Business Development and Proposal Development Consultant Roster

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
Business Development and Proposal Development Consultant Roster
Issue Date: June 8, 2026

Proposal Due Date: June 22, 2026

1. Background
IREX (International Research & Exchanges Board) seeks to establish a roster of qualified individual consultants and/or firms to provide business development and proposal development support across a range of technical and operational areas.
This RFP is intended to support surge and ongoing proposal needs across IREX’s portfolio. Offerors may submit qualifications for one or multiple functional areas. IREX anticipates making multiple contracts and establishing a pre-qualified pool of consultants.

2. Scope of Work
Consultants will provide support across the full proposal lifecycle, including capture, design, drafting, costing, and submission. Specific assignments will be issued on a task-order or call-down basis.
Core responsibilities may include:Supporting proposal development processes from pre-positioning through submission
Producing high-quality, donor-compliant deliverables aligned with solicitation requirements
Participating in proposal design workshops, review cycles, and coordination processes
Collaborating with internal staff, partners, and subject matter experts
Delivering work under compressed timelines with strong quality control
* this is a remote (work from home) position.  

3. Areas of Expertise
Offerors may apply to one or more of the following categories:
A. Technical Writing / Proposal WritingDraft technical narratives, including approach, implementation, and management sections
Translate design inputs into clear, compelling proposal language
Ensure responsiveness to solicitation requirements and evaluation criteria
Support concept notes, executive summaries, and narrative revisions

B. Proposal ManagementLead proposal planning, timelines, and deliverable tracking
Coordinate inputs from internal teams, partners, and consultants
Ensure compliance with donor requirements (formatting, page limits, submission)
Facilitate review processes and decision points, ensuring a competitive and compliant bid

C. Cost and PricingDevelop detailed budgets and cost narratives
Ensure accuracy, competitiveness, and compliance with donor regulations
Align technical design with cost assumptions
Conduct cost realism checks and budget validation

D. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL/MERL)Design results frameworks, indicators, and learning approaches
Integrate MEL into proposal design and technical approaches
Develop MEL plans aligned with donor expectations
Support adaptive management and evidence-based programming frameworks

E. Proposal CoordinationManage document control, formatting, and version management
Coordinate annexes, attachments, and submission materials
Manage logistical and administrative support for proposal teams including meeting scheduling and notetaking
Support copyediting, formatting, and final packaging
Ensure submission readiness and compliance checklists

F. Technical Subject Matter ExpertiseProvide sectoral expertise
Contribute to program design, theory of change, and technical approaches
Draft or review specialized sections of proposals
Ensure approaches reflect current best practice and evidence
G. RecruitmentRecruit qualified key staff for proposal teams

H. Graphic Designcreate graphic elements for proposal including coversheets and visual elements

I. Copy EditingCopyedit proposal narratives

Donor Expertise
Offerors should highlight experience working with donors, including (but not limited to):Bilateral donors:UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

European and multilateral institutions:European Union (EU) institutions and instruments
KfW Development Bank
Other European bilateral agencies

Development banks and multilateral financing institutions:World Bank Group
Regional development banks (e.g., EBRD, ADB, AfDB, IDB)

USG:  e.g. DOS, MCC, DOL
Philanthropy: Company-sponsored foundations
Family Foundations
Independent Foundations
Philanthropic Collaboratives

Relevant experience may include:Leading or contributing to successful proposals for these donors
Demonstrating understanding of donor-specific requirements, formats, and evaluation criteria
Experience with procurement modalities (e.g., framework agreements, tenders, competitive dialogue)
Familiarity with priority technical sectors and thematic requirements

4. Qualifications
Applicants should demonstrate:Proven experience in one or more functional areas listed above
Strong track record supporting proposals for major donors
Ability to work independently and as part of fast-paced, distributed teams
High attention to detail and ability to meet tight deadlines
Strong written and verbal communication skills

Minimum Qualifications:
Offerors must demonstrate:At least 10 years of proposal experience for technical writers and proposal managers;
Experience across a variety of donors
Ability to meet compressed deadlines and participate in rapid review cycles;
Professional English writing/editing proficiency (other languages will be an advantage).

5. Proposal Submission Requirements
Interested offerors must submit one document that includes:1-2 page CV (or firm profile, resumes of key personnel)
3-5 bullets highlighting most significant areas above (e.g. technical writing, proposal coordination,  etc.)
Donor experience  
Proposed Daily Rate in US Dollars; Can provide different rates for different areas of expertise (e.g. one daily rate for technical writing and another rate for copy editing)
Optional writing sample for technical writer applications
Optional graphic samples for graphic design

6. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on:Relevant experience and qualifications (50%) – demonstrated experience in the requested functional area(s).
Demonstrated experience with priority donors (25%) – documented familiarity with requirements and formats with relevant donors.
Cost competitiveness and value (25%) – reasonableness of proposed daily rate in relation to experience, specialization, and expected deliverables.

7. Terms and ConditionsInclusion in the roster does not guarantee work
Assignments will be issued on an as-needed basis
Consultants may be engaged under time-and-materials, fixed-price or Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) arrangements
All services will be subject to IREX contractual terms and procurement policies
IREX may, at its discretion, select multiple offerors and accept proposals for one or more functional areas. IREX reserves the right to enter into multiple contracts or to make no awards as a result of this RFP. Inclusion in the roster does not guarantee any minimum quantity of work.

Submission Instructions
Proposals must be submitted electronically through RPF announcement and link on IREX’s website

Deadline: June 22nd 2026 11:59PM EDT