HCLFoundation Samuday Programme: Multi-Skill Training Center RFP in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh

HCLFoundation, under its Samuday Programme, has invited proposals for managing a Multi-Skill Training Center in Sandila, Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. Check eligibility, project scope, expected impact, beneficiary focus, CSR background and application details.

Overview

HCLFoundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of HCLTech in India, has invited proposals for managing the operations of a Multi-Skill Training Center in Sandila block of Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh, under its flagship rural development programme, Samuday.

The RFP is linked to the Skill Development – Grassroots Professionals project, which aims to bridge rural skill gaps by developing trained and certified grassroots professionals. The proposed centre is expected to support training, certification and deployment across trades aligned with rural livelihood needs and industrial demand.

This opportunity is relevant for not-for-profit organisations, Section 8 companies, private companies and experienced skill development agencies working in vocational training, skilling centre operations, certification facilitation, livelihood promotion and rural employment support.

About HCLFoundation and Samuday Programme

HCLFoundation delivers HCLTech’s CSR agenda in India through long-term programmes focused on inclusive growth, poverty alleviation and sustainable community development. Its flagship programme Samuday focuses on rural transformation through integrated interventions in agriculture, education, health, livelihood, infrastructure, WASH, environment and local governance.

Samuday is designed around a community-led development model. It encourages local communities to identify their challenges, co-create solutions and participate in implementation. The programme works with communities, local governance institutions, government departments, NGOs, knowledge partners and implementation agencies to build sustainable development models.

In the context of this RFP, the Skill Development – Grassroots Professionals project focuses on building a local ecosystem of trained professionals who can offer services, support rural enterprise development and improve employability in the region.

RFP Snapshot

Launch Date and Programme Background

The Samuday programme has been active since 2015 as HCLFoundation’s rural development initiative. It is not a government scheme but a CSR-backed community development programme.

The current RFP was posted on 10 June 2026 for managing operations of a proposed Multi-Skill Training Center in Sandila, Hardoi. The last date for submission is 06 July 2026.

Objective of the RFP

The key objective of the RFP is to select an eligible and experienced organisation to manage the operations of a Multi-Skill Training Center that will train and certify youth across multiple trades. The project aims to create a pool of grassroots professionals who can either find employment, become self-employed, support local service needs or contribute to enterprise development in rural communities.

The project is built around three broad pillars:

1. Training: Providing practical, hands-on and market-relevant skills in grassroots and industrial trades.

2. Certification: Facilitating recognised certification through NSDC-aligned, Sector Skill Council-aligned or other credible certification mechanisms.

3. Deployment: Supporting trainees in employment, entrepreneurship or service-provider models within rural and industrial ecosystems.

Scope of Work

The selected partner is expected to manage end-to-end operations of the Multi-Skill Training Center in Sandila, Hardoi. Based on the RFP description, the expected scope may include:

1. Mobilisation of eligible trainees from the local area.
2. Running structured skill development and vocational training programmes.
3. Deploying qualified trainers, centre manager and support staff.
4. Maintaining training infrastructure, equipment and operational systems.
5. Facilitating assessment and certification through credible certification bodies.
6. Supporting placement, self-employment and enterprise development pathways.
7. Maintaining trainee records, attendance, progress and certification data.
8. Ensuring quality training delivery and compliance with project requirements.
9. Coordinating with HCLFoundation and local stakeholders.Supporting post-training tracking and livelihood outcomes.

Key Trades and Project Focus Areas: The Skill Development – Grassroots Professionals project operates across three identified trade areas:

Agriculture: The project aims to create agri-professionals who can support modern, sustainable and productive farming practices.

Animal Care: The project seeks to establish a doorstep animal care service model that can improve timely access to basic animal care and veterinary-linked support.

Industrial Skilling: The project aims to equip local youth with industry-relevant skills for employment, self-employment or entrepreneurship.

Implementing Authority and Governance Structure

Eligibility Criteria for Applicant Organisations

The RFP is open to organisations with prior experience in skill development and vocational training. The following eligibility points are important:

1. Not-for-profit organisations with valid 12A and 80G certificates are preferred.
2. Private companies, Section 8 companies and for-profit agencies may also apply.
3. The applicant must have prior expertise in skill development or vocational training.
4. The applicant should be able to facilitate NSDC-aligned, Sector Skill Council-aligned or other credible recognised certification.
5. Prior experience in running skilling centres or training institutes will be an advantage.
6. The organisation must be willing and equipped to deploy qualified trainers, centre manager and support staff for the project duration.

Eligibility of Beneficiaries

The final beneficiary criteria will be defined by HCLFoundation and the selected implementation partner. Based on the RFP description, the intended beneficiaries are likely to include:

1. Rural youth from Sandila block and nearby areas of Hardoi district.
2. Local community members seeking employment-linked or livelihood-linked skills.
3. Youth interested in agriculture, animal care, industrial trades or self-employment.
4. Individuals who can act as grassroots service providers after training and certification.
5. Potential entrepreneurs who can create local service-based livelihood models.

Eligibility of Employers and Placement Partners

The RFP notice does not define a separate eligibility framework for employers. However, for deployment and livelihood linkage, the selected partner may need to engage with:

1. Local industries and employers.
2. Rural service ecosystems.
3. Agriculture and allied-sector value chains.
4. Animal care and veterinary-linked service networks.
5. Self-employment and micro-enterprise support agencies.
6. Apprenticeship or job placement partners, where applicable.

Employer onboarding, placement verification, wage standards and post-placement tracking should be clearly defined in the project proposal.

Financial Criteria and Fund Allocation

The specific project budget, grant amount, centre-wise allocation, trainer cost, equipment cost, mobilisation cost and operational expenditure are not mentioned in the available RFP notice.

