1. ### Eligibility and Qualification of Bidders 1. In order to be awarded the contract, bidders should possess the financial, economic, technical and professional capacity to perform the contract. Bidders should fulfill their tax and social insurance liabilities in the country and should not currently be subject to a debarment penalty. 2. Bidders must adhere to the highest ethical standards, both throughout the bidding process and execution of the contract. 3. WUSC has a zero tolerance for unethical behavior/corrupt practices including: - Bribery: the act of unduly offering, giving, receiving or soliciting anything of value to influence the procurement process; - Extortion or coercion: the act of attempting to influence the process of procuring goods or services, or executing contracts by means of threats of injury to person, property or reputation; - Fraud: misrepresentation of information or facts for the purpose of influencing the procurement process; - Collusion: an agreement between bidders designed to result in bids at artificial prices that are not competitive; - Guilt of misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the contracting authority as a condition of participation in the contract procedure or failing to supply this information; - Anti-terrorism: support of any terrorist or terrorist group as defined by donors; - Other civil, criminal acts or otherwise illegal activity which would be detrimental to the financial interests of WUSC 1. WUSC may declare the consultancy firms, their boards of directors and/or individual personnel ineligible to register with the organization either indefinitely or for a stated period of time. 2. WUSC will reject a proposal if it establishes that the bidder recommended for award has engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, collusive or coercive practices in competing for the contract. 3. Consultancy firms only are eligible for this RFP. (Registered and located in Jordan) 2. ### Languageof the Proposal

The Proposal as well as all correspondence and documents related to the proposal shall be written in English Language.

1. ### Documents included in the Proposal

The proposal will be prepared, submitted and evaluated in two parts as follows:

1. Technical Proposal Format and Content

The Technical Proposal shall be prepared using the format provided below and shall comprise the documents listed\\.\\ The Technical Proposal shall not include any financial information. A Technical Proposal containing material financial information shall be declared non-responsive.

Section 1 (In case of an open tender where the suppliers are not known to WUSC; the following documents should be requested) for eligibility and compliance check/evaluation

Covering letter on firms headed paper giving complete details including email addresses, telephone contacts, office location where applicable; not required for freelance bidders.

(Commercial registration)

(Vocational license)

Failure to submit the documents requested in section 1 will lead to rejection of the proposal.

1. Financial Proposal format and content

The Financial Proposal shall be prepared in the format below and it shall list all costs associated with the assignment, including (a) remuneration for Key Experts and Non-Key Experts, (b) reimbursable expenses as follows:

Summary of Costs

4.2.1 The prices given in the financial proposal must include all taxes and duties in accordance with the laws of the country.

4.2.2 The price offered must remain fixed during the contract performance.

4.2.3 The bid price must be in the requested Currency, which is Jordanian Dinar (JOD).

1. ### Clarification and Amendment

WUSC will, within 5 working days, respond in writing or electronic mail to any request clarification received in writing or electronic mail no later than 7 days before expiry of the deadline for submission of the bid. The response will be distributed to all bidders without identifying the source of the request. All enquiries should be written to WUSC through (procurement.jo@wusc.ca).

1. ### Modification and Withdrawal 1. The bidder may submit a modified bid or a modification to any part of it at any time prior to the proposal submission deadline. The bidder’s withdrawal notice must be marked as “Modification”. No modifications to the bid shall be accepted after the deadline. 2. The bidder may submit a bid withdrawal notice to any part of it at any time prior to the proposal submission deadline. The bidder’s withdrawal notice must be marked as “Withdrawal”. No withdrawals to the bid shall be accepted after the deadline. 2. ### Payment and Currency 1. Payment under the Contract shall be made in the currency or currencies in the bid which is (JOD) 2. Payment will be made within 30 days upon submission of invoice and satisfactory receipt of goods. 3. ### Format, signing and submission of Proposals 1. An authorized representative of the bidder shall sign the original submission letters in the required format as one original. 2. The original Technical Proposal shall be clearly marked “TECHNICAL PROPOSAL” Title of the attachment. 3. The original Financial Proposal shall be clearly marked “FINANCIAL PROPOSAL” Title of the attachment. (Note : Technical and financial proposals must be submitted in one email with separate attachments). Submitting technical & financial proposal in one attachment will lead to disqualification of the whole proposal. 4. ### Deadlinefor Submission of Bids

The proposal must be submitted through the email with the subject of “Baseline Study & Assessment Consultancy- RFP reference number” and must be received by WUSC by 14/10/ 2026 16:00. Bids received after this date will be rejected.

Proposals submitted must be valid for 90 days from the bid submission date.

1. ### BidOpening 1. WUSC evaluation committee shall conduct the opening of the proposals immediately after the bid submission time. The opening date will be 15/10/ 2026. 2. At the opening of the proposals, only the Technical proposal shall be opened, while the Financial Proposal shall remain at the procurement department and shall be securely stored. bids the following shall be read out: (i) the name and the country of the bidder (ii) any modifications to the bid submitted prior to the proposal submission deadline; (iii) any other information deemed appropriate. This information will be filled in the bid opening form. 2. ### Evaluationof Technical Proposals 1. The evaluators of the Technical Proposals shall have no access to the Financial Proposals until the technical evaluation is concluded. 2. The tender committee shall evaluate the Technical Proposals on the basis of their responsiveness to the Terms of Reference and the RFP, applying the evaluation criteria, sub-criteria, and point system specified below. Each responsive Proposal will be given a technical score.

A Proposal shall be rejected at this stage if it does not respond to important aspects of the RFP or if it fails to achieve the minimum technical score.

