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The Mastercard Foundation is seeking to contract a Youth Enabling Organization who will collaborate closely with the Youth Engagement team to manage Youth-Led Organizations in Kenya.
Opportunity Details
The Mastercard Foundation is seeking to contract a Youth Enabling Organization who will collaborate closely with the Youth Engagement team to manage Youth-Led Organizations in Kenya. This assignment will revolve around YLOs’ mapping and recruitment, onboarding, contracting, MEL, and overall program management within the program period.
General Description Of The Assignment
The Mastercard Foundation in Kenya, through its Young Africa Works strategy, aims to enable 7 million young people—5 million of whom are young women—to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. A core part of this strategy is the Foundation’s deep commitment to partnering with youth-led organizations, recognizing their vital role in reaching and empowering Kenya’s most marginalized young women and men.
Youth-led organizations are uniquely positioned to drive transformative change and innovation. They bring firsthand insight into the challenges faced by young people and are critical in designing and delivering relevant, inclusive, and impactful solutions. By partnering with these organizations, the Foundation seeks to amplify youth voices, support locally driven innovation, and scale up efforts that unlock meaningful work opportunities for all young people. The partnership with youth-led organizations focuses on the following key areas:
Through these efforts, the Mastercard Foundation aims to foster a thriving ecosystem of youth-led organizations capable of driving long-term, inclusive growth across Kenya.
In Kenya, Youth aged 15–34 years constitute approximately 35% of the population, yet the youth unemployment rate remains alarmingly high—estimated at 67%, according to Statista. This crisis is fueled by a complex interplay of factors, including:
These structural barriers disproportionately affect young women, refugees, and youth with disabilities, making inclusive and youth-centred solutions essential. Addressing these challenges requires targeted interventions that are led by young people themselves and supported by partners with deep contextual understanding and technical expertise.
OBJECTIVE OF THIS CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
The Mastercard Foundation is seeking to contract a Youth Enabling Organization who will collaborate closely with the Youth Engagement team to manage Youth-Led Organizations in Kenya. This assignment will revolve around YLOs’ mapping and recruitment, onboarding, contracting, MEL, and overall program management within the program period.
SCOPE OF WORK
A Kenyan-based organization or a consultancy firm will support the Youth Engagement team in:
1. Recruitment and Onboarding of Youth-Led Organizations (YLOs): Identify, recruit, and onboard YLOs across Kenya, prioritizing those led by young women, refugees, and persons with disabilities. Selected YLOS should align with the strategic priorities of the Kenya Country Program, including Agrifood systems, Digital Economy, Entrepreneurship, Creatives, and Workforce Development with Gender, Youth, Refugee, and Persons with Disabilities.
2. Contracting, Funds Disbursement and Management: Assess, contract, and disburse approved funding to onboarded Youth-Led Organizations (YLOs). In addition, the selected organization will be responsible for overseeing the utilization of program funds, ensuring compliance with Mastercard Foundation’s financial guidelines, policies, and reporting standards.
3. Oversight and Support During Implementation: The selected organization will be responsible for overseeing the programmatic and financial management of the Youth-Led Organizations (YLOs) throughout the implementation phase. While providing operational guidance and support, the organization must uphold the independence, voice, and agency of the YLOs, ensuring they lead and implement their programs autonomously.
4. Facilitation of Learning Forums and Knowledge Sharing: Design and lead youth-centred, participatory learning sessions, fostering continuous reflection and adaptive learning among Youth-Led Organizations (YLOS). It will also be responsible for documenting key lessons, success stories, and challenges throughout the implementation period. These insights will be regularly shared with the Foundation and relevant stakeholders, ensuring that youth voice and agency remain central to program learning and improvement.
5. Coordination of capacity building and strengthening to ensure the YLOs are more effective in delivering on their work and mandate and contribute to enabling young people into dignified and fulfilling work.
KEY DELIVERABLES
1. A draft work Plan for the YLO program Period
2. Initial guidance on execution of the YLO program (exact deliverables to be agreed)
3. Mentorship and management of YLOs for Impact
4. Documentation of learnings
5. Submit a final program report
6. Other support as required with the time available.
DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT: The assignment will run for 3 years (June 2025-June 2028)
What to Submit
• A brief (1 page) institutional profile outlining the organization’s relevant experience and qualifications.
• A detailed methodology proposal outlining how the organization will deliver on key tasks described above.
• Profiles and CVs (max3 pages) for key team members who will be involved in the project.
• Proposed line budget.
*The above should be submitted in one (1) PDF file. The electronic copies of the technical and financial proposals should be submitted on or before 6 pm EAT on the deadline date (30th June). The technical proposal should NOT exceed 7 pages.
For further information about submission, check out Mastercard Foundation Expression of Interest
Note: Kindly direct all questions and enquiries to the Program Lead, Youth Engagement, with the email address [email protected] copied to [email protected]