Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism Project (BEST) Request for Concept Papers and Applications Under TOURISM PARTNERSHIP FUND

Supporting Tourism Innovation December 2015

Contract No. AID-278-C-15-00010 USAID Economic Sustainability Through Tourism Project (BEST) Nasser Bin Jamil Street, No. 66 Amman, Jordan Tel. +9626 5200 555 Fax +9626 5200 556 [email protected] www.siyaha.org

DISCLAIMER This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Chemonics International. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) Tourism Partnership Fund Grants Program

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Request for Applications: Tourism Innovation Issuance Date:

December 2, 2015

Application Deadline:

February 2, 2016

Pre-application or concept papers awareness workshop Tuesday, December 13, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Venue will be announced to registered applicants

Submit Concept Papers to: [email protected]

OBJECTIVE

Through this tourism innovation initiative, the USAID Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) project aims to stimulate a culture of innovation in the tourism industry around effective use of market intelligence, business collaboration and investment in new products and services that bring new ideas and experiences to the marketplace. BEST is looking to connect with world-class thinkers, strategists, inventors, designers and experienced innovation practitioners to define and implement innovation-focused initiatives across the tourism value chain; to engage in new client relationships; to shape and refine new tourism product and service solutions; and to inspire others to create transformational growth opportunities for Jordan’s tourism industry. Encompassing the whole tourism value chain, innovation does not only mean adapting the tourism industry to the changing tourism patterns with new marketing strategies, but also fostering breakthrough new and innovative services, products and processes. By issuing grants in support of innovation, BEST aims to amplify the thought leadership of both start-up and existing Jordanian firms’, enable them to expand their ideas and activities to benefit a broad range of actors within the tourism sector, and to generate and convert new business opportunities with existing clients, as well as expand them to new ones. The vital aspect of this approach – as with all of BEST's work – is that we are seeking to develop innovative products and services in ways that increase demand. To this end, we will specifically seek to work with clients who can help the tourism sector in Jordan to:  Attract more visitors to Jordan  Increase the time that visitors spend in Jordan  Increase visitor spending  Enhance the reputation and profile of Jordan in the marketplace

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SECTION I – BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW Prospects for Innovation in Jordan’s Tourism Industry Tourism entrepreneurs have realized that innovation is a key element to survive and compete in a dynamic and radically changing environment. New forms of tourism are emerging, including more innovative, specialized, “greener,” customized and experience-oriented forms. In contrast, old tourism could be, to some extent, characterized as “mass, standardized and rigidly packaged.”1 New tourism practices are linked to factors such as changing demographics, lifestyles, and holiday and work patterns. One of the significant changes in the travel marketplace comes from tourists themselves. With greater access to information on the range (and the quality) of products and services on offer, tourists now have the means to access the less-packaged, more authentic experiences. The trends in the marketplace demonstrate that they are seeking out the 'authentic' / tailor-made experiences – and the more ambitious are increasingly seeking to design their own experiences. As a result, these new forms of tourism allow suppliers a different kind of potential to deal more effectively with the complexity and diversity of consumer demands. A main area of change and innovation in tourism concerns the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). The tourism industry has the potential to adapt, respond, and grow its digital solutions and experiences in ways that were never before possible using hardware, software, Web and mobile elements, and interactive media to develop entirely new, effective means for people to share, create, and communicate, and crucially to make that step from interest purchase. Consumers are becoming increasingly familiar with the use of ICT in their tourism arrangements. They seek flexible, specialized and easily accessible products and would like to communicate directly with tourism producers. For the industry, this might lead to a reduction of transaction costs, as well as a transformation of the role played by tourism actors such as travel agents, tour operators, conference organizers, booking agents, etc. Alongside innovation in products and services, tourism is a globally connected business which is seeing significant innovation in approach, and particularly in how companies are creating new partnerships, whether on product development, service delivery or other valueadded areas. Globally, the establishment of “Product clubs” has been one of the most successful of these partnership schemes. They are built around developing or enhancing tourism products using the resources and know-how of lead-firms combined with the energy and entrepreneurship of other firms with complementary technical expertise and/or market specialization. Product clubs are focused on particular product clusters that have been identified as a priority based on research and market intelligence. The clubs then develop and package products that will appeal to a specific market.

