Context

RuralInvest is a free toolkit designed to support field technicians in their work with entrepreneurs by allowing the systematization and development of bankable and sustainable business proposals.

The toolkit comprises user-friendly software, an e-learning course, tailored face-to-face training, user manuals, and a worldwide community of users. Through a participatory and bottom-up approach, RuralInvest methodology brings together local communities, rural entrepreneurs, government field technicians, project staff, and financing institutions to identify, prepare, evaluate and finance small-and medium-size sustainable rural investment projects.

RuralInvest’s participatory bottom-up approach ensures that farmers take ownership in their projects. Business plans are developed through interactive group sessions, use of flipcharts, and constant communication between RuralInvest users and the farmers. We aim to build up national capacities by generating pools of users and trainers from national institutions who can implement the methodology and undertake RuralInvest activities.

The free brand-new software RIV20 is user-friendly and supports all types of small and medium-scale rural businesses and translates participatory data collection into professional-quality business plans. It is open-source and works perfectly offline with optional cloud features allowing to collaborate easily.

This training was developed based on the cooperation project “Developing complementary training materials and delivering training of trainers on RuralInvest to contribute to the development of sustainable small scale –investments” which took place from January 2022 – December 2022 between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Centre for Rural Development (SLE).​​​​​​​

Benefits

By the successful participation in the course you will be able at the end of the training to

• work with entrepreneurs in the field to help them refine their investment idea and gather the needed qualitative and quantitative information needed to build a business plan
• use the software to process the data and develop business plan based first on given study cases and later on real cases in participant’s context
• interpret most of the data and indicators of the RIV business plan and being able to communicate it with the entrepreneurs helping them taking a decision
• become part of the RIV experts and contribute to the further development of the RIV toolkit

Key topics

During the In-person training part:

• RIV Key vocabulary
• Participatory data collection in the field to develop a business plan
• Cost classification
• Qualitative data of a business plan
• Modelling activities in RIV
• Detailed financial analysis indicators
• Analysis of a “with- and without-project scenarios”
• Sensitivity analysis
• Collaboration within RIV software

During the online part of the training:

• Work on the correction of business plans based on a real case from participant’s country )

Course preparation

• Participation at a one hour virtual preparatory meetingon October 9, 2023(meeting details will be shared in advance)
• Completition of the online Intro Course: RuralInvest – An introduction https://elearning.fao.org/course/view.php?id=754, details will be shared during the preparatory meeting
• Participation in our Training Needs Assessment
• Participants should be equipped with a laptop

Course follow-up

• Trainee collects data in the field submits 1 detailed business plan
• Twp online coaching sessions of 2 hours duration will be offered, trainees will work on the correction of the business plan that they developed together with certified trainer(s), the coaching sessions will be scheduled individually

Training methods

• Input and group work and individual exercises
• Role play
• Visit / exchange with financing institutions
• The SLE training follows a very practical training approach. The selected cases will be adapted to the participants needs as far as possible​​​​​​​

Group size

• max. 20 persons composed by external applicants and members of the SLE Network (two-three trainers plus a Co-trainer will ensure the quality of the training)

Course Programme
Here a link to the two-weeks programme will be uploaded

Target Group
Previous experiences in seeking and applying for funding, in managing and monitoring funding and in supporting local producers with the development of their business is an advantage. Participants should be member of a training institution involved in access to finance for agripreneurs (SME’s) or service providers supporting agripreneurs (SME’s) to access finance or projects staff with an “access to finance” dimension, financial institution supporting agri SME’s. This introductory course is designed for those with little or no experience in the in using RIV. However, more experienced facilitators might refresh ideas and get new inspiration for their work.