Engagement of Organisations to Deliver Digital Entrepreneurship Interventions for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria

Engagement of Organisations to Deliver Digital Entrepreneurship Interventions for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria 1. Background and Context Sightsavers is an international development organisation, preventing avoidable blindness and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities to have equal access to inclusive education, citizenship and livelihoods. We operate across 30 countries and have been implementing sustainable and impactful programs in Nigeria for over 70 years.

As part of our economic empowerment thematic portfolio, Sightsavers is implementing a 5-year ‘Digital Futures’ program funded by the Mastercard Foundation. The central aim is to improve access to employment for young people with disabilities by providing digital, IT and entrepreneurship skills within the broader digital ecosystem. Through the award-winning IT Bridge Academies and related support, the programme will empower economically disadvantaged young people with disabilities across four countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia.

The programme aims to directly reach 3,500 young people with disabilities in Nigeria, with 1,800 expected to be enrolled in the digital entrepreneurship pathway. To successfully deliver the Digital Entrepreneurship Pathway, Sightsavers Nigeria intends to engage qualified organizations, preferably Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), to support programme implementation. Key responsibilities will include delivering digital entrepreneurship training, providing business development support, mobilizing persons with disabilities, and contributing to the management and disbursement of seed funding for selected programme beneficiaries.

The intervention will prioritize equitable participation, with at least 70% of direct participants expected to be women with disabilities. The overall goal of the digital entrepreneurship pathway is designed to strengthen the digital, entrepreneurial, and business management capabilities of persons with disabilities, improve access to market opportunities, and support sustainable livelihood outcomes.

It will also promote inclusive delivery approaches that address accessibility, reasonable accommodation, gender equality, safeguarding, and the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities throughout the project cycle. 2. Objective of the RFP The purpose of this Request for Proposal Expression of Interest is to identify and contract competent organization with demonstrated capacity to deliver inclusive digital entrepreneurship training and business development support services for persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

3. Scope of Work The selected organisation will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering services that may include the following: Mobilise eligible persons with disabilities, ensuring representation across disability groups and prioritising women with disabilities. Conduct accessibility-informed needs assessment and participants profiling. In tandem with our curriculum, design relevant and locally adaptable training content on digital entrepreneurship, online business tools, digital marketing, green skills, financial literacy, record keeping, customer relations, and business planning.

Deliver accessible training using disability-inclusive facilitation approaches, assistive technologies, and reasonable accommodation where required. Provide post-training business development support, coaching, mentoring, and referral services. Support participants to develop or strengthen viable business plans and digital market access strategies. Contribute to the selection of beneficiaries for the seed funding and support with the management of the seed grant.

Facilitate linkages with relevant government, private sector, financial service, and enterprise development actors. Collect disability-, sex-, and age-disaggregated data and maintain accurate participant records in line with data protection and safeguarding requirements. Document lessons learned, success st