Project overview 

The consultancy supports an ongoing, multi-year initiative (2026–2028) aimed at strengthening investor engagement on responsible nickel supply chains. 

This phase prioritizes continuity, coordination, and follow-up of investor dialogue. The consultant is expected to support sustained engagement and maintain momentum across participating investors and companies. 

By this Invitation to Tender, RFN invites to tender for the award of a three-year contract, which is intended to commence immediately following contract signature and under which the consultant will deliver the services described in this specification. 

Scope 

The consultant will be responsible for implementing and facilitating investor engagement activities in line with the strategic direction and objectives defined by the contracting partner.  

Strategic leadership, including the definition of overall objectives, priorities, target companies and advocacy positions, will be retained by the contracting partner. The consultant will act as the engagement implementer, applying expertise in investor stewardship and collective engagement to operationalize agreed strategies.  

Within this context, the scope of work includes: 

• Organizing, facilitating and coordinating collective investor dialogue with companies or other relevant actors along the supply chain in scope based on agreed objectives and priorities. 

• Supporting the organization and functioning of engagement structures (e.g. working groups, engagement cycles). 

• Preparing and maintaining engagement records, trackers, and follow-up logs. 

• Tracking engagement progress, company responses, and follow-up actions over time. 

• Supporting continuity and momentum in investor dialogue throughout the project period.  

• Supporting limited public-facing outputs related to the initiative (e.g. a website or online presence), where this directly supports investor engagement and transparency objectives. 

The consultant is not responsible for defining advocacy positions or producing independent research. 

Deliverables 

Expected deliverables include: 

• Ongoing facilitation and coordination of investor engagement activities. 

• Maintained engagement tracking tools documenting dialogue, responses, and follow-up. 

• Periodic engagement summaries focused on status, process, and next steps. 

• Contributions to agreed public-facing materials, including updates to a website or similar platform, as relevant to investor engagement.  

• Annual engagement progress overview reflecting the state of dialogue across companies in scope, and a consolidated end-of-period report. 

The consultant will not:  

• Act as a formal representative of RFN  

• Speak on behalf of RFN without explicit prior agreement  

• Manage RFN staff or internal operational processes 

Budget 

The total budget for this consultancy shall not exceed NOK 750,000 for the full project period (2026–2028), exclusive of VAT. According to Norwegian tax rules, RFN will calculate, report and pay 25% VAT to the Norwegian Tax Authorities. 

Applicable VAT will be handled in accordance with Norwegian regulations for remotely deliverable services. The consultant shall be responsible for the payment of any applicable local taxes, duties, or VAT arising from the execution of this consultancy. 

The consultancy is expected to be delivered with efforts and costs distributed evenly across the project period, rather than concentrated in a single year. 

The financial proposal must include all direct and indirect costs associated with delivering the consultancy. No conditional or additional costs will be accepted. 

Requirements for eligibility 

The consultant or consultancy team should demonstrate: 

• Proven experience in investor engagement, stewardship, or collective engagement processes. 

• Demonstrated ability to facilitate and coordinate multi-party investor dialogue, including follow-up and engagement tracking. 

• Familiarity with sustainability-related engagement topics, including supply chains or responsible business conduct. 

• Experience working with institutional investors, investor networks, NGOs, or similar multi-stakeholder settings. 

• Compliance with the requirements in the Norwegian Transparency Act. 

Proposal submission 

Eligibility and legal status 

Bidders must be legally registered entities or independent consultants and be in good standing with relevant tax and VAT authorities. Proof of registration and tax/VAT status may be requested. 

Language 

All proposals must be submitted in English. 

Deadline and submission method 

Proposals must be submitted electronically by 28 February 2026 to the contact person specified below. Late submissions will not be considered. 

Proposal structure 
The technical proposal should include: 

• Company or consultant profile. 

• Confirmation of eligibility. 

• Relevant experience and references. 

• Proposed approach and methodology. 

• Indicative workplan and timeline. 

• CV(s) of key personnel.  

• Confirmation of availability of key personnel during the contract period, particularly at project start. 

The financial proposal must: 

• Be presented in NOK. 

• Include all direct and indirect costs. 

• Comply with the budget set out in the “Budget section”. 

• Include a brief explanation of the proposed budget, including an indicative distribution of effort and costs across the project period. 

• Costs incurred in preparing or submitting proposals will not be reimbursed. 

Evaluation criteria 

Proposals will be assessed based on: 

• Relevant experience and expertise related to the assignment (25%) 

• Quality and feasibility of the proposed approach and methodology (25%) 

• Availability and capacity to mobilize quickly, including the ability to provide engagement support immediately after contract award (25%) 

• Overall value for money (25%) 

The bidder may be excluded from being awarded the contract:  

• If there is a lack of focus on sustainability, environmentally friendly services, and compliance with the requirements of the Transparency Act.  

• In the case of a conflict of interest.  

• If incorrect information has been provided, or the bidder has failed to submit required information.  

Sustainability, environment, and security  

The bidder is asked to describe how they work with sustainability, how they ensure that the services offered are environmentally friendly (including the extent of travel required to perform the services) and their information security policies relating to data protection measures and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The consultancy must maintain appropriate measures to protect personal data. Info on GDPR can be found here: https://gdpr.eu.  

Ethical considerations 

Ethical considerations will be upheld throughout the assignment, including respect for confidentiality, responsible handling of information, and awareness of potential risks to affected stakeholders. This includes appropriate handling of sensitive engagement information and respect for confidentiality in interactions with investors and companies. The consultancy shall be conducted in accordance with the highest professional standards. 

Cancellation  

The contracting authority may, without any additional costs or liability, cancel all or parts of the assignment/request at any time until an agreement has been signed. 

A tenderer should be excluded from the evaluation and the award of a contract, if:  

Contact information  

Questions related to this Invitation to Tender may be directed to: Sustainable Finance Lead, Rainforest Foundation Norway: Tollak Nylaende Bowitz, tollak@rainforest.no. 

RFN reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or cancel the tender process without incurring liability.