The Forsah Technical and Vocational Education Training Program (Forsah TVET) is seeking non-governmental TVET institutions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, offering levels 1,2, and/or 4 training to partner with Forsah TVET through applying to 2024 Partnership Application.

Application deadline: July 14, 2024, 11:59 PM Jerusalem time

Forsah TVET seeks to partner with non-governmental Palestinian TVET institutions for its second cohort to collaboratively develop new or upgraded training programs. These programs will support Palestinian career paths and link students to employment opportunities, or help them start their own business, in increasingly in-demand sectors. Through partnerships, Forsah TVET supports TVET institutions’ responsiveness to the needs of the private sector and the effects of climate change; creates new partnerships between the TVET institutions and the private sector; and increases the number of skilled graduates. In addition, Forsah TVET will support enhanced career development services and mentorships for students. Forsah TVET activities will work with youth to improve awareness of TVET programs and increase student enrollment in partner institutions.

PARTNERSHIP APPROACH:

The purpose of this partnership activity is to create a collaborative platform that fosters cooperation and knowledge-sharing between TVET institutions and the Forsah TVET program. This collaboration will lead to the development of innovative curricula, teaching methods, and assessment tools that are tailored to the needs of the labor market and the local industry. Through this partnership program, selected TVET institutions will have access to a range of resources and networks, including technical expertise, financial support, and training opportunities. This will enable them to enhance their capacity to provide high-quality and relevant TVET and to meet the evolving needs of the labor market.

Activities aim to create more inclusive and equitable offerings by promoting the integration of marginalized groups, such as females, youth and people with disabilities, into the workforce. By providing them with relevant skills and knowledge, TVET institutions and Forsah TVET can contribute to reducing poverty and promoting sustainable economic growth. This program will support activities that build sustainable relationships between TVET Institutions, the private sector, and youth to focus on meeting evolving economic needs.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Institutional partnerships are limited to institution-level applications, not individual staff members. Only applications that include a letter of commitment signed by the institution director/president will be considered.
•  Staff representatives of selected TVET institutions will be expected to participate in different Forsah TVET components.
• TVET Institutional applicants must represent registered, non-governmental institutions in West Bank, or East Jerusalem.
• TVET Institutional applicants must offer level 1, 2, and/or 4 training programs.
• Current IREX employees and consultants and their immediate family members (spouses, parents, children, and siblings) are not eligible to compete in any IREX-administered grant programs, either as individuals or as the responsible party representing an institutional applicant.
• Public International Organizations (PIOs) are not eligible to participate in this program.
• To comply with US governmental laws and policy that apply to Forsah TVET funding only applicants that confirm their intention to sign the Anti-Terrorism Certification (ATC) may be considered. After initial selection, institutions must submit a signed ATC and pass US governmental vetting processes to further participate in the Forsah TVET partnership.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The following criteria will be evaluated:

• Demonstrate commitment to institutional capacity development.
• Demonstrate institutional commitment to innovation and change.
• Diversity of training programs and in areas of skills-demand with practical learning experiences. 
• Demonstrate commitment to improve teaching and learning through staff professional development.
• Demonstrate commitment to growing in areas of Forsah TVET cross-cutting themes: digitization, greening, positive youth development (PYD), gender equity and social inclusion (GESI.)
• Demonstrate understanding of relationship between infrastructure/equipment and programmatic outcomes.
• Existing mechanisms for quality management.  
• Commitment to outreach and community engagement.  
• Demonstrate structures for financial management and sustainability. 
• Demonstrate commitment to engage extensively and sustainably with the private sector.   

Note: Priority will be given to diversity, including selected sectors, the level of programming, and the geographic distribution of institutions, among other factors, when selecting partners. 

QUESTIONS

You can review the published questions and answers around the partnership application through the following link: https://www.irex.org/partnership-application-questions-and-answers

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Application instruction links

• English: TVET Partnership Application Instructions English 
• Arabic: TVET Partnership Application Instructions Arabic 

Application links:

• English: Forsah TVET- Partnership Application Form- English  
• Arabic: Forsah TVET- Partnership Application Form – Arabic 
• Instructions for completing the application on Alchemer platform (PDF, 297 KB)

IREX reserves the right to verify of all the information indicated in the application. In the event that there is a discrepancy, or information is found to be false, the application will immediately be declared invalid and the applicant ineligible.

Please review the program requirements prior to starting an application to ensure that you are eligible. Please note that eligibility requirements are determined by the U.S. Department of State and exceptions cannot be made.

Forsah TVET is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IREX in partnership with DAI Global LLC, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT), Development Gateway (DG), Business Women Forum Palestine (BWF), Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), An-Najah, An-Najah Company for Consultancy and Technical Studies (AnNajah). The contents of this application are the responsibility of IREX and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.