Business Development and Grants Management Specialist

Organizational Setting 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is currently implementing a 3-year project under the Multi-Donor Action “Circular Economy in the Food Sector” (GCP SRL 085 EC | CIRCULAR) which is jointly implemented with Expertise France (EF) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and funded by the European Union (EU). The FAO project under CIRCULAR seeks to address critical issues such as food loss and waste reduction, circularity applied to agri-food systems, and the transition away from single-use plastics from producers up to wholesalers. By leveraging multi-stakeholder partnerships and socio-technological interventions the project seeks to not only mitigate agri-food system climate impacts but also contribute to economic and social well-being.

Reporting Lines

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), the technical supervision of the FAO Lead Technical Officer (LTO) in the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and close collaboration with the International Project Management Specialist, National FLW Specialist and Circular Economy Project Coordinator, the incumbent will contribute to timely implementation of the project performing specific tasks.  

Technical Focus

The Business Development and Grants Management Specialist should have expertise knowledge in entrepreneurship and business development specially focused on the Agri food sector.

Tasks and responsibilities

1.    Review and Optimization of Current Practices:
•    Assess existing practices for FLW among value chain actors in the selected Districts, SMEs, and start-ups specific to Sri Lanka’s agri-food sector, with a focus on Colombo, Galle, and Nuwara Eliya.
•    Identify inefficiencies and propose regionally appropriate strategies for the prevention and reduction of food loss (form production up to wholesale) and food waste (from retail up to households), and for adopting circular economy principles.
•    Provide context-specific business development support required for addressing local challenges including but not limited to market access, infrastructure limitations, and resource constraints.
•    Assess the IT needs for targeted beneficiaries. Collaborate with the IT specialist to address these needs, to the extent feasible under CIRCULAR or identify opportunities for external service providers to support the businesses.
2.    Circular Economy Business Model Development:
•    Guide value chain actors, SMEs, and start-ups in developing and integrating circular business models, such as prevention of food loss (form production up to wholesale) and food waste (from retail up to households), bio-waste recovery, compost production, biogas generation, and food redistribution systems.
•    Ensure that CIRCULAR beneficiaries are supported in developing business models tailored to the unique needs of urban, peri-urban, and rural settings in their target markets.
•    Support the identification and adoption of locally viable alternatives to single-use plastics (SUPs), emphasizing biodegradable, reusable, or recyclable materials within the supply chains.
3.    Grant Utilization and Financial Advisory:
•    Assist value chain actors, SMEs, and start-ups in preparing detailed and high-quality applications for financial support from external sources, ensuring alignment with the project’s focus on circular economy and sustainability.
•    Develop a grant manual and guideline for awarding, execution and monitoring/reporting criteria of grants provided incorporating the grant selection methodology
•    Guide managing and reporting on CIRCULAR grant utilization, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and measurable impact. 
•    Coordinate with the team members for the CIRCULAR M&E tracking.
•    Monitor the financial performance and impact of grant-supported activities, ensuring they meet project objectives and regional sustainability goals.
4.    Network Generation and Stakeholder Engagement:
•    Facilitate connections among Sri Lankan value chain actors, including producers, processors, distributors, financial institutions, and policymakers as well as HoReCa and retailers. 
•    Organize workshops and networking events in Colombo, Galle, and Nuwara Eliya to enhance collaboration, knowledge sharing, and scaling of sustainable practices.
•    Promote partnerships to support the adoption of alternatives to SUPs and encourage investments in circular economy initiatives.
•    Develop the CIRCULAR database of stakeholders – Colombo, Galle, Nuwara Eliya Districts – and any other relevant connections created due to project activities that go beyond the three Districts.
5.    Capacity Development and Awareness Raising:
•    Design and deliver training programs tailored to Sri Lankan value chain actors as well as HoReCa and retailers, SMEs, and start-ups on circular economy practices, business planning, and SUP alternatives.
•    Lead awareness campaigns at the district and national levels to promote the adoption of sustainable practices, highlighting the socio-economic and environmental benefits of reducing plastic use and food waste.
•    Provide practical resources and toolkits to guide businesses in transitioning to sustainable materials and practices.
6.    Monitoring, Reporting, and Documentation:
•    Conduct regular field visits in Colombo, Galle, and Nuwara Eliya to monitor the progress of SMEs participating in the project pilots.
•    Document success stories, lessons learned, and best practices to showcase the impact of the project at local and national levels.
•    Prepare detailed reports, including insights on the adoption of SUP alternatives, grant utilization, and business model transformations, to inform project stakeholders and guide future activities.
7.    Other Responsibilities: 
•    Undertake any other technology and social innovation-related tasks or assignments to support the overall objectives of the CIRCULAR project. 

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    University Degree in Environmental Science, Agricultural Engineering, Natural Resources Management or a related field relevant to technical and socio-economic innovations with at least 4 years of experience in technical innovation, circular economy, or socio-economic development in Sri Lanka OR 
•    Masters level degree with at least 2 years of experience in technical innovation, circular economy, or socio-economic development in Sri Lanka.
•    Working knowledge in English and/or Sinhala/Tamil is required
•    National of Sri Lanka

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Work experience in more than one location or area of work.
•    Technical expertise in economic business models and grant utilization and financial advisory.
•    Designing tailored programmes for the value chain actors, startups and SME’s in the Agri food sector.

Selection Criteria 

•    Experience in promoting circular economy and sustainability practices in sectors such as agri-food or related fields.
•    Proven track record of supporting businesses in accessing funding or grants and preparing detailed business plans.
•    Familiarity with local markets conditions and opportunities in Sri Lanka and in Colombo, Galle, and Nuwara Eliya Districts
•    Experience in working with government, especially with Ministry of Education, Environment, Agriculture.
•    Experience in coordinating and liaising with industry, academia, national authorities, UN agencies, donors, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
•    Familiarity with the UN System and /or development sector will be considered an asset.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION