Career Counselling and Recruitment Resources Consultancy at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), July 2026

Company: Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)

Location: ArushaKasulu

Category: Tender

Request for proposals: Develop and deliver career counselling and recruitment resources training

Re-advertisement notice

This request for proposals (RFP) is being re-advertised.

Applicants who submitted a proposal under the original posting do not need to resubmit their applications. Their proposals have already been received and will continue to be considered during the evaluation process.

RFP details

Program: Empowerment through Skills Program

Organization: Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)

Assignment: Develop and deliver career counselling and recruitment resources training to staff at partner Folk Development Colleges

RFP issue date: 13 July 2026

Submission deadline: 21 July 2026 at 5:00 PM

Submission email: procurement@tz.collegesinstitutes.ca

Maximum consultancy budget: TZS 75,000,000

Expected duration: Six months from the signing of the contract

Background

Colleges and Institutes Canada is implementing the Empowerment through Skills Program in Tanzania.

The Empowerment through Skills Program is a seven-year initiative running from 2021 to 2028. It is implemented by CICan in close collaboration with Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology through the Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training. The program is funded by the Government of Canada.

The program’s ultimate outcome is to improve the economic participation of women and adolescent girls in Tanzania.

ESP works to strengthen alternative pathways to education, employment, self-employment, and entrepreneurship for women and adolescent girls. It collaborates with Folk Development Colleges and Community-Based Organizations in 12 communities across Tanzania.

A critical part of the program is strengthening the capacity of FDCs to provide comprehensive support services that help attract and retain female trainees, support their graduation, and facilitate their transition into skilled employment in key economic sectors.

Consultancy objective

ESP seeks to engage a qualified individual consultant or consultancy firm with expertise in career counselling and the development of recruitment resources.

The selected consultant or firm will support the development of training materials and deliver training to staff at the program’s 12 partner Folk Development Colleges.

The assignment will involve developing three comprehensive career counselling and recruitment toolkits and facilitating training sessions for FDC staff.

The consultancy aims to equip FDC staff with the skills required to provide structured and gender-responsive guidance to students in:

Career planning

Labour-market integration

Job preparation

Personal development

Transition to employment or self-employment

Language requirements

Kiswahili is the language of instruction in the partner FDCs and the most commonly used language in the districts where the program operates.

The consultant or consultancy firm must:

Prepare all training materials in both Kiswahili and English.

Provide facilitators who understand both languages.

Deliver or co-deliver the training in Kiswahili.

Ensure that machine translation is not used.

Machine translation is strictly prohibited.

Equal-opportunity statement

Applications are invited from suitably qualified individual consultants and consultancy firms that meet the requirements stated in the RFP.

This is an equal opportunity for qualified individuals and firms. Firms owned or led by women are particularly encouraged to apply.

Scope of work and key tasks

The target beneficiaries of this consultancy are staff members of the partner Folk Development Colleges.

The consultant or consultancy firm will be required to undertake the following tasks:

1. Assess training needs

Discuss the training needs of the partner FDCs with CICan and the ESP team and provide recommendations on:

Training content

Required training materials

Appropriate approaches for delivering the assignment

2. Conduct desk reviews

Review relevant documents and information, including:

Existing FDC programs

ESP short courses

National TVET policies

National labour policies

Labour-market trends

3. Conduct site visits

Conduct a minimum of three site visits to partner FDCs.

During the visits, the consultant or firm will engage with staff and students to identify gaps in existing career-guidance services.

A site-visit report must be prepared explaining:

The findings from the consultations

Existing gaps in career counselling and recruitment support

How the findings will inform the development of the toolkits and training

4. Develop three career counselling and recruitment modules

The consultant or consultancy firm will develop three comprehensive modules within a career counselling and recruitment toolkit.

Module 1: Career path advising and career planning

The module should include tools and strategies that help students:

Identify their interests

Assess their strengths

Explore occupations

Establish career goals

Develop practical career plans

Module 2: Employer alignment and recruitment readiness

The module should provide resources that help trainees:

Understand employer needs

Prepare CVs

Search for jobs

Prepare for interviews

Build professional networks

Improve their recruitment readiness

Module 3: Counselling techniques, transition to work and personal awareness

The module should provide practical guidance to FDC staff on:

Effective counselling methods

Soft-skills training

Confidence building

Life planning

Personal awareness

Transition from training to employment

The toolkit must be prepared in Kiswahili and English.

5. Submit the toolkits for review

Submit the developed career counselling and recruitment toolkits to CICan and the ESP team for review.

6. Prepare and submit a training plan

Develop and submit a comprehensive training plan for review by CICan.

7. Revise the materials

Revise the following documents based on feedback and recommendations from CICan and the ESP team:

Work plan

Training plan

Career counselling toolkit

Recruitment toolkit

Training materials

Training content

8. Deliver regional training

Deliver a minimum of three regional training sessions for FDC staff.

The training should explain how staff can:

Use the toolkit

Adapt the toolkit to their institutional context

Apply the materials when supporting students

The training must be delivered in Kiswahili.

CICan and ESP will organize and pay for:

Participant travel

Venue arrangements

Training logistics

Other participant-related costs

The consultant or consultancy firm will arrange its own travel and include the related travel expenses in its billing.

