TVET Centre Engagement – Family Strengthening Project 182 views

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

SOS Children’s Villages in The Gambia is a non-governmental social development organisation that has been active in the field of children’s rights and committed to children’s needs and concerns since 1982. Focussing its work on children without parental care and children in families in difficult circumstances, the organisation has a wide range of programmes, which include: Children’s Villages, Youth Facilities, Family Strengthening Programmes, Kindergartens, Schools, a Mother and Child Clinic, Vocational Training Centres, Youth Empowerment projects, a Community Strengthening Through Green Economy and Education Project, a Monetising Waste Project and a Gender Equality Project

SOS Children’s Villages in The Gambia is looking for a suitably qualified TVET Centers for the assignment.

Description of the Programme

SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia is implementing the Family Strengthening (FS) Project in the communities of Madiana and Sinchu Alagie, West Coast Region, targeting 60 vulnerable family caregivers (30 per community) and 150 young people (75 per community) aged 15–35 years. A key component of the project is the youth employability and entrepreneurship intervention, which supports young people to access accredited TVET programmes at identified training institutions in the West Coast Region and Kanifing Municipal Council. The project will cover training fees for all 150 selected young people, enabling them to enroll in a 9-month skills training programme followed by a 3-month internship placement.

Purpose of this Call for Applications

A TVET Skills Research Consultancy has been completed, mapping accredited training institutions across the West Coast Region and Kanifing Municipal Council, assessing labour market demand, and identifying the most demand-driven skills programmes for the target participants. This Call for Applications is being issued to invite recommended TVET centres to apply and to assess their alignment with the project’s requirements. Applications will be reviewed and the most appropriate centres selected for engagement. Selected centres will deliver accredited, certified training to project participants and will receive training fee payments on their behalf.

Priority Skills Areas

Based on the TVET Skills Research Consultancy (2026), the following skills areas have been identified as priorities for enrolment under the project. Applicant centres must offer at least one of the following:

• Electrical and Solar Installation
• Plumbing and Pipefitting
• Welding and Fabrication
• Building Construction
• Auto Mechanics
• Tiling
• Carpentry and Joinery
• Tailoring
• Hairdressing and Cosmetology
• Catering and Hotel Management
• ICT and Computer Skills

GENERAL INFORMATION ON REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

• This Call for Applications is open to accredited TVET training centres legally registered and operating in the West Coast Region (WCR) or Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), The Gambia.
• Applicants are invited to submit a completed application form together with all required supporting documents as listed in Section 6.
• Applicant centres shall bear all costs of preparing and submitting their application. These costs cannot be claimed from SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia.
• All applications and supporting documents must be submitted in English.
• Proposed tuition fees must be stated in Gambian Dalasi (GMD) and must be all-inclusive, covering the full cost of the 9-month training programme including practical materials.

Process of Submission of Bids

To facilitate the submission of proposals, the submission duly stamped and signed can be done electronically or physically in PDF format and sent to the below address:

The National Director

SOS Children’s Villages in the Gambia

Bakoteh

Email: Procurement.Application@sosgambia.org

The submitted document must clearly state: “Application for TVET Centre Engagement – Family Strengthening Project – “Institution Name”.

Documents to Submit

• Completed application and identification form
• Copy of legal registration certificate
• Copy of NAQAA accreditation certificate or equivalent
• List of courses currently offered, including programme duration, fees per participant, and certification awarded
• Evidence of previous experience delivering TVET or vocational training
• Financial proposal: proposed tuition fee per participant per course (all-inclusive, (tuition, uniform, course material, NAQAA logbook, etc) in GMD)

Documents to Submit

• Profile of organisation
• Price schedule form
• Technical and financial proposal
• CVs of assessment team members
• Three references for similar assignments
• Valid Business Registration if applicable

Deadline for submission

The proposal must be submitted both electronic and physical no later than Monday 5^th October 2026 before 12:00 noon. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.

Rights of SOS Children’s Villages:

• contact any or all references supplied by the bidder(s);
• request additional supporting or supplementary data (from the bidder(s));
• arrange interviews with the bidder(s);
• reject any or all proposals submitted;
• accept any proposals in whole or in part;
• negotiate with the service provider(s) who has/have attained the best rating/ranking, i.e. the one(s) providing the overall best value proposal(s);
• contract any number of candidates as required to achieve the overall evaluation objectives

Evaluation of proposals

Applications will first be assessed on legal registration and NAQAA accreditation (mandatory pass/fail). Compliant applications will then be evaluated on relevance and range of skills areas offered; quality of facilities, equipment, and trainer qualifications; ability to issue recognised certificates; location and accessibility from Madiana and Sinchu Alagie; track record in TVET delivery; gender responsiveness; and cost-effectiveness of proposed tuition fees. Shortlisted centres may be requested to participate in a site visit prior to final selection.

 TERMS OF REFERENCE

Scope of Engagement

Selected TVET centres will be expected to:

• Enroll and deliver accredited vocational or technical training to the number of participants allocated by SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia
• Provide a safe, inclusive, and gender-responsive learning environment for all enrolled participants
• Issue recognized certificates or qualifications to participants upon successful completion of training
• Maintain attendance records and submit monthly progress reports to SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia
• Cooperate with SOS Children’s Villages staff and CDOs during monitoring and support visits
• Submit an end-of-training report for each cohort, covering attendance, completion rates, and outcomes
• Sign and comply with SOS Children’s Villages’ Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct

Timeline

Selected TVET centres will be expected to deliver a 9-month skills training programme followed by a 3-month internship placement, totalling a 12-month engagement. The commencement date will be confirmed upon signing of the Service Contract with each selected centre.

Qualification of Applicant Centres

Applicant centers must demonstrate:

• Proven experience in delivering TVET or vocational training in The Gambia
• Valid accreditation by NAQAA or a recognized national body
• Adequate training facilities, equipment, and qualified trainers for the proposed skills area
• Ability to issue recognized certificates or qualifications upon completion of training
• Experience working with youth, including young women, from peri-urban or rural communities
• Willingness to comply with SOS Children’s Villages’ Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct

Financial Arrangements

SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia will cover tuition fees for enrolled participants directly to the selected TVET centre. All fees must be all-inclusive (covering the full 9-month training programme and practical materials) and stated in Gambian Dalasi (GMD). Payment terms and arrangements will be documented in a Service Contract between SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia and each selected centres.

What We Stand For

SOS Children’s Villages is committed to creating and maintaining a caring and protective environment which promotes its core values and prevents and addresses child abuse and exploitation. We strongly condemn all forms of child abuse and exploitation, be it within or outside of our organisation, and always respond to any case of proven, alleged, or attempted abuse within our sphere of influence according to its nature.

What We Stand For:

SOS Children’s Villages is committed to creating and maintaining a caring and protective environment, which promotes its core values, and prevents and addresses child abuse and exploitation. We strongly condemn all forms of child abuse and exploitation, be it within or outside of our organisation, and always respond to any case of proven, alleged or attempted abuse within our sphere of influence according to its nature. Efforts ensure that mechanisms are in place to raise awareness, aid prevention, encourage reporting and ease response. They range from human resource development actions such as training and counselling to measures such as suspension, dismissal, and legal action.