Business Development Services Consultancy Small and Medium Enterprises- Impact SME at Oxfam

Scope of work

• Under the supervision of the Impact SME Development Project Manager, the BDS services provider will execute the following:
• Conduct a needs assessment on 5 pre-selected enterprises by Oxfam to ascertain gaps within their enterprises to inform tailored support.
• Develop business skills training modules, guided by the identified needs, to train 2 representatives from each of the 5 selected enterprises, reaching a total of 10 participants (this will be a workshop, with logistics handled by Oxfam in Kenya, and NOT the consultant).
• Offer a total of 3 weeks of tailored support ( one- on- one ) per each enterprise. This support will be guided by a needs assessment of each SME. The project will stagger this support over 7 months to allow for other project activities with the enterprises (July 2025 to January 2026)
• Support Oxfam in Kenya to run a theme-based competition- The Superstar Business Competition. The consultant will work with the Project Manager to:
• Shortlist applicants
• Facilitate a pitching session to select 2 winners
• Offer tailored support to the 2 winners as they implement their winning innovations.
• Draft case-studies based on the 2 winners’ stories
• Work with Oxfam in Kenya to plan for an investment readiness/access to finance talk with potential impact funds investors. The BDS service provider SHOULD have extensive networks in the investment ecosystem in Kenya
• Support us with finding potential partners or co-funders to expand the program and maybe ensure fundraising

Deliverables

• Needs assessment
• Training program agenda
• Training session materials
• Tailored support plans for each enterprise’, to reflect the personalized nature of support for each enterprise
• Map of potential partners
• Case studies for superstar winners
• Final report

Assignment Duration & Schedule

• This work is anticipated to start on the 1st of July 2025 through January 2026. The BDS services provider will, however, allocate only 3 weeks per enterprise for the 5 enterprises and an equivalent for the 2 Superstar Competition winners and is expected to charge for the business skills workshop with 10 participants (2 from each enterprise).

Qualifications of the consultant

• A bachelor’s degree in business, economics or related field
• 5-10 years of experience working with MSMEs, to scale operations at least 3 years providing tailored BDS support services, including financial inclusion, business development and market access
• Strong communication, analytical and strategic thinking skills
• Experience executing a business/ innovative competition targeting MSMEs
• MUST be based in Kenya
• Commitment to adhere to Oxfam’s ethical and safeguarding policies, especially when engaging with women and youth, to reflect Oxfam’s core values and duty of care
• Only candidates with the stated qualifications will be considered.