Practical Action is an international development organization with a vision for a world that works better for everyone.
We exist to change the systems that keep people in poverty and vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, nature loss and pollution. We work alongside communities to build resilient livelihoods and thriving, inclusive societies.
In Kenya, we have been active since 1990, implementing impactful programmes that have changed lives. We are a trusted partner to the national and county governments, private sector, communities, funders and development organizations. We operate offices in Nairobi, Kisumu and Kakamega.
We are committed to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment through all our work. This includes programmes, knowledge sharing, advocacy, external communications, and our own organisational development. At a minimum, we ensure that all our work is gender sensitive, seeking gender transformative approaches as our overall ambition and in accordance with context.
Objectives of the Assignment
The project plans to engage a YSLA Service Provider to support access-to-finance interventions. This will include training and handholding newly formed groups on YSLA methodology, mentoring and coaching the groups through registration. These actions are intended to strengthen access to financial solutions for young women and men, enabling them to expand or improve their businesses.
Specifically, the consultant will:
- Conduct YSLA finance, governance and leadership skills needs assessment for newly established groups to identify capacity gaps to inform the delivery model for YSLA methodology.
- Build the capacity of the YSLAs based on the identified needs, with the overarching objective of strengthening their efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. These trainings will be facilitated by selected leads from the YSLAs groups undertaken through YSLA methodology, who will double as guides and Trainer of Trainers (ToTs).
- Guide YSLA groups to access affordable finance options for young men and women with practices on Interest rate, share outs and loan term optimization guides that can be scaled.
- Develop linkage models with MFIs, SACCOs, and banks to strengthen the credibility of YSLAs to enable needs-based access to wholesale credit for onward lending.
- Support the registration of the newly formed YSLAs as legal entities key to accessing debt financing from mainstream financial institutions.
How to apply
A detailed Terms of Reference can be accessed from the website download section.
Interested candidates are invited to submit their proposal to [email protected] with the subject line “’RAY Project YSLA Methodology’’ to reach Practical Action on or before 20th February 2026.
All information/data provided will be handled with utmost confidentiality and will only be used for recruitment purposes.
Guidelines for Submission
A consulting entity that meets the above requirements and is available within the time limit indicated above should submit the following:
- Proposal and capability statement with clear methodological approach (technical proposal).
- Detailed financial proposal in Kenyan Shillings: If the team consists of several members, the professional fees should not just be a daily rate, but it should be based on clearly shown time allocation by each member of the team to the various activities.
- Evidence of experience in similar work.
- Annexed to the proposal should be CVs of the evaluation team outlining previous evaluation experiences and accomplishment.
Award Criteria
The evaluation of the quotations will be based on weighing up technical quality (the methodology and experience) as well as the financial proposal.
Additional Information
Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups. We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks.
Note: Practical Action reserves the right to accept or reject any application.