Wheelchair Provision and Assembly Centers

Whirlwind Wheelchair International is soliciting letters of interest from organizations in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia to operate a Wheelchair Provision and Assembly Center (WPAC) as part of the Whirlwind Franchise Network. 

A WPAC will be a profitable (sustainable) enterprise that will assemble imported wheelchairs and provide the necessary services to ensure that wheelchair users get the full intended benefits of mobility from their new wheelchairs.   Each WPAC will become a permanent part of the Whirlwind Franchise Network with all the rights and obligations such a relationship entails.  Whirlwind’s key commitments are to build a supply chain providing a variety of competitively priced high quality products, to connect WPAC’s with Whirlwind’s donor/buyers, and to provide the quality and price assurance demanded by donor/buyers.  WPAC staff will receive training on use of Whirlwind’s marketing materials and use of a web-based information system (WBIS) for customer relationship management and fundraising. The WBIS will allow even remote WPACs to build and solicit donations from their own donor base.  Local-language versions of Whirlwind’s English product presentations will substantially enhance the WPAC’s brand image. Whirlwind will also provide quality control of the not-yet-assembled chairs and train WPAC staff in quality control of assembled chairs.  Whirlwind will train the WPAC on World Health Organization (WHO) - compliant provision, and the WPAC will ensure that its chairs are provided according to WHO guidelines.

Candidates to host a Whirlwind WPAC can be a private company in the wheelchair or a related field, or an NGO with a track record.  Successful candidates will have had to develop a business plan (with Whirlwind assistance, if needed) and must have the ability to market wheelchairs and to manage a business.  They must have a commitment to providing good service, willingness to do follow-up with their customers, to get feedback and to report that to Whirlwind, and to assist Whirlwind with our program development.

There are two categories of successful WPAC applicants:  Seven that will qualify under the Special Programs to Address the Needs of Survivors (SPANS), a USAID-funded grant Whirlwind has received from World Learning, and others that do not. Those who qualify under our grant will get:

• A supply of parts for the Whirlwind RoughRider wheelchair and for other types of chairs as determined by need
• Training on business management, wheelchair assembly and wheelchair provision
• The right use the Whirlwind brand and receive marketing support
• Quality control support

Those who do not qualify to be a sub-grantee under Whirlwind’s USAID funded grant but are otherwise qualified will receive training and support but will have to purchase their initial supply of parts.

Successful applicants will be required to:

• Provide some portion of the startup cost to ensure that they have “skin in the game”
• Send 2 people to our WPAC model training site in Jogjakarta, Indonesia
• Assemble quality product and give reports
• Provide wheelchairs according to WHO Guidelines and give reports showing compliance

Some examples of organizations that might be appropriate candidates include:

• An NGO engaged in income-generating activities and not dependent on this project for the organization’s sustainability.  Note:  the WPAC program will be self sustaining and will generate only a small surplus, so it should not be viewed as a cash cow;
• An NGO that can show organizational stability over a period of time, and has grant and donor income sufficient so that the organization will not be dependent on income generated by the WPAC.  Examples of this type of organization include disabled-run NGOs, rehabilitation organizations, and organizations that have solid connections in the local community where they will operate.  This list is for illustration purposes only and is not meant to exclude any applicants.
• A for-profit company working in a related field.  This could be wheelchairs, prosthetics and orthotics, or bicycles. This list is for  illustration purposes only and is not meant to exclude any applicants;

Your letter of interest must include the following information:

• Your organization’s complete contact information including a contact person’s name
• The type of organization you are and your legal status
• How long the organization has existed
• Where you intend to locate the WPAC
• Any experience in the wheelchair or related field
• Any experience with disability
• Why you want to operate a WPAC
• Connections your organization has with governmental, non-governmental, and international charitable, humanitarian, and development agencies that might be relevant to the WPAC program

Your letter must not exceed two single-spaced type written pages and must be in English.

Send your letter as a Word or PDF document as an email attachment to marc at whirlwindwheelchair.org.  There is no deadline but funding is limited.