Request for Proposal – Drafting of a Shared Responsibility Framework (GPSNR-RFP-A02-015)

Background

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) brings together companies, smallholders, academia, and civil society to transform the natural rubber supply chain into one that is sustainable, equitable, and fair.

Since its launch in 2018, GPSNR has grown into a truly global platform, now representing over half of the world’s natural rubber demand. Over the years, the platform has moved from building alignment and collaboration to establishing the systems that make collective impact possible.

2025 marks a pivotal shift in GPSNR’s journey.
This is the year in which the platform redefined what impact means, moving from engagement and small-scale contributions to systemic change through:

• the approval and launch of an industry-wide sustainability assurance system

   

• the mobilisation of funding through the Shared Investment Mechanism (SIM)

   

• and a strategic focus on scaling impact in emerging markets 

The 2025 Annual Report will tell this story of growing ambition of a platform that has moved decisively into an era of assured, financed, and delivered impact.

 

Scope

GPSNR is seeking a creative consultancy or production partner to develop:

1. A short-form Annual Report video (5 minutes)

    

2. An accompanying Annual Report that can be published online and downloaded as a PDF

The video and report should work together as a cohesive storytelling package, communicating GPSNR’s strategic evolution and impact to members, partners, donors, policymakers, and the wider sustainability community.

All core content, messaging, and data will be provided by the GPSNR Secretariat. The consultant will be responsible for shaping this content into compelling visual narratives across both formats.

Core tasks

Working closely with the GPSNR secretariat, the consultant will: 

• Propose 2–3 creative concepts for the overall narrative and visual direction of the Annual Report (video + PDF) for the GPSNR team to choose from 
• The consultant will be responsible for scriptwriting and storyboarding, content production, video editing and post-production, and final delivery of a complete video package suitable for digital, event, and member communications.
• Liaise with GPSNR’s Communications Manager to ensure the draft cuts are feasible. 

Terms 

• The engagement will take place for a period of six weeks, from 26 January to 9 March. Interim dates for and approvals will be mutually agreed upon after confirmation. 

Necessary Competencies:

• Proven experience producing annual reports or impact communications in video and digital formats
• Strong capabilities in visual storytelling and narrative development
• Experience working with:
  • sustainability, ESG, or multi-stakeholder initiatives
  • complex technical content and policy-related themes
• High-level design and production skills, including:
  • motion graphics and video editing
  • layout and publication design
• Ability to manage iterative feedback processes with multiple stakeholders
• Strong attention to detail and quality control

Submission Guidelines:

The following submission guidelines & requirements apply to this Request for Proposal:

• Proposals will only be accepted from individuals or firms with experience relevant to this project.
• Submissions must include 1) a portfolio of previous work 2) a paragraph describing how the consultant would approach such a project 3) a financial proposal with a breakdown of how much each work would cost.
• Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorised to commit to the bidder’s company.
• Proposals must be received by 19 January 2025 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to bani.bains@gpsnr.org for consideration.
  
• To receive a copy of the draft content, applicants can email bani.bains@gpsnr.org

RFP and Project Timelines

Submission of Proposal	19/01/2026
Selection of top bidders and further conversations	21/01/2026
Contract award/notification to unsuccessful bidders	22/01/2026
Work commences no later than	26/01/2026

Budget

The Platform anticipates that a total budget of no more than 4,000 Singapore Dollars (SGD) will be allocated to this engagement.

    

Payment terms shall be:

20% at the signing of the contract

30% at the midpoint date to be agreed upon and memorialised in the contract based on the submitted work plan

50% on delivery of the final report

 

Evaluation Factors

GPSNR will rate proposals based on the following factors:

• Responsiveness to the requirements outlined in this Request for Proposals
• Relevant past performance/experience and / or any samples of past work
• Cost, including an assessment of the total cost of ownership.
• Technical expertise/experience of the bidder and the bidder’s staff

GPSNR reserves the right to award to the bidder that presents the best value to GPSNR as determined solely by GPSNR in its absolute discretion.

