Invitation for submission of Expression of Interest (EOI) from Potential Non-Government Organization for Inclusive Finance Work

Invitation for submission of Expression of Interest (EOI) from Potential Non-Government Organization for Inclusive Finance Work

Terms of Reference

First date of Publication: 2 December 2025

Deadline for submission of EOI: 16 December 2025

1. Project Background

Heifer Project Nepal (HPN), in collaboration with Heifer Netherlands, is submitting a project proposal on financial inclusion for the duration of 3 years in Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Surkhet, Tanahu, Kaski, and Nawalparasi. The target group includes smallholder farmers and agriculture cooperatives from the above districts.  In this context, for the implementation of the project at the field level, HPN is inviting Expression of Interest (EOI) from non-government organizations having extensive work experience in financial inclusion, capacity building, community mobilization, cooperative strengthening, market management, policy advocacy, etc.

2. Scope of Work

The main role is to enhance the capacity of farmers and cooperatives. This encompasses capacity building, developing readiness, bank agent mobilization, and policy advocacy at the local level.

1. Conduct awareness-raising campaigns about financial services and products for SHF / agricultural MSMEs.
2. Deliver financial and digital literacy to smallholder farmers (SHFs).
3. Support farm-level digital tool adoption.
4. Deploy bank agents to onboard SHFs/SMEs to digital platforms, their loan facilitation, and monitoring.
5. Loan performance monitoring.
6. Dialogues with local governments, banks, and cooperatives on policy reform 
7. Ensure the compliance of government standards in governance and financial management practices.

3. Project areas and duration

The project partner is responsible for carrying out activities in 7 districts (Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Surkhet, Tanahu, Kaski, and Nawalparasi) in close collaboration with Heifer, Local Government, and other stakeholders. The duration of the assignment will be for 3 years, with annual renewal of the contract.

4. Eligibility Criteria

The applicant should meet the following criteria:

a) Organization registered with the government authorities with eligibility to work in multiple project districts.

b) At least 5 years of working experience in the field of cooperative governance, financial management, organizational development, Business development services, Network and coordination sectors.

c) Fully compliant with legal requirements and all updated documents in place (registration certificate, PAN Number, tax clearance certificate FY 081-82, last three FY audit reports, last AGM meeting minutes)

d) A good staff strength, competent staff having field-level experience in areas mentioned above and in the project district(s);

e) Sound administration, financial, human resource management system, and internal financial control system in place.

f) Proven record of accomplishment of partnership with donors, I/NGOs, and government agencies in previous assignments; and

g) Proven record of accomplishment in the communities worked in the past.

5. Selection Process

A two-phase selection process will be put in place, which includes a) Submission and presentation of a technical proposal, and b) field verification of the shortlisted organizations. Reference checks will be done as necessary. Heifer reserves the right to cancel or postpone the whole selection process without assigning any reason whatsoever. The agreement is contingent upon the donor’s approval of the grant. 

6. Evaluation Criteria: 

7. Required Documents for Submission

Interested organizations must submit the following documents.

a. Cover letter (max 1 page)

b. Dully filled Expression of Interest (EOI) form and organization profile as per the format provided (Download from Here)

c. Updated legal documents, including:

• NGO registration certificate with renewal
• Social Welfare Council (SWC) affiliation with renewal
• PAN/VAT registration certificate
• Tax clearance certificate FY 081-82
• Tax exemption certificate (if applicable)

d. Audit Reports for the last 3 years (annual audit report)

e. Evidence of experience on similar projects, including a list of projects with references or contact details.

f. Demonstrated experiences in working collaboratively with other organizations and local agencies

g. Evidence of presence in the project area (if applicable)

h. List of key personnel with brief CVs

i. Organizational policy adherence and strong commitment to Antifraud and Anticorruption, PSEA, Child Protection, GESI.

j. Organization profile and relevant documents to support organizational capacity.

8. Submission Process and Important Notes

Eligible organizations are requested to submit application form, technical proposal and supporting documents (pdf format) at Procurement-NP@heifer.org with email subject line “Application for  EOI for Inclusive Finance Work” no later than 16 December 2025, 5 : 00 PM.

Applications received after the deadline will not be entertained.

9. Declaration

HPN reserves the right to accept or reject any application without providing reasons. Any attempt to influence the selection process through any means, whether directly or indirectly, shall result in immediate disqualification from further consideration. Organizations suspecting to include in any fraudulent activities also will not be considered eligible for this purpose.