We offer business development services on location in Europe and Southern Africa, developing and managing your concepts and projects.
Operating on demand as client’s team, commited and dedicated
With the highest integrity and objectivity, as professionals
Growing your business, together
Supporting you through entrepreneurship, from start up to implementation
From our offices in Netherlands and South Africa, but wherever we are needed
Developing successful, long term and strategic relations
Your Man on Site has an extensive expertise in business development service provision and can draw on unique cross-sector and cross-border experience.
Whether you are responding to a tender proposal, seeking to build consortia capacity, starting up new ventures, or just need to get ‘the job done’, we would like to hear from you!
Together with you, we work to identify new and exciting opportunities and explore fruitful partnerships with other high-caliber organisations.
Offering a complete menu of services within business development and project management, we aim to support you through all aspects in entrepreneurship, from concept to implementation. Our services range from specific ‘on site’ management solutions to broad initiatives covering your needs in business planning.
Established in 2004 in the Netherlands, who are behind Your Man on Site? Find out more on who we are…
With expertise in different projects in different sectors, we like to show you our ‘foot print’.
Our approach and our values are not unique, but it certainly defines us. But how do we do it?
We are proud to share the clients and partners we have been working with
YMoS was the private sector partner from 2011 to 2017 for Vitens Evides International in the development of a sustainable ‘springboard’ for (private) innovative technologies in the (public) Water & Sanitation sector in South Africa. The program was sponsored by the Royal Dutch Embassy in South Africa and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Partners included World Waternet and World Water Academy and the 3 Metropolitan Municipalities.
The Dutch government requested Vitens Evides International to write a proposal for an ‘aid to trade project in water and sanitation for South Africa’. The proposal was built on previous work and initiatives by Your Man on Site, World Waternet and World Water Academy.
The resulting business plan formed the basis in April 2013 for the 3-year project phase to implement the ‘Centre of Expertise’ concept. This project phase had two main targets: facilitate at least 25 showcase projects in the South African water sector (with multiple municipalities) AND address the (financial) sustainability for the concept of such an innovation platform.
The ‘docking phase’ focussed specifically on the creation of the sustainability of the Centre of Expertise concept in the South African water sector, resulting in the collaboration with SALGA. The funded activities were formally closed during a final workshop in July 2017.
With the help of the 3 metropolitan municipalities (Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg) more than 30 physical pilots with innovative technologies were carried out. Municipal procedures were aligned to allow the cooperative testing of innovations and technology to avoid further duplication.
eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) and Your Man on Site conducted a pilot project with trenchless technologies in 2009 to 2011 to replace several asbestos-cement (AC) pipes. These trenchless technologies were previously not applied in South Africa. The department head (Mr. Neil Macleod) expressed a need to set-up a platform where new working methods and technologies could be tried and tested. Vocational and technical staff training needed to be an integral part of this platform to benefit EWS and the South African water sector at large. The need for such a platform was informed by the many new technologies seen abroad and not offered in South Africa through any of the usual channels (e.g. consulting engineers, trade missions).
The Dutch government reviewed its development aid policies and concluded that South Africa should no longer be considered a recipient of government development aid grants. South Africa still has many development challenges ahead, but the focus of the bilateral relationship should be re-focused on trade. A transition facility was set-up for South Africa (together with Columbia and Vietnam) to assist in the transition from aid to trade.
These two developments combined resulted in the Dutch government request to Vitens Evides International to write a proposal with Your Man on Site, World Waternet and World Water Academy. A subsequent business plan for the Centre of Expertise was developed and approved with a government grant for implementation.
During these initial 3 years the collaboration with EWS was strengthened and a partnership relation with the City of Cape Town (CCT) and Johannesburg Water (JW) was developed. Various conference presentations and network events were conducted to share working methods and procedures. A showcase portfolio of innovative technologies/approaches for the sector was developed, based on 4 pillars (Decision support, Exploration, Product specification & organisation & Training).
Corresponding procedures were fine-tuned resulting in several tenders being published and awarded. The sustainability of the concept remained a challenge, due to various legal hurdles.
Advice was given and a road map was developed on the incorporation of the concept in the research, development and Innovation (RDI) strategy of SALGA’s water portfolio. Further linkages with NUFFIC programs were explored, allowing knowledge development at South African municipalities.
Together with VEI, YMoS made sure all activities were winded down correctly and closed the registered ‘Special Purposed Vehicle’ company.
The Centre of Expertise project demonstrated the need for new technology and initiated collaboration between cities. It has generated a specific network in the water sector in both South African and the Netherlands. This includes an intimate knowledge of specific rules and regulations. With help of SALGA a sustainable model was created and handed over for the South African sector to take further.