1

http://www.oecd.org/cfe/tourism/34267921.pdf

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SECTION I – BUILDING ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH TOURISM PROJECT (BEST) GRANTS PROGRAM DESCRIPTION A. Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism Project (BEST) The USAID Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism Project (BEST) is a five-year project which seeks to support Jordan's transformation into a globally competitive tourism destination. The project works closely with government, non-government and private sector tourism stakeholders to strengthen the country's tourism facilities and services, improve the management and promotion of tourism sites, boost marketing efforts and encourage tourism to secondary sites. It also seeks to address the dearth of women working in tourism and promote the employment of youth in this sector, where demand for skilled workers is high. The grants program described herein is designed to support Jordan’s tourism industry overcome prevailing challenges and capitalize on opportunities in the international marketplace.

B. TOURISM PARTNERSHIP FUND OVERVIEW The Tourism Partnership Fund (TPF) is a grant mechanism that serves as a catalyst for investments that will substantially increase competitiveness in the tourism sector by way of product and market development.

USAID BEST Project Specific Objectives

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Creation of 25,000 direct (full time) jobs in the tourism sector, two-thirds of which outside Amman Increase of female participation in the tourism workforce by 15% Increase international tourist arrivals by 20% Increase of tourism receipts by 15% Reduce seasonal fluctuations by 30% Increase domestic tourism by 30% Increase visitations to secondary sites to at least 50,000 annually Generating and leveraging $90 million in private sector investment in tourism development and/or promotion

 BEST invites private businesses, financial institutions, industry associations, academic institutions, foundations, entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, NGOs and other private-sector organizations to identify and suggest ways to work together to address key challenges in Jordan’s tourism sector in a manner that advances our respective interests and objectives. When proposing to collaborate with BEST, it is encouraged to form partnerships with public sector organizations and the private sector to ensure initiatives are most impactful, developments are sustainable and marketable, and impacts are quantifiable and visible.

C. INNOVATION GRANT SUPPORT AREAS The following represents the anticipated types of innovation activities that can be supported by BEST. Applicants must indicate in their applications which one or more of the following 5 areas their request falls under: I. Developing New Niches and Extending Existing Brands II. Leveraging Enabling Technologies III. Transforming Customer Experiences IV. Setting Innovation Strategies, Identifying Growth Opportunities, and Building Innovation Pipelines V. Developing New Marketing and Sales Approaches

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I. Developing New Niches and Extending Existing Brands There are a variety of niche tourism markets that may be developed or explored in Jordan depending on its existing infrastructure, tourism products and facilities. Niche tourism is seen to be a response to an increasing number of more sophisticated tourists demanding specialist tourism products. This emerges through increased travel experience, resulting in a maturity of the tourist life cycle from safe to more experimental and adventurous forms of tourism activity, enabling the tourist to seek selfprestige and self enhancement. The development of products and experiences to meet the needs of these markets should be based on an understanding of the markets characteristics, behaviors and preferences. Product development opportunities in the any of the following niches should be assessed for their feasibility and investment potential: Farm and Country Tourism - Tourists may go on tours of working farms or on established tourist routes such as wine routes. They may visit factories that process farm produce (for example, cheese) and may stay overnight in farmhouse B&Bs. Developing a tourism business on a property can provide a good source of additional income for landowners. The success of rural tourism ventures is dependent on the nature of the locality, property characteristics, human resources, market characteristics, marketing and accessibility. Backpacking Tourism – Backpacking may include wilderness adventures, local travel, and travel to nearby secondary cities; often times with travelers working in the country in which they are travelling. The importance of providing suitable work opportunities, appropriate accommodation facilities and opportunities for socializing for the backpacking market have been highlighted as the key factors for developing backpacker tourism in a destination.

