Introduction Click here to Apply
Tanzania Education Authority (TEA) has been mandated by the Government to manage the Skills Development Fund (SDF). The Fund is established under the Education and Skills for Productive Jobs Programme (ESPJ) that emerged from the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) 2016-2027, which aim at ensuring that there is development of a skilled workforce in six key economic sectors in the Country. The ESPJ programme is jointly funded by the World Bank and the Government of United Republic of Tanzania.
The six key economic sectors in focus are: Agriculture, Agribusiness and Agro-Processing; Tourism and Hospitality; Transport and Logistics; Construction; Information and Communications Technology (ICT); and Energy.
The SDF focuses on minimizing skills gaps by rapidly increasing the supply of graduates with skills relevant to the labor market. The Fund aims to expand the number of individuals with relevant skills in key occupations and sectors by creating skilled and competitive Tanzanian workforce capable of effectively fostering inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth hence ensuring a composition that guarantees timely attainment of middle-income status by 2025.
Financing windows
SDF Provides funds in four funding windows, based on the following training levels: (i) Window 1 for university level; (ii) Window 2 for technical education and training; (iii) Window 3 for vocational education and training; and (iv) Window 4 for alternative training (informal sector) or employer-based.
Call for Applications
For Financial Year 2018/2019 TEA plans to provide grants to eligible institutions under Window 3 for vocational education and training; and Window 4 for alternative training (informal sector) or employer-based for undertaking short courses which focuses on providing relevant skills needed by citizens especially members of income generating groups formed by community members in rural areas, which have been registered by their relevant Councils.
Therefore, TEA is calling for proposals from eligible Training Institutions (Training providers) under the above mentioned windows to apply for grants from SDF with a focus of conducting short courses geared to promote the expansion and quality of labor market driven skills development opportunities in six key economic sectors mentioned above.
This call for proposal aims at capacity building for Tanzanians involved in six above-mentioned key economic sectors in order to enhance their skills and foster their productivity, efficiency and economic growth. The call also aims at strengthening skills potential to enable the expansion of value chain, increase employment and expansion of links to the market.
Therefore, eligible training institutions under Window 3 and 4 are invited to submit their proposals for undertaking short courses in key economic sectors as mentioned earlier.
Priority Funding Areas
- Improve teaching and learning infrastructure, including minor rehabilitation. Construction of new infrastructure are not funded;
- Procurement of teaching and learning facilities, equipment and materials;
- Establishing new programs;
- Expanding the capacity of existing programs;
- Improving the quality and relevance of training programs through curriculum revision; and
- Improving instructors’ professional development in specific skills which are considered crucial to ensure they deliver quality training.
- Training Priorities for each Sector
Interested Training providers should focus on areas of interest highlighted below for each sector.
- Agriculture, Agribusiness and Agro-Processing
Program should focus on providing skills related to irrigation technologies, post-harvest storage, preservation, processing, market identification, profit analysis, general entrepreneurial skills, and any other initiative identified by responsible Ministry.
- Tourism and Hospitality
Program should focus on providing skills related to communication, customer services care, innovation, tour guide, cultural tourism, or any other initiative identified by responsible Ministry
- Transport and Logistics
Program should focus on providing skills related to storage and distributions of agricultural produce, managerial skills through specialized programmes of short courses, seminar and workshops, practical training programmes for Engineers, Technicians and Artisans, or any other identified by the responsible Ministry.
- Program should focus on providing skills related to risk and disaster management skills to construction practitioners (Professional, technicians and artisans), labour-based skills for casual labourers in construction industries, safety or any other initiative identified by the responsible Ministry.
- Information and Communications Technology
Program should focus on providing skills related to hardware maintenance, software development, network specialization and cyber security, or any other initiative identified by the responsible Ministry.
- Program should focus on providing skills related to solar, oil and gas related skills, or any other initiative identified by the responsible Ministry.
Participation of Training Institutions, Employers and Special Groups
SDF provides an opportunity for close collaboration between training institutions and employers. Moreover, SDF promotes gender equity and participation of special groups such as women, youth and people with disabilities.
Criteria of Eligible Institutions for SDF Grants:
Institutions which meet the following criteria can apply for 2018/2019 grants:
- Registered with relevant government registration bodies or established by the Act of Parliament.
- Institutions under Window 3 for vocational education and training; and Window 4 for alternative training (informal sector) or employer-based.Examples of institutions falling under Window 3 are Vocational Training Centres (VTCs); while those falling under Window 4 are: companies, informal education institutions, Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) Centers, Employer Associations etc.
