Term of Reference (TOR)

Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) Trainer

Number of Positions: 1

Duration: 20 days

Location: Sinjar (Sinun) District

Project: WBI – Women’s Business Incubator

Reporting to: Project Officer

Publishing date: 13th  Nov 2025

Deadline of submission: 19th Nov 2025

 

About Us

The Lotus Flower is a non-governmental organization which is legally registered in the Federal Government of Baghdad and KRI. The Lotus Flower programs empower vulnerable women, girls and other community members  so that they are safe, have opportunities to learn, the tools to become financially independent and the freedom to lead change. We provide safe social spaces inside refugee & IDP camps and implement projects to help them rebuild their lives and earn a living. We run multiple women’s and children centers for the IDP, refugee and host community in Iraq and have mobile teams in areas where static centers are not feasible.

The Lotus Flower services work to fill resource gaps by providing community-responsive programming which changes over time in response to feedback but revolves around 6 pillars from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals:

·        Health & Safety (including MHPSS)

·        Education and Livelihoods

·        Peacebuilding & Human Rights

·        Climate Change

We aim to provide a foundation for women, girls, and other needed community members  to rebuild themselves, their families, and their futures. As local implementers, we work at the grassroots level to get right into the heart of communities, listening to local needs and employing local communities to implement the programs. 

Our main fundamental belief is that women and girls are powerful drivers of change, and we provide the support they need to reach their full potential and rebuild their futures. We strive for a world where they are safe from violence, free to access education, and are empowered to participate in their communities to drive social and economic change from within. We are investing in the future of women and girls because they play a vital role in resurrecting and strengthening communities. As local implementers, we work at the grassroots level to get right into the heart of communities. To ensure we meet their needs, we listen to the local community and employ local women to implement the programs.

The Lotus Flower has been widely recognized for its impactful and innovative work in advancing women's rights, economic empowerment, and justice for survivors. In 2021, the organization was honored with the CARE International Partnership Award, a prestigious recognition granted every four years to celebrate the professionalism and commitment of CARE’s global partners. Further affirming its dedication to women’s economic independence, The Lotus Flower received the IValues Award from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation under the “Economy and Jobs” category for the success and significance of its Women’s Business Incubation project. The organization also gained international acclaim through the PILnet Global Partnership Award for its groundbreaking initiative “Accountability for Yazidi Survivors of Atrocities by Da’esh,” which was recognized as one of the best cross-sectoral pro bono legal collaborations worldwide. Additionally, The Lotus Flower was a proud recipient of the UNHCR Innovation Award in 2022, further highlighting its commitment to delivering creative, impactful solutions for vulnerable communities.

 

Objective

The main objective of this assignment is to strengthen the entrepreneurial and business management capacities of project participants through the International Labour Organization (ILO) Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training curriculum. The training aims to enable beneficiaries—particularly women and youth—to effectively plan, start, and manage small-scale enterprises or income-generating activities that contribute to sustainable livelihoods and economic self-reliance.

The assignment focuses on transferring practical knowledge and skills that help participants transform their business ideas into viable enterprises and improve the performance of existing small businesses.

The specific objectives of this consultancy are to:

  1. Deliver high-quality and practical SIYB training

    • Facilitate sessions using one or more SIYB modules—Generate Your Business Idea (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB), or Improve Your Business (IYB)—based on participant needs and project objectives.

    • Apply participatory training techniques, including group exercises, business simulations, and real-life case studies to ensure active learning and practical understanding.

  2. Strengthen participants’ core business and financial management competencies

    • Build knowledge in business planning, financial literacy, record keeping, cost calculation, pricing, and marketing strategies.

    • Introduce practical tools to help participants assess business feasibility, manage resources efficiently, and track profitability.

  3. Support participants in developing feasible and culturally appropriate business plans

    • Provide step-by-step guidance to participants in preparing and finalizing their individual business plans.

    • Ensure business plans reflect realistic financial projections, local market conditions, and the social and cultural context of the communities involved.

  4. Empower women entrepreneurs and promote inclusive economic participation

    • Encourage women’s active participation in entrepreneurship by addressing gender-specific challenges in business operations.

    • Support women entrepreneurs to understand local market trends, identify business opportunities, and improve profitability.

    • Foster confidence and leadership among women to engage in market activities and decision-making related to enterprise development.

  5. Encourage sustainable and community-driven business development

    • Promote environmentally responsible and socially inclusive business practices.

    • Support participants in identifying linkages to local value chains and potential market partnerships that enhance sustainability.

 

Responsibilities

The SIYB Trainer will be responsible for the effective planning, delivery, and evaluation of the entrepreneurship training in alignment with the ILO Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) methodology and the WBI project objectives. The main responsibilities include:

  • Develop a comprehensive training plan and agenda tailored to the SIYB curriculum and the specific goals of the WBI project, ensuring the sessions are well-structured, practical, and responsive to participants’ needs.

  • Facilitate participatory and interactive learning sessions using adult education methodologies such as group discussions, role plays, case studies, and practical exercises to enhance engagement and knowledge retention.

  • Provide hands-on guidance to participants in preparing complete, accurate, and feasible business plans that reflect local market conditions and realistic financial expectations.

  • Conduct pre- and post-training assessments to evaluate participants’ learning progress, measure knowledge and skill improvements, and assess overall training effectiveness.

  • Collaborate closely with the Project Officer and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) team to coordinate training logistics, share participant progress, and ensure quality monitoring throughout the training process.

  • Assess the feasibility and sustainability of participants’ business ideas and plans, providing constructive feedback to strengthen them and working with the project team to identify and recommend participants eligible for business start-up or improvement grants.

  • Prepare and submit a comprehensive final training report summarizing key achievements, challenges, attendance records, evaluation results, participant feedback, and actionable recommendations for follow-up or future training interventions.

  • Ensure compliance with ILO SIYB quality standards and the organization’s policies and procedures, including safeguarding and PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse).

  • Contribute to project monitoring and learning by sharing feedback, lessons learned, and recommendations to improve future training activities.

Qualifications

  • Certified SIYB Trainer, with valid ILO certification highly preferred.

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Entrepreneurship, or a related field.

  • Proven experience in delivering SIYB or other entrepreneurship and livelihood development trainings, particularly for women and vulnerable community groups.

  • Demonstrated strong facilitation, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse participants and promote active learning.

  • Good understanding of local market dynamics and business environment in the Sinjar region is considered an advantage.

  • Fluency in Kurdish and Arabic is required; proficiency in English is an asset.

 

Duration

Number of Training Days: 20 (4 groups × 5 days each)

Location: Sinjar (Sinun)

Trainer reports directly to the WBI Project Officer.

 

HOW TO APPLY:

  • Interested trainers or training company should submit their proposals, including (CV), references, and a proposed training to careers@thelotusflower.org  while mentioning “Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) Trainer”  as the subject of your email.

  • CVs in the form of pictures, and screenshots will not be accepted.

  • CVs that do not include the subject line will not be considered.

  • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

  • Applications past the expiration date of the advertisement will not be considered.

 

Confidentiality

All information provided in response to this TOR will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of selecting a trainer.