During evaluation of bids, WUSC may request the bidder, in writing using mailing address or email address, to provide clarification of his bid. No change in price or substance of the bid shall be sought, offered or permitted.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Criteria, sub-criteria, and point system for the evaluation of the Technical Proposals:

Points

1. Technical (which includes; Relevance of experience, Experience in conducting similar studies and researches, collecting data and producing quality baseline study reports, for international non-profit organizations or multilateral agencies, Experience in management of large amounts of qualitative and quantitative data from a variety of sources(70 points) 2. Financial Proposal (30 points)

Total points for the four criteria\\\:\\\ 100

The minimum technical score (St) required to pass is: 65

The minimum Overall score 70

1. ### Evaluation of Financial Proposals 1. The Financial Proposals of the bidders who attain the minimum technical scores are opened and the summary of cost prices read out and recorded in the bid opening form by the tender committee. All other Financial Proposals are returned unopened after the Contract negotiations are successfully concluded and the Contract is signed. 2. Arithmetical errors will be rectified in the following manner. If there is a discrepancy between the unit price and the total price, obtained in multiplying the unit price by quantity, the unit price will prevail. If there is a discrepancy between the words and figures, the amount in words shall prevail. If the bidder disagrees with such his bid will be rejected.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

The lowest evaluated Financial Proposal (Fm) is given the maximum financial score (Sf) of 100.

The formula for determining the financial scores (Sf) of all other Proposals is calculated as follows:

Sf = 100 x Fm/ F, in which “Sf” is the financial score, “Fm” is the lowest price, and “F” the price of the proposal under consideration.

\[or replace with another inversely proportional formula acceptable to the WUSC\]

The weights given to the Technical (T) and Financial (P) Proposals are:

T = \[70\], and

P = \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\[30\]

Proposals are ranked according to their combined technical (St) and financial (Sf) scores using the weights (T = the weight given to the Technical Proposal; P = the weight given to the Financial Proposal; T + P = 1) as following: S = St x T% + Sf x P%.

1. ### Confidentiality 1. No bidder will contact WUSC on any matter related to his bid except for requests related to clarifications of the bid. Information concerning procurement process and evaluation of bids is confidential. Any clarification related to the selection process shall be done only in writing. 2. Any attempt by the bidder to influence improperly WUSC officials in the evaluation of the bid or Contract award decisions may result in the rejection of its bid, and may be subject to the application of prevailing WUSC’s debarment procedures. 2. ### Notification of Award 1. The Consultant with the Most Advantageous Proposal, which is the Proposal that achieves the highest combined technical and financial scores, will be notified of award of contract by WUSC in writing. 2. At the same time WUSC notifies the successful bidder, WUSC will notify all other unsuccessful bidders and provide a debrief where one is sought in writing within 5 days. 3. The notice of acceptance will be given by the successful bidder within 7 days of the notification of award. 3. ### Awardof Contract 1. WUSC will award the contract to the bidder whose bid is determined to be substantially responsive and who offered the best evaluated bid. 2. WUSC reserves the right to accept or reject any bid or all bids and to cancel the bidding process at any time prior to award of the contract without thereby incurring any liability to bidders without being required to inform the bidders of reasons for such actions. 4. ### Signingof Contract and Performance Security 1. WUSC will send the successful bidder the Contract. The bidder will sign and date the contract and return to WUSC within 14 days of receipt of the notice of award. 2. Together with the signed Contract, the bidder will furnish WUSC with a Performance Security, if required to do so. 3. If the successful bidder fails to submit the performance security, if required to do so, within 14 days, then it shall be sufficient grounds to revoke the award of the contract. In this case, WUSC will award the contract to the next bidder. 4. A performance security may be required in cases where the supplier is given an advance payment. Performance Security must be in the form of a Bank Guarantee or a bond from an Insurance Company licensed by the Bank. 5. ### Settlementof Disputes

Disputes that may arise during the performance of the Contract shall be settled in accordance with the laws of the country, by arbitration or mutual agreement between the parties.

1. ### Compliances

Bidders must submit valid certificates of compliances from the relevant bodies as requested.

Annex 1: Terms of Reference (TOR)

Terms of Reference – Baseline Study & Assessment Study

Nurturing, Advancing and Sustaining High-potential Women-led Microenterprises through Innovations Accelerating growth in Jordan (NASHMIA)

1. Introduction

WUSC is a Canadian global development organization dedicated to creating a world where all young people can thrive, belong, and shape their own futures. We catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for youth by working with a diverse network of partners—including students, volunteers, schools, governments, not-for-profits, and businesses—to transform the systems that hold young people back. We champion inclusive, youth-centered solutions, with a particular focus on women and displaced populations. With a longstanding history of resettling refugees to Canada through the Student Refugee Program, WUSC continues to advance innovative and sustainable responses to forced displacement globally. WUSC currently operates in over 30 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our 350-strong team delivers a diverse portfolio of programs in partnership with multilateral and bilateral donors and philanthropic foundations.

WUSC, in consortium with ECO Consult, is implementing the Nurturing, Advancing, and Sustaining High-potential Women-led Microenterprises through Innovations Accelerating growth in Jordan (NASHMIA) project in Jordan. NASHMIA is a five-year initiative (2026–2031) funded by Global Affairs Canada with a budget of CAD $10 million that aims to improve economic well-being for women and female youth in Jordan, particularly refugees and those living with disabilities (ultimate outcome). The project will support 3,000 women climate entrepreneurs across six targeted governorates: Balqa (Jordan Valley), Mafraq, Ajloun, Jerash, Karak, and Ma’an and is expected to reach approximately 300 staff of Jordanian intermediary organizations and 20,000 community members. NASHMIA takes a market systems and gender-transformative approach that engages and supports local stakeholders from government, Enterprise Serving Organizations (ESOs), financial institutions, the private sector, and communities to drive systemic changes that address business, financial, and gender-specific barriers preventing women from participating in and leading within Jordan's green economy.