Illustrative New Desert Themed Experiences

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International desert paintball championships International drum circles and music festivals Star-gazing festivals in Wadi Rum Sand-ski resorts, complete with ski-lifts, lodges/cafes, cross-country routes, etc. International sand-castle sculpting competitions Desert drag racing and/or rally car racing tracks ATV and dirt bike rally/ X-games. Desert scavenger hunts: dig up dinosaur bones, tombs, mummies, lost cities Mars-themed experiences in Wadi Rum Lynx (sand-terrain) golf courses

Educational Tourism – includes visiting  another country to learn about the culture, study tours, or to work and apply skills learned inside  the classroom in a different environment. This  area of tourism is also connected to the scientific, academic, volunteer and educational  (SAVE) tourism market. Research has shown  that pricing, accommodation availability and ease of access are key influencers in a study tourism visitor’s destination choice. Increasing expenditure from educational tourism can be achieved through targeted promotion and packaging of a destination’s attractions and experiences to students. This market can also be expanded by facilitating exchanges between international and domestic universities to create new study abroad programs, developing attractive program content, and engaging high profile guest speakers from the region to take part in such programs. Expanding focus on educational tourism can also cinco scientific, academic, volunteer and educational (SAVE) tourism market Cycle Tourism – self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, adventure and autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Touring can range from single to multi-day trips, even years. Domestic cycle tourists are very active travelers with a strong destination familiarity. Cycling clubs in Jordan can collaborate with BEST to set up bike routes between newly developed or upgraded tourism sites, including organized overnight stays at those sites. Jordan can also host international mountain bike races (ie. Red Sea to Dead Sea), or develop paths that can eventually link cross-regional routes using Jordan as a major hub. Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) Tourism Partnership Fund Grants Program

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Traditional heritage Tourism – exploration of the Bedouin way of life and culture is a growing tourism niche market for many destinations in the Arab world. Bedouin community involvement in tourism can provide significant economic development and social benefits for regional and remote communities and provide the opportunity for visitors to experience unique and tangible culture. Jordan may be well positioned to develop products such as falcon hunting excursions, international date festivals, camel racing and beauty pageants, all of which are becoming popular attractions in the region. Eco-tourism (or wildlife tourism): Tourists can view the flora or the game of an area (ie. Jordan’s Nubian Ibex), while staying in Eco-lodges (ie. Dana, Azraq, and other Eco-lodges). Eco-lodge facilities can also double as venues for shared working spaces to support local handicraft producers. Development of new or expanded Eco-tourism experiences are expected to lead to substantial job creation opportunities in local Jordanian communities; ie. leading tours and hikes, working in the lodges and restaurants, transporting people and resources, and other various jobs. Gastronomy tourism (or food tourism): “Foodies” visit a destination in order to experience cuisine and food festivals. Gastronomy tourism is defined as travel that has food as the primary factor of influence in travel behavior and in the decision-making process. Proliferation and diversification of group test kitchens and cooking workshops (such as Beit Sitti) can become popular Foodie attractions. Jordan’s culinary traditions are strong but, as food becomes ever more globalised, authenticity of experiences may be threatened. Jordan can promote cultural approaches to food, rooted in respect for traditions, history, culture and nature and encourage geographical, economic, sensorial and historic knowledge of the national culinary offer. Much potential also exists to link local food products to high quality restaurants. Illustrative Festivals and Community

Rural tourism: This includes homestays so that Engagement Activities tourists can experience rural life and food. Expanded opportunities to rent unique  Rotating “clean town” festivals: trash accommodations from local hosts (ie. through collection centered-eco tourism AirBnB and other platforms) are becoming  Arabic Film Festival easier and more popular among tourists. To  Cooking expos, highlighting chefs from compete in this growing market, major hotels local communities; Recognition for best groups may consider investing in internationally lunch, best dinner, etc. branded BnB style facilities at secondary sites  Place-centered photo-competitions with 4 and 5 star quality seals. Linkages can be made with vocational training centers outside of Amman, providing a pipeline of qualified individuals to support this product. Wedding tourism: This involves international honeymooners and couples wishing to have their wedding ceremonies in Jordan. Wedding tourists tend to travel in quite large numbers. Eco-weddings are becoming increasingly important as a result of the trend towards sustainable living; they reduce costs and have limited negative impacts on the environment. To achieve the ecofriendly consumer preference destinations, wedding venues may offer biodegradable decor and locally harvested flowers. Jordan can expand on its current network of wedding venues (typically 4 and 5 star hotels) to wine estates, idyllic countryside houses, beach locales, exclusive boutique hotels, cosy guesthouses, all-inone wedding villages to scenic desert retreats. Expanding this industry can also support employment opportunities for wedding planners, dress makers/tailors, event organizers, jewelry/retail gifts, and others. Wellness, Spa, or spiritual tourism: Tourists come to a destination in order to unwind and enjoy reflexology and massages, visit mineral or hot springs, and other luxury resorts (ex. Ma’an and Dead Sea). This type of niche tourism is not bound to any season. It is a year-round activity. Jordan can expand on current product offerings at resorts as well as feature new options such as mass desert-yoga retreats and meditation, beauty treatments, and unique pampering services. Opportunities to further Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) Tourism Partnership Fund Grants Program

