Project Consultant
| Deadline: | 5:00pm, June 21, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Organization: | North York Community House |
Neighbourhood Sector Support for Immigrant Entrepreneurship
With the support of the Metcalf Foundation, North York Community House is seeking an external consultant to lead a project that will explore how neighborhood focused agencies can effectively support small and micro-business development among immigrants living in Toronto’s low income communities.
The project will explore agency capacity to support small scale entrepreneurship amongst immigrant communities within two Toronto neighbourhoods (Lotherton Pathway-Caledonia and Weston-Mt. Dennis, where NYCH already has extensive links to community groups) with the expectation that final recommendations will be broadly applicable to other areas with similar needs.
The project will facilitate discussions between parties and so encourage the development of a network of stakeholders with an interest in the impact of small scale entrepreneurship on community economic development.
Project Scope
The project will focus on developing support for immigrants with an interest in small and micro business development in the following areas:
- Business communication skills – competence and confidence in communication and use of business terminology within Canadian business culture
- Availability of general assistance with business planning and implementation that is accessible to immigrant entrepreneurs
- Availability of immigrant specific business development assistance – support to compensate for lack of familiarity with language, Canadian business norms and regulatory issues (including regulations pertaining to home based businesses)
- Access to key networks – to obtain on-going business development advice and support (such as mentoring), and to explore new business markets (particularly those outside of the entrepreneur’s community)
We will seek input from residents (including information on current informal businesses to be gathered by community animators), successful immigrant entrepreneurs, and neighbourhood or self-employment focused service providers. We will also undertake a literature review of models that are used elsewhere in Canada and internationally to identify best practices that could be applied to Toronto.
Project Process Overview
- Develop tools to collect key information from resident stakeholders; support community animators in use of tools
- Gather feedback from established immigrant entrepreneurs on support they would recommend for entrepreneurs who are new to Canada
- Obtain feedback from service providers on the types of self-employment support requested by immigrant entrepreneurs, and providers’ interest in participating in future initiatives that may develop from the findings of this project
- Conduct a literature review of supports for entrepreneurs in low income communities in other parts of Canada and internationally to identify best practices
- Synthesize information gathered from all sources; develop initial options for support of entrepreneurs
- Obtain feedback from entrepreneurs and other stakeholders on initial options; develop final recommendations
Project Time-Line and Budget
- Duration of project is approximately 5 months starting in July 2012
- Budget for consultant expenses – maximum of $8,000
Consultant Qualifications
- Experience of designing and implementing research tools and methodologies to gather information from diverse stakeholders, including community residents with English as a second language
- Ability to train and support local residents to gather information from members of their community
- Experience of conducting literature reviews to inform program development options
- Ability to synthesize information gathered from various sources and develop responses to community based opportunities
- Experience of working in the non-profit sector; understanding of challenges faced by newcomers to Canada
Proposal Requirements
Your submission should contain the following:
- Resume and cover letter, illustrating how your qualifications and experience relate to this project
- A draft work plan covering the points outlined in the above project process overview
- Budget – please indicate the total hours and cost for each step in the work plan
About North York Community House
In 1990, North York Community House (‘NYCH’) came into existence as a result of a sizable donation from an anonymous benefactor. Over the course of 21 years, this single act of generosity grew into an organization dedicated to assisting newcomers to Toronto in settling and integrating into their community, and to building strong neighbourhoods.
When NYCH’s doors first opened, it operated out of a tiny Bathurst Street storefront with a staff of two. As the community changed, NYCH kept pace. In the intervening years, NYCH has grown, moving into several locations and expanding its services. Today, a staff of over 100 conducts services in 50 locations to over 25,000 individuals annually. A few things at NYCH have remained unchanged, things like our commitment to working with individuals in an effort to strengthen communities. Imagine all this from a single, anonymous donation.
For over 21 years now, NYCH has been supporting families and new Canadians. We are a living part of the community, and we use our experience and strong relationships with local residents to ensure our services meet their changing needs. We also look for exciting new ways to work with community members to achieve their goals.
Our Vision: A strong community where all belong and thrive.
Our Mission: To support our diverse community to achieve its goals, and to enhance the strength and resilience of our neighbourhoods.
For more information about NYCH, please go to www.nych.ca
For More Information
| Name: | Consultant Hiring Committee |
|---|---|
| Email: | nych@nych.ca |
To submit the RFP
Please send your submission to:
Consultant Hiring Committee, North York Community House
E-mail: nych@nych.ca