WUSC is now seeking a qualified consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive , gender and environment and climate-responsive baseline study for the NASHMIA project.

1. Background of NASHMIA Project

Nurturing, Advancing, and Sustaining High-potential Women-led Microenterprises through Innovations Accelerating growth in Jordan (NASHMIA) is a five-year initiative (2026–2031) funded by Global Affairs Canada with a budget of CAD $10 million, led by World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in consortium with ECO Consult. NASHMIA is designed to empower women entrepreneurs—including women with lived refugee experience and women with disabilities—to lead in Jordan’s green economy. Operating across six targeted governorates (Balqa \[Jordan Valley\], Mafraq, Ajloun, Jerash, Karak, and Ma’an), the initiative helps women strengthen, formalise and grow environmentally sustainable businesses and start new ones where a clear opportunity exists in priority sectors: climate-smart agriculture and agro-processing, eco- and community-based tourism, and the circular economy, with renewable energy, water technologies and digital solutions as cross-cutting enablers.

The project achieves this by tackling both business and social barriers. NASHMIA will apply a gender-sensitive and intersectional approach that goes beyond women’s participation to address unequal gender relations, decision-making power, control over economic resources, and the different barriers faced by women with disabilities and women with lived refugee experience. On the enterprise side, NASHMIA provides women climate businesses with practical upskilling, digital tools, market linkages, and improved access to green financing. On the social side, it creates safe co-working spaces, offers targeted grants, and provides essential community support services like childcare and psychosocial care so women can fully participate in the economy.

By aligning with Jordan’s national economic strategies and Canada’s foreign assistance priorities, NASHMIA brings together local partners, financial institutions, and policymakers to build an inclusive support system. Ultimately, the project aims to contribute to improved economic well-being for women and female youth in Jordan, particularly refugees and those living with disabilities, through enterprises that are more competitive and more resilient to climate risk.

NASHMIA is delivered in partnership with Jordanian and international technical partners:ECO Consult, as consortium co-lead, leading the entrepreneurial ecosystem assessment and contributing climate and green economy expertise across the project; Arab Women Organization (AWO) leading social norm transformation and community protection, Arcan Impact leading business upskilling, and Seedstars deploying the AI-powered digital coaching tool (SIGMA).

2.1 The project’s Outcomes

The project’s ultimate outcome is to improve economic well-being for women and female youth in Jordan, particularly refugees and those living with disabilities. Two intermediate outcomes contribute to this goal:

Intermediate Outcome 1100: Enhanced competitiveness and sustainability of women climate Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), including those led by women with disabilities and refugees in target governorates.
Intermediate Outcome 1200: Reduced gender-specific barriers to women’s climate entrepreneurship and participation in the green economy, including women with disabilities and refugees in target governorates.

WUSC and partners' interventions are expected to contribute to the above intermediate outcomes through the achievement of five immediate outcomes: i) enhanced capacity of ecosystem actors to drive competitiveness and sustainability of women climate MSMEs(Immediate Outcome 1110) ii) increased capacity of financial institutions and private sector actors to provide gender- and climate-responsive financial services(Immediate Outcome 1120) iii) increased capacity of ecosystem actors to provide market expansion and enterprise development services(Immediate Outcome 1130) iv) increased availability of information, networking, and business development opportunities(Immediate Outcome 1210) and v) enhanced community support enabling women’s climate entrepreneurship (Immediate Outcome 1220). All five are stated here in abbreviated form; the full outcome statements, together with the output level and the associated indicators, are set out in the Performance Measurement Framework annexed to this Terms of Reference.

2.2 Theory of Change

NASHMIA’s Theory of Change is based on the premise that while women’s early-stage entrepreneurial activity in Jordan has risen significantly (reaching 20% in 2024), women’s representation among established business owners remains stalled at only 2% (compared to 7% for men) according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) – Jordan 2024/2025. This high attrition rate is not accidental; it is produced by two interconnected systemic forces that NASHMIA addresses simultaneously: Capability (Intermediate Outcome 1100) and Conditions (Intermediate Outcome 1200).

Rather than relying solely on direct service delivery to individual women, NASHMIA applies an inclusive market systems development and gender-transformative approach. It delivers interventions that enable local ecosystem actors—including Enterprise Serving Organizations (ESOs), financial institutions, private sector buyers, municipalities, and community-based organizations—to drive sustainable, systemic changes across six high-poverty target governorates (Balqa/Jordan Valley, Mafraq, Ajloun, Jerash, Karak, and Ma’an).

Building Capability (Enterprise & Ecosystem Level): Women micro, small, and medium climate enterprises (WCEs/WLCMSMEs)—as well as the ecosystem serving them—lack tailored green skills, digital tools, formal market integration, and appropriate financing. In alignment with Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) and GIZ standards, NASHMIA categorizes target formal and informal MSMEs by full-time equivalent (FTE) employees into microenterprises (1–4 employees), small enterprises (5–19 employees), and medium enterprises (20–99 employees).

