Request for Proposals
Software development partner for LandScale
LandScale, an initiative of Rainforest Alliance and Conservation International, is seeking a software development firm or team to submit proposals to lead the development and continuous delivery of key innovations and enhancements for the LandScale digital platform
Table of contents
Contents
About the Rainforest Alliance.
General terms and conditions for Request for proposal
Summary Information
Department: Global Programs
Location(s): Remote (time zones GMT-6 to GMT+3 preferred)
Commitment: Full-time to 50% part-time, depending on budget. Expected scale of engagement is approximately 3-5 FTEs and 1 full-time QA (quality assurance engineer)
Desired start date and duration: September 2025 – March 2027, 1 year 6 months
Under direction of: Edita Chavez, Product Manager LandScale
Consultancy Summary
About the Rainforest Alliance
Rainforest Alliance, a New York-based 501(c)3, and UTZ, an Amsterdam-based foundation, merged in 2018. Together, the new Rainforest Alliance is now a $70 million per year organization with offices in 17 countries (and growing) and over 5000 staff.
The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.
We work towards making responsible business the new normal through our certification program, tailored supply chain services, landscape and community work and advocacy.
Overview
About LandScale
LandScale is a global initiative co-led by the Rainforest Alliance and Conservation International, designed to drive improvements in sustainability and resilience at landscape scale. It provides a standardized framework to evaluate both landscape health and the strength of landscape initiatives, supported by an online platform and a multi-tiered validation service.
The platform enables landscape teams to conduct assessments, manage data, and share results through a collaborative digital workspace. It also facilitates validation, offers technical guidance throughout the process, and provides public profiles to showcase progress to relevant stakeholders.
About the platform
Launched in 2022 and revamped in 2025 through the “LandScale Refresh,” the platform is a robust, purpose-built system for conducting, validating, and communicating landscape-scale sustainability assessments. It has supported over 35 initiatives across 20+ countries and continues to evolve with user needs and global sustainability frameworks.
The platform offers an integrated assessment workflow, stepwise guidance, and secure, role-based access for multi-stakeholder teams. Its modular architecture supports diverse contexts and frameworks, while its validation interface ensures transparency and credibility. Public-facing profiles help initiatives share results and attract support from donors, investors, and other partners.
LandScale is seeking a software development firm or team to submit proposals to lead the development and continuous delivery of key innovations and enhancements for the LandScale digital platform.
Technical specifications
Frontend: React (Next.js), designed for modular UI and responsiveness across devices.
Backend: Laravel (PHP) API-driven architecture, structured for maintainability and separation of concerns.
Auth: OAuth 2.0 with Azure AD integration for secure identity and access management.
Infrastructure: Microsoft Azure, using Azure App Services, Blob Storage, and PostgreSQL for scalable and secure deployment.
Database: PostgreSQL with geospatial extensions (PostGIS) to support mapping and GIS functionality.
Validation workflow: Built-in tracking of evidence, timestamps, and reviewer interactions to support a traceable and auditable validation process.
RESTful APIs: Current platform includes internal APIs for user roles, data ingestion, and export. Future developments will expand external-facing APIs for partner integrations.
Data security and privacy: Complies with our data privacy policy and GDPR. Includes role-based access control and encrypted storage for sensitive data.
DevOps: Agile, sprint-based development with some automated testing and deployment processes. GitHub is used for source control, with Monday.com for task tracking. Azure DevOps is used to manage deployments. We will be migrating to Bitbucket for source control. We are considering migrating to Jira for project management.
Documentation: Several sites managed by Gitbook, linked to the Github repository, contain the platform technical and user documentation.
Testing: Playwright is used for end-to-end testing.
Geospatial visualizations: Leaflet/Mapbox is used for mapping interfaces.
Design: Figma for designs and wireframing.
Consultancy objectives
LandScale aims to bridge local data collection and global compliance ecosystems through a uniquely participatory and validated model. Beyond increasing adoption of the LandScale system by landscape initiatives, LandScale seeks to enable landscape supporters (supply chain companies, investors, and donors who can help the initiative) to engage with relevant and effective landscape-initiatives, driving improvements in sustainability at landscape scale.
The selected firm will lead the development and delivery of key features and platform enhancements, working in close collaboration with the LandScale team in an iterative, agile environment. The anticipated workstreams are outlined in the roadmap below. This roadmap is subject to change, and we seek a firm who is not only technically capable but also proactive and flexible, able to contribute meaningfully to product strategy and delivery
High-level roadmap
Over the 18-month period, the selected firm will be expected to lead the development and delivery of the following feature sets, and support on the design and scoping for some of them. Timelines are indicative and may shift based on implementation feasibility and prioritisation decisions.
Features for landscape initiatives
Improved landscape initiative profiles and assessment interfaces
Implement a new design for the landscape profiles and assessment workflow. Designs will be provided in Figma. This will be the initial task to support onboarding and codebase familiarization.
Target: Q4 2025AI-driven/automated report builder
Build a module that automatically generates customizable PDF reports based on completed LandScale assessments, using LLMs for natural language generation and automated visualization tools.
Target: Q4 2025 – Q2 2026Automated reporting dashboards
Develop visual dashboards for key indicators, including maps, time series, and metric-based charts, leveraging insights generated in the report builder.
Target: Q2 – Q3 2026 (dependent on Report Builder completion)Modular assessment frameworks
Support the creation of multiple evaluation frameworks within the platform, allowing users to select specific modules (e.g. resilience, regenerative agriculture) that align with their context.
Target: Q1 – Q3 2026
Features for landscape supporters (Donors, Corporates, Investors)
Landscape initiative maturity evaluation and validation Interfaces
Design and implement user interfaces and backend functionality to support the updated Landscape Initiative Maturity (LIM) framework. This includes enabling assessment teams to report against updated maturity indicators, upload evidence, and manage feedback and revisions through LandScale’s validation workflow. The system must support modular validation (e.g., scoring subsets of criteria) and ensure traceability of changes and validation decisions.