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develop this value chain may exist by expanding the types of locally-sourced oils, lotions, soaps, sponges and other Dead Sea products. Accessible tourism: Accessible tourism enables Illustrative Urban-Themed Experiences people with access requirements, including  Geo-tagged self-guided urban tours mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive o Historical landmarks dimensions of access, to function independently o “Eat your way through the city” and with equity and dignity through the delivery gastronomical tours of universally designed tourism products,  Architecture (ie. Historic Mansion) Tours services and environments. Jordan has potential to further expand its ability to make travel and  “Color Amman”- Sidewalk chalk art hospitality more reachable and pleasurable for exhibitions travelers with universal access requirements. For  Neighborhood-themed block parties and example resorts can incorporate offerings of open air music festivals wheelchairs with adaptive tires for travelling across sand at a beach or in the desert. Such chairs can be loaned or rented to users. Campground picnic tables with extended tops can also be made accessible to wheelchairs and walkers. Jordan can also improve its provision of wheelchair-accessible vehicles, adapted hotel rooms, accessible streets and sidewalks in both Amman and local communities. Adventure tourism: Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion. Secondary site offerings in places such as Tefileh may be prime to develop this market further. Extended offerings can be developed in areas including climbing, caving, abseiling, kayaking, rafting, diving, snorkeling, kite surfing, sail boarding, sailing, ballooning, skydiving, parapenting, horse riding, mountain biking, and off-road driving. Film Tourism: Film tourism is a growing phenomenon worldwide, motivated by both the growth of the entertainment industry and the increase in international travel. Film induced tourism explores the effects that film and TV-productions have on the travel decisions made when potential tourists plan their upcoming holiday or visit to a destination. Jordan is a top film destination for films pertaining to outer space (ie. Mars-like landscapes). Jordan can expand its film tourism offerings by providing film location tours, themed hotel packages, film-related exhibitions, film museums, events or travel packages. Additionally, tourism businesses must think about what they are doing to keep their customers coming back to Jordan. It costs a business about 5-10X more to acquire a new customer than it does to sell to an existing one. On average, current customers spend 67% more than new customers2. A partial list of illustrative activities to extend existing brands that may be supported are follows:  

New or improved customer loyalty programs- simple point systems, tiered systems, coalition programs, non-monetary-/socially responsible programs, Price innovations: Ex. sightseeing packages designed to give pass holders hassle-free prepaid entry at a reduced rates, or special discount offer arrangements between lodging providers and local restaurants or local attractions.

II. Leveraging Enabling Technologies:

2

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31990/7-Customer-Loyalty-Programs-That-Actually-AddValue.aspx Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) Tourism Partnership Fund Grants Program

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Tourism business can integrate emerging or under-leveraged technologies into compelling new value propositions. A partial list of illustrative- innovative tourism product applications that may be supported are as follows: 

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New information services for guests including databases that make it easier to process customer profiles and behavior. New forms of network organization, particularly in the field of cooperative tourism marketing, assisted by new technologies. New information and communication systems to collect and to analyze information for the development of new products and services. B2B Networking, reservation and yield management systems New technologies advancing “etourism” and “e-commerce,” creating a need for new tourism management skills (eg. e-marketing) Online portals for hotel and restaurant eclassification systems E-learning: ie. online industry qualification testing systems; selfassessment & accreditations. Mobile payment and banking applications

Tech-centered Tourism Products/Apps

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Online portal for tourism itinerary competitions-24hr, 36hr, and 48 hour Crowd-funding technologies to host international concerts and events by popular demand. Interactive city guides and MOTA sites (interpretation and linkages) Travel applications for foreign individual travelers (FITs) including online booking of internal trips Supporting tools for the Jordan Pass linked to potential activities around each site Guide App for “Jordan Trail” Service Aps for private companies, eg.: o Jett bus App o EasyTaxi/Uber App extensions to include tour-guide features o AirBnB home stays and home dining experiences – book a spot at the family table with user-rated top household chefs. Hotel guest network-sharing platforms: o Ride sharing to sites outside Amman o Group event planning- ie. group trips to breweries requiring a minimum number of participants. o Self-service customer payment, ordering, and booking platforms