Aligned with the 2x criteria, an industry standard for gender-lens investing (GLI), the project definition of “women climate MSMEs” will consider women’s business ownership and leadership alongside women’s employment, supply chain make-up, and products and services which enhance the well-being of women, foster climate-smart entrepreneurship and drive gender equality. Specifically, women MSMEs includes:

Women-led enterprises - a business or organization that is managed by a woman or a group of women (e.g., leadership roles such as CEO, Director, Manager).
Women-owned enterprises - A business or organization that is founded and owned by a woman or a group of women who are majority shareholders (51% or more).
Women-supporting enterprises - A business, program, or institution that primarily focuses on meeting the needs of women and girls, such as business development support, finance, education, employment, supply chain engagement, or protection from violence. The term is not ownership-dependent. A women-supporting enterprise can be owned or led by anyone, but its mission and impact are focused on empowering or supporting women.

Recognizing the potential to support climate focused businesses as well as support women businesses to integrate climate adaptation principles into their business operations and service offerings, the project defines “climate enterprises” as businesses falling under the following three categories:

Businesses that directly offer climate mitigation/adaptation products or services (e.g. selling solar panels, offering climate-smart agricultural advisory services);
Businesses that indirectly support climate mitigation/adaptation (e.g. using renewable energy to power their operations)
Businesses that need support adapting their products or services to be more climate resilient or environmentally responsible (e.g. agri businesses that can integrate more climate-friendly practices).

Support services are heavily concentrated in Amman, leaving rural women underserved. NASHMIA equips local ESOs to co-develop and deliver business ideation (Fikra) and growth (Wathba) tracks, deploys Seedstars’ AI-powered WhatsApp coaching tool (SIGMA), facilitates private sector value chain linkages (e.g., formal buyers, B2B matchmaking), and works with financial institutions to co-develop gender- and climate-responsive financial services that eliminate collateral barriers and mitigate debt risks (al-gharimat).

Transforming Conditions (Social & Enabling Environment Level): Discriminatory social norms, mobility constraints, severe unpaid caregiving burdens, legal obstacles for refugees, and physical/digital accessibility gaps for women with disabilities severely restrict enterprise growth. NASHMIA shifts social norms through community-based awareness campaigns, public dialogues, and structured family/household dialogue circles that engage men and boys as constructive allies while keeping women’s agency at the center. To remove practical constraints, NASHMIA connects women entrepreneurs with safe co-working spaces, targeted business grants, psychosocial support, and quality childcare by directly leveraging the network of home-based nurseries established under WUSC’s BUCRA project.

NASHMIA is grounded in the core assumption that building capabilities without transforming underlying social conditions leaves women trained for opportunities they are not permitted to pursue, whereas changing conditions without building capabilities grants permissions women lack the means to exercise. A second assumption underpins the market systems approach: that ecosystem actors are willing and institutionally able to change how they operate, and not only aware of the need to do so. Both assumptions should be tested/examined by the baseline. By addressing both dimensions simultaneously within environmentally sustainable, climate-resilient growth sectors (climate-smart agriculture/agro-processing, eco-tourism, renewable energy, and circular economy, water technologies and digital solutions as cross-cutting enablers), NASHMIA aims to enable that women climate entrepreneurs gain increased decision-making power, control over assets, and sustainable income, ultimately driving inclusive economic well-being and poverty reduction.

1. Objectives of the study

The overall purpose of this assignment is to conduct a comprehensive, gender and climate-responsive, and inclusive baseline study for the NASHMIA project. The baseline study will establish the benchmark data required to measure project performance over time, validate project assumptions, and inform the refinement of implementation strategies across the six target governorates (Balqa \[Jordan Valley\], Mafraq, Ajloun, Jerash, Karak, and Ma’an)

Specifically, the study aims to achieve the following objectives:

Establish Baseline Values for the outcome indicators and recommend targets for WUSC approval: Collect baseline data and propose realistic, achievable targets with supporting justification and benchmarking against comparable programming for all quantitative and qualitative indicators in NASHMIA’s Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) across the Ultimate Outcome (1000), Intermediate Outcomes (1100 & 1200), Immediate Outcomes (1110, 1120, 1130, 1210, 1220), and key Output levels. Additionally, the baseline study will validate the utility, practical relevance, and measurability of all PMF indicators, providing evidence-based recommendations to refine, modify, or replace specific indicators where necessary to ensure they effectively capture project progress over time.
Disaggregate Baseline Benchmarks: Ensure all data collected on women climate entrepreneurs (WCEs), ecosystem actors, and community members are fully disaggregated by gender, age, geographic region, migration/refugee status, and disability status. Disaggregation by disability status and refugee status requires purposive oversampling rather than proportional sampling; the proposal must set out how this will be achieved as well. The data collection process must itself be accessible to women with disabilities, including venue selection, alternative formats, interpretation and other reasonable accommodations.
Validate Reach Estimates and Test Baseline Assumptions : Review and validate the foundational assumptions and estimates underpinning NASHMIA’s expected reach , including the target of contributing to improve the economic well-being of 3,000 women climate entrepreneurs WCEs, based on the planned interventions and the changes in the systems and systems actors. The study should assess the feasibility and basis of these estimates and identify any considerations relevant to their refinement during project implementation.
Triangulate with Parallel Assessments: Build upon, complement, and triangulate primary baseline findings with the results of the GESI/ECC-Integrated Market Systems Analysis (MSA), conducted during the PIP stage, and with emerging findings from the Year 1 Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Assessment where these are available within the study period. Specifically:

Aِssess Market & Ecosystem Realities in Green Sectors:

Examine Gender and inclusion-Specific, Environment and Climate & Structural Barriers:

Evaluate Care & Support Linkages:

Inform Adaptive MERL Plan: Provide evidence-based recommendations to refine NASHMIA’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) plan, risk mitigation matrix, and feed into the project’s learning agenda.

