Project: Women in Innovation from HBB to Scalable Business
1. About Plan International
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Working with children, young people, supporters and partners,
we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of poverty, violence, and discrimination. Our work emphasizes gender equality and inclusive participation, enabling girls and young women to lead change and access equal opportunities in education, employment, and decision-making.
2. Project Background
This Terms of Reference (ToR) is developed within the framework of the “Women in Innovation from HBB to Scalable Business” EU-funded project, implemented by iPARK in partnership with Plan International, RSCN, and DMDT in Jordan.
The action aims to address unemployment and limited economic opportunities among vulnerable populations, with a particular focus on women in underserved and rural areas.
The project’s overall objective is to foster sustainable employment through entrepreneurship by equipping participants with technical, business, and life skills, and by supporting viable business initiatives. It combines capacity-building interventions—including basic and advanced entrepreneurship training, coaching, and mentoring—with business grants to enable participants to establish or expand income-generating activities.
The project targets 1,800 participants for training, with 315 selected entrepreneurs receiving business grants based on predefined eligibility and performance criteria. Plan International is responsible to cover the project activities in two locations, Irbid Governorate and Azraq camp, with total of 900 participants of training, and 165 selected entrepreneurs receiving business grants.
The project centers around four key objectives to enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem for women in Jordan.
- Strengthening infrastructure to support women-led startups, creating an environment for business scalability and sustainability through training and capacity-building programs (SO1).
- Accelerating the growth of startups by providing advisory services, better access to finance, and unlocking new business opportunities (SO2).
- Fostering a supportive ecosystem by strengthening community organizations and advocating for policy reforms that promote women’s entrepreneurship and facilitate market access (SO3).
- Driving broader social change by advocating for gender-inclusive policies and challenging traditional norms through social behavior campaigns. This promotes job creation and income growth and enhances the quality of life for women entrepreneurs and their families (SO4).
3. Purpose of the assignment:
This assignment aims to engage qualified soft skills trainers to deliver training sessions under the “Women in Innovation from HBB to Scalable Business” project.
The selected entity/trainer(s) will be responsible for facilitating training sessions using a standardized curriculum developed and provided by Plan International. The role of the trainer is limited to the effective delivery of training content, ensuring participant engagement, and supporting a conducive learning environment.
4. Scope of the Assignment: Training & Capacity Building
The primary focus of this assignment is to equip 900 women entrepreneurs (70% Jordanian, 30% Syrian) with the soft and foundational skills necessary to start their own micro and small home-based businesses (HBBs) in Irbid governorate and Azraq camp.
A. Foundational Entrepreneurship & Soft Skills (Basic Level)
- Target Group: 900 women selected from the initial outreach phase in Irbid and Azraq.
- General Training Areas: Time management, communication and interpersonal skills, preparation for the labor market, the twelve life skills, building and strengthening self-confidence, goal setting and achievement, CV writing skills, job search and networking skills, financial literacy, creative thinking, entrepreneurship concept, gender and business plan.
- Core Training Areas:
- Financial Literacy: Managing personal and business finances, basic bookkeeping, and understanding cash flow.
- Creative Thinking: A mental activity used to generate unconventional and innovative ideas that lead to effective solutions for existing challenges.
- Entrepreneurship concept: The process of identifying opportunities and mobilizing resources to create and grow a new business venture while managing risks.
- Gender: The socially constructed roles, behaviors, and responsibilities that a society considers appropriate for men and women, distinct from biological sex
- Business plan: A practical tool used by participants to document their business model, financial projections, and operational steps to ensure project feasibility and eligibility for funding.
B. Advanced Entrepreneurial Training (The Boot Camp)
- Target Group: 450 high-potential women selected from the foundational level.
- General Training Areas: succession planning, Communication Skills strategies, Process Improvement, strategic intellectual property, diversification and Product/Service Innovation, research and development, marketing, HR strategies and systems, sector analysis and market development, finance raising, Mentoring, corporate governance, identification of new markets, diversification and product service.
- Core Training Areas: to be decided at later stage.
C. Hackathon:
- Target Group: 450 high-potential women selected from the foundational level.
General Training Areas: Following the bootcamp, participants will take part in the hackathon phase, consisting of an intensive, time-bound innovation challenge (approximately 24 hours delivered over three days). During this phase, participants will work in teams to develop practical solutions addressing specific barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, particularly in rural contexts. Teams will receive continuous technical support from mentors, industry experts, and facilitators to refine their ideas, strengthen their business models, and enhance the feasibility of their proposed solutions.
At the conclusion of the hackathon, teams will present their final solutions to a panel of judges composed of experts, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders. Submissions will be evaluated based on innovation, feasibility, scalability, and potential social and economic impact. Selected participants will be awarded prizes, and promising ideas will be eligible for further support, including small grants and potential incubation opportunities.
