Strengthening BDS Providers and Value Chains for Women's Economic Empowerment

The EMPOWR project will provide a range of advisory, facilitation and capacity-building to support women economic empowerment in selected provinces in Laos. The project will focus on four key areas: - Output 1: The project will strengthen reform processes and the enabling environment for women's economic empowerment by advising MoIC and sector ministries on gender-responsive policies, fostering public-private dialogue, improving use of gender data, and building women's leadership capacities. - Output 2: The project will improve the availability and quality of gender-responsive and -transformative support services by capacitating BDS providers and intermediary organisations, co-developing new offers where gaps exist, and promoting digital and green skills for women. - Output 3: The project will strengthen women's producer groups and value chains in high-participation sectors by enhancing product quality, collective business capacities, and market access, supported by peer learning and women champions. - Output 4: The project will support increasing visibility of women's economic contributions through media, role models, and digital/physical platforms that showcase women's products and entrepreneurial success. The contractor will provide advisory services in areas such as women economic empowerment, development of Business Development Service (BDS) provider markets and value chain development. The contractor will combine on-the-ground facilitation with advisory inputs and trainings.