Under the supervision of the Programme Management Officer, Finance Unit, Mitigation Branch, Climate Change Division, the consultant will deliver the specific outputs as follows: I. Conduct initial consultations with UN Women and UNEP to align on project objectives and methodology. II. Review EmPower documents, existing literature, and practitioner reports. III. Identify suitable provinces in Viet Nam that meet mutually agreed criteria. IV. Identify financial institutions, including commercial banks, microfinance institutions, fintech and other relevant stakeholders in the selected provinces, implementing adequate ESG standards in their lending practice. V. Identify financial mechanisms and loan schemes offered by commercial banks to MSMEs in the selected provinces. VI. Identify 200 women-led nano, micro, small and medium enterprises (NMSMEs) across the 4 selected provinces that have financing needs for the purchase of renewable energy and low carbon technologies. VII. Support these 200 women-led NMSMEs to access loans, through coaching, mentoring, hand-holding and other. Performance indicators: Efficient completion of the deliverables as stipulated and evaluated by UNEP for completeness and quality.

Home-based (Viet Nam)

12 months

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Building on its institutional policy, guided by Member States, UNEP’s Mid-Term-Strategy for 2022-2025 states that “gender equality and a rights-based approach are key to ending all forms of discrimination and ensuring progress towards environmental sustainability” and explains how UNEP will increase responsiveness to gender equality and human rights and gather good practices within the organization. UNEP’s strategic objectives comprise: “Climate stability: Countries increasingly transition to low-emission economic development pathways and enhance their adaptation and resilience to climate change”. Under this objective, UNEP works to contribute to Programme of Work Outcome 1B: “Countries and stakeholders have increased capacity, finance, and access to technologies to deliver on the adaptation and mitigation goals”. Through the EmPower programme, UNEP supports access to low carbon technologies for decarbonization, enhance resilience and increase access to climate finance. The EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies Programme background: The programme seeks to accelerate gender-responsive and human rights-based climate action across Asia and the Pacific with a focus on Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Viet Nam. Building on the first phase of the project, UNEP and UN Women are scaling up the work in its second phase which started in 2023. EmPower Phase II leverages a variety of tools, methodologies, and empirical data to implement existing plans and policies for gender-responsive, human rights-based climate action. The project expands the scope for women and other marginalized and gender-diverse groups to shape decisions and build resilience, including through new access to finance, technology and renewable energy as a driver of better livelihoods. For this, further support is needed to unlock finance for low caron technologies for women-led as well as other socially inclusive enterprises to build climate-resilient livelihoods, and to bring women’s leadership to the forefront of climate action and the just energy transition. The programme aims to contribute to the following long-term impact - people in Asia-Pacific experience greater gender equality and the full enjoyment of their rights, including equal access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, reducing their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Assignment Background: It is estimated that there were approximately 358 million micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) worldwide in 2023. MSMEs make up over 90% of all firms and account, on average, for 70% of total employment and 50% of GDP worldwide. In Viet Nam in 2023, approximately 849,531 MSMEs made up over 73% of all firms and accounted, on average, for 50% of total employment and an estimated 30% of GDP. Globally, MSMEs contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MSMEs help reduce levels of poverty through job creation and economic growth. They are key drivers of employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship for women, youth and groups in vulnerable situations. They are the majority of the world’s food producers and play critical roles in closing the gender gap as they ensure women’s full and effective participation in the economy and in society. Their presence in communities throughout the world– big and small, rural and urban – allows them to get products and services to hard-to-reach populations. This market concentration and high level of employment mean MSMEs are in a good position to contribute to making vulnerable populations more climate resilient. But while MSMEs can assist in helping vulnerable households adapt to climate change, they are also extremely vulnerable to the impacts of a warmer world, such as intensification of precipitation and shifts in water availability. It’s important that MSMEs overcome these challenges and capitalize on their unique business opportunities in ways that help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change. However, access to finance remains one of the most important constraints for the survival, growth, and productivity of MSMEs. The IFC’s MSME finance gap analysis 2017 indicates that, globally, 40 percent of formal MSMEs have an unmet financing need of US$5.2 trillion, including US$1.5 trillion attributable to women owned MSMEs. In Viet Nam alone, that gap was estimated at US$21.2 Billion, with 45% of MSMEs facing unmet financing needs. In 2024, the finance gap had increased to US$5.7 trillion globally, a number that swells to $8 trillion when informal enterprises are included. In Viet Nam, that number had also increased to $24 Billion, representing 2.11 times the current lending level for MSMEs. Despite these financing gaps, supporting MSMEs accessing renewable and clean energy technologies through loans and other affordable financial mechanisms from commercial banks and other microfinance institutions through a tailored hand-holding, offers a yet untapped but tremendously promising avenue to significantly curb greenhouse gases emissions, and thus contribute to global decarbonization and a just energy transition. The purpose of the consultancy is to work with the regional and country team members of UN Women and UNEP under the “EmPower: Women for Climate Resilient Societies” programme to support nano and micro women-led enterprises in Viet Nam to access financing for the purchase and deployment of renewable energy and low-carbon technologies. The objective is to enable these enterprises to develop, enhance, or expand their businesses in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner. Over the course of the 18-month consultancy, the consultant will provide tailored, hands-on support to ensure that each enterprise is capacitated and accompanied throughout the loan application and acquisition process, ultimately securing financing from commercial banks or microfinance institutions. To achieve this, the consultant will identify suitable provinces in Viet Nam with high potential for impact and active financial institutions offering relevant green finance products. In each province, the consultant will map and engage with local financial institutions to compile a comprehensive list of available loan products suitable for the target enterprises. In close collaboration with local partners and financial institutions, the consultant will provide individualized support to women entrepreneurs, including technical coaching on renewable energy and low-carbon technologies, assistance with business planning, and guidance through loan application procedures—both online and in person, depending on the context and needs. The consultant will also facilitate capacity development activities to strengthen the financial literacy and technical readiness of the enterprises, ensuring they are well-positioned to access and manage financing effectively.

• Advanced degree or certification equivalent in a relevant field such as social science, finance, economics, business development, business administration, renewable energy, sustainable development, or a related discipline is required. • A first-level university degree in combination with five additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. • At least 7 years of experience working with micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with a strong focus on nano and micro-enterprises in Viet Nam. • Experience in managing livelihoods projects targeting nano, micro and small entrepreneurs or the informal sector. • Proven experience in facilitating access to finance for MSMEs, including familiarity with loan products, credit procedures, and financial institutions (commercial banks, MFIs, etc.). • Demonstrated experience in working with women-led enterprises, particularly in rural or underserved areas, with a strong understanding of gender-responsive approaches. • Experience in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies as applied to small business development is highly desirable. • Excellent knowledge of Viet Nam. • Strong communication skills. • Knowledge about gender equality, the empowerment of women and violence against women. • Knowledge about climate finance. • Experience working with UN bodies / international organizations / non-profit sector highly desirable.

• Fluency in English and Vietnamese is required. • Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

Not available.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.