III. Transforming Customer Experiences. Tourism businesses are encouraged to develop and seek assistance to apply approaches that transform how they interact with their customers. Customer involvement helps provide information about needs and wants, suggesting new paths for client data and yield management. Companies need to be ready to adapt to the changing interests and values of their guests. The individualization of mass tourism and the extensive involvement of customers in the tourism experience creation process are transforming tourism into an “information” and “relationship” business. Valuable information can be gained from the behavior of the customer, who is closely involved in the production of any tourism service. The most successful new products offer a special or unique value based on innovation with the client’s interests and needs in mind. Such innovations lead to a higher market share, improved efficiency and make it easier to achieve turnover and profit objectives. Examples of customer service products that can be adapted for tourism sector businesses include:  

Business Process Management (BPM) technology to transform the operations and processes of a tourism business around the needs of individual customers, delivering high value and memorable experiences. Reputation management software for businesses looking to manage and utilize positive customer opinion.

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Cloud based solutions for customer loyalty and feedback. “Help desk” ticketing software that helps manage customer support queries easily from multiple channels Tailored websites or mobile app experiences to match the customer’s geography, demographic data, or to acknowledge that they’re a new or returning customer. Crowd-funding solutions to engage customers and create local ownership in the development of local sites and trails.

All customer experience innovations are driven by demands for greater quality service (ie. punctuality, accountability, convenience, and speed; combined these improvements help to create a special “value for money” for the customer.

IV. Setting Innovation Strategies, Identifying Growth Opportunities, and Building Innovation Pipelines: BEST aims to facilitate linkages between entrepreneurs and business support providers, venture capital firms, incubators, accelerators, and innovation award programs to help them translate their growth strategies and business objectives into actionable plans that can generate growth through innovation. A partial list of illustrative activities that may be supported follows: 

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Support the formation of, and act as a partner to, “tourism product clubs” working with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from all sectors of tourism – attractions, accommodation, tourism associations or retailers - to define long-term innovation roadmaps for businesses and brands. Sponsoring innovation through incubators, accelerators, and innovation award programs who support identification and innovation in tourism-specific product development.

V. Developing New Marketing and Sales Approaches Through effective use of cooperative marketing, Jordan can multiply the reach and impact of individual marketing efforts led by industry partners, and incentivize source market tour operators or airlines to co-invest with Jordan in promotional and sales campaigns. This collective approach is expected to yield increased demand for the industry as a whole by positioning Jordan as an attractive, stable, and high value destination. BEST seeks innovative and modern marketing products and strategies to target specific high value segments. Innovations in Destination Marketing Examples of innovative approaches to marketing that BEST may support include those that:  Utilize digital and social media to  Experience sharing platforms to connect people to people; ie. “Tinder for Tourists” increase reach and conversion  Jordanian brand ambassador competition  Find new ways to engage and capitalize  Engaging bloggers and influencers to sell on networks of influencers in target Jordan source markets: ie. radio hosts, talk show hosts, and other TV media  YouTube homemade videos/commercials influencers and opinion leaders from local Jordanians asking people to  Effectively use high-traffic public areas come visit. in source markets to conduct promotional activities that can produce viral content  Create unique local content that has high propensity to go viral in multiple source markets.  Promote creative industries- ie. local filmmakers, musicians, and artists. Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) Tourism Partnership Fund Grants Program

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Utilize guerilla marketing schemes Promote custom itineraries for visitors to experience Jordan in new ways and introduce visitation to less trafficked sites.

Enhance Jordan’s international brand positioning and destination image, regrow visitor arrivals, expand international sales channels in key markets, and diversify into higher value market segments. Cooperative Campaigns: In addition to the above, a specialized request for applications to support innovation in marketing via cooperating destination promotion activities will be announced as a specialized program. The objective is to pool resources, talent and financial investment to access new and grow existing markets. Visit our website www.siyaha.org/grants for more information.

