| Overview : REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS Uganda Country Training Workshops on Enterprise Skills, Investment Promotion, and Market Analysis ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme Background: The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme is a three-year, €13.1 million capacity building program that aims to build the profile, and improve the management, of Development Minerals (industrial minerals; construction materials; dimension stones; and semi-precious stones). The program is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, financed by the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and implemented by UNDP. The mining of Development Minerals has important implications for sustainable development, however, they have to date received inadequate attention for their potential to impact livelihoods; and few development Programmes have provided support for this mining sub-sector. Development Minerals provide crucial inputs for domestic economic development (infrastructure, manufacturing, construction and agriculture to name a few) and have the potential to be high value in terms of national development. In comparison to the metals sector, Development Minerals have closer links with the local economy, and have the potential to generate more local jobs, with a greater impact on poverty reduction. This is partly because the sector is dominated by small and medium scale domestic businesses. However, the income generation potential of the sector often remains unrealized or under-realized. This is in part due to the uncertain legal and regulatory framework in which the sector operates and the lack of publicly available and easily accessible geological data, which exacerbates wasteful exploration and discourages investment in the sector. The mining of Development Minerals has important implications for sustainable development, however, they have not to date received adequate attention for their potential to impact livelihoods and few development programmes have provided support for this mining sub-sector. The Programme is making contribution to addressing these challenges through targeted capacity support to mining sector stakeholders towards strengthening the capacity of programme stakeholders to increase the sector’s productivity. UNDP, in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Minerals Development, is conducting 5-day country-level training workshops in the thematic areas of Enterprise Skills, Investment Promotion and Market analysis in the Development Minerals Sector. The training workshops have the following objectives: - To enhance enterprise development and management skills enabling existing and potential (formal and informal) small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, including women and youth, to start viable businesses, strengthen the viability and profitability of existing enterprises and create employment in the process;
- To increase understanding of the dynamics of the targeted value chains and identification of the opportunities and constraints along specific value chains;
- To develop the market analysis and investment promotion skills of small and medium-size enterprises;
- To enhance the capacity of business development services (BDS) to facilitate business start-ups and scale-ups by delivering sector-specific training, extension services and support for existing and potential entrepreneurs in business plan development, market analysis and investment promotion;
- To facilitate in-country knowledge exchange on low-tech, low-cost and environmentally friendly value addition techniques for targeted minerals for the sector to contribute to inclusive and sustainable development.
UNDP is now accepting expressions of interest to participate in the training programmes that cover these thematic areas. The training participants will include: a) Private stakeholders such as small-scale mining and quarrying enterprises, intermediaries, transportation and logistics service providers, construction companies; b) Business development stakeholders such as Mining and quarrying associations (including women’s mining associations); chambers of mines; training centres; universities and research institutions, and consulting companies; c) Public stakeholders such as regulatory agencies and local governments and civil society stakeholders and community groups from Uganda. Applicants must demonstrate an interest and experience in working in Uganda’s Mining sector and be willing to prepare and implement Return to Work Plans as part of their post-training actions. Each applicant is requested to write a cover letter justifying their eligibility for selection for training and fill in the Request for Applications form appended on this document. NB: Women and women-led organizations are highly encouraged to apply. Please note that incomplete applications will not be accepted. Selection criteria of candidates | - Experienced professionals working in at least one of the fields of value addition, enterprise development, business service provision, investment promotion and marketing of development minerals.
- Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional or practical experience in topics related to mining and sustainable development with knowledge of small scale mining and quarrying.
- Working knowledge of one or more of the following commodity subsectors an advantage: construction materials ; dimension stones; industrial minerals and semi-precious stones.
- Managing or currently employed by an organization with relevance to the training thematic areas
- Familiarity with international standards as well as industry best practices on mining governance, value addition, health & safety, environment, gender and community considered an asset.
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Applications should be submitted by email to tenders.kampala@undp.org ; further information requests can be channeled to janet.ndagire@undp.org ; UNDP advocates for equal participation of men and women. Qualified women are highly encouraged to apply. Deadline for submission of applications: September 15, 2017. Languages Required: English For further details, please visit http://procurement-notices.undp.org | 
