Call for proposals: Technical assistance for SME self-assessment in Latin America and Caribbean #GO4SDGs

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Call for Applications
21 October 2020

The GO4SDGs SME assessment workstream – led by the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP) – aims to support the uptake of resource efficiency practices by providing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on a region-by-region basis with simplified and tailored access to existing support services, such as capacity building, network building and financing solutions.

The objective of the workstream is three-fold:
  • Deploy a system through which the needs of individual SMEs can be easily ascertained and that takes into account their sector of activity and location
  • Develop a dynamic database of resource efficiency support services existing in the target region and which can be easily up-scaled and replicated
  • Match the existing resource efficiency support services with the identified SMEs based on their specific needs, and work with the organizations providing the support services to up-scale and replicate them as required to meet the increased demand from SMEs
The workstream will ultimately support SMEs to implement resource efficiency actions that will help them manage the impacts of the current COVID-19 crisis and build resilience for both future crises and growing market competition.
 
The Integrated Greening Operations (I-GO) solution for SMEs is being developed as part of the GGKP Green Industry Platform (GIP) work programme in collaboration with the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) initiative. I-GO has been designed to build on the vast amount of support services – guidance, tools, SME networks, financial solutions, training programmes and technical assistance – that GIP has collected from leading organizations and experts from around the world and tailor it to the specific needs of individual SMEs.
 

Objective

UNEP invites universities, research centres, think tanks, business associations, National Cleaner Production Centers, NGOs and other civil society organizations to submit their proposals to provide technical assistance for the GO4SDGs SME assessment workstream in Latin America and the Caribbean. Applicants must demonstrate, based on the information in this document, that they are duly qualified and have the necessary experience to carry out the service described in the scope, duties and responsibilities of the technical assistance.
 
Only non-profit organizations are eligible.
 
 

Scope, duties and responsibilities

The project covers the Latin America and Caribbean region, with a more in-depth focus on Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Brazil. The work will involve supporting the development of key partnerships with international, regional and national organizations and companies engaged with SMEs in the region and the four focus countries, researching and compiling existing SME resource efficiency materials and supporting communication and workshop activities.

 

Expected duration and deliverables/products

The expected start of the contract is December 2020. The duration of the services is 10 months.
 
 

Deadline for submission

Proposals must be submitted in PDF format by 16 November 2020, 18.00 (EST) to Adriana Zacarias Farah, Global Coordinator of Go4SDGs, (adriana.zacarias@un.org) and Beatriz Carneiro, Programme Manager, Ecolabelling and Consumer Information (Beatriz.carneiro@un.org) with the subject line: GO4SDGs “SME Assessment” work stream in Latin America and the Caribbean.
 
The proposal can in Spanish or English, but the entity must demonstrate that the team assigned to the development of the report is proficient in English as UNEP consultations will be conducted in this language.
 
Please submit any questions to the email addresses above by 30 October 2020. 
 
Call For Proposals
Themes: 
COVID-19