1. Scope and research questions

The research questions and baseline inquiry are designed to build directly upon the sector mapping and preliminary findings of the GESI/ECC-Integrated Market Systems Analysis (MSA). Primary data collection will focus on filling remaining information gaps and establishing quantitative and qualitative baseline benchmark values for all PMF indicators.

The baseline study will cover all the six targeted governorates and establish benchmark data across all levels of NASHMIA’s PMF. The study covers four respondent populations: women climate entrepreneurs; Enterprise Serving Organizations and other ecosystem actors; financial institutions and private sector actors; and community members. The proposal shall state a separate sampling frame and proposed sample size for each population and for each governorate, specifying where probability sampling and where purposive sampling will be applied, together with the confidence level and margin of error at which results will be reported. Given the project’s definition of women climate entrepreneurs, the sampling frame should also consider women-owned, led and supporting enterprises as well as both micro enterprises (1-4 employees) and SMEs (5-99 employees) to ensure an understanding of the needs of each group.

4.1 Quantitative and Qualitative Indicators in the Project’s PMF

The study will collect baseline values and inform target-setting for the following PMF indicators, disaggregated by age, geographic region, migration/refugee status, and disability status (DARMD).

The consultant shall review the PMF indicators within the scope of the baseline study to assess their measurability, relevance, and suitability for establishing baseline values. The review shall consider the indicator definitions, data sources, proposed measurement methodologies, and the feasibility of data collection within the project context.

For each indicator, the consultant shall recommend an appropriate baseline measurement approach and clearly identify any limitations, data gaps, or contextual considerations that may affect its measurement. Any proposed modification, refinement, or omission of an indicator must be supported by a clear technical justification and approved by WUSC before adoption. Additionally, the consultant shall provide a documented technical rationale and recommend appropriate baseline treatment and, where necessary, adjustments to the future measurement approach for WUSC’s review and approval.

The overall review shall maintain alignment with NASHMIA’s approved Logical Model, PMF, and intended results.

Quantitative and Qualitative Indicators in the Project’s PMF

1. Level of participation of women in the green economy ((disaggregated by age, region, migration and disability status) 2. Self-reported level of economic well-being based on the own definition of women and female youth in targeted areas ((disaggregated by age, region, migration and disability status) 3. % of Women Climate Entrepreneurs (WCEs) reporting access to quality financial and business services (disaggregated by age, region) 4. % of WCEs reporting increase in revenues (disaggregated by age, region, migration and disability status) 5. % of women climate entrepreneurs reporting access to quality support services that meet their needs (disaggregated by age, region, migration and disability status) 6. Perception of women climate entrepreneurs on gender-specific barriers to participation in the green economy (disaggregated by age, region, migration and disability status) 7. % ecosystem actors reporting high level of knowledge on good practices to support climate women entrepreneurs, including PWDs and refugees (disaggregated by sex, age, region, migration and disability status) 8. % ecosystem actors reporting confidence to operationalize policies / enhance programs to support women micro and small climate entrepreneurs, including PWDs and refugees (disaggregated by sex, age, region, migration and disability status) 9. % financial institutions and private sector actors reporting knowledge on successful pilots of gender and climate responsive financial services (disaggregated by sex, age, region, migration and disability status) 10. % ecosystem actors reporting confidence to join/continue pilots of services/products tailored for women micro and small climate entrepreneurs, including PWDs and refugees (disaggregated by sex, age, region, migration and disability status) 11. % of ESOs reporting increased capacity to support women-led micro and small climate enterprise development (disaggregated by region) 12. Level of interest among private sector actors to replicate/expand successful linkages piloted with women-led climate MSMEs (disaggregated by sex, age, region, migration and disability status) 13. % women climate entrepreneurs in targeted areas reporting increased awareness of business development opportunities (disaggregated by age, region, migration and disability status) 14. Level of satisfaction on the quality of information and business development opportunities among women (disaggregated by age, region, migration and disability status) 15. Perception among community members on women's economic participation in the green economy (disaggregated by disaggregated by sex, age, region, migration and disability status) 16. Perception among women climate entrepreneurs of the support services available in their communities (disaggregated by age, region, migration and disability status)

4.2 Research Questions

The research questions outlined below will be reviewed alongside the other planned studies and assessments to avoid duplication and ensure that each study covers its intended areas. Any needed changes will be clarified during the inception phase.