 

View RFP Document here

Introduction & Background

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) is an international Multi-Stakeholder, voluntary membership initiative seeking to lead improvements in the socioeconomic and environmental performance of the natural rubber value chain. Development of the GPSNR was initiated by the CEOs of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Tire Industry Project (TIP) in November 2018. Members of the platform include tire manufacturers, rubber suppliers and processors, vehicle makers and NGOs.  Representatives from each of these stakeholder groups have contributed to the development of the Singapore-based platform and the wide-reaching set of priorities that will define GPSNR strategy and objectives.

Through a participatory process the Platform has developed stated goals with a strong focus on developing a framework that supports and sustains responsible supply chains. To fully inform decision making the Platform needs to collate, consider, and agree, information on social, environmental and economic risks, and their causes, in the Natural Rubber Value chain, in order to be able to minimise and manage those risks. The Platform has already commissioned a social risk assessment; this call for proposals is for the provision of a parallel process covering environmental impacts and risks, with a particular focus on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

Each country has its own natural systems, as well as its own governance and social structures which contributes to different environmental impacts and risks from country to country.  Whilst there are many impawcts on natural systems in these countries some are directly associated with the specifics of tropical forest commodity production, especially in countries where development planning and control, and law enforcement, are weak.

The study should identify potential areas of environmental impact in the natural rubber value chain, particularly at the production end of the value chain, and consider the effectiveness of how these potential impacts are managed through regulation, policies and practices, what impacts actually occur, and then consider the risks that these impacts pose. The areas of study should also be consistent with the relevant GPSNR Policy Components (i.e. HCS areas, HCV areas, peat etc; see attached Policy Components document for reference). Based on the analysis of how well current processes deliver the “Desired State” for rubber landscapes, the study should develop recommendations as to how GPSNR could most effectively support the avoidance and mitigation of potential environmental impacts and risks. This should include identifying the possibility of metrication for such risks, which will then be used to inform the development of GPSNR’s Risk Matrix.

The consultant is expected to develop generic impact and risk profiles at a global level, and specific risk profile at a regional and/or national level.  Areas of interest for GPSNR are Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Papua New Guinea, India and Sri Lanka), West Africa (Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Nigeria), and South America (Brazil and Guatemala).

The consultant will collect the information via desktop study, interviews with, inter alia, GPSNR members, research and other academic institutes, NGOs, and governmental organizations.  A primary list of stakeholders will be provided by the Secretariat together with the Strategy and Objectives Working Group members.  A complementary list will be developed by the consultant.  Regular contact and updating to the Strategy and Objective Working Group together with the Secretariat will be required. 

Submission Guidelines & Requirements

The following submission guidelines & requirements apply to this Request for Proposal:

1. Proposals will only be accepted from individuals or firms with experience relevant to this project.
2. Examples of previous relevant work should be provided as well.
3. A technical proposal must be provided that is not more than 4 pages. This technical proposal must provide an overview of the proposed methodology as well as resumes of all key personnel performing the work. In addition, the technical proposal should provide a proposed schedule and milestones, as applicable.
4. A price proposal must be provided that is not more than 1 page. This price proposal should indicate the overall fixed price for the project as well as daily rates and an estimated total number of days.
5. Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to commit bidder’s company.
6. Proposals must be received prior to 27th November 2020 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org and aidan@gpsnr.org for consideration.
7. GPSNR anticipates shortlisting at least two individuals or firms to have more in-depth discussions with, and will make an award to one of these “down-selected” individuals or firms.

Project Timelines

The Request for Proposal timeline is as follows:

Request for Proposal Issuance	9/11/2020
Proposal submitted by consultant to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org or aidan@gpsnr.org	27/11/2020
Selection of Top Bidders / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders	4/12/2020
Contract Award	9/12/2020
Specific work-plan, including geographic focus, methodology and indicative contents, agreed with Strategy & Objective Working Group	17/12/2020
Work to commence no later than	21/12/2020
The first draft report submitted to the Strategy and Objective Working Group for comments	22/01/2021
Meeting with Strategy & Objectives WG by	29/01/2021
The final draft report submitted to the Strategy and Objective Working Group	19/02/2021

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than 30,000 Euros be allocated to this engagement.

Payment terms shall be:

• 20% at the signing of the contract
• 30% at the midpoint date to be agreed upon and memorialized in the contract based on the submitted work plan
• 50% on delivery of the final report

Proposals should be submitted to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org and aidan@gpsnr.org for consideration