6. Deliverables
- Deliver assigned training sessions in accordance with the provided curriculum, schedule, and guidelines.
- Ensure active participation and engagement of trainees throughout the sessions.
- Adhere to the agreed training schedule and complete all assigned training days.
- Submit attendance sheets for each training session.
- Provide brief training reports (monthly) summarizing session implementation, key observations, and any challenges encountered.
- Coordinate with Plan International’s team for logistical and operational matters as needed.
7. Ethical and Safeguarding Statements
Plan International is committed to ensuring that the rights of all participants are respected and protected in accordance with the Ethical MERL Framework, Global Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and GDPR principles. The consultant will be required to read, understand, and sign Plan International’s Code of Conduct upon being awarded the contract.
8. Timeline
A. Foundational Entrepreneurship & Soft Skills (Basic Level)
1*trainer per group
Total number of target beneficiaries: 900
Number of groups: 36 , Estimated: 32 Irbid, 4 Azraq, Contingency: 2 groups
Number of training days: 3
Total number of training day: 108 day Estimated: 96 Irbid, 12 Azraq, Contingency: 6 day
Location: Irbid governorate – Azraq camp
Timeline: June – August 2026
B. Advanced Entrepreneurial Training (The Boot Camp)
1*trainer per group
Total number of target beneficiaries: 450
Number of groups: 15 Estimated: 13 Irbid, 2 Azraq, Contingency: 2 groups
Number of training days: 4
Total number of training day: 60 day Estimated: , 52 Irbid, 8 Azraq, Contingency: 8 day
Location: Irbid governorate – Azraq camp
Timeline: September – October 2026
C. Hackathon
3*trainers per group
Total number of target beneficiaries: 450
Number of groups: 4, Estimated: 13 Irbid, 2 Azraq, Contingency: 2 groups
Number of training days: 3
Total number of training day: 12 day, Estimated: , 9 Irbid, 3 Azraq, Contingency: 6 day
Location: Irbid governorate – Azraq camp
Timeline: November 2026 – January 2027
It is expected that the training activities will start in June 2026 and may continue until January 2027. However, the start and end dates of the trainings may be subject to change depending on the availability of project funding. The contracting party (PI) shall share the training schedules (via email) with the service provider at least five working days in advance.
9. Evaluation Criteria
The proposal will be scored on technical, financial (budget), and gender responsiveness aspects weighted at 65%,30%, and 5% respectively.
The distribution of technical grades will be as outlined below, and the final technical score will be calculated out of 65%: – Qualifications (15%) – Training experience (20%) – CVs of key trainers (30%)
– 30% financial offer (fixed lowest to highest).
– 5% gender responsive bids/offers explained as below:
- Women-owned business: A legal entity in any field that is more than 51% owned, managed and controlled by one or more women.
- Women-led business: A legal entity in any field that has a minimum of 50% women representation in management with senior-level, strategic decision-making capabilities.
- Gender-responsive business: Legal entity that actively promotes gender equality and empowerment of women and young women through their policies and labour practices.
10. Specific conditions
The copyright of the developed material becomes the property of Plan International.
11. Budget/cost
The consultant should submit the total budget in the proposal in JOD and Euro currency with detailed breakdown and daily rate.
12. Payment
40% after completing the basic training.
40% after completing the advanced training (bootcamp).
20% after completing the Hackathon.
The contracting party shall make payments on a monthly basis upon receipt of tax invoices issued by the service provider through the National Invoicing System, along with a financial claim.
12. Award and Contracting Conditions
The award of this assignment is subject to the confirmation of funds availability. Plan International reserves the right to proceed with, delay, or cancel the contracting process based on the status of fund disbursement.
The selected bidder(s) will be notified of the award; however, the contract will only be finalized and signed upon formal confirmation of funds. No financial or contractual obligations shall arise on Plan International prior to the signing of the contract.
Plan International also reserves the right to award the assignment partially or in full, depending on operational needs and available funding.
How to apply
Expected Qualifications
The trainer(s) should meet the following minimum requirements:
- Proven experience in delivering soft skills and/or entrepreneurship-related training. (minimum 3 years)
- Strong facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse groups, particularly women and youth.
- Ability to mobilize qualified legal trainers to Irbid and Azraq simultaneously, or more than one trainer simultaneously to the same location to meet the project’s intensive training schedule.
- Experience working with vulnerable communities, including refugees and host communities, is an asset.
- Familiarity with topics such as communication, life skills, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship concepts.
- Ability to deliver training in Arabic; knowledge of English is an advantage.
- Strong interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity.
Only consultants who acknowledge that they are able to use the National Invoicing System will be considered
Interested candidates/entities are invited to submit their proposals, including costs in JOD and EUR, along with a detailed breakdown and daily rate, to the following email: Jordan.Procurement@plan-international.org
no later than 3/06/2026