However, the broader HCLFoundation/HCLTech CSR ecosystem has consistently invested in rural development, education, health, livelihoods, environment and community programmes. The Samuday programme forms part of HCLFoundation’s larger CSR portfolio.

Important Note on Fund Data

Project-specific fund allocation and utilisation for this Multi-Skill Training Center RFP is not publicly disclosed in the available notice. The following table should therefore be treated as CSR-level contextual information and not as a confirmed budget for this RFP.

Expected Impact of the Multi-Skill Training Center

The proposed Multi-Skill Training Center can contribute to local livelihood development in several ways:

1. Rural Employability: The centre can help rural youth access practical training aligned with market demand, improving their employability and income potential.

2. Certification-Based Credibility: NSDC-aligned or Sector Skill Council-aligned certification can improve trainee credibility and help employers identify trained candidates.

3. Local Service Provider Model The project’s focus on grassroots professionals can help create local service providers in agriculture, animal care and industrial trades.

4. Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment Trainees can use acquired skills to start micro-enterprises, offer doorstep services or participate in local value chains.

5. Strengthening Rural Livelihood Ecosystems By combining training, certification and deployment, the centre can support long-term livelihood pathways rather than short-term training outputs.

6. Community-Level Development: If implemented effectively, the project can improve access to skilled services in villages, reduce dependency on external service providers and create locally available technical capacity.

R&D and Policy Analysis

From a policy and research perspective, the RFP reflects a shift from conventional training delivery to integrated livelihood development. The model focuses not only on training but also on certification, deployment and community-level service delivery.

Research Questions for Monitoring

1. How many trainees are enrolled, trained, assessed and certified?
2. What percentage of certified trainees secure wage employment, self-employment or enterprise opportunities?
3. What is the income improvement after training?
4. How many trained professionals continue service delivery after six months and one year?
5. Are women, disadvantaged groups and rural youth adequately represented?
6. Are trades aligned with local market demand and employer requirements?
7. Is certification recognised by employers and local stakeholders?
8. What is the retention rate of trainers and centre staff?
9. How effectively is the centre linked with local industries and rural ecosystems?
10. Does the model become financially and operationally sustainable over time?

Suggested Outcome Indicators

1. Number of candidates mobilised
2. Number of candidates enrolled
3. Training completion rate
4. Assessment pass rate
5. Certification rate
6. Placement or self-employment rate
7. Average monthly income after training
8. Number of grassroots service providers deployed
9. Number of enterprises supported
10. Employer satisfaction score
11. Beneficiary satisfaction score
12. Women participation rate

• Six-month and twelve-month retention tracking

Opportunities for Training Partners

This RFP is a relevant opportunity for organisations with proven experience in skill development, rural livelihoods, vocational education, employment-linked training and centre operations. Applicants with strong mobilisation capacity, trainer deployment systems, certification partnerships and placement networks may be better positioned.

Organisations should highlight the following in their proposal:

1. Past experience in running skill development centres.
2. Sector-wise training experience.
3. Trainer qualifications and deployment plan.
4. Certification partnerships with NSDC, SSCs or recognised agencies.
5. Mobilisation strategy for rural youth.
6. Placement and self-employment support plan.
7. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework.
8. Gender inclusion and social inclusion strategy.
9. Risk management and sustainability plan.
10. Post-training tracking mechanism.

Key Risks and Implementation Challenges

1. Low mobilisation due to limited awareness among rural youth.
2. Mismatch between training trades and market demand.
3. Lack of adequate trainers in rural locations.
4. Weak certification or delayed assessment processes.
5. Limited employer linkage for rural candidates.
6. Low post-training income if deployment is not properly planned.
7. Infrastructure and equipment maintenance challenges.
8. Need for strong monitoring and quality assurance.
9. Retention challenges among trainees and trainers.
10. Sustainability after project support period.

Suggested Proposal Strategy for Applicants

Applicants should prepare a strong technical and financial proposal covering:

1. Understanding of the local context in Hardoi and Sandila.
2. Centre operation plan with staffing structure.
3. Trade-wise training methodology.
4. Candidate mobilisation and counselling plan.
5. Certification facilitation process.
6. Employer and enterprise linkage strategy.
7. MIS, reporting and data management plan.
8. Safeguarding, gender inclusion and grievance redressal mechanisms.
9. Financial proposal with cost rationality.
10. Sustainability and exit strategy.

Conclusion

The HCLFoundation Samuday RFP for managing a Multi-Skill Training Center in Sandila, Hardoi, is a significant CSR-linked opportunity for organisations working in skill development, vocational training and rural livelihood promotion. By focusing on training, certification and deployment, the project has the potential to create a local pool of skilled grassroots professionals who can contribute to employment, entrepreneurship and community-level service delivery.

Experienced NGOs, Section 8 companies, private training agencies and vocational skilling organisations should review the RFP carefully and submit proposals before the deadline of 06 July 2026.

FAQs

Is this a government scheme?

No. This is not a government scheme. It is a CSR-backed RFP issued by HCLFoundation under its Samuday Programme.

Who can apply?

Not-for-profit organisations with 12A and 80G certificates are preferred. Private companies, Section 8 companies and for-profit agencies with relevant skill development experience may also apply.

What is the project location?

The project location is Sandila block, Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh.

What is the last date to apply?

The last date for submission is 06 July 2026.

What certification is required?

The applicant should be able to facilitate NSDC-aligned, Sector Skill Council-aligned or other credible recognised certification.

Is the project budget mentioned?

The available RFP notice does not mention the specific project budget, tender fee or EMD.

What are the major trade areas?

The project focuses on agriculture, animal care and industrial skilling.

What is the expected outcome?

The expected outcome is to train, certify and deploy grassroots professionals for employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable rural livelihoods.

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