and sustainable change in Rwanda’s agrifood sector.

3. Rationale

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Rwanda’s agrifood sector. They play a significant role in job creation for young people, strengthening food security, promoting innovation in agricultural value chains, and connecting smallholder farmers to markets.

Despite their potential, many youth-led MSMEs face challenges related to limited business management skills, weak financial management systems, limited access to markets, and inadequate strategic planning. These challenges often limit their growth and their ability to create employment opportunities for young people. To address these gaps, the YEA-R Program intends to engage a qualified consultant firm to provide targeted capacity building and tailored business mentorship to selected youth led MSMEs, with the aim of strengthening their business performance, access structured markets, and expanding their potential to generate meaningful employment opportunities for youth

4. Objectives of the assignment

The main objective of this consultancy is to build the capacity of 1500 youth led MSMEs through business development, coaching and mentorship, enabling them to improve their business operation, enhance access to structured markets and expand employment opportunities for young people. 

Specific objectives are: 

• Provide practical business coaching and mentorship to 1,500 youth led MSMEs to improve their business operations and growth
• Support 1,500 youth led MSMEs to develop or refine business plans.
• Enhance 1,500 youth led MSMEs capacity to create dignified and fulfilling employment opportunities for young people.
• Facilitate market linkages and networking opportunities for 1,500 youth-led MSMEs. 

5. Scope of work

The scope of work of this assignment is to deliver structured business coaching and mentorship support to selected 1500 youth led MSMEs across the program targeted districts over a period of six months.

a. Capacity Building

Design and deliver coaching sessions for 1,500 youth led MSMEs on key business development topics:

• Business planning 
• Financial management and record keeping
• Marketing and market linkages
• Enhance entrepreneurship skills.

b. Business Mentorship

• Provide tailored business mentorship to 1,500 youth led MSMEs based on their individual needs.
• Organize and conduct regular coaching and mentorship sessions with supported enterprises twice per month. 
• Support 1,500 youth led MSMEs in addressing operational and strategic business challenges.
• Guide to 1,500 youth led MSMEs in improving productivity, business planning, and financial management.

C. Business Development Support

• Support 1,500 youth led MSMEs in refining or developing business plans.
• Improve business operation and productivity
• Identify market opportunities for business expansion.
• Facilitate market linkages between youth led MSMEs, SMEs, cooperatives, and potential buyers or partners.

d. Monitoring and Reporting

• Track progress of 1,500 youth led MSMEs receiving business coaching and mentorship against agreed milestones.
• Document lessons learned, challenges, and success stories.
• Provide feedback and recommendations to strengthen youth led MSMEs businesses. 

4. Deliverables

The consultant is expected to:

• Develop a detailed inception report outlining the assignment methodology, implementation approach, work plan, and timeline for the coaching and mentorship activities.

• Develop and submit practical coaching and mentorship materials and tools to support business coaching and capacity building for 1,500 youth-led MSMEs (e.g.: coaching guides, mentorship frameworks, and business development tools).
• Conduct regular coaching and mentorship sessions with the selected 1,500 youth-led MSMEs, including documentation of sessions, attendance records, and key issues addressed. These should be conducted twice a month.
• Submit monthly progress reports summarizing mentorship activities conducted, enterprises supported, key achievements, challenges encountered, and recommendations for improvement.
• Final Assignment Report: Develop and submit a comprehensive final report summarizing the overall implementation of the business coaching and mentorship assignment, key results achieved, lessons learned, success stories, and practical recommendations to strengthen the growth and sustainability of the supported youth-led MSMEs.

5. The expected outcome

Youth-led MSMEs demonstrate improved business performance, stronger financial and managerial capacities, and increased access to structured markets as a result of targeted business coaching, mentorship, and business development services received.

6. Required Qualifications and Experience

The consulting firm should meet the following requirements:

• The consulting firm should propose a qualified team of experts including a team leader with a master’s degree in business administration, Entrepreneurship, Economics, Agribusiness, or related fields.
• The firm should have demonstrated at least five years of expertise in youth led MSMEs development, Entrepreneurship support and business advisory services. 
• Proven experience in business coaching and mentorship of youth led MSMEs.
• Strong knowledge of horticulture and poultry value chain development.
• Prior experience in working with youth entrepreneurship programs is an added advantage.
• Excellent facilitation, mentoring, and communication skills.
• Firms with female business mentors are encouraged to apply.

7. Evaluation criteria and submission

This assignment is limited to local firms' consultants. Interested applicants are requested to submit the following:

Applications should be submitted to rwandaprocurement@snv.org no later than April 20th, 2026.

8. Key compliance issues 

Consultant must comply with SNV’s environmental and Social Safeguarding policies and procedures as well as take into consideration donor-specific requirements. 

9. Data Protection assurance 

SNV will not retain your Personal Data for longer than is allowed by law or is necessary for the Purposes.

If you are selected and offered consultancy assignment, the Personal Data you have provided will be used by SNV for the purpose of this bidding administration. If you are unsuccessful on this occasion to secure tender with SNV, SNV will retain your Personal Data for required period for the purpose of any future internal or external audit.