Deadline: 05-Sep-2025
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is seeking proposals from NGOs to work on a project focused on social and cultural engagement to transform norms and practices that promote the advancement of economic, social, and political rights of women in the rice value chain in Bonthe, Tonkolili, and Kambia Districts.
The project’s key objectives and expected outputs are to transform norms and practices, increase awareness, and improve the knowledge and agencies of women in actualizing their goals.
The selected NGO will be responsible for a range of activities under the supervision of the EWASME Country and Regional Project Coordinators, with guidance from UNDP’s Team Leader of the People Centered Sustainable Development and Resilience Portfolio and the Regional Specialist for Livelihoods and Economic Recovery. The work includes conducting gender and social norm diagnostics to identify barriers for women entrepreneurs, facilitating structured dialogues with community leaders and women’s groups, and organizing community engagement sessions to disseminate gender laws. The NGO will also host town hall sessions, design targeted campaigns using culturally relevant tools like community theatre and radio jingles, and produce and distribute tailored communication materials in collaboration with UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS). Additionally, the NGO will conduct training sessions for women, youth, and community actors on gender equality and economic empowerment, monitor shifts in community attitudes, and capture lessons learned and success stories.
The successful NGO must be legally registered and have at least 5 years of experience in gender equality, community mobilization, and rural development, with a strong presence in the targeted districts. The organization must have proven experience working with traditional leaders and women’s groups and be able to produce reports in English. A dedicated, full-time project team of at least three technical experts is required, including an EWASME Project Team Leader and at least two other technical experts.
The team leader should have a master’s degree in a relevant field and at least 7 years of experience in coordinating development projects focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment. They must be fluent in English and at least one local language of the target communities. The gender and social inclusion experts should have a master’s degree in a relevant field, or a bachelor’s degree with at least 7 years of experience, and a minimum of 5 years of experience implementing community development or gender equality projects. They also need to be fluent in English and at least one local language. All costs associated with the project must be included in the financial proposal, as UNDP will not provide logistical support for travel or accommodation.
Proposals must include a technical proposal that describes the organization’s expertise and approach, CVs for the at least three technical experts, and a financial proposal with all mission-related costs. UNDP will evaluate proposals based on a Quality-Based under Fixed Budget Selection (QB-FBS) methodology, meaning all proposals must not exceed a known fixed budget amount, and the selection will be based on the technical quality of the proposal. The proposal should include an implementation timetable and a quality assurance plan to demonstrate how the methodology meets or exceeds the terms of reference.
For more information, visit UNDP.
