The Green Forward programme, funded by the European Union, aims to foster a green and circular economy (GCE) in the Southern Neighbourhood region, which includes countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The programme operates at three levels: macro, meso, and micro, implemented respectively by a consortium comprising Expertise France, SPARK, and UNIDO.

SPARK leads the meso-level component in collaboration with partners across seven countries: GESR – Misr El Kheir Foundation (Egypt), the Jordan Chamber of Industry – JCI / The Center of Energy and Environmental Sustainability in the Industry – CEESI (Jordan), and Tunis International Center for Environmental Technologies – CITET (Tunisia) as co-applicants; and Business Incubation Association in Tripoli – BIAT (Lebanon), and TEAM for Training & Development (Libya), Enactus (Morocco), and Flow Accelerator (Palestine) as implementing partners.

SPARK’s intervention aims to enhance the capacity of business support organisations (BSOs) to serve as ecosystem enablers, bridging the gap between policy and practice. This initiative is committed to fostering job creation, economic opportunity, and alignment with the principles of the European Green Deal in all seven target countries.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

The consultant / consultancy agency is expected to deliver the following:

Deliverables under Activity A1.1 Enhancing the networking capacity of business support organisations on green economy transition and opportunities

• 1 Mapping report of BSO networks and ecosystem actors in 7 countries to be updated based on the existing GreenForward Baseline Mapping (including BSO clustering, etc.)
• 7 roadmaps (1 per country) for an active green business network to outline the needed steps to be taken in each country to build stronger business alliances for a resource-efficient low-carbon economy – in collaboration with the 7 implementing partners.
• 1 finalised concept note and facilitation materials for the regional BSO networking event to be organised by SPARK in 2026 that contain the “Green Topics”.
• 1 green economy best practices book to be developed.

Deliverables under Activity A1.2. Workshops to encourage peer learning and partnerships

• 1 country-specific green sector analysis report that contains recommendations based on each country’s progress in providing technical support to BSOs. This should connect meso-level sector opportunities with both macro and micro-level subsector activities, conducted in close consultation with Expertise France (macro level) and UNIDO (micro level).

Deliverables under Activity A1.3. Tailor-made support programme for BSOs and Innovation enablers

• 1 Green BSO Capacity Diagnostic Tool (to identify strengths/needs) including recommendation plans, and monitoring of the BSOs progress toward green transition.

Deliverables under Activity A2.1 Green Business Training Academy for BSOs

• 1 Recommendation Report* on the Toolbox for BSOs and Green Support Services to be shared with the seven implementing partners.

* This report will provide practical guidance on the use of a tailored toolbox designed to assess the degree of integration of sustainability and circular economy approaches in the services offered to entrepreneurs and SMEs. It should include components such as labelling/certification of green start-ups and support to matchmaking between green start-up solutions and existing SMEs. The toolbox is expected to strengthen the advocacy role of BSOs, enabling them to contribute to the regulatory, normative, and institutional frameworks that support a green and just transition of the private sector.

• 1 Assessment Report* on Toolbox Implementation and Impact

* Following the implementation phase, the expert will produce an Assessment Report evaluating the effectiveness and impact of the toolbox. This report should focus on key indicators such as the growth potential and job creation capacity of supported SMEs and start-ups. It should include lessons learned and recommendations for improvement, ensuring that the toolbox remains relevant and impactful in supporting BSOs and their target beneficiaries over time.

Deliverables under Activity 2.2 Awareness Raising Campaign

• 1 document that contains a design for webinars content for the Green Forward Talks webinar series.
• 1 document that Identifies learnings and best practices shared across SPARK-led activities as well as activities led by partners to support the dissemination of programme outputs.
• 1 document that contains GCE-focused messages, narratives, and guidelines to use as a support for the programme communications.

Deliverables under Activity 2.4 Partner Working Groups (Micro-Macro Actors)

• 1 Summary report detailing key policy opportunities in the green and circular economy sector per country
• 1 action plan report based on the policy recommendations developed in each country in close coordination with the consortium partners working on macro and micro level.

Note: The exact deliverables and timeline will be discussed and finalised with the selected consultant / consultancy agency.

Profile of the Consulting Team / Team Composition

The consulting agency is expected to mobilize a qualified, multidisciplinary team with complementary expertise to deliver the expected services. The team composition should include, at minimum:

Team Requirements:

• A Team Leader / Lead Expert meeting the profile described above (Master’s degree or higher; 10+ years of relevant experience, etc.).
• One or more thematic Experts in:
• Green and circular economy
• ESG, SCP, or green finance
• Environmental policy and climate governance
• A Local Liaison / Regional Coordinator (optional but recommended) to coordinate with stakeholders in the 7 target countries, preferably with Arabic and/or French language skills (the English language is required)

General Team Requirements:

• Proven experience working on EU-funded or similar international development programmes.
• Proven experience working in the Green and circular economy in the MENA region.
• Prior experience implementing assignments in the MENA region or similar contexts.
• Strong coordination, stakeholder engagement, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to work in English fluently; working knowledge of Arabic and/or French is considered an asset.