The Asher Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ACIE) at USEK is an incubator, established in 2017 located at USEK, that empowers youth and Lebanese individuals, by providing expertise and knowledge to stimulate new ventures in Lebanon all while connecting them with like-minded people.

Berytech has partnered up with the ACIE to bring to life phase I of the ACT Smart Innovation Hub in the North Mount Lebanese region. 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

IdeaLab is a validation program supporting 10 early-stage ideas in testing and refining their business ideas. The program provides workshops, one-on-one clinics, and hands-on support to help startups validate assumptions, understand their market, and develop a viable business model. Participants receive a $1,500 prototyping grant to build and test their solutions, along with access to a network of experts, mentors, and industry stakeholders to accelerate their growth.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

In the initial phase of the program, we will support ten innovative startups with a $1,500 grant dedicated to prototyping their ideas. These startups will also benefit from an intensive two-month validation program and personalized one-on-one clinics designed to enhance their business acumen and skills in critical areas, including:

• Concept Initiation
• Market Validation
• Business Model Canvas
• Prototype Development
• Pitching

SERVICE PROVIDER RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE OF WORK

The Market Validation Workshop will equip startups with the knowledge and tools to validate their target market, refine their product/service offering, and test their key business assumptions. The trainer will guide startups through:

4 hours Market Validation Workshop

1. Understanding Customer Needs & Market Fit

• How to analyze customer needs and ensure alignment between the product/service and market demand.
• Techniques to validate key assumptions before committing significant resources.
• Using customer feedback loops to improve product-market fit.

2. Stakeholder Engagement

• Identifying, prioritizing, and engaging key stakeholders during market validation and prototype testing.
• Best practices for gathering and interpreting stakeholder feedback.
• How to adjust and iterate on their concepts through a structured validation approach.
  

3. Market Research for Decision-Making

• Training on how to conduct and analyze market research to guide product strategy.
• Utilizing research data to tailor marketing, advertising, and user acquisition strategies.
• Differentiating between exploratory research (discovery phase) and conclusive research (validation phase).

4. Market Sizing: TAM, SAM, and SOM

• Explanation of Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Available Market (SAM), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM).
• Why market sizing is critical for investor discussions and strategic planning.
• How to estimate market size using top-down and bottom-up approaches.
• Practical exercises to apply TAM, SAM, and SOM calculations to their startups.

5. Viability Testing & Customer Validation

• Helping startups determine the feasibility of their product/service through direct consumer research.
• Understanding and applying market validation techniques, such as surveys, interviews, and pilot studies.
• Assessing the willingness to pay and market demand through early engagement with potential customers.

6. Importance of Stakeholder Involvement

• Teaching startups how stakeholders impact product/service development and long-term success.
• Integrating stakeholder input into the product roadmap and business model iterations.
• Building relationships with early adopters, investors, and industry partners.

10 Post-Workshop Clinics (1 hour each)

The Market Validation Clinics will provide startups with practical guidance to apply what they’ve learned. These clinics will focus on:

1. Competitor Analysis & Market Size Assessment (TAM, SAM, SOM)

• Conducting a competitive landscape analysis to position their startup effectively.
• Estimating Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Available Market (SAM), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM).

2. Identifying & Prioritizing Business Assumptions

• Reviewing and mapping key business assumptions from Concept Initiation deliverables.
• Identifying the Top 5 Riskiest Assumptions and strategies for validation.

3. Survey & Interview Development (1st Iteration)

• • Designing effective surveys and interview scripts for customer validation.

• Structuring questions to extract reliable and actionable insights.

4. Validation Experiment Design (1st & 2nd Iteration, possibly 3rd Iteration)

• Developing structured validation experiments to test key assumptions.
• Iterating experiments based on data and insights from customer feedback.
• Refining the value proposition and go-to-market strategy based on validation findings.

Timeline & Application Deadline

• Workshop Date: 26 April 2025
• Completion of Services: 11 May 2025
• Application Deadline for ToR: 16 March 2025

More information about the program and the eligibility criteria of the applicants is available on our website.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Applications to this proposal can be from independent trainers/consultants or a legal entity, from Lebanon.
• The applicant should have at least 3 years of previous experience working with startups, ideally in the agritech and cleantech sectors, to provide insight into the unique issues that these companies may encounter.

• The applicant should have significant knowledge and expertise in market validation, particularly in the agritech and cleantech industries.
• The applicant should have hands-on expertise in the agritech and cleantech sectors, as well as an understanding of trends, regulations, and obstacles. This will enable them to provide startups with pertinent and up-to-date information.
• The applicant should have prior experience conducting seminars and clinics, as well as the ability to convey complicated ideas clearly and concisely. They must be able to modify their instructional approach to meet the requirements of the startup participants.
• The applicant should have an entrepreneurial mentality and be familiar with the obstacles and possibilities that come with starting a business.
• The applicant must be a strong speaker. They should be able to provide constructive and supportive comments, as well as successfully lead group talks.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The service provider will be selected based on:

• The proposal suggested and fit for the program’s objective.
• Their bio, proven track records, and experience in the field required.
• Financial Proposal: The financial proposal should include the following information:

• • Quotation number (ex: Quotation #34)
  • Date

• • From: Your First & Last Name
  • Your email
  • Your Phone Number
  • Your Address 

• • To: Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
  • Address: PO Box 446 Jounieh, Mount Lebanon 
  • Tel: (+961) 9 600 000
  • USEK’s MOF: 188165
  • Your MoF (If Applicable) 
  • The proposal should also include a lump sum fee for the workshop and an hourly fee for the one-on-one sessions.

Signed Agreement: All proposals must be signed to indicate acceptance of the terms outlined in this document.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit your proposals & resume here.

Should you have any questions, kindly email us on [email protected] with the subject “CALL FOR TRAINERS INQUIRY – IdeaLab” Good luck!