Request for Proposals (RFP)

Technical Consultant ESG risk assessment used in the SRA (Sourcing Risk Assessment) solution

Summary Information

RA Department: Product Design

Location(s): UK, European Union

Commitment: as soon as possible – 6 months, part-time

Desired start date and duration: as soon as possible – 6 months

Under direction of: Senior Product Managers Risk Assessment and Senior Manager Standards & Assurance Design

About the Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance (RA) is an international nonprofit organization working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests to make responsible business the new normal. We are building an alliance to protect forests, improve the livelihoods of farmers and forest communities, promote their human rights, and help them mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. We envision a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.

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.

For more information, please visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/about.

Overview

The Rainforest Alliance is looking for a technical consultant to lead the next evolution of its ESG risk assessment methodology used in the SRA (Sourcing Risk Assessment) solution. This work will help ensure methodological rigor, regulatory alignment (e.g. CSRD, EUDR, HREDD), and credibility with clients, and their internal and external stakeholders.

In addition to refining the risk methodology, the consultant will:

Conduct a literature review to identify academic and practitioner best practices for ESG risk assessment in agriculture at the farm level.

Use the results of the literature review and recent pilot evaluations to update and optimize the on-site data collection survey.

Define the risk assessment approach and methodology based on the results of the literature review.

Evaluate the potential and opportunities to include geographical data as part of the risk assessment methodology

Consultancy Scope of Work

Main Objectives

Own and refine the methodology behind the SRA risk assessment.

Ensure the model is transparent, easy to verify, and trusted by both clients and external reviewers.
Conduct a targeted literature review on methodologies used in our sourcing risk assessment to identify best practices for risk quantification, data integration, risk scoring techniques, and regulatory alignment.
Integrate feedback from recent pilots and external experts into the methodology and data collection tools.
Update and optimize the on-site data collection survey to reflect findings from pilots and the literature review

Activities

Methodology Ownership & Development

Lead a cross-functional methodology working group (incl. data, GIS, thematic leads, product, assurance).

Review and update the risk scoring logic, data sources, and explanations.

Document the framework in a transparent, auditable manner.

Literature Review

Review relevant academic and grey literature on ESG risk modelling, with emphasis on tropical agriculture, remote sensing, livelihood and human rights at the farmer level.

Identify best practices and innovative approaches (e.g. ML, GIS-based risk modelling).

Summarize key findings and implications for SRA methodology for the main commodities (Cocoa, tea, coffee and palm)

Survey Update

Review and integrate feedback from pilots.

Use findings from the literature review to refine indicators, sampling approaches, and question design.

Deliver updated survey tools and associated documentation (e.g. in Kobo Toolbox or equivalent) with support from the survey manager

Benchmarking and Strategic Alignment

Compare SRA methodology with competing tools.

Identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for strategic differentiation.

Deliverables

General Terms and Conditions for Request for Proposal

Applicants must provide all requisite information under this RFP and clearly and concisely respond to all points set out in this RFP. Any proposal, which does not fully and comprehensively address this RFP, may be rejected.
Proposals and/or any additional information received after the submission time and date are subject to rejection by RA.
Incomplete proposals may be rejected by RA at its discretion.
RA reserves the right to request additional information at any time during the procurement process.
RA is at liberty to make multiple or no selections as part of the proposal process. RA also reserves the right to cancel the procurement.
All proposal costs shall be borne by the applicant and will not be reimbursed by RA.
It is the responsibility of every bidder to identify any information of a confidential or proprietary nature contained in its proposal so that it may be handled accordingly. However, RA cannot guarantee confidentiality.

Selection Criteria and qualifications

The consultant or consultant firm should comply with the following minimum qualifications:

Proven experience with quantitative and qualitative ESG risk modelling, especially in agriculture with the following commodities: coffee, cocoa, tea and palm.

Strong knowledge of sustainability science, human rights, and due diligence frameworks (e.g. CSRD, EUDR, HREDD)

Demonstrated capacity in composite risk scoring, remote sensing data, and geospatial analysis

Experience with survey design (e.g. Kobo Toolbox) and field-level indicator development

Familiarity with machine learning and data pipeline integration is a plus

Proven experience in sustainability science, data science, econometrics, or related fields

Excellent writing and stakeholder communication skills

Ability to work independently while coordinating cross-functional input

Selection of the consultant or consultant firm is based on the following criteria:

Proposal Process and Format

Interested consultants or consultant firms should submit their proposal including the following:

Statutory Requirements: Upon request, the consultant should supply all required legal documents as may be required by RA and/or local law, e.g. work permit, bank details, registration details, tax documents etc. When opportunity is restricted to a specific location, only candidates authorized to work in the location will be considered.

o Technical proposal requirements: Project team profile (if a Consultant Firm)

o List of previous engagements that addresses the above experience desired

o Current C.V.(S)

o A brief methodology note on how you would approach this assignment (max 2 pages)

o Examples of relevant prior work

o Contact details of recent references (specify number needed; always ask for email and phone number)

Financial proposal requirements:

request daily/hourly rate and estimated number of days/hours needed to complete project plus any reimbursable expenses required to complete the activities.
Proposal in EUR or GBP

All proposals must be submitted through this platform as an integrated PDF document (only one file). If you experience problems loading information on the platform, try opening it with different browsers. Proposals received after the deadline stated above will not be evaluated.

Finalists will be notified of their selection by the first half of October.

Contact person for questions: Maël Plaine

Deadline for submission of proposals: 29th September 2025

Thank you for your interest in working with the Rainforest Alliance