1. Background
The Centre for Domestic Training and Development (CDTD) is a Kenyan non-governmental organization committed to advancing decent work, skills development, labour rights and economic empowerment for vulnerable populations, particularly women, youth, migrant workers, domestic workers, refugees, survivors of trafficking and host communities. For over two decades, CDTD has championed innovative interventions that improve livelihoods through technical skills development, advocacy, labour mobility and market-driven employment pathways.
CDTD is implementing Jenga Ajira Project, an 18-month youth employability initiative that seeks to sponsor at least 80 vulnerable youth aged 18–25 years, within Kiambu and Nairobi County around Thika Road Economic Corridor. The aim is for participants to move into decent wage employment or sustainable self-employment after six months of completing training.
The project responds to a persistent challenge where many vulnerable youths cannot afford TVET training, existing programmes that often do not match labour-market demand, youth lack practical work experience and essential employability skills, and young women face additional barriers to skills and decent work. About 90% of the new jobs created in Kenya in 2024 were in the informal sector (KNBS, 2025), so both employment and self-employment pathways are necessary for more employability outcomes. A Labor Market Assessment of accredited training institutions commissioned by CDTD confirmed five priority trades with documented labour-market demand these are;Solar PV Installation; Mobile Phone Repair; ICT & Digital Skills; Hair Dressing and Beauty Therapy and Homecare and Caregiving.
The project model combines;
(1)Job-ready skills assessment.
(2)Targeted youth selection.
(3)On-boarding to demand-driven accredited TVET training institutions.
(4)Skilling and eventual NITA/CDACC certification.
(5)Life-skills holistic employability development (workplace ethics, communication skills, personal branding, digital skills, mentorship, goal setting and workforce readiness).
(6)Industrial attachments.
(7)Job placement and enterprise support, and
(8)Labour-market alignment and partnerships.
2. Purpose of the Assignment
Technical training alone is not enough. Employers report that young people lack workplace behavior, communication and workforce readiness skills. The Labor Market Assessment (LMA) found learner behavior change, among the main challenges reported by training institutions. To improve retention, completion and transition to work, CDTD seeks to engage a qualified Entrepreneurship Training Consultant to train on components of;
1.Entrepreneurial Mindset; Emotional Intelligence; Resilience, Critical Thinking and Leadership
2.Business Ideation; Opportunity Mapping; Business Model Development; Business Plan; Market Feasibility Analysis
3.Business Operations; Legal and Compliance; Sales & Marketing; Operations & Logistics; Digital Tools and Technology Integration.
4.Financial Literacy; Foundational Accounting; Cash Flow and Working Capital; Tax; Insurance; Balance Sheet; Profit & Loss; Savings & Investment.
3. Objectives of the Assignment
The consultant/institution shall:
a)Assess participants' entrepreneurial interest, aptitude and readiness, and identify those intending to pursue self-employment.
b)Design and deliver a practical entrepreneurship curriculum tailored to the five priority trades.
c)Support participants to develop simple, bankable business plans aligning to the five priority trades.
d)Facilitate identification and mapping of market linkages, group enterprises and business mentorship with established entrepreneurs in each trade.
4. Scope of Work
- Target group and location
At least 80 youth aged 18–25 years enrolled in accredited training within the EAIHM catchment along the Nairobi–Kiambu boundary, with intensive enterprise-development support for the sub-group that chooses self-employment.
B. Programme components
•Entrepreneurship awareness and readiness: for all participants, a minimum of 16 contact hours.
•Develop trade-specific enterprise models: practical models such as salon and mobile beauty services, phone repair kiosks, small solar installation and maintenance services, home-based care services and digital/online services.
•Business plan challenge; invoke a critical thinking mindset grounded on the realities of business landscape in Kenya.
•Linkages: Mapping of financial providers, regulators and business mentors; encourage formation of savings or business groups. - Cross-cutting Messaging
•Gender-responsive delivery of training.
•Disability-inclusive delivery of training.
5. Methodology and Approach
The consultant shall propose a participatory, experiential and learner-centered methodology suited to young people with varied education levels, including role plays, case studies, simulations, peer learning and use of local languages where possible to effectively communicate.
The Expression Of Interest (EOI) should explain how learning will be administered, assessed (pre- and post-training), help identify where necessary at-risk trainees and propose ways to support them.
Project indicator Consultant contribution
Number of youth completing entrepreneurship training Attendance and completion records by sex
% of graduates able to develop a bankable business plan Business plans template and guide
Number of youth able to link to financial providers, regulators and business mentors Personalized linkage chat
6. Expected Deliverables
# Deliverable Indicative timing
1 Inception report: work plan, methodology, training manual, assessment tools and safeguarding or referral plan post-training Within 2 days of contract signing
2 Share the training manual proposed for delivery Within 5 days after contracting
3 Action points report 4 days after each training
4 Final report with pre/post assessment results, outcomes by sex and lessons learned At the end of the 16 contact hours training period.
7. Duration and Timeline
The assignment is expected to run for up to nine months and an attachment cycle, with an estimated 16-hour support level. The final training schedule will be agreed upon after the inception report and aligned with partner training institutions' intake dates.
8. Qualifications and Experience
- Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in Entrepreneurship, Business Administration, Economics, Development Studies or a related field. Certification in an enterprise-training methodology (e.g. ILO Start and Improve Your Business) is an added advantage.
- Experience: At least five years' experience delivering entrepreneurship, enterprise development or financial literacy programmes for youth and women, preferably in informal-sector and TVET contexts.
- Technical skills: Demonstrated experience in business planning and coaching for micro-enterprises; knowledge of youth finance sources and the MSME ecosystem in Nairobi and Kiambu; experience tracking enterprise outcomes; strong facilitation in English and Kiswahili.
- Other: An existing network of business mentors, finance providers and suppliers in the priority trades is an advantage.
9. Application Documents Required
a)Technical proposal (understanding of the assignment, approach, methodology and work plan)
b)Financial proposal (in Kenya Shillings, inclusive of all applicable taxes)
c)Updated CV(s) of the consultant and any proposed team members
d)Copies of academic and professional certificates
e)Valid KRA PIN
f)Business registration certificate and company profile (for firms)
g)Sample or an overview description of an entrepreneurship training curriculum or business-plan template previously used
h)At least three (3) reference letters from clients confirming successful delivery of similar youth or women entrepreneurship assignments
10. Reporting, Safeguarding and Data Protection
The consultant shall report directly to the Program Officer, Jenga Ajira Project, and work closely with the training institutions' career and student-support officers where applicable. All deliverables shall be submitted in Microsoft Word and PDF formats, together with attendance registers, assessment tools and training feedback forms.
The consultant/institution will be required to sign and comply with CDTD's Safeguarding and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Policy and Code of Conduct, and to handle all personal data of participants in line with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019.
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