INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to catalyze action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sector, to ensure we learn from each other and work together for a climate resilient future. Adapting to impacts of climate change provides a “win-win” for livelihoods, food security, water supply, health, security, and economic growth. The work of the GCA elevates the visibility and political importance of climate adaptation and facilitates solutions, such as smarter investments, new technologies and better planning to become more resilient to climate related threats. GCA is a rapidly growing organization with offices in Abidjan, Beijing, Dhaka, Groningen, and Rotterdam.
The GCA’s ambitious 2020-2025 business plan and strategy have three pillars:
- Programs: Food Security; Using Nature for more resilient infrastructure; Water for Urban Growth and Resilience; Climate Finance; Youth Leadership.
- Knowledge: Building adaptation knowledge globally through cutting edge products such as the State and Trends in Adaptation Report and the Adaptation Knowledge Portal.
- Advocacy and Awareness: Formulating policy messages to move the global, regional, and local adaptation agendas forward.
Program Background Information
GCA’s Bangladesh Program commenced with funding support from the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, acting through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (“FCDO”) through the Bangladesh Climate and Environment Programme (BCEP). The FCDO BCEP is a £120 million, five-year UK-Bangladesh bilateral initiative aimed at creating a more climate-resilient, cleaner, and less carbon-intensive Bangladesh. GCA is one of several organizations awarded a BCEP-grant.
On 24 February 2022, GCA received £10 million from BCEP for the “Scaling up locally-led adaptation, nature-based solutions, and financing for adaptation” program (henceforth referred to as the “program”). The twelve (12) sub-projects designed by GCA under this program are primarily focused on Infrastructure and Nbs; Water and Urban Systems, LLA, and Adaptation Finance (agriculture and food security projects) and implemented in partnership with governments, academia, community-based organizations, and international financial institutions (IFIs). These sub-projects are expected to reach 1,330 direct beneficiaries and 46,018,170 indirect beneficiaries, building their long-term climate resilience.
Purpose of this Assignment
Within this context, GCA is seeking a qualified firm/organization to conduct an independent end-of-phase evaluation to assess the BCEP program’s overall performance against its stated objectives, the extent of its impact, its value-for-money (VFM), and key lessons learned across activities between 2022 and 2026.
The expected services to be provided under this assignment include conducting an independent end-of-phase evaluation of the “Scaling up locally-led adaptation, nature-based solutions, and financing for adaptation” program in Bangladesh, which involves assessing the program’s overall performance, impact, value-for-money (VfM) using the FCDO’s “4Es” framework (Economy, Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Equity), and capturing key lessons learned across activities implemented between 2022 and 2026, primarily anchored in the OECD DAC+ framework. The detailed Terms of Reference and Deliverables for this assignment are presented in Annex 3. The total duration of this assignment is estimated at up to 4 months.
HOW TO EXPRESS INTEREST
If you are interested in participating in this Request for Proposal, you are requested to submit your proposal in PDF format to the link indicated in the RFP document.
The evaluation of bidders and proposals will be done in accordance with the criteria delineated in the RFP document (Section 5).
The closing date for submissions is 16.00 CET, 3rd December 2025.
The point of contact for all questions or requests for additional information is procurement@gca.org. Please check the document for guidelines on the closing date for clarification requests concerning this Request for Proposal.