Target: Q1–Q3 2026Supporter portfolio dashboard (To be detailed)
Create a dashboard view enabling landscape supporters to monitor engagement across multiple landscapes, view validated progress, and compare maturity across initiatives.
Target: TBD (likely Q2 2026 – Q4 2026)Claims management disclosure readiness (To be detailed)
Implement features to support the generation, validation, and publishing of sustainability claims aligned with global frameworks (e.g. CDP, TNFD), with appropriate assurance layers.
Target: TBD (may extend beyond contract period)
External integrations
As LandScale continues to align with global compliance frameworks and sustainability ecosystems, the platform will require several key integrations to enhance data interoperability and reach. These may include:
API-based integrations with reporting platforms (e.g., CDP, TNFD’s Nature Data Facility) to support automated data sharing and disclosure.
GIS tool integrations to enable spatial annotation, layer visualization, and geographic reporting (e.g., via Leaflet, Mapbox, or other open-source services).
Marketplace and data hub integrations to extend the visibility of validated landscape initiatives and their progress.
While specific partners and scopes will be confirmed during the project lifecycle, the development partner should design systems with modularity and forward-compatible interfaces in mind, following industry-standard API design and documentation practices (e.g., OpenAPI, RESTful services).
Contractor Services at a minimum, must include:
Ongoing platform development in line with the product roadmap and agile sprint cycles, including support with design, implementation, testing, and deployment of new features.
Timely resolution of bugs and technical issues related to features built through the consultancy in the live production environment, including proactive monitoring and hotfix delivery when required.
High-quality code delivery that adheres to best practices in documentation, version control, security, maintainability, and testing (including unit and integration tests).
Participation in agile ceremonies including sprint planning, standups, retrospectives, and regular backlog grooming with the LandScale product team.
Transparent project management and reporting, including access to sprint boards, test coverage, and documentation repositories.
Collaboration with product, design, technical and operations teams to scope technical requirements, iterate on user feedback, and co-design solutions that meet both platform and validation needs.
Continuous improvement of DevOps and deployment processes, ensuring efficient CI/CD pipelines, scalable infrastructure, and effective release management.
Contribution to and management of automated testing processes.
Compliance with data privacy and security protocols, including GDPR and LandScale’s data management policies.
Knowledge transfer and technical documentation to ensure long-term maintainability and resilience of the platform.
Active participation in platform testing and feedback sessions with end users (as needed).
Willingness to participate in strategic planning or roadmap refinement workshops quarterly.
Deliverables
Deliverables will vary by workstream but are expected to include the following at a minimum:
Functional and tested features as defined in each sprint scope.
Technical documentation for each feature or module developed.
Deployment plans and release notes for all live deployments.
Source code with appropriate test coverage and documentation.
Sprint reports or monthly updates detailing feature completion, blockers, and KPIs.
Infrastructure or architecture proposals if major changes are required (e.g., to support AI features or GIS integrations).
Budget impact statements for any proposed changes or features that require
infrastructure upgrades, significant architectural changes, or scope expansion. These should include cost breakdowns, rationale, and options where applicable.
System usage data and metrics where applicable, including dashboards or logs to track adoption and performance of new features.
General terms and conditions for Request for proposal
Proposals and/or any additional information received after the submission time and date are subject to rejection by The Rainforest Alliance. Incomplete proposals may be rejected by Rainforest Alliance at its discretion.
The Rainforest Alliance reserves the right to request additional information at any time during the procurement process.
Rainforest Alliance is at liberty to make multiple or no selections as part of the proposal process. Rainforest Alliance also reserves the right to cancel the procurement.
All proposal costs shall be borne by the applicant and will not be reimbursed by Rainforest Alliance.
Selection Criteria
The Consultant Firm should demonstrate:
Proven experience delivering complex web-based SaaS platforms using Laravel, React, and PostgreSQL
Experience developing AI/ML or analytics-driven features (e.g., natural language generation, dashboards, anomaly detection)
Knowledge of ESG reporting ecosystems, sustainability standards (e.g., CDP, TNFD), or experience working in the nature-tech or environmental data space
Capacity to integrate GIS features or APIs (e.g., PostGIS, Leaflet, Mapbox)
Willingness and ability to commit to the full length of the contract (through Q1 2027) is required; availability for potential collaboration beyond this period is a strong plus.
Competitive pricing adapted to the needs and budget of a non-profit organization is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with and willingness to integrate AI-assisted code generation and productivity tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Tabnine) is considered a strong plus, especially if it contributes to delivery speed and cost-effectiveness.
Fluency in secure development, GDPR compliance, and audit trail architecture
A strong portfolio of collaborative, agile-based software projects
Excellent communication and project tracking practices
Proposal Process and Format
Proposals must include:
Technical proposal (max 8 pages) including approach, methodology, timeline, and key personnel.
Completed self-assessment matrix, see below section: please contact Edita Chavez (echavez@ra.org) if you want to receive the matrix in a Word format.
Budget and rate structure (daily/hourly or fixed price with rate history), quoted in USD.
Format preference is PDF with file names that include the name of the candidate firm.
Two relevant case studies of similar work (max 2 pages each).
Team bios or individual CVs (max 3 pages per CV).
Two references with email.
Submission deadline: Sunday 27th July 2025 at 23:59 GMT. Candidates will be contacted and invited to a panel interview on an ongoing basis and by no later than EOD on Friday 4th August, 2025.
Please submit proposals to: Edita Chavez (echavez@ra.org).
Thank you for your interest in working with The Rainforest Alliance
