Terms of Reference (TOR) for Providing Training and Coaching

Services to Tenants/Incubatees at Technology Business

Incubation Center (TBIC) of Addis Ababa University

1. Introduction

The Office of the University-Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer (UILTT), referred as
“the Office”, is striving to be a solution center for all adaptive, innovative and consultancy
needs of the industry and to contribute to the digital transformation of the country through
cultivating a culture of innovation and strengthening the linkage and partnership between the
University and the industry. Specifically, the Office is established to undertake the following
major functions:

• Strengthen the linkage of the University with the industry for knowledge sharing and
technology transfer;
• Cultivate innovation culture organizing innovation consultative meetings with partners
in the industry;
• Carry out periodic innovation competitions and host tenants into the its Technology
Business Incubation Center (TBIC);
• Run entrepreneurship development programs to improve the business and
commercialization skill of its incubatees/tenants;
• Administer the incubation of technologies in its TBIC and expedite technology transfer
to the industry;
• Support the commercialization of startups graduated from the TBIC;
• Undertake joint or industry-sponsored adaptive researches directed to the needs of the
industry;
• Support and facilitate industry-tailored graduate programs;
• Manage consultancy and training services fitted to the needs of the industry;
• Facilitate intellectual property (IP) right services for legal protection of tenants’ patent
right in the incubation;
• Coordinate internship of students and externship of academic staff and also staff from
the industry; and
• Manage the stakeholder engagement of the private, governmental and/or non-
governmental organizations and industries, which have concern and relation with the
University.
There are six new technology projects hosted in the TBIC of the University. The training need
assessment made by the Office showed that most of the incubatees had no a formal training of
entrepreneurship and business skill, particularly in the area of business modeling and business
planning. To this end, as part of its entrepreneurship development program, the Office is

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intending to provide a four-days face-to-face hands-on training on business modeling and
preparation of business plan to the incubatees followed by a coaching service while preparing
their business plan. At the end of the training, the trainees will have a complete and practical
business plan fit to their startups.

Therefore, the Office of UILTT, under the Vice President for Research and Technology
Transfer of Addis Ababa University, is inviting four individual trainers from business (at least
one with strong background in financial analysis) and technology fields (with practical
experience in mentorship) with relevant training experience and skills in the area of
entrepreneurship development, and who are competent to assume the responsibility.

2. Objective and Scope of the Assignment

The major objective of the training is to equip the tenants with basic practical skill of business
modeling and preparation of business plan for their projects. More specifically, in cooperation
with the Office of the UILTT, the trainers will implement the following tasks:

2.1 Designing of the methodology and preparing of training/workshop schedule, based on

the training need assessment:
a) Interactive, engaging teaching matters, e.g., discussions, games, activities.
b) Drafting the methodology and training/workshop schedule and submission to
the Office for approval; and
c) Finalizing the methodology and training/workshop schedule;
2.2 Conducting the four-days hands-on training (two-days at the beginning and two-days
at the completion of the business plans in a month period);
a) Selection of the training/workshop dates in cooperation with the ILTT Office;
b) Conduct the training based on the methodology and training schedule;
c) Conduct the evaluation of the training/workshop; and
d) Report on the conducted trainings/workshops.
2.3 Preparing and provide training materials, ppt presentations, and other relevant
references to the trainees; and
2.4 Assisting/coaching the tenant trainees during the preparation of their own business
plan, and evaluating the business plan prepared by each of the tenant trainees.

The training and coaching to be conducted by the consultant trainers should be practical and
relevant to the nature of a particular technology being incubated (startups under test) by the

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tenant in the TBIC of the University. The business plan will help the tenant trainees easily
commercialize their start-ups.

3. Methods

The target group for the training is composed of instructors from Addis Ababa University. This
imply, the training should be designed in a way to fit adult-learners with high exposure to the
concepts and learning capacity. Generally, the training should help the tenant trainees in
evaluation from a researcher to business person. Having this in mind, the trainers are expected
to come up with the best approaches for undertaking this assessment.

4. Trainers/facilitators deliverables

The following will be the expected deliverables of the trainers/facilitators:

• Work plan for developing the training/workshops, including schedule, strategy and
proposed methodologies;
• Successful facilitation of the training/workshop;
• Technical advice and support to participants during the training/workshop;
• Technical assistance and evaluation of the tenant trainees during the preparation of their
business plan; and
• Final report on the implementation of the tasks after finishing the training/workshops.

5. Timeline and Process

The training/workshops shall be expected to be completed within four working days (two-days
at the beginning and two-days at the completion of the business plans preparation). In between,
the trainees will prepare their business plans be assisted by the trainers.

Three (3) days after signing of the contract, the trainers/facilitators will have to provide to the
Office a plan for implementing trainings/workshops in line with the overall requirements at the
ToR, including proposed methodology, work plan with clear timelines, and division of labor.

6. Required Qualification and Experience

• Minimum university degree in business and technology, or other relevant field;
• Extensive experience in completing trainings/workshops for organizations;
• Extensive knowledge of entrepreneurship development programs;

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 • Extensive experience on business modeling and business plan preparation;
• Proven experience in business/Start Ups mentorship and coaching;
• Excellent inter-personal communication skills including experience of facilitation of
trainings/workshops and presentation;
• Proven and demonstrated broad knowledge of and ability to utilize principles, methods,
techniques and systems of commercialization of startups;

7. Applications Procedure and Requirements

Candidates interested in the position will be selected based on the requirements under this ToR
by a Selection Committee to be designated by the Office of ILTT. Payments for the training
and coaching services to be rendered by the trainers will be determined by negotiation.

Deadline for the application: June 28, 2021

How to apply: Send your technical proposals and VCs through our email: uil.tt@aau.edu.et

8. Disclaimer: The Office of UILTT is under no obligation and may cancel the whole/part
process when deems fit without giving further justification.

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