Research Questions

1. Ecosystem & Regulatory Environment: Building on the MSA,what supporting functions (business development services, technical green skills training, digital coaching) and rules (national green growth strategies, local licensing, registration policies) currently exist for women climate entrepreneurs across target sectors (climate-smart agriculture/agro-processing, eco-tourism, renewable energy, circular economy, water technologies and digital solutions as cross-cutting enablers)? Where are the key service gaps and institutional capacity constraints among municipalities, ESOs, and local actors across the six target governorates? What incentives commercial, reputational or regulatory would make these actors willing to serve women climate entrepreneurs, and which are already present? 2. Enterprise Typologies & Growth Realities: To what extent are women-owned/led microenterprises versus women small and medium enterprises (including women owned-led and supporting enterprises) currently operating in green sectors? What are their specific skill gaps, climate-adaptation needs, value-chain bottlenecks, and branding/packaging constraints compared to formal market/buyer requirements? Beyond enterprise size, how are these enterprises distributed between those operating primarily for subsistence or survival and those with demonstrable growth orientation and potential, and what distinguishes the two groups in terms of assets, market access, formalisation and aspiration? Furthermore,what practical barriers and enabling factors have women with existing businesses experienced in starting, sustaining, and growing their enterprises, and what lessons learned can inform NASHMIA’s support to new and existing WCEs? 3. Financial Ecosystem & Risk Mitigation: What financial and non-financial products and services are available for WCEs, which of these are appropriate and effective for them in practice, and what are women climate entrepreneurs themselves asking for? What specific structural barriers (collateral requirements, banking gaps, proxy borrowing by male relatives, fear of debt liability and al-gharimat) restrict access for rural women, women with lived refugee experience, and women with disabilities? What viable financing and savings models (microfinance, green loans, CSR/ESG funds, Jam'iya savings groups) can be co-developed with financial institutions? Which are realistic given the actual profile of the target enterprises largely informal, home-based, and without collateral or credit history? 4. Disability Inclusion & Accessibility: To what extent do current business support services, training venues, digital platforms, and financial products cater to women entrepreneurs with disabilities? What specific reasonable accommodations, physical accessibility features, and safeguarding mechanisms are required to ensure their full inclusion? Which local and institutional actors are best positioned to support disability inclusion, and what incentives exist—or are needed—to drive their active engagement? 5. Refugee Inclusion & Legal Constraints: What unique legal, regulatory, work permit, and documentation constraints affect women with lived refugee experience seeking to start or scale home-based or formal climate enterprises? What opportunities exist to build on local social cohesion between refugee entrepreneurs and host communities? 6. Youth Inclusion and Constraints: What are the main barriers do young women face when starting and growing climate-related enterprises compared to older women entrepreneurs, and what skills,assets, or support do they require and need to be strengthened, 7. Social Norms, Care Burden & Protection: What gender-specific, household, and community-level barriers affect women’s participation in climate entrepreneurship? What approaches can support gender-transformative change, reduce caregiving constraints, and prevent unintended harm, including risks related to intimate partner violence (IPV), while identifying relevant measures to monitor changes throughout project implementation? 8. Digital Readiness & Technology Adoption: What is the baseline level of digital tool usage (e.g., WhatsApp for marketplace transactions) among WCEs across regions? What is their readiness and capacity to adopt AI-powered digital business coaching tools, such as Seedstars’ SIGMA platform? What accessibility barriers affect adoption for women with disabilities, and what connectivity, device access, digital literacy or cost constraints apply across the six governorates? 9. Women’s Own Definitions of Success and Well-being: How do women climate entrepreneurs themselves define economic well-being, business success, and meaningful improvement in their circumstances? How do these definitions vary by business size/growth goals, governorate, age, disability status and refugee status, and how should they inform the measurement of indicator 2 over the life of the project? 10. Study approach and methodology

The preliminary draft of the methodology for the baseline study should be included in the submitted proposal.

The following elements should guide the design of the overall methodology and, during the inception phase, the development of the tools for this baseline study:

The study should not only consciously apply qualitative and quantitative research methods that are gender, disability, displacement and youth-sensitive, but also adopt as much as possible participatory and feminist approaches, engaging in consultation with stakeholders and participants at all stages, from the design of the methodological details to the analysis, interpretation and dissemination of all collected data;
The geographic scope of the study will be aligned with the areas targeted by the program’s interventions, as laid out in the project description;
The data collection approaches and specific tools used to establish indicator baselines should be adapted to the local contexts, to assure the appropriateness and reliability of the data collected. Data collection methods and tools should be accessible to participants with disabilities, and women with lived refugee experience with reasonable accommodations provided based on their needs.
Questions concerning violence, including intimate partner violence and economic violence, must follow recognised safety and ethical protocols for research on violence against women.

During the inception phase and tool development, the consultant will critically review the existing PMF indicators to assess their feasibility, operational clarity, and alignment with field realities, ensuring the data collection tools capture robust evidence for each indicator. Additionally, the methodology described in the proposal should provide explicit details on the process to determine the selection of respondents for the qualitative data collection, the key elements in the sampling strategy for the quantitative data collection, as well as details on how key ethical issues related to the data collection, analysis and dissemination processes will be addressed.

The baseline study will not operate in isolation; it will directly leverage and integrate findings and identify remaining evidence gaps from the GESI/ECC-Integrated Market Systems Analysis (MSA) completed during the PIP phase. The consultant(s) will review all secondary literature, mapping exercises, and preliminary stakeholder consultations generated by NASHMIA consortium partners (WUSC, ECO Consult, Arcan, Seedstars, and AWO). Primary field data (for example; surveys, FGDs, KIIs) collected during this study will be triangulated with the MSA results to avoid duplicate data collection, maximize resource efficiency, and deepen contextual insights regarding target green growth sectors and ecosystem barriers. In addition, the baseline study should consider the scope and focus of upcoming assessments planned within the project, once again to avoid duplication of efforts and prioritize information needed for the baseline report.

1. Key Activities and deliverables

The selected Consultant will have overall responsibility for the design of the methodology and implementation of the study, and for ensuring quality and timeliness of all deliverables. The Consultant will be tasked with designing the methodological details of the study, including the choice of the appropriate sampling/selection strategy across NASHMIA's six targeted governorates (Balqa \[Jordan Valley\], Mafraq, Ajloun, Jerash, Karak, and Ma’an), as well as with the data collection tools development and piloting; the enumerators’ recruitment, training and supervision; data entry and analysis; report writing and dissemination of findings for validation with project staff, partners, and stakeholders.

