Business Development Services (BDS) Officer 89 views1 application

Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) – Ethiopia is an autonomous institution operating under the newly established Ministry of Labor and Skills. Our origins trace back to the merger of two entities: the UNDP-supported Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) founded in February 2013, and the World Bank-financed Women Entrepreneurship Development Project (WEDP) launched in December 2012. Previously under the supervision of the Ministry of Urban Development and Construction, both projects have now joined forces to drive vibrant, competitive, and innovative private sector growth in Ethiopia.

At EDI, our primary objective is to foster the emergence of a dynamic and growth-oriented small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. We achieve this by offering a comprehensive range of entrepreneurship support programs, including ecosystem and capacity building, business development services (BDS), access to finance, and market linkage initiatives. As a national institution, we not only contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem but also play a significant role in promoting self-employment.

In line with our new mandate, EDI has transitioned from being a direct services provider to focusing on building the capacity of other public and private institutions. To fulfill this purpose, we have established a robust national infrastructure encompassing regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, Southern, and Tigray, and we have plans for further expansion. Additionally, we collaborate closely with One-Stop Service Centers in 18 cities across the country.

Our team at EDI comprises 323 trainers, including 1 International Master Trainer and 39 Master Trainers, along with up to 760 Business Development Services (BDS) Advisors. While these trainers and advisors are not direct employees of EDI, we select, train, certify, and invest in their continuous professional development. They are independent private sector actors who contribute to our mission. Furthermore, EDI has played a pivotal role in establishing Centers of Excellence in Entrepreneurship (CoEEs) within higher education institutions. These CoEEs aim to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among faculty, university graduates, and the local community. With our support, these centers regularly organize business idea competitions and incubate the most promising ventures. Through our engagement in the education system, we not only enhance entrepreneurial competencies but also promote a practical, skill-centered, and hands-on teaching approach. By improving the quality of education in the country, we equip graduates with the necessary skills to secure gainful employment or launch their own successful startups. In our ongoing commitment to addressing gaps within the public service system, EDI has recently introduced the Public Entrepreneurship program.

This program tackles challenges such as the lack of selfinitiative, inefficiency, limited innovation, and strategic thinking, as well as a bureaucracy that may not always support SMEs adequately. Developed after careful assessment and feedback from SMEs burdened by an unresponsive and unsympathetic bureaucracy, this program aims to bring about positive change. EDI has earned a reputation for high impact through our rigorous methodology-driven human capacity development. Our work culture is characterized by efficiency, innovation, flexibility, and a strong missiondriven ethos. As one of the first national institutions with international certification, we take pride in our achievements

Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator and in close collaboration with the BDS & Innovation Director and other program leads, the BDS Officer serves as an expert advisor and trainer for participating SMEs in utilizing their vouchers to access quality BDS that meet their business needs. The incumbent assesses SME capabilities, provides guidance on appropriate BDS selection, and facilitates linkages with qualified providers to maximize the impact of the vouchers.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

The specific duties of the BDS Officer will include the following but not limited to:

• Manages the BDS voucher application and approval process, ensures compliance with BDS financial support guidelines and regulations. • Develops and maintains the voucher system, including database management, security, and integration with vendors. • Developing and delivering BDS programs and trainings to SMEs.

• Providing technical assistance to SMEs on business planning, marketing, and financial management.

• Building relationships with key stakeholders, including government officials, businesses, and donors.

• Overseeing the development and implementation of BDS policies and procedures.

• Conduct needs assessments of SMEs enrolled in the voucher program to identify capability gaps and business challenges.

• Map SME needs to appropriate BDS solutions (financial management, marketing, digitalization etc) that can drive growth

• Develop training materials and deliver capacity building workshops to educate SMEs on available BDS options.

• Guide SMEs through BDS provider selection aligned to their strategic business goals

• Facilitate linkages and connections between SMEs and qualified BDS providers

• Oversee delivery of BDS services supported by vouchers and ensure timely issue resolution

• Provide hands-on support to SMEs on optimally utilizing different BDS for long-term benefits

• Capture feedback from SMEs on quality of BDS received through vouchers

• Identify opportunities to improve the design and delivery of the BDS voucher program

• Prepare reports on voucher utilization trends, successes and improvement areas • Efficiently execute any other tasks and responsibilities as required by the Project Coordinator and other line program managers.