9. Develop a facilitator’s guide

Prepare a facilitator’s guide or manual to support:

Continued use of the training materials

Effective implementation

Institutional sustainability

Future delivery of similar training

10. Submit a final consultancy report

Prepare and submit a final report covering the implementation of the assignment, key observations, recommendations, and completed activities.

Key deliverables and estimated timelines

Draft work plan

The draft work plan must be submitted to CICan by 30 July 2026.

Feedback on the draft work plan

CICan will provide feedback on the draft work plan by 7 August 2026.

Final work plan

The final work plan must be submitted to CICan by 10 August 2026.

Site-visit report

The site-visit report must be submitted to CICan by 31 August 2026.

First draft of the training toolkits

The first draft of the career counselling and recruitment training toolkits must be submitted to CICan for review by 14 September 2026.

Feedback on training materials and plan

CICan will provide feedback on the first draft of the following by 21 September 2026:

Training-delivery plan

Training materials

Training toolkit

Final training plan, toolkit and materials

The final versions of the training plan, toolkit, and supporting materials must be submitted to CICan by 26 September 2026.

Training delivery

Training sessions for FDC staff must be delivered according to the approved training plan by 30 October 2026.

Final reporting and administrative documents

The consultant or consultancy firm must submit the following to CICan by 31 November 2026, as stated in the RFP:

A short final report

Recommendations based on key observations during the training

Final activity reports

Timesheets

Invoices

Important note: The document states “31 November 2026,” although November has 30 days. Applicants may wish to seek clarification from CICan regarding the intended final submission date.

Required qualifications and experience

The consultant, consultancy firm, or proposed experts must have the following qualifications and experience:

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Education, Career Development, Human Resource Development, Psychology, Social Sciences, or another relevant discipline.

A master’s degree is preferred.

At least five to seven years of proven experience in designing, developing, and delivering capacity-building programs.

Relevant experience in career counselling, employment services, vocational education, or TVET in Tanzania.

Experience developing toolkits, curricula, or training materials for educational or skills-development institutions in Tanzania.

Proven ability to integrate gender-sensitive and inclusive approaches into educational resources.

Familiarity with Tanzania’s labour-market dynamics.

Familiarity with the country’s TVET system.

Understanding of youth-employment challenges, particularly those affecting women and adolescent girls.

Ability to work with diverse groups.

Ability to adapt training content to different cultural contexts.

Excellent spoken and written Kiswahili and English.

Strong communication skills and the ability to explain complex concepts clearly.

Good understanding of Tanzania’s TVET sector.

Excellent Information and Communications Technology skills.

Relevant ICT skills should include:

Microsoft Teams

Zoom

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Outlook and email

Experience working with Folk Development Colleges or similar community-based training institutions will be an added advantage.

Preferred attributes

The consultant or consultancy firm should ideally be familiar with:

Gender-equality policies, procedures, and practices at the national level in Tanzania.

Education policies, procedures, and practices of the Government of Tanzania.

Policies, procedures, and practices of Community-Based Organizations.

Policies and operational approaches of non-governmental organizations.

National women’s organizations in Tanzania.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

International development cooperation.

Working with international organizations.

Reporting arrangements

The consultant or consultancy firm will work under the direction of the Manager of Operations, Programs and Partnerships at CICan or the manager’s designated representative.

The selected consultant or firm will be expected to perform the assignment with a high degree of:

Independence

Professional responsibility

Autonomy

Accountability

Consultancy duration and budget

The expected duration of the consultancy is six months from the date the contract is signed.

Travel and communication costs will be reimbursed based on actual expenses.

The total expected consultancy budget must not exceed TZS 75,000,000.

All proposals will be assessed on both:

Technical elements

Financial elements

Submission requirements

Proposals must be submitted by email to:

Email: procurement@tz.collegesinstitutes.ca

Deadline: 21 July 2026 at 5:00 PM

Required email subject line

ESP RFP – CAREER COUNSELING & RECRUITMENT RESOURCES & TRAINING

Proposal page limit

Submissions must be limited to 10 pages, excluding the specified annexed registration and compliance documents.

Documents required from consultancy firms

Consultancy firms must submit:

A copy of a formally registered business licence or NGO certificate issued by the Government of Tanzania.

Evidence that the firm has operated in Tanzania for at least three years.

Proof of tax payments.

Tax-clearance documentation covering two years.

These documents may be submitted as annexes and will not count toward the 10-page proposal limit.

Notarized copies will be required before a contract is awarded.

Relevant experience and qualifications

Applicants must provide details of the consultant’s or consultancy firm’s relevant experience and qualifications.

This section should include samples of verifiable previous work and must not exceed two pages.

Curriculum vitae

Applicants must submit CVs for the consulting team members who will be responsible for delivering the assignment.

Each CV must not exceed two pages.

Proposed work plan and methodology

Applicants must submit a proposed work plan and methodology explaining how they will complete the key tasks listed in the RFP.

This section must not exceed four pages.

Proposed budget

Applicants must submit a detailed proposed budget showing all expected costs.

