The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Consultancy for Green Economy and Climate-Resilient Livelihoods Market Systems Assessment for Vulnerable Host and Refugee Youth
1. Background
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has operated in Kenya since 1992, supporting refugees and vulnerable host communities. The Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) sector expands access to dignified, sustainable livelihoods through market systems development, skills training, financial inclusion, and private sector engagement across three zones: the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Garissa County (including Dadaab), and Turkana County (including Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and Lodwar).
Through the Re:BUiLD program (funded by the IKEA Foundation, implemented in Nairobi and Kampala), IRC has generated evidence on climate-resilient livelihoods within the green economy including solar energy, e-waste recycling, and circular economy enterprises. IRC Kenya now seeks to extend these learnings into urban, peri-urban, and arid contexts, with a focus on agriculture, livestock, renewable energy, and sustainable mobility, and to identify scalable opportunities for vulnerable youth.
Despite an enabling national policy environment including the Climate Change Act (2016), the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), and Global Refugee Forum commitments vulnerable and refugee youth remain largely excluded from green economy opportunities due to regulatory barriers, skills gaps, limited market access, weak private sector engagement, and inadequate financing. This assignment will apply a market systems development (MSD) lens to identify viable pathways, systemic constraints, and entry points for programming.
2. Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a market systems assessment of green economy opportunities in the target geographies with a focus on Green Skills, Green Enterprises, Green Financing, Sustainable Mobility, Renewable Energy, Agriculture, and Livestock to inform IRC Kenya ERD's strategic and programmatic direction for climate-resilient livelihoods targeting vulnerable youth.
Specifically, the consultancy will:
Map and analyses green economy market systems and value chains that present viable economic opportunities for vulnerable youth, applying the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach. Assess green skills, training needs, and TVET gaps aligned to identified market opportunities, including emerging sectors (e.g. e-mobility, solar, clean cooking). Identify climate-resilient green business and enterprise opportunities, including business models, financing options, market demand, and barriers to entry for youth. Analyze the policy and regulatory environment affecting green livelihoods and refugee economic participation, identifying enabling frameworks and structural barriers. Map private sector actors and assess their appetite and modalities for engaging host community and refugee youth. Develop actionable recommendations and business development opportunities, including an intervention framework, stakeholder engagement strategy, and indicative program design options.3. Scope of Work
3.1 Geographic Scope
The assignment covers three distinct but interconnected contexts. Consultants are expected to propose an appropriate sampling and coverage strategy across all locations:
Region-Locations & Context
Nairobi Metropolitan
Nairobi city and peri-urban belt (Eastlands, Kasarani,Kawangware, Kibra Rongai, Kitengela). Urban/peri-urban; Re:BUiLD footprint; high refugee concentration; growing urban agriculture and circular economy.
Garissa County
Dadaab Refugee Complex (Hagadera, Dagahaley, Ifo) and Garissa Town. Arid/semi-arid; primarily Somali population; livestock (camel, cattle, goat), dryland agriculture, and trade economy.
Turkana County
Kakuma Refugee Complex, Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement, and Lodwar Town. Hyper-arid; multi-nationality population; pastoral and agro-pastoral economy; Kalobeyei integration model.
3.2 Thematic Scope
The assessment will address the following thematic areas across all geographies. The consultant is free to propose the analytical depth, prioritization, and approach for each:
- Market systems & value chains: core market actors, supporting functions, and rules across priority green sub-sectors (agriculture, livestock, renewable energy, sustainable mobility, waste/circular economy), including systemic constraints to youth and women's participation.
- Green skills & TVET: training provision, skills gaps, accreditation and Recognition of Prior Learning, and refugee access, including for emerging sectors (EV/e-boda, solar, clean cooking).
- Green business & enterprise: viable business models, start-up and working capital needs, financing options (USLAs, SACCOs, impact investment), MSME acceleration and advisory support, and barriers to entry, growth, and formalization.
- Policy & regulatory environment: national and county green economy frameworks, refugee economic rights, land/water/natural resource governance, and policy gaps where IRC could engage.
- Private sector engagement: mapping of agribusinesses, input suppliers, ESOs, off-takers, processors, financiers, and green economy firms (including renewable energy and e-mobility), and their appetite for partnership.
Throughout, the consultant will apply a Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) and refugee inclusion lens, disaggregating findings by sex, age, refugee/host status, and disability where possible.
4. Approach and Methodology
IRC expects a robust, mixed-methods approach combining desk review with primary qualitative and quantitative data collection (e.g. key informant interviews, focus group discussions, market observations, and private sector engagement). The methodology must be responsive to the socio-cultural, linguistic, mobility, and security context of each area.
Consultants are expected to propose and justify their own detailed methodology, sampling strategy, data collection tools, and analytical frameworks as part of their technical proposal. The strength, rigor, and appropriateness of the proposed methodology will form a key basis for evaluation. IRC will review and approve the final methodology and tools at the inception stage.
5. Deliverables
The consultant will produce the following. A detailed work plan showing how these will be delivered within the 45-day timeline should be proposed by the consultant:
Deliverable-Indicative Timing
1. Week 1
Inception Report — refined methodology, data collection tools, and work plan (approved before fieldwork begins)
2. During fieldwork
Field debrief notes — preliminary findings shared progressively during fieldwork
3. Week 6
Draft Assessment Report — full findings across all thematic areas and geographies
4. Week 7
Validation workshop presentation — findings and recommendations for stakeholder feedback
5. Day 45
Final Assessment Report, Executive Summary, and Strategic Recommendations Brief
6. Day 45
All raw data, transcripts, and data collection instruments (anonymized per IRC data policy)
The assignment is expected to be completed within 45 days from contract signing. Consultants should propose a phased work plan and timeline within this period.
6. Consultant Qualifications
IRC welcomes applications from individual consultants, firms, or research firms. The proposed team should collectively demonstrate:
- Advanced degree(s) in economics, agricultural economics, development studies, Business Studies, Strategy Development, environmental science, market systems, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience (minimum 8 years for the team leader) in market systems development, livelihoods, or economic development in sub-Saharan Africa, with experience in Kenya.
- Proven experience conducting market or value chain assessments in ASAL and refugee-hosting contexts.
- Expertise in the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach (e.g. Springfield Centre / DCED Standards).
- Knowledge of Kenya's green economy landscape (climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, sustainable mobility, circular economy).
- Ability to integrate Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) analysis into livelihoods work.
- Relevant language competencies for fieldwork (English and Swahili required; Somali and Turkana an asset). IRC will provide logistical support and security orientation for field visits.
7. Application and Evaluation
7.1 Application Requirements
Interested applicants should submit:
Technical proposal (max 12 pages, excl. CVs) covering understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology and approach, work plan and timeline, team composition, and relevant experience (with at least three references). Financial proposal an itemized budget (professional fees, field costs, travel, data collection, and other expenses), in KES or USD, indicating whether VAT is included. CVs of proposed team members and an example of relevant previous work.Submissions should be sent via IRC Workday Portal by 29th June 2026, 17:00 EAT. Technical and financial proposals should be submitted as separate attachments. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
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