The key activities and deliverables expected from the Consultant(s) for this assignment are as follows:

Document/ Desk review all relevant documents, studies, and available secondary data sources regarding women's employment, women climate entrepreneurship, women micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), green finance, and green economy growth sectors in Jordan. This includes reviewing the NASHMIA PIP Document, PMF matrix, GESI Strategy, ECC Strategy and specifically the findings of the GESI/ECC-Integrated Market Systems Analysis (MSA) and parallel Year 1 assessments (Output 1111 Ecosystem Mapping and Output 1121.1 Capacity Needs Assessments) to align with research questions and indicator baseline requirements and related to the research questions as well as to the performance indicators included in the project PMF. As the MSA included a desk review of secondary sources this should be reviewed prior to conducting additional secondary research to align efforts.
Participate in an inception meeting with WUSC, ECO Consult, implementing partners (AWO, Arcan, Seedstars), and key project stakeholders to clarify expectations of the mandate and provide contextual information necessary to produce the inception report, timeline, and work plan
Submit a detailed inception report and work plan, including (but not limited to) the following elements:
Develop all data collection tools. These tools will be reviewed and approved by WUSC during the inception phase and must be included in the inception report/work plan.
Pilot the data collection tools prior to full deployment and report on any resulting revisions.
Develop Enumerator Guidelines and Protocols for Data Collection and Conduct Enumerators Training following a detailed agenda and outlining study protocols (this agenda should be included in the inception report).
Coordinate/conduct/supervise data collection, as per the agreed methodology.
Ensure Data Quality by supervising data collection and reviewing data entry, where applicable.The proposal should describe the quality assurance approach, including back-checks, spot supervision and data verification procedures.
Analyze all primary data collected, also triangulating with secondary data from the MSA and PIP assessments whenever available and appropriate.
Updated Performance Measurement Framework (PMF): Fully populated PMF matrix containing baseline values, recommended 5-year targets, and a clear narrative/rationale detailing any recommended adjustments, reformulations, or additions to specific indicators based on field insights and measurability assessments. Additionally, including the final indicator reference sheets, calculation formulas, and clear instructions for reproducing the indicators during annual monitoring and at endline,.
Draft the Study Report (to be submitted in both Word and PDF versions with all annexes, data collection tools and raw data files included). The Table of Contents will be provided during the inception phase.

Expected key deliverables are listed below:

Inception report, containing detailed methodology and timeline, data collection tools and protocols, enumerators training tools, data analysis plan, informed consent forms, accessibility plan for data collection, and safety and referral protocol for questions concerning violence;
Research approvals, if applicable;
Presentation of preliminary findings and PMF baseline benchmarks during a participatory validation session with WUSC, ECO Consult, implementing partners and where appropriate, representatives of the populations consulted.
Draft final report, for WUSC and partner review.
Final report with key findings and recommendations;
Updated PMF matrix with baseline values and recommended targets, as described above.
All raw data, recordings and notes from both the quantitative and qualitative data collection processes,transferred in an agreed format with identifiable data stored separately from analytical datasets;
Cleaned and documented datasets with codebook.

7. Timeframe

The period of the contract is expected to be from 28th October 2026 to 17th January, 2027. The consultant is expected to carry out all the preparation required to roll out the study as per the suggested time frame below.

Task/Output

Expected Time Frame

Announcement Date

September 29th, 2026

Q&A (Procurement.jo@wusc.ca)

October 07th, 2026

Deadline for submission

October 14th, 2026

Contract signing

October 28th, 2026

Inception Meeting

3rd - 5th November 2026

Submission of draft Inception Report and Work Plan

8th - 12th November 2026

Integration of feedback and submission of Final Inception Report

(WUSC and partners will provide any feedback within five working days of receipt of the complete draft report)

19th November 2026

Data Collection

22nd November - 10th December 2026

Submission of draft baseline Report (following report structure outline provided)

22nd December 2026

Presentation of key findings at a validation workshop with NASHMIA team and key stakeholders

23rd-December 2026 -3rd January 2027

Integration of feedback and submission of Final baseline Report

(WUSC and partners will provide any feedback within 5 working days of receipt of the complete draft report).

4th January -11 January 2027

Submission of final baseline Report

17th January 2027

The expected level of effort for each of the above listed tasks should be included in the submitted proposal.

The final timeline will be discussed and agreed upon during the inception meeting.

8. Ethical Standards

The research for this baseline study must consciously abide WUSC’s Code of Conduct and Child Protection and Safeguarding Policies, as well as by relevant recognized professional and ethical guidelines and codes of conduct for individual researchers. The Consultant must also be sure to obtain the relevant research permits, as required, from Jordan’s authorities. Codes of conduct must be specifically referenced and commitment confirmed in writing by each researcher involved in this study. The design of the study must clearly specify how data collection and use will be undertaken with integrity and honesty, respecting human rights and differences in culture, customs, religious beliefs and practices of all stakeholders. The Consultant must explain how its researchers will be mindful of gender roles, ethnicity, ability, age, language and other differences when designing and carrying out the study. The design and implementation of the study must strike an appropriate balance between recognition of the potential benefits of the research, and the protection of participants from potential research-related harms. Safeguarding principles to protect key informants from sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and bullying, including child protection, must be explicit.

