Consultancy on Operational Support Mechanisms in the Eastern Partnership Region
Consultancy Title: Research Consultancy on Operational Support Mechanisms in the Eastern Partnership Region
Target Region: Eastern Partnership (EaP) Countries
Location: Digital and/or Hybrid (reporting to the team in Stockholm, Sweden)
Duration: up to 10 - 12 weeks
Budget: up to 120 000 SEK including VAT
Reporting to: RFSL’s International Unit
Deadline for tenders: October 17, 2026, 23:59 CET
About RFSL
RFSL, the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Rights, is a non-profit organisation founded in 1950. RFSL works nationally and internationally to advance human rights for LGBTQI people, with over 8,000 members and more than 30 local branches across Sweden.
RFSL's international efforts began in 1979 when it became a member of ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association. Since then, RFSL’s international work has grown steadily, focusing on three main strategic areas:
Localised support mechanisms to LGBTQI organising across various regions.
Engaging in global advocacy, primarily within the UN Human Rights and development frameworks.
Strengthening the capacities of individual activists, organisations, and initiative groups.
Background & Context for Consultancy
The Eastern Partnership Region features a dynamic and evolving landscape for local development, media, and civic initiatives. Recent regulatory and administrative shifts have introduced new considerations for civil society and sustainability.
Supporting effective implementation across these contexts requires an adaptive approach to operational planning, organisational resilience, and resource coordination.
Objectives of this Consultancy
Through this consultancy, RFSL seeks to evaluate administrative regulations, operational infrastructure, and compliance requirements across the Eastern Partnership region to ensure continuous Operational Support Mechanisms.
Primary objectives of this assignment are as follows:
Operational Mapping: Analyse regional financial and administrative frameworks, institutional channels, and local operational pathways affecting partner support mechanisms and programme implementations across EaP countries.
Risk & Governance Frameworks: Identify legal, financial, administrative, and operational risks relevant to international organisations and regional partners, establishing best practices for risk mitigation and organisational resilience.
Expected Final Deliverables
Operational Analysis: A comprehensive overview detailing regional financial and administrative environments.
Guidelines & Recommendations: Actionable recommendations and administrative guidance to improve RFSL’s Operational Support Mechanisms in the Eastern Partnership Region.
Scope of Work
The selected Consultant/Team will be responsible for the below tasks.
Submit an Inception Note including methodology, analytical framework, and a detailed work plan.
Deliver a Draft Report with initial findings, and preliminary recommendations for RFSL’s comments and quality assurance.
Submit and present a Final Report including:
A comprehensive overview detailing regional administrative environments.
Actionable recommendations and administrative guidance to improve RFSL’s Operational Support Mechanisms in the Eastern Partnership Region.
4.Deliver a standalone presentation of Executive Summary.
Working Arrangements
The consultant/team will report to and coordinate closely with the designated lead at RFSL’s International Unit. RFSL will provide relevant documents, contacts, and support as needed. Regular communication and progress updates are expected. Virtual or hybrid engagements with staff and other stakeholders may be arranged. No travel is required.
Confidentiality and Ownership
All materials produced during this consultancy will remain the property of RFSL. The consultant is expected to handle all information shared during the assignment with strict confidentiality, in line with GDPR. No personal data shall be collected, stored, or shared beyond what is strictly necessary. All information must be securely handled and destroyed, without the possibility of restoring the data, or returned to RFSL, at the end of the consultancy. Security-appropriate data management protocols must be applied throughout. A respective confidentiality waiver will be signed by the parties for clarity.
Who are we looking for?
For this work, RFSL is looking for an individual or a team with experience in financial consultancy, international aid, compliance standards and a passion for supporting human rights work. The following essential and desirable qualifications will be applied:
Essential qualifications:
Demonstrated experience in Law, Finance, Political Science, International Relations, or related fields.
Demonstrated experience in international banking, compliance frameworks, anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, legal restrictions on civil society, and grant management.
Strong analytical and writing skills, with an ability to present complex issues clearly.
Fluency in English (written and spoken).
Be able to provide F-tax registration (if in Sweden) or VAT number (if in EU/EEA) or other equivalent, according to the country of their residence.
Desired qualifications:
Knowledge of regional languages.
Experience in conducting financial analyses in complex environments in Eastern Europe and/or the Eastern Partnership region.
Experience in working with, advising, or supporting civil society and/or human rights defenders, organisations and community groups.
To be eligible for this assignment, you must:
Not be bankrupt, subject to insolvency, winding-up procedures, or similar legal situations.
Not have been found guilty of grave professional misconduct, including violations of laws, regulations, or ethical standards, or conduct affecting professional credibility.
Not having been found in a final judgment or administrative decision to be in breach of tax or social security obligations.
Not entering into agreement with other economic operators to distort competition.
Not attempting to influence the procurement process or Contracting Party (RFSL).
Not have been found guilty in a final judgment of fraud, corruption, involvement in criminal organisations, money laundering, terrorist financing, child labour, human trafficking, or any other illegal activity detrimental to Sweden’s or Sida’s interests.
Not have previously failed to meet key contractual obligations under a Sida-funded or Contracting Party (RFSL) project, resulting in early termination, penalties, or findings of non-compliance through audits or investigations.
Not be listed on EU restrictive measures ().
Have no unresolved conflicts of interest with the Contracting Party.
Candidates must certify on honour in their tenders that they are not in any of the situations listed above.
Selection and Evaluation
Evaluation criteria
The proposals will be reviewed through a competitive process according to the following criteria:
Relevant experience and expertise (50%). See the required and desired qualifications listed above.
Relevance of the proposed methodology and approach (20%)
Cost and value for money (20%) The reasonableness and clarity of the proposed budget in relation to the scope of work.
Availability (10%) The availability to deliver the assignments.
RFSL will assess all eligible proposals against the selection criteria in this proposal. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview. RFSL reserves the right not to select any proposal if none adequately meet the requirements.
Submission of a letter of interest
Interested candidates are invited to submit their proposals no later than 17 October, 2026. 23:59 CEST.
Interested consultants/teams are invited to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) demonstrating their qualifications and relevant experience to undertake the assignment described in this Terms of Reference.
The Letter of Interest should include:
A brief description of the applicant’s organisation or profile
Proposed budget, methodology, workplan, and timeline.
Relevant experience related to the assignment, including
A detailed cost suggestion
Names and qualifications of key personnel (if applicable)
Resume. If you apply as a team, please include resumes from everyone in the team
Contact details for further communication
The LOI should also include information about;
In which country your company is registered
If you hold F-tax status (or an equivalent tax registration in your country)
If applicable, please provide the organisation/company registration number and VAT number.
From which country the assignment will primarily be carried out
If you will have other clients or assignments in parallel with this engagement
How will you invoice for the assignment;
For example: Through own company
Through a freelance invoicing service (e.g. umbrella company)
Other arrangement
The LOI should not exceed 3 pages and must be submitted electronically in PDF format.
Economic and financial capacity
To ensure that the applicant possesses the necessary economic and financial capacity to perform the contract, the submitted LOI must cover the following:
Show that the economic operator have a certain minimum yearly turnover (not exceeding two times the estimated annual contract value, except in duly justified cases linked to the nature of the purchase), including a certain minimum turnover in the area covered by the contract;
Provide information on their annual accounts showing ratios between assets and liability; and/or
Provide an appropriate level of professional risk indemnity insurance.
Contact
If you have any questions, please reach out to edvard.abrahamian@rfsl.se