RFP invited from NGO’s for Implementation of State Rural Livelihood Mission's flagship program 'Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme'

Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India is inviting applications from the non-profit agencies desirous of being empaneled, as implementation partners, for its State Rural Livelihood Mission's (SRLM) flagship program 'Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme' (SVEP). At present SVEP component is being implemented in 40 blocks covering 14 states. It is expected that over a period of next 4 years, SVEP component will be scaled up and implemented in 125 blocks across the country. Expression of Interest is invited from the potential partners for this purpose. A list of states where agencies are to be empanelled is given below

• Andhra Pradesh
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Assam
• Bihar
• Chhattisgarh
• Goa
• Gujarat
• Haryana
• Himachal Pradesh
• Jammu & Kashmir
• Jharkhand
• Karnataka
• Kerala
• Madhya Pradesh
• Maharashtra
• Manipur
• Meghalaya
• Mizoram
• Nagaland
• Odisha
• Puducherry
• Punjab
• Rajasthan
• Sikkim
• Tamil Nadu
• Telangana
• Tripura
• Uttar Pradesh
• Uttarakhand
• West Bengal

 Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme

Introduction

In India, more than 90% of the working population is engaged in the unorganised sector. In the case of rural area, a large section is self-employed and agriculture has served as one of the major sources of income for villages. However, agriculture comes with many uncertainties and is not an income source for landless household. It has been experienced that, poor families require 3-4 different income sources to get out of poverty. Amongst these the non-farm livelihoods, skill based work and small enterprises are important sources of income. Vision and Scope

To help the rural poor come out of poverty by helping them set up enterprises and provide support till the enterprises stabilize. To provide them with business skills, exposure, loans for starting and business support during the first critical six months of the enterprises by using the NRLM SHGs and their federations. These skills shall be imparted by local youth who shall be trained in business management, monitoring and support using ICT and audio-visual aids.

The Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme shall benefit the households and communities even beyond the financial gains it provides. It shall help rural people specially the marginalized sections, women, SC & ST communities to gain a sense of dignity and self-reliance leading to great social change. Similarly, the wealth generated in the local economy shall have a multiplier effect resulting in strengthening the local economy and reduction in distress migration. It shall also encourage new age enterprises in ICT/infotainment.

Objectives of SVEP

The overall objective of SVEP is to implement the Government's efforts to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty and unemployment in the villages by helping Start and Support Rural Enterprises.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria for Empanelment as Field Implementation Agency (FIA)

• FIA should be registered, non- political and secular in nature.
• FIA should not be black listed by any government department.
• FIA should have at least 2 years of relevant experience of implementing enterprise -promotion related livelihood activities, with the poor, especially in the state for which it is being proposed. The FIA should also have experience in promoting enterprises in the non-farm sector. Experience of working with community participation, in the rural areas, where the FIAs propose to work, under SVEP, would be an advantage.
• FIA should be not-for-profit and should have minimum annual turnover of Rs.20 lakhs in the past two years [as evidenced in the past two years audited/unaudited financial statements], preference to be given to agencies with minimum annual turnover of more than Rs. 100 lakh for the last two years.
• FIA should have preferably worked with a minimum 200 enterprises or members of producer groups.
• FIA should have transparency in financial matters, material handling, benefit sharing and fulfilment of legal compliances and should have processes and people in place to ensure the same.
• FIA should have adequate infrastructure and human resources with respect to the proposed project and should be willing to provide the undertaking for continuing working in the area for the project duration.
• FIA should have domain knowledge of and experience in community mobilization, SHG and Microfinance, Livelihoods Enhancement, market linkages etc.
• FIA should have experience in forward and backward linkages in NTFP, artisanal products and other rural produce.
• FIA should preferably have worked with the state government in any other project and successfully completed the same in the last 2 years.

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