9. Qualifications of the consulting firm

Firm requirements (essential)

Legally registered and able to operate in Jordan, with the capacity to contract and deploy field teams across the six target governorates;
Minimum of 10 years of institutional experience in designing and conducting similar studies and researches, collecting data and producing quality baseline/end line study reports for international non-profit organizations or multilateral agencies;
Demonstrated experience conducting studies in Jordan’s governorates outside Amman, and with the respondent groups covered by this study: women MSMEs, enterprise support organizations, and financial institutions;
Demonstrated experience collecting data with women with disabilities and with refugee populations, including the practical arrangements this requires;
Demonstrated experience applying safety and ethical protocols for research on violence against women, including referral procedures;
Demonstrated experience in designing baseline studies, including proven experience in feminist evaluation approaches, participatory research methods, management of large amounts of qualitative and quantitative data from a variety of sources;
Excellent facilitation skills and ability to recruit and manage facilitators for consultation with key stakeholders as well as for the collection of relevant qualitative data;
Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis;
Knowledge and experience in gender equality issues, disability inclusion, and refugee inclusion of the sector are highly preferred;
Fluency in English and Arabic is mandatory;
Excellent writing proficiency and strong analytical abilities.
Ability to produce high quality work under tight timeframes.
Familiarity with policies and market systems development approaches

10. Application packages and procedures

Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following:

1. Letter of interest 1. Detailed technical proposal clearly demonstrating a thorough understanding of this ToR and including the following: 1. Description of the Capacity and qualifications of the consulting firm, including previous relevant experience with specific reference to work conducted in the target governorates and with the respondent groups covered by this study. 2. Description of the proposed approach and methodology, including data collection, sampling strategy, data analysis, integration of gender considerations and ethical standards, quality assurance. 3. A proposed timeframe detailing activities and a schedule/work plan (including a Gantt chart) 4. Team composition, qualifications and level of effort of each proposed team member.

Note that each proposal will be assessed based on a list of criteria, including but not limited to the following elements:

Years of experience in the sector and the geographic context of the project, as well as with the the key stakeholder groups participating in the project’s activities

- Documented experience in facilitation of consultations with different stakeholders groups - Team’s composition that includes local experts (possibly from the communities in which the project will be implemented) in key roles, from the design to the execution of the study, as well as strategies to recruit enumerators within the communities and the population groups (e.g. youth, refugees, indigenous, ets. as applicable) targeted by the projects - Methodological choices centered around inclusive participatory and consultative approaches, right from the design of the proposal, including elements of feminist evaluation approaches as much as possible - Soundness of the sampling strategy and its adequacy to support disaggregated reporting by business size, governorate, age, refugee status and disability status - Demonstrated capability to conduct data collection accessibly with women with disabilities, and to handle questions concerning violence safely and ethically - Realism of the proposed work plan and level of effort against the scope of the study

1. A financial proposal with a detailed breakdown of costs for the study in JOD 2. Itemized consultancy fees/costs, detailing the level of effort of each team member 3. Itemized field data collection expenses including enumerator costs, travel, accessibility accommodations and participant reimbursement where offered 4. Itemized administrative expenses 5. Validity period of quotations 1. Curriculum Vitae(s) of all proposed team members outlining relevant experience 2. Names and contact information of three references who can be contacted regarding recent relevant experience 3. A copy of a previous report of similar recent work undertaken 4. A Consulting Firm profile 5. A declaration of any existing or prospective relationship with NASHMIA consortium partners, with organizations likely to be selected as ESOs or ecosystem actors, or with the financial institutions this study will assess.

11. Pre-bid Clarification (Q&A)

All inquiries, questions & clarification requests should be directed to the email address procurement.jo@wusc.ca. The Deadline for the Pre-bid Clarification (Q&A) is 07/10/2026 Oct at the close of business at 16:00 Jordan time.

12. Applications

Complete applications should be submitted electronically to: procurement.jo@wusc.ca with the subject line of: “ Baseline Study & Assessment Study RFP\\JOR\\2026\\729” In case of any inquiries, please contact WUSC Jordan Country Office Email: procurement.jo@wusc.ca with the subject line of with the subject line of: ‘PR\\JOR\\2026\\729. The closing date for submission of the application package is the end of business day on 14/10/2026 at 16:00 Amman local time.

13. Price and payment

Payment will be made in JOD against the milestones below, on acceptance of each deliverable by WUSC. Acceptance means the deliverable has been reviewed and confirmed as meeting the requirements set out in this Terms of Reference, not merely that it has been submitted.

Key Milestones

Payment Percentages

Inception Report- Final Report Submission

30%

Finish all field work, data collection process sharing necessary M&E tools alongside of raw data (As will be agreed during the inception phase)

40%

Baseline Study & Assessment Report- Final Report Submission

30%

\*Note: All payments are subject to 5% tax dedication as per ISTD regulations.

1. ^ A copy of the PMFs and other relevant documentation will be provided to the consultant prior to the inception meeting. 2. ^ Timelines will need to be coordinated with WUSC & Eco-consult project teams and all relevant partners. 3. ^ A detailed table of contents for both the inception and the final report will be provided during the inception phase. 4. ^ Prior to the inception meeting all documents, PMFs, and relevant documents will be provided to the successful candidate. 5. ^ Feedback to the submitted report as well as received during the validation workshop. 6. ^ WUSC’s suite of Child Protection and Safeguarding Policies will be provided prior to contracting. 7. ^ For example: Tri-Council Policy Statement, Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, TCPS2 2018, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council https://ethics.gc.ca/eng/documents/tcps2-2018-en-interactive-final.pdf

الوصف الوظيفي

INSTRUCTION TO BIDDERS

Annex 1: Terms of Reference (TOR)

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