ShelterTech Consultant – Catalytic Grant Program Consultant

Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in more than 70 countries around the world. Habitat’s vision is of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat works toward its vision by building strength, stability, and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing.

Habitat for Humanity formally launched the Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter (The Terwilliger Centre) in 2016 consolidating more than a decade of experience in developing market-based solutions for housing. The Terwilliger Centre works with housing market actors to expand innovative and client-responsive services, products and financing so that households can improve their shelter more effectively and efficiently. The goal of The Terwilliger Centre is to make housing markets work more effectively for people in need of decent, affordable shelter, thereby improving the quality of life for low-income households. One such initiative is ShelterTech, the world’s leading platform for affordable housing innovation, to bring together entrepreneurs, corporations, investors and development partners in mapping out and supporting innovations with the potential to disrupt the affordable housing sector. To date, ShelterTech has supported over 100 innovations enter the market or scale their solutions in 20+ countries.

Objective: The Terwilliger Centre in India has been actively collaborating with various ecosystem partners to identify and support startups in the housing and construction sector. To further its impact and strengthen its influence in the Indian startup ecosystem, particularly in the affordable housing and construction sector, the Terwilliger Centre seeks to partner with key ecosystem players such as incubators and accelerators. This initiative aims to address India’s critical housing challenges by supporting Green Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) / startups that are driving sustainable, affordable, and inclusive housing solutions.

Purpose:

As a part of the Terwilliger Centre’s ShelterTech platform (“ShelterTech”), innovative ideas from Small Growing Business/ Startups are identified and provided financial support in the form of grants and other support such as technical and business mentoring, technology validation, access to market, corporates and investors

Program management: To run the catalytic fund program for startups who meet the selection criteria.
Startup support: Offer mentoring, connects and other support to entrepreneurs to successfully complete the pilot and guide them on how to translate it to business growth.
Ecosystem outreach: To engage with the affordable housing and impact innovation ecosystem to promote the idea of low-income housing as an area of opportunity and identify entrepreneurs with market-based solutions for the low-income households (target segment).

Scope of work:

Overall program management including the identification and recruitment of startups (as approved by The Terwilliger Centre), mentors with housing related technical mentorship and connections and program design in consultation with the Terwilliger Centre, and facilitation.

The first phase is working with already identified startups to better understand, evaluate their pilot proposal. Based on this, startups will be selected and a plan worked out to support them through the program. The support will be 1-1 as each proposal differs in its scope and timeline. Support will be to enable successful pilot completion and ensuring the project helps the startup towards their business goal. The support will include, but not be limited to:

• Understanding the startup’s business goal and the role of the pilot
• Scope of the pilot and the partners identified
• Evaluation of the pilot’s details to ensure it will be doable in the timeframe and budget
• Evaluation of startup for selection from the risk perspective
• Evaluation and suggestions for follow-up on how the pilot will enable meeting business growth
• Creating metrics to monitor program progress (goals and timeline) – in terms of outputs desired and outcomes we expect
• Working out agreements with them on the work, costs and reporting
• On-going follow-up to start and implement the project
• On-going support and oversight to enable smooth implementation and ensure that the costs and timelines will be met
• On-going monitoring and reporting on progress and issues. This includes measurables and soft metrics such as learnings, change in scope

Deliverables:

The Program Management partner (PMP) will work from the start of the program from the date of signing of this agreement, for a period of one year (extended, with updated terms and payment, as needed). Support – financial, mentoring and knowledge – will be provided to a maximum of 5 startups from India (without geography restrictions in the country) who will start at different points in time, based on their readiness to start the pilot.

Metrics:

• Startups: Up to 5 startups supported through the program
• Events: Up to 1 event organized during the program
• Reporting Schedule:
• Fortnightly review calls
• Bi-monthly steering committee calls
• Quarterly progress report and fund utilization report (unaudited)
• End of program report along with audited financial report

How to apply

• Interested participants should submit a proposal to Priya Mohan (Manager – Entrepreneurship & Innovation – India) at [email protected] / [email protected] by February 28, 2025. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Proposal format

• Business Registration details and all the required supporting documents.
• Experience: Description of past programs and impact metrics
• Program structure and implementation plan as per details provided in the ‘Scope of Work’ in this Terms of Reference.
• Biodata of the key personnel who will handle the project and details of any new resource
• Estimated Budget including travel expenses (estimate)
• Project schedule & work breakdown structure with timelines, key milestones, project phases, or other project plan information.
• Any other relevant documents required for program execution and compliance.

ONLY CANDIDATES WHO FOLLOW APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THE ROLE.