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SECTION III – TOURISM PARTNERSHIP FUND GRANTS DESCRIPTION AND SUBMISSION PROCEDURES A. General Information Grants will be awarded and implemented in accordance with USAID and US Government regulations governing grants under contracts and USAID Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism Project (BEST) internal grant management policies. The project will hold a pre-application or concept papers awareness workshop (see details on page 2) for eligible applicants to ask about the APS and receive guidance on how to complete the application form. Interested applicants that meet eligibility requirements defined in Section III.D below and would like to attend this workshop must confirm their attendance by sending the participant’s and organization’s name to [email protected]. Only one person should attend from each organization. Innovation Grants Specialized Announcement: Specialized announcements may be announced in the future as subsets of this RFA to provide further focus or detail on particular innovation program areas per headings of Section I C above. B. Award Information The BEST Project anticipates awarding up to USD 1 million through the fiscal year 2016 for multiple anticipated awards. Awarded Grant amounts are dependent upon grant activities and final negotiations. The duration of any grant award under this solicitation is expected to be no more than one year, but will consider longer durations if technically justified. The type of grant will be determined during the negotiation process. C. Eligible Recipients BEST encourages applications from both existing and new organizations who meet the following eligibility criteria. BEST recognizes that some grantees may need technical assistance to more effectively carry out the activity. Consequently applicants are encouraged to specify their needs for technical assistance and/or training in their concept paper.  Applicants must be registered entities who are formally constituted, recognized by and in good standing in either the US or the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and compliant with all applicable civil and fiscal regulations.  Applicants must be able to demonstrate successful past performance and corporate capabilities.  Applicants must display sound management in the form of financial, administrative, and technical policies and procedures and present a system of internal controls that safeguard assets; protect against fraud, waste, and abuse; and support the achievement of program goals and objectives. The BEST project will assess this capability prior to awarding a grant. D. Cost Reasonableness and Environmental Compliance All grant activity costs must be reasonable and implemented based on competition seeking best value, including price. Cost incurred and activities implemented must be within the normal operating practices of the Applicant and in accordance with its written policies and procedures. For applicants without an audited indirect cost rate, the budget may include direct costs that will be incurred by the Applicant to provide identifiable administrative and management costs that can be directly attributable to supporting the grant objective. Additionally, BEST Project will ensure environmental soundness and compliance in design and implementation as required by 22 CFR 216 and local laws.

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E. Ineligible Expenses BEST Project grant funds may not be utilized for the following:  Construction or infrastructure activities of any kind.  Ceremonies, parties, celebrations, or “representation” expenses.  Purchases of restricted goods, such as: restricted agricultural commodities, motor vehicles including motorcycles, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, contraceptive products, used equipment; without the previous approval of BEST project, or prohibited goods, prohibited goods under USAID regulations, including but not limited to the following: abortion equipment and services, luxury goods, etc.  Alcoholic beverages and tobacco.  Purchases of goods or services restricted or prohibited under the prevailing USAID source/nationality (Burma (Myanmar), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, (North) Sudan, Syria).  Any purchase or activity, which has already been made.  Purchases or activities unnecessary to accomplish grant purposes as determined by the BEST project.  Prior obligations of and/or, debts, fines, and penalties imposed on the Grantee.  Creation of endowments. F. Grant and Concept Paper Processing Information Applicants must propose strategies for the implementation of the program description described above, introducing innovations that are appropriate to their organizational strengths. This is a twostage application process3: 1) Submittal of concept paper; and 2) submittal of full grant application following advice of merit4 of the concept paper. Please see Annex A for detailed instructions.

Submit a concept paper

•Concept paper forms (Annex 1 or 2 and 3) •Concept papers can be submitted in English or Arabic and may not be more than five pages •The concept paper must be signed by an authorized agent of the Applicant

Concepts evaluated against the merit review criteria If concept paper meets or exceeds the merit review criteria

• Merit Review Criteria •Do fundamental technical constraints to developing this product exist? •Is the product enhanced by the new innovation/technology? Is there opportunity for further enhancement? •Does the innovation/technology enhance the marketplace? •Is the proposed activity expected to enable BEST to leverage private sector funds or create jobs?

