CALL FOR BUSINESS PLAN PROPOSALS FOR THE UCC/UCUSAF GRANT FOR SKILLING YOUTH GROUPS IN ICTS AND MULTIMEDIA

STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENTS

• Introduction

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), through the Uganda Communications Universal Service Access Fund (UCUSAF), has launched a call for business plan proposals to establish a collaboration in the implementation of key activities under a general thematic area of skilling youths in multimedia production to enhance innovation and creativity in local content and create jobs in the creative cultural industries. This is in response to the adverse effects that COVID-19 has had on the entertainment industry and the youth.

Resources were set aside under the UCUSAF III programme to be utilized under a collaborative grant framework between UCC/UCUSAF and a suitable partner to implement the project.

• Background

Youth is a socially constructed intermediary phase that stands between childhood and adulthood. The UN defines a youth as someone between the ages of 15 and 24. In Uganda, the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development (MGLSD) defines youth as persons aged between 18 and 30.

The National Labour Force Survey 2016/17 undertaken by the MGLSD found that most of the youth (69%) lived in rural areas and that more than two-thirds of the unemployed youth (68%) had neither technical skills nor specialization in training.

The youth Employment to Population Ratio (EPR) was reported at 50%. EPR refers to the proportion of youth aged 18-30 that were employed. In the survey, EPR was 59 percent among males and 42 percent among females.

These statistics show that much needs to be done to empower the youth with skills and knowledge to improve their livelihoods.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) youth report of 2014 stated that for the youths to take advantage (harness the use) of ICT opportunities, they need continuous training not just in basic computer use, but in multimedia content creation and production, as well as skills in communication, entrepreneurship, and collaboration.

Youth are media‐oriented in that their subcultures are informed by, as well as expressed through, a wide array of content such as videos, texts, images, music, and lifestyle.

Based on the above facts, UCC/UCUSAF is seeking to collaborate with a suitably qualified stakeholder or consortium of stakeholders with the requisite qualifications, resources, competencies, and experience as per the eligibility criteria and statement of requirements presented in this call.

The partners shall implement initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the youth, especially unemployment. They should unlock the youths’ potential and identify ways of transforming the youthful energy into new ideas and content to enable them to participate in the creative economy. This planned collaboration will see UCUSAF offer technical and financial support subject to availability of funds.

• Project Objectives

3.1    General Objective

The general objective of the scheme is to develop and build the capacity of the youths to adopt ICT tools and applications in multimedia content production and related business processes, and thereby, challenge the youths to improve their creativity, innovation, productivity, and competitiveness in national and international markets. The strategy aims at targeting youths that are or intend to be self-employed and self-sustaining using IT tools and skills in multimedia content creation and production.

Enterprises established will employ other unemployed youths, hence reducing unemployment.

3.2    Specific Objective

• To introduce the youths to and give them practical training using readily available tools and equipment.

• To educate the beneficiaries on the opportunities of ICT in the multimedia creative sector and demonstrate to them how they can harness such for their livelihoods.
• To transform the youths’ potential, creativity, talents, initiative, and social responsibility, through the acquisition of practical and relevant ICT skills and related knowledge in the creative sector.

• To give specialized training to the youths and certificates proving their skills and formal training undertaken upon successful completion.

• Project Actions

• Develop training content, customized in local languages, where possible.
• Train a total of 100 youths in each of the five districts of Mubende, Luwero, Kayunga, Mpigi and Mukono who meet prerequisite minimum skills requirements.
• Youths who meet set criteria shall proceed to enrol for courses in multimedia content creation and production.
• Monitor and follow-up trainees.

• Target Group

This initiative targets youth groups with interest in multimedia content creation, production, the creative arts, and those engaged in entertainment business.

• Eligibility of Applicants

• General Criteria

1. The applicant/Lead applicant must be in satisfactory financial health and have adequate financial systems to report to UCUSAF as shall be required.
2. The applicant/Lead applicant must have capacity and willingness to work in urban and rural Uganda.
3. The applicant/Lead applicant or consortium partner should provide proof of more than 2 years’ experience in the field of multimedia training or engagement.
4. The applicant/Lead applicant should have plans and intent to sustain the initiative.

6.2    Preference

The Fund will give preference to applicants whose Business Plan proposals highlight the following:

1. Demonstrate clear understanding and experience in dealing with youth training and capacity enhancement.
2. Entities that have qualified human resources in-house with ability to implement the proposed project within the proposed timeframe.
3. Proposals that provide for greater innovations in execution of the project actions in remote and challenging environments (e.g. using existing infrastructure, mobilization of stakeholders, adhering to COVID-19 era operational guidelines, lack of access or remoteness to the power grid, among others).
4. Clear contribution from the applicant over and above the grant amount.

• Assessment Criterion

The grant applications will be assessed based on a 3-stage process (Administrative, Technical and Financial):

1. Administrative- focus on assessment of eligibility.
2. Technical –focus on clarity of the motivation, smartness of goals, appropriateness of methodology and project management, feasibility of work plans, impact of the project, ability to meet project priorities, addressing of crosscutting issues and capacity to deliver.
3. Financial –focus on value for money, sustainability, and ability to mobilize more resources to scale the initiative.

• Risk Assessment

The UCUSAF Assessment Team will carry out a risk assessment of the indicated and non-indicated risks. The assessment based on the risks assessed will consider the totality of an applicant’s submission in evaluating whether a potential engagement would involve low, medium, high, or extreme risk to UCC/UCUSAF.

• Required Applicant’s Legal Documents

1. Applicant’s certificate of incorporation or registration providing a legal name – the name that identifies the applicant for legal, administrative, and other official purposes
2. Applicant’s memorandum and articles of association
3. Applicant’s address (physical, postal, email, and web site where applicable)
4. Applicant’s contact details –name, position, phone, and email contact for an authorized representative
5. Applicant’s affiliated entities
6. Applicant’s audited financial account statements for the last 2 years
7. Applicant’s signed Code of Ethical Conduct in Business for Grant applicants and Providers (Template provided by UCC/UCUSAF)
8. Applicant or consortium partners’ proof of experience in conducting multimedia trainings

• Business Plan Requirements

1. Project motivation, objectives, and outcomes
2. Project linkage to UCC/UCUSAF strategy and the national development agenda
3. Experience managing similar projects
4. Project implementation methodology
5. Project management framework
6. Project work plans and associated milestones (targeted number of trainees, training duration, etc.)
7. Project implementation budget
8. Sustainability approach
9. Monitoring and evaluation approach
10. Risk management framework
11. Integration of cross-cutting issues around gender, youth and digital divide, among others

• Application Timeline

The grant application is open from 3^rd June to 20^th June 2022

A pre – grant application meeting will be held on-line on 10^th June 2022 at 10.00am. Participants should register in advance for this meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqc-GprzMrGtQHQYfHCRahcXUpfp5lX65U

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For any required clarification or guidance on the grant application process, please contact telephone +256-41-2339000/+256-41-2339000 or email registry@ucc.co.ug/emuyomba@ucc.co.ug.

Final applications should be submitted in triplicate hard copies (3 copies) by 4.00 pm on 20^th June 2022 to:

The Executive Director

Uganda Communications Commission

Plot 42-44, Spring Road Bugolobi

P.O. Box 7376, Kampala

A soft copy of the proposal should also be sent to the following email addresses by the deadline: registry@ucc.co.ug.

Disclaimer

Personal information supplied in an application will be used by UCC in accordance with the laws of Uganda.