- Institutions with experience in providing training to citizens or community members especially living in rural areas with focus on providing solutions to challenges related to income generation facing these citizens.
- Institutions which are located within Councils in which the targeted beneficiaries are living or ready to provide training at beneficiaries’ locations. Training programs shall be conducted within the beneficiaries’ locations in order to ensure there is a balance between training and their day to day activities.
- Institutions whose programs promote inclusion and skills development of various groups such as women, youth and people with disabilities.
- Public and private institutions which meet the criteria listed above, are eligible to apply.
Type and Duration of Training Programs
This call is for short certified or non-certified courses whose duration is between two weeks and three months. The certified courses must be approved by relevant government accreditation institutions; while non-certified coursed must be approved by the institution’s Board.
Project Implementation Period
The project should be implemented and completed within 12 months, in which the training institution shall undertake between two weeks to three months training of beneficiaries in different cohorts, until the expected number of beneficiaries is attained within the project implementation period.
General Criteria for Proposals
Proposals which meet the following criteria shall be given first priority:
- Proposals should be based on the needs assessment report undertaken by the training institution or any other public or private entity.
- Proposals which provide creative and innovative solutions to challenges identified during the community needs assessment. The solution should focus on enhancing the beneficiaries’ skills in their income generating activities.
- Proposals which indicate a clear link between what they plan to undertake and key National development policies such as the Tanzania Development Vision 2025, National Skills Development Strategy, Industrialisation policy etc.
- Proposals should have programs which promote inclusion and skills development of various groups such as women, youth and people with disabilities.
- Proposals which clearly stipulate expected outputs, outcomes and impact of their programs in terms of number of beneficiaries and potentiality of skills to enhance community members’ income and livelihood.
- Proposals which clearly stipulate how they can trace graduates of the programs within 6 to 12 months of their graduation, to observe to what extent the programs have resulted into employability and improved livelihood.
- Availability of all key qualified personnel/ trainers who will manage and implement the programs.
- Proposals that provide strategies for preparing and implement the programs which are relevant to trainees’ skills needs.
- Proposals that articulate the capacity of the training institution to implement the programs and produce the number of trainees as per requested budget.
- Proposals that articulate clearly how trainees’ day to day activities can be used as ‘laboratories or workshops’ for practical learning in order to bring balance between training program and trainees’ actual income generating activities.
- Proposals which provide a strong program sustainability after closing of SDF grants.
Funding Restrictions and Expected Number of Beneficiaries
SDF shall provide a total of TShs.131,220,000.00 per program, in which a total of 400 beneficiaries or trainees are expected to be generated per program from the allocated grant.
For Windows 3 and 4 institutions not more than 25 percent of total costs is allocated for civil works (infrastructure minor rehabilitation) and provide not more than 15 percent for operating expenses.
Competitiveness in Grants Allocation
SDF grants are competitive, and therefore, are provided through competition of submitted grants proposals. The proposals which pass through a competitive process will be eligible for receiving grants.
SDF Grant Application Process
The time span from the call for proposals to project implementation and assessment is estimated to take 12 weeks, from the date of this advertisement. The application process shall be in two steps: the first step requires training institutions to submit Concept Notes; while the second step requires submission of Full Project Proposal for institutions whose Concept Notes meet the criteria on the first step.
Application Time
Grants applications are called from 3rd April, 2019 and closing day is on 12th April, 2019 at 18:00 hours.
How to apply
Each institution should apply through the following procedure: -
- All applications shall be done online and sent to the Director General, Tanzania Education Authority through SDF online portal.
- Enter TEA website: www.tea.or.tz/skills- development-fund.
- Read ‘Guideline for Applying SDF Grants for 2018/2019’, which provide instructions on step-to-step application processes. You can read it online of download it and read through you device.
- Register to allow you fill the electronic Concept Note Form.
- After registration contact TEA through office general line, mobile phone numbers, or e-mail to obtain a Certification Code, which shall be used for accessing Concept Note Form.
- Access Concept Note Form, and fill in. If you wish to continue editing your form, ‘save’ it, but if you want to submit it, then click ‘submit’.
- The Concept Notes which will meet all criteria, shall be invited to submit Full Project Proposals.
- For further inquiries contact: SDF Coordinator (0754304181); Assistant SDF Coordinator (0712964364) or SDF Administrative Secretary (0764886868) or through General Line +255222781165 or e-mail sdf@tea.or.tz or read all guidelines provided in TEA website www.tea.or.tz/skills-development-fund.
Click here to Apply
Director General,
Tanzania Education Authority,
P.O Box 34578,
DAR ES SALAAM.