Berytech is a leading organization in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lebanon, that aims to provide a conducive environment for the creation and development of startups, hence taking part in the economic revival of the country, participating in wealth and job creation, and retaining graduates and high-level skills in Lebanon.  

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, under the name of IdeaLab.  

PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

Co-funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Lebanon and operating under the Berytech umbrella, the ACT Smart Innovation Hub is a groundbreaking initiative. Our primary aim is to showcase how innovation and technology can transform socio-economic and livelihood challenges in the agrifoodtech and cleantech sectors into promising opportunities. Our strategy focuses on job creation and the empowerment of entrepreneurs, all while nurturing a sustainable economy. 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 

In the initial phase of the program, we will support 10 innovative startups with a $1,500 grant dedicated to prototyping their ideas. These startups will also benefit from a 10-week 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

Our selected service provider will play an important role in nurturing these 10 selected startups. Key responsibilities include conducting a comprehensive four-hour workshop on Concept Initiation, as well as delivering a total of ten one-on-one clinics. During these one hour clinics, the service provider will closely monitor the progress of the startups and provide written reports to the ACIE.

The selected service provider will:

Concept Initiation Workshop

• Short introduction to the fundamentals of customer discovery theory: pain points, assumptions, Jobs-to-be-done, pains and gains.
• What does a persona look like? How do we recognize their characteristics? And most importantly how do we segment them?
• Teaching the startups that Customer Discovery and Experimentation is a recursive process developed to understand the customers’ needs, before proceeding.
• Define what they need to validate, how to validate their riskiest assumptions (Qualitatively: customer validation, how to run interviews with the audience, tips on how to formulate questions …)

Clinics: Customer Validation Clinic – Value proposition canvas, characteristics of their target customers, and the interview script.

The workshop is on 29/6/2024 and services must be completed by 19/7/2024.

Please note that the application deadline is on Sunday the 9th of June 2024.

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 concept initiation, 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:

1. The proposal suggested and fit for the program’s objective.

2. Their bio, proven track records, and experience in the field required.

3. 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
• USEK Address: PO Box 446 Jounieh, Mount Lebanon 
• USEK 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 for the one-on-one sessions.

4. 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] and CC [email protected] and [email protected] with the subject “CALL FOR EXPERTS INQUIRY – IdeaLab” 

Good luck!