Call for Applications: Business Development Service Providers

About Light for the World

Light for the World sparks lasting change on disability rights and eye health. We believe in a world where people with eye conditions and disabilities can fully exercise their rights to health, education, work, and protection in emergencies. Over the last three decades, Light for the World has contributed to improving eye health systems and amplifying the voices of people with disabilities.

Our programmes include:

• Eye Health – preventing blindness and promoting eye health for all.
• Inclusive Education – ensuring children with disabilities receive quality, inclusive education.
• Inclusive Economic Empowerment – ensuring that barriers are removed for men and women with disabilities to access decent work.

In Kenya, Light for the World promotes the socioeconomic inclusion of people with disabilities. We focus on empowering people with disabilities by helping them build skills and access opportunities for growth. At the same time, we influence systemic changes to ensure people with disabilities thrive in inclusive environments. Our dual approach emphasizes on the empowerment of people with disabilities alongside broader social transformation.

Through our programmes, we create opportunities for inclusive business and employment. Our Inclusive Business approach equips entrepreneurs with the tools and networks they need to succeed in competitive markets, while advocating for a business environment that embraces diversity. We also partner with organisations and institutions to foster inclusive workplaces by addressing barriers such as a lack of accessibility, negative attitudes and policies.

Light for the World Kenya is seeking 10 highly skilled and committed Business Development Service (BDS) Providers to support an Inclusive Business Program, focused on training and mentoring 250 microentrepreneurs in the repair segment of the e-waste value chain across Nairobi, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Nakuru counties.

This is a short-term consultancy, with a tentative start date of early September 2025.

About the Program

The proposed undertaking is an inclusive entrepreneurship program that supports microentrepreneurs working across the e-waste value chain, with a focus on e-waste collectors and repairers. The program offers technical and inclusion training, mentorship, access to markets and finance opportunities. In year 2 of implementation, the program will specifically focus on 200 existing and 50 new repairers, linking them to sustainable economic opportunities and technical repair ecosystems.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver group and 1:1 coaching, mentorship and follow-up to assigned MEs, aligned with their business needs.
• Facilitate structured technical and business support through in-person training and on-site visits, linked to grant disbursement tranches and milestone tracking.
• Support MEs to track income, expenses, and reinvestment, using provided recordkeeping tools and templates.
• Support inclusive participation and performance of women and persons with disabilities through reasonable accommodation (RA) and adaptive coaching methods.
• Link MEs to formal and informal markets and financial institutions relevant to the repair and circular economy.
• Participate in BDS training and refresher sessions and contribute to peer learning platforms throughout the program.
• Submit weekly ME progress reports, support documentation, and coaching logs using LFTW's data tracking systems (e.g., ActivityInfo).
• Collaborate with the LFTW MERLA and Program teams to ensure effective monitoring and inclusive implementation.

Eligibility & Qualifications

• At least 3 years of demonstrated experience in business coaching, or mentorship—especially in the informal sector or circular economy (e.g., repair businesses, e-waste, electronics parts and accessories); with the ability to deliver structured in-person coaching, follow-up and business milestone verification sessions.
• Practical experience supporting youth, women, and persons with disabilities in entrepreneurship or livelihood projects.
• Strong understanding of market systems, inclusive finance, and grassroots business operations.
• Familiarity with milestone-based grant disbursement and recordkeeping for micro and small enterprises.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage and train diverse MEs in simplified, accessible formats.
• Residence or active business operational knowledge in one of the target counties (Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, or Nakuru) is required.
• Familiarity with digital reporting tools is an added advantage.