Strategic Partnership

UNHCR is calling for Retail and Brand Partners to invest in designing, developing and sourcing refugee-made product lines, in collaboration with refugee artisans and local social enterprises.

Retail Partners:

1. Play the prized role of designing and sourcing unique refugee-made collections for their customers
2. Coach and mentor the Local Social Enterprise partners through product development and production processes
3. Contribute their technical expertise towards identifying the best solution at each step in the value chain
4. Order, market, sell refugee-made products and place re-orders

The introduction of fresh design is essential for MADE51. Designers leverage the traditional skills of refugees and overlay with a modern aesthetic, so that refugee artisans can craft products that are attractive in a contemporary, global home. Recognizing design and production go hand-in-hand, designers will ensure all processes align, from production to packaging.

Designers can now apply to join the MADE51 Designer Engagement programme. Please click here to apply.

Additionally, UNHCR is seeking a partner to organize the design process:

1. Coordinate the roster of designers
2. Contribute to modules to increase designers’ understanding of refugees and issues that will inform their design
3. Develop the MADE51 design framework
4. Inform deliverables/design brief
5. Coordinate designer engagement

Technology can serve as an indispensable tool for refugee artisans, allowing them to transcend infrastructural and geographical challenges to reach business solutions. A strong MADE51 digital marketing platform can correctly position the products in the marketplace.

UNHCR is seeking a partner to:

1. Assess field operational challenges and develop a plan to employ tech solutions
2. Support on tech solutions for the digital marketing platform
3. Design and develop MADE51 apps and tools in which can create efficiencies in design, production, order fulfillment and delivery
4. Secure hardware, such as tablets, that will help artisans to manage their orders and monitor quality

Through each order placed with refugee artisans, brand partners contribute to improving lives, which often extends to the entire community. MADE51 will develop a system to monitor and track impact of artisan production, and will share this information with buyers and partners.

UNHCR is seeking a partner to:

1. Advise and develop a monitoring framework for MADE51
2. Explore and advise regarding tech solutions that effectively record data for each order
3. Ensure monitoring data can be translated into content to be used in storytelling and other marketing opportunities

The selected social enterprises receive business coaching, marketing opportunities and seed funding so that they can sustainably incorporate a refugee-made product line into their operations, manage order fulfillment and build artisan capacity. Initial seed funding is needed for artisan training, product development and production infrastructure.

UNHCR is seeking a partner to:

1. Provide initial project and seed funding for artisan projects
2. Provide guidance on MADE51 reporting and impact measurement system
3. Advise as to an ongoing funding mechanism that can be set up to continue to invest in social enterprises

For small artisan enterprises in developing countries, high logistical costs make it difficult to ensure cost-effective transport and delivery for export orders, which can make products uncompetitive. A small enterprise needs technical logistical guidance and perhaps cooperative arrangements to solve these issues.

UNHCR is seeking a partner to:

1. Identify solutions to the procurement and logistical barriers faced by artisan enterprises
2. Provide insights into best practices in procurement, inventory management, and delivery
3. Provide training and technical guidance so that enterprises can apply best practices
4. Explore grouping options that may offer cooperative logistical and payment solutions

Recognizing that MADE51 is comprised of refugee-made product lines sourced from many countries worldwide, UNHCR is seeking a global partner to make the entire MADE51 collection readily available for wholesalers, retailers, and the end customer.

UNHCR is seeking a partner to:

1. Act as a fulfillment agent for MADE51
2. Order, receive, warehouse, distribute and invoice orders of MADE51 products
3. Employ an e-commerce platform so that the global collection is available for orders from buyers and direct purchase from the end customer
4. A fulfillment partner who is willing to invest in this process is preferred

In addition to seed funding, LSEs will need access to financing and capital investment in order to pre-finance orders and scale. Ensuring scalability is central to the success of MADE51.

UNHCR is seeking a partner to:

1. Organize, offer and coordinate a financing mechanism
2. Ensure capital is available to LSEs so that they improve and grow their overall operations and infrastructure, which enables them to better manage their refugee product line
3. Monitor impact of access to finance on enterprise’s growth