Self-Employment Services

The Vendor is required to provide self-employment program participants with formal training, business plan development, one-to-one business counselling, coaching and guidance to develop and start their new business.
- Participant recruitment
•    Provider will be responsible for the active recruitment of participants into the self employment program. 
•    Recruitment efforts should include targeted outreach strategies to attract suitable candidates, raise awareness of the program within the community, and ensure equitable access for individuals interested in pursuing self employment. 
•    The provider is expected to promote the program through appropriate marketing channels and implement processes to assess participant readiness and alignment with program objectives. 
•    The process and marketing plan to meet the proposed target participant numbers.
- Assessment process and business concept viability
•    The self employment (SE) program will include a structured assessment process to determine participant suitability and the viability of proposed business concepts. 
•    Evaluate the participant’s readiness for self employment, including motivation, relevant skills and experience, financial stability, and understanding of the demands of operating a business. 
•    Once deemed suitable, participants will undergo a business concept review to assess feasibility and sustainability. 
•    This review will consider factors such as market demand, competitive landscape, pricing and revenue potential, start up costs, regulatory requirements, and risk. 
•    Participants will receive support to refine their business ideas through research. 
•    Only business concepts that demonstrate reasonable potential for viability and align with program guidelines will be approved to proceed in the SE program.
•    Clearly identify the assessment process, including the tools used and the time required to complete a full assessment of prospective participants. 
•    The proposal must also describe how to determine the participant is ready willing and able (RWA) as described in program guidelines as well as how business concept viability will be assessed as part of this process.
- Service management
•    Service management is the coordinated set of activities a provider undertakes to plan, deliver, document, monitor, and adjust self employment services for each participant from intake through follow up. 
•    It will ensure the participant’s journey is structured, compliant, and outcome focused, while maintaining consistent quality and reporting. 
•    All participants receive service management from start of the program to 90 day follow up.
- Business plan development
•    The program will provide participants with support in developing a business plan that maps the necessary steps to operate their own business. 
•    Basic components of a business plan include, but are not limited to: a business idea, market research, marketing plan, organizational documents, operational details and financial planning. 
•    Participants are required to complete a business plan which must be reviewed and assessed by program staff, with feedback provided. 
•    This activity typically occurs during the instructor led training period and is completed prior to, or shortly after, the commencement of the business operations support component.