The official budget template should be downloaded and completed:

DRAFT_Budget_Template_CareerCounselingRecruitment.xlsx

Overview of the Empowerment through Skills Program

The Empowerment through Skills Program aims to create sustainable and inclusive pathways for women and adolescent girls to access:

Education

Employment

Self-employment

Entrepreneurship

Skills development

Gender and human-rights training

Business support

The program also works to increase women’s and girls’ participation in skills-training programs and improve their access to post-training support.

Main program activities

Working with FDCs, CBOs, government institutions, Canadian colleges, and community leaders, ESP supports activities that include:

Establishing a network of gender teams and female mentors.

Conducting community awareness activities on gender equality.

Promoting the benefits of women’s education and economic empowerment.

Providing sustainable capacity-building training to FDCs and CBOs.

Providing training in gender equality and human rights.

Strengthening pedagogy and andragogy.

Supporting environmental sustainability.

Strengthening competency-based education and training.

Providing leadership, guidance, and career-counselling support.

Promoting occupational health and safety.

Strengthening marketing and trainee recruitment.

Improving information and communication technology skills.

Supporting labour-market assessments.

Improving demand-driven program design and delivery.

Developing gender-responsive and environmentally sensitive short skills programs.

Reviewing course content and teaching methods.

Supporting the Elimu Haina Mwisho program.

Supporting early-childhood development programs with teaching and learning resources.

Ensuring appropriate support services for women and adolescent girls, particularly young mothers attending partner FDCs.

Partner institutions and locations

The program supports six institutional partnerships involving 12 Tanzanian FDCs, 12 CBOs, and 17 Canadian colleges.

ESP partnership 1

Mto wa Mbu FDC

Partner CBO: International Collaborative for Science, Education and the Environment, also known as Maasai Stoves

District: Monduli

Region: Arusha

Kilwa Masoko FDC

Partner CBO: Tumaini Jipya la Wanawake Kilwa

District: Kilwa

Region: Lindi

Partner Canadian colleges:

Nova Scotia Community College

North Island College

Saskatchewan Polytechnic

ESP partnership 2

Tarime FDC

Partner CBO: Mara Development Organization

District: Tarime

Region: Mara

Singida FDC

Partner CBO: Sauti ya Pamoja ya Wanawake

District: Singida

Region: Singida

Partner Canadian colleges:

Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology

Cégep Trois-Rivières

Cégep de Chicoutimi

ESP partnership 3

Mwanhala FDC

Partner CBO: Christian Education and Development Organization

District: Nzega

Region: Tabora

Rubondo FDC

Partner CBO: Tumaini Orphan Support Organisation

District: Biharamulo

Region: Kagera

Partner Canadian colleges:

College of the North Atlantic

NorQuest College

Canadore College of Applied Arts and Technology

ESP partnership 4

Kiwanda FDC

Partner CBO: Zigi Community Stability and Development

District: Muheza

Region: Tanga

Kasulu FDC

Partner CBO: Kituo cha Taarifa na Maarifa

District: Kasulu

Region: Kigoma

Partner Canadian colleges:

Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick

ESP partnership 5

Munguri FDC

Partner CBO: Justice in the Society for Transformative Change

District: Kondoa

Region: Dodoma

Bigwa FDC

Partner CBO: Young Strong Mothers Foundation

District: Morogoro

Region: Morogoro

Partner Canadian colleges:

Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology

Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology

ESP partnership 6

Msaginya FDC

Partner CBO: Tuelimike

District: Mpanda

Region: Katavi

Njombe FDC

Partner CBO: Community Concern of Orphans and Development Association

District: Njombe

Region: Njombe

Partner Canadian colleges:

Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology

Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology

Program targets

Targets for the 12 partner CBOs

The program aims to achieve the following results:

A total of 480 women and adolescent girls will complete short, gender-sensitive skills-training activities delivered by CBOs in their communities.

A total of 36 CBO volunteers and staff, including 24 women, will receive training in technical and/or pedagogical skills and in delivering gender-equality and human-rights modules.

A total of 2,400 community members, including 1,200 women, will participate in gender-equality and human-rights awareness activities.

Targets for the 12 partner FDCs

The program aims to achieve the following results:

A total of 720 women and adolescent girls will graduate from gender-responsive short programs developed under ESP.

A total of 180 FDC staff members, including 60 women, will receive technical and/or pedagogical training and training in delivering gender-equality and human-rights modules.

A total of 3,200 students, including 1,000 women, will participate in gender-equality and human-rights awareness activities.

How to submit a proposal

Applicants should:

Prepare all required technical, administrative, and financial documents.

Ensure the main submission does not exceed 10 pages.

Attach the required registration and tax documents as annexes where applicable.

Complete the official budget template.

Use the required email subject line.

Email the complete proposal to procurement@tz.collegesinstitutes.ca.

Submit the proposal no later than 21 July 2026 at 5:00 PM.

RFQ/Tender Information and Attachments

For comprehensive information regarding this RFQ/tender, we invite you to download the attachments provided below. These documents contain all the necessary details, including specifications, requirements, and submission guidelines. Please review them carefully to ensure you have all the pertinent information needed to participate.