Intervention 1: Social Procurement : We have continued to exclude rural communities simply because existing procurement strategies/processes are short of social considerations. Why? we have not taken advantage of social procurement as an untapped opportunity to facilitate the intentional purchase of goods/services in a way that generates social value/additional benefits above and beyond the value of the goods/services or constructions being procured. VEST will facilitate social procurement as an innovative way to (a) promote inclusive trade and (b) generate the much-needed financial resources to address the major barriers (see intervention 2) to inclusive trade. More specifically, we will establish, test and roll-out an online Community Notice Board with the following and other services: Community Notice Board with the following and other services: a) Fee-paying Advertising Space: where corporate bodies and individuals will place procurement notices and other public notices (e.g. for employment opportunities and events). Why this space?The revenue generated from adverts will be directed to finance activities aimed at improving access to entrepreneurship support for young people in rural Zambia (as envisioned under intervention 2). This entails creating partnerships with existing actors in national/global supply chains to generate additional value-for-money and social benefits beyond the goods/services they procure, by ensuring that each procurement advert directly translates into an empowerment benefit for an economically excluded household in rural Zambia, our market value proposition. This innovation does NOT require corporate entities to repeal their existing procurement strategies/procedures but consider them as low-hanging tools for making greater social impact whilst meeting their procurement needs. a) Online Single Directory for registered rural-based traders. b) The Rural Market: interested local/global traders/consumers will access credible information on available rural farm produce including prices, the seller, contact details, location, and transport arrangements (if needed).
Intervention 2: Improving access to entrepreneurship support and consumer protection.
a) Lack of start-up capital:VEST will exist to mobilize and distribute more widely productive grants for interested young people to start/expand on-farm or off-farm ventures. Why young people? agriculture? Sustainability? – please refer to attached concept note (annex-A).
b) Poor access to the market and credible information:VEST will progressively establish Business Support Centers and agro-processing facilities within selected rural districts so to take a wide array of services (consumer protection and entrepreneurship support) CLOSER to rural communities/traders.
c) Lack of skills and mentorship: Various trainings (in ICT, financial literacy, agri-business and sector-specific areas (e.g. piggery, soybeans growing) and safe spaces (for mentorship, knowledge exchange and saving clubs) will be delivered.
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