YEA-R Deputy Program Manager

Job Description

The Youth Entrepreneurship in Agriculture in Rwanda (YEA-R) Program is a transformative five-year initiative designed to create dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for 40,000 young people across Rwanda’s agrifood sector. With a deliberate focus on inclusion, the program ensures that 70% of participants are young women and 5% are young persons with disabilities, thereby advancing equity while contributing to the Mastercard Foundation’s 2030 vision of creating 300,000 youth employment opportunities in Rwanda. Led by SNV and implemented through a consortium of local and international partners, YEA-R empowers youth aged 18 to 35 with technical expertise in the horticulture and poultry value chains, complemented by life skills, entrepreneurship coaching, and mentorship. Beyond individual capacity building, the program strengthens market systems, fosters entrepreneurship, promotes access to finance, and integrates Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices. Operating across ten districts Bugesera, Burera, Karongi, Muhanga, Musanze, Ngororero, Nyamasheke, Rubavu, Rusizi, and Rutsiro the program implements its mission through three interconnected pathways: Strengthening Production and Financial Resilience, supporting youth to improve productivity and build financial resilience. Strengthening Business Operations and Market Linkages. Empowerment, Voice, and Agency fostering leadership, gender equity, and youth participation in decision-making. Together, these pathways position the YEA-R program as a key driver of inclusive growth, youth empowerment, and sustainable change in Rwanda’s agrifood sector.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Rwanda’s agrifood sector. They play a significant role in job creation for young people, strengthening food security, promoting innovation in agricultural value chains, and connecting smallholder farmers to markets. Despite their potential, many youth-led MSMEs face challenges related to limited business management skills, weak financial management systems, limited access to markets, and inadequate strategic planning. These challenges often limit their growth and their ability to create employment opportunities for young people.

To address these gaps, the YEA-R Program intends to engage a qualified consultant firm to provide targeted capacity building and tailored business mentorship to selected youth led MSMEs, with the aim of strengthening their business performance, access structured markets, and expanding their potential to generate meaningful employment opportunities for youth.

Objectives

• The main objective of this consultancy is to build the capacity of 1500 youth led MSMEs through business development, coaching and mentorship, enabling them to improve their business operation, enhance access to structured markets and expand employment opportunities for young people.

Specific Objectives

• Provide practical business coaching and mentorship to 1,500 youth led MSMEs to improve their business operations and growth.
• Support 1,500 youth led MSMEs to develop or refine business plans.
• Enhance 1,500 youth led MSMEs capacity to create dignified and fulfilling employment opportunities for young people.
• Facilitate market linkages and networking opportunities for 1,500 youth-led MSMEs.

Scope of Work

The scope of work of this assignment is to deliver structured business coaching and mentorship support to selected 1500 youth led MSMEs across the program targeted districts over a period of six months.

Expected Deliverables

• Develop a detailed inception report outlining the assignment methodology, implementation approach, work plan, and timeline for the coaching and mentorship activities.
• Develop and submit practical coaching and mentorship materials and tools to support business coaching and capacity building for 1,500 youth-led MSMEs (e.g.: coaching guides, mentorship frameworks, and business development tools).
• Conduct regular coaching and mentorship sessions with the selected 1,500 youth-led MSMEs, including documentation of sessions, attendance records, and key issues addressed. These should be conducted twice a month.
• Submit monthly progress reports summarizing mentorship activities conducted, enterprises supported, key achievements, challenges encountered, and recommendations for improvement.
• Final Assignment Report: Develop and submit a comprehensive final report summarizing the overall implementation of the business coaching and mentorship assignment, key results achieved, lessons learned, success stories, and practical recommendations to strengthen the growth and sustainability of the supported youth-led MSMEs.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted to rwandaprocurement@snv.org no later than April 20th, 2026.