Business Incubator Consultant – Call for Applications

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Business Incubator Consultant – Call for Applications

Location: Bethlehem Governorate (City of Bethlehem and metropolitan areas)
Contract Type: Fixed-Term Consultancy
Estimated Duration: 12 months (August 2025 – July 2026)
Implemented by: Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD)
Donor: Barcelona City Council
In Partnership with: Movement for Peace, Disarmament and Liberty (MPDL)
Project Title: MUSANADA – Social, Legal and Economic Empowerment of Women in Bethlehem

1. About PWWSD

Since its establishment in 1981, Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) has grown significantly in its institutional, programmatic, and geographical reach. The organization works on local, national, regional, and international levels, and currently operates across all governorates of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Special attention is given to marginalized areas such as Area C, the Jerusalem periphery, and Bedouin communities that are severely impacted by settlement expansion, settler violence, and occupation policies.

PWWSD adopts a human rights-based approach and focuses on vulnerable and marginalized groups, particularly women who face socio-economic exclusion. The organization works with a broad spectrum of beneficiaries including women in the informal economy, rural areas, cooperatives, and small and micro-enterprises (SMEs); survivors of gender-based violence (GBV); housewives; women in local councils and shadow councils; young women and men; male gender equality advocates; children; youth; psychosocial counsellors; educators; and community-based organizations (CBOs).

PWWSD also collaborates with diverse economic stakeholders including the private sector, governmental bodies, and NGOs to advocate for inclusive economic development. Its partnerships span across national, regional, and international human rights institutions, political parties, academia, civil society actors, official institutions, media platforms, and social movements. Over the past four decades, PWWSD has implemented numerous impactful programs to empower and protect women’s rights in Palestine.

2. About the Project

The project, titled “MUSANADA: Social, Legal and Economic Empowerment of Women in Bethlehem (Palestine)”, aims to advance women’s rights by improving their access to integrated socio-legal and economic services and opportunities in Bethlehem Governorate.

A central component of the project is the establishment of a business incubator to support women and young women entrepreneurs—including those leading or aspiring to launch home-based and small-scale businesses. The incubator will support income-generating projects and contribute to sustainable economic pathways for women.

Beyond economic support, MUSANADA also seeks to influence local policy-making, encouraging Bethlehem Municipality and other local councils to adopt gender-sensitive policies that strengthen women's economic rights and participation.

On the international level, the project features awareness campaigns in Barcelona to highlight the adverse impact of the Israeli occupation and the war on the Gaza Strip, on Palestinian women’s economic and social conditions and resilience.

The project’s implementation is based on the following assumptions:

• Political and security stability in the West Bank

• Willingness of local decision-makers to support women’s rights

• Continued motivation and engagement of targeted women

• Stability and commitment of project staff and partners

3. Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant (individual or firm) will design, operationalize, and manage the business incubator. The incubator will serve as a supportive platform to connect women with resources and services to help them start, grow, and sustain their businesses while addressing socio-economic barriers.

4. Key Responsibilities

In full coordination with the project team and in alignment with the overall strategy of the project, the consultant will be responsible for:

1. Design and Launch of the Incubator

• Establish and manage the business incubator hosted at PWWSD’s Bethlehem office.

• Develop a comprehensive operational model and strategic plan for the incubator, ensuring sustainability, scalability, and relevance to the local economic and gender context.

• Create and activate a structured referral system connecting women to relevant services (legal, anti-GBV/EGBV, psychosocial, financial, climate-smart solutions, marketing, digital tools, etc.).

1. Awareness and Capacity Building

• Organize and facilitate awareness workshops for women across various locations in Bethlehem Governorate, focusing on economic rights, entrepreneurship, access to resources, and the gender dimensions of economic participation.

• Deliver or coordinate targeted capacity-building sessions in areas such as business planning, feasibility studies, pricing, branding, packaging, e-marketing, digital presence, and financial literacy.

• Form and support entrepreneurial/peer support groups to promote solidarity, experience sharing, and collaborative learning among participants.

• Provide ongoing individual mentoring and technical guidance to participating women based on business needs and growth stages.

• Support women in developing personalized marketing strategies and enhancing their visibility in local and digital markets.

2. Supervision and Technical Follow-Up

• Supervise women-led business initiatives supported by the incubator.

• Conduct regular technical follow-up, ensuring that each woman receives tailored support, including guidance on referrals, market readiness, and business resilience.

• Contribute to reaching the project target of supporting at least 150 women beneficiaries during the first year.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

• Design and apply MEL tools to track women’s progress (e.g., pre/post assessments, feedback forms, income monitoring, and satisfaction surveys).

• Monitor the impact of the incubator on women's businesses, with emphasis on achieving at least a 30% income increase among participants.

• Collect, document, and analyze success stories, lessons learned, and areas for improvement throughout the project cycle.

4. Coordination and Advocacy Support

• Liaise with municipalities, women’s cooperatives, local businesses, and private sector actors to foster partnerships, referral networks, and marketing opportunities for women.

• Collaborate with the PWWSD advocacy and media team to produce content (e.g., success stories, testimonials, quotes) that supports awareness campaigns and advocacy on women’s economic rights.

5. Reporting and Documentation

• Submit monthly narrative progress reports covering key activities, results, challenges, and lessons learned.

• Provide a comprehensive final report that includes:

  • Executive summary

  • Methodology used

  • Quantitative and qualitative achievements

  • Success stories and profiles of supported businesses

  • Recommendations for future scaling or replication

5. Deliverables

• Operational model and action plan for the business incubator

• Referral system framework

• M&E tools (e.g., baseline and follow-up surveys, feedback forms)

• Database of participating women and referred cases

• Minimum of 3 workshops/mentoring events conducted

• Technical support to at least 150 women-led businesses

• Monthly reports + final report with outcomes and recommendations

• Contribution to achieving a 30% income increase for supported women

6. Eligibility

The call is open to individual consultants or registered firms/organizations from Bethlehem and Hebron Governorates with relevant expertise. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in Palestine and able to deliver services over the contract period.

7. Required Qualifications

• At Least Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, development, or related fields 

• 3–5 years of proven experience in business development, incubation, or women’s economic empowerment

• Strong understanding of the Palestinian gender and economic context, including SME regulations

• Demonstrated ability to build referral/support systems and conduct mentorship or training

• Strong interpersonal and documentation skills

• Fluency in Arabic (English is a strong asset)

8. How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit:

1. Technical Proposal including:

• Consultant/organization profile

• Motivation letter

• Proposed methodology and action plan with timeline

• Tools for referral and support

• CV(s) of consultant(s) or team members

2. Financial Proposal including:

• Price offer in EUR (inclusive of VAT/income tax)

• Budget breakdown

• Registration certificate with valid deduction at source (otherwise, 10% will be deducted)

• Contact details of three professional references from similar work

PWWSD applies a zero-tolerance policy regarding Psychological Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (PSEA) committed by its employees or external contractors against beneficiaries. All individuals engaged with the organization are responsible for adhering to and implementing this policy. All candidates applying for positions or providing services on behalf of the organization must commit to this policy under all circumstances and at all times.

Applicants will be subject to a rigorous vetting process, including reference checks concerning previous behavior related to PSEA. They may be asked to provide additional information during the selection process if necessary.

As part of the application process, candidates are required to:

• Read and understand PWWSD’s official PSEA Policy

• Sign and submit the Self-Declaration Form on PSEA as part of their application

9. Deadline and Submission

• Deadline: Aug 9th, 2025 

• Submit to: [email protected] 

• Subject line: Application – Business Incubator Consultant – MUSANADA

• Inquiries: Email any questions to [email protected]