Submit a full application

3

Applicants may bypass the concept paper stage and submit a full application from the outset. It is advisable that Applicants first submit a short concept paper for initial BEST review of the proposed idea’s merit. This will help Applicants avoid making significant investment of time and effort in preparing a grant application ahead of receiving initial indication that the proposed activity may be of interest to a Grant Evaluation Committee. 4 Advice of merit of a submitted concept paper to proceed with a grant application is in no way a guarantee that the full grant application will be approved. Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) Tourism Partnership Fund Grants Program

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G. Private Sector Resource Leveraging In an effort to enhance the prospects of sustainable development impact, ensure activities are based upon core business interests, encourage extensive private sector engagement and collaboration, and foster the development of market-based or market-informed approaches, grantee concept notes are highly encouraged to demonstrate the mobilization of significant private sector resources. Private sector grantees need to demonstrate material cost share in their applications and subsequent implementation, with a target of 5:1 (Grantee:BEST). See Annex B for more details on private sector leveraging. H. Submission Information    

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Concept papers should be developed per Annex 1 below. Concept papers shall be submitted in English or Arabic and may not be more than five pages. Concept papers must be linked to Section II, above, and demonstrate how they contribute to achieving project objectives listed in Section II text box. Concept papers (Technical and budget proposals and supporting documentation) should be submitted in electronic AND/OR hard copy to USAID Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism Project (BEST) Shmeisani – 66 Nasser bin Jameel Street – Fax 06-5200556, [email protected] . The BEST Project offices at the address above and should reference “Innovation RFA”. Instructions including deadlines for the submission of full applications will be sent separately to those organizations who meet the minimum merit review criteria.

Please submit all questions concerning this solicitation to the attention of Evon Warwar, Grants Manager, via email to [email protected]. BEST Project will assist applicants in understanding the application process, and can provide coaching in application development at the request of applicants.

List of Annexes Annex 1 – Grant Concept Paper Form Annex 2 – Private Sector Resource Leveraging Annex 3 – Grants Program Administration, Governing Regulations and Certifications

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ANNEX 1 - GRANT CONCEPT PAPER FORM Concept papers are short and simple and should not exceed 4 pages (plus a budget page). I.

GRANT CONCEPT PAPER TECHNICAL SECTION

1. Summary (Half Page)

A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

Title of Proposed Project (1 sentence) Overall Objective of Project (2-3 sentences) Fit With BEST Project Support Areas Total Project Cost Amount of Funding Requested from BEST Value of Grantee Contribution (if any) 6 Number of Anticipated Jobs Created (if any) 7

Per Section IIC5 $ _________ $ _________ $ _________ # _________

2. Description of Proposed Project (Up to 4 pages)

Clearly describe the development problem to be addressed or opportunity to be capitalized on and provide a thorough description of: A. The Project objectives

USAID BEST Project Specific Objectives Identify one or more of the BEST project objectives in the concept paper (section 2D).

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B. The proposed approach:  What will be implemented  Implementation activities  Implementation timeline

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C. The anticipated outputs to be achieved (how success will be defined and achieved)

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D. Identify and quantify your results relative to one or more of BEST Project Objectives being contributed to (see adjacent text box)

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Creation of 25,000 direct (full time) jobs in the tourism sector, two-thirds of which outside Amman Increase of female participation in the tourism workforce by 15% Increase international tourist arrivals by 20% Increase of tourism receipts by 15% Reduce seasonal fluctuations by 30% Increase domestic tourism by 30% Increase visitations to secondary sites to at least 50,000 annually Generating and leveraging $90 million in private sector investment in tourism development and/or promotion

E. Roles and responsibilities of the grantee (and partners, if present). F. Local community/stakeholder engagement, alliances and partnerships.  Please describe your partners, other funding partners or supports.  For activities that impact local communities, the public or require governmental or other support, please provide a description of consultations held, support secured or future plans for such. 5

Choose from: 1)Developing New Niches or Extending Existing Brands, 2) Leveraging Enabling Technologies, 3) Transforming Customer Experiences, 4)Setting Innovation Strategies, Identifying Growth Opportunities, and Building Innovation Pipelines, 4) Developing New Marketing and Sales Approaches 6 Grantee contribution is defined as the quantifiable contributions provided by grantees (from the Applicant or other sources secured by the Applicant) to a grant. 7 A created job is defined as any new employment opportunity created for a person as a result of the activity project supported by the grant. New job opportunities need to be identified as full-time employment (40 hrs/week); part-time (