The Grand Bargain was negotiated between the 15 biggest donors and 15 biggest aid organisations in 2016 in response to the UN’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing report Too Important to Fail: Addressing the Humanitarian Financing Gap. The Bargain includes a set of specific commitments for donors and aid organisations to make humanitarian assistance more effective and efficient. The number of Signatories has grown to 71 and now includes Local and National Actors alongside donors, UN agencies, the ICRC/IFRC and INGOs. It is the most inclusive platform of the humanitarian community. Its current iteration, the Grand Bargain 3.0, complemented by its Implementation Agenda, has been agreed until 2026. It thereby contributes to addressing the increasing funding gap between humanitarian needs and available humanitarian funding. Since its inception, annual independent reports have measured progress of the Grand Bargain Signatories against the initial commitments from 2016.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), on behalf of the Grand Bargain Facilitation Group, is seeking external entities to undertake an independent assessment of progress under the GB 3.0 from 2023-2026, with a light analysis of achievement trends throughout previous iterations of the process.
For this independent report 2026, a team of independent researchers will be hired to present the status of implementation of the GB3.0. The analysis will be done based on the signatories’ self-reported data in 2024-2026, further supplemented by individual interviews with the Signatories, selected thematic Champions (FG members as well as leads of caucuses and CoPs) and other key informants. The researchers will also consult with seven National Reference Groups to capture the perspectives from humanitarian contexts. In addition, the report will include a light comparative analysis of progress achieved since 2016, using findings of previous Annual Independent Reports. Finally, the researchers will situate their analysis within the broader context of transformation of the humanitarian sector using data and findings from other relevant research such as the GHA 2025 and State of the Humanitarian System report (SOHS) 2026.
The final product will be released ahead of the 10-year Grand Bargain Annual Meeting 2026.
For more details on the scope of work, expected deliverables, and requirements, please refer to the Terms of Reference (ToR), in the attachment.
How to apply
Consultants who meet the requirements and qualifications outlined in the Terms of References are invited to submit a complete application by Wednesday 27 August 2025, 23:59 CET to the email address Grand Bargain
Secretariat gbsecretariat@un.org. The bid application should be titled ‘2026 Grand Bargain Report Consultancy ‘ and include the following information as part of their application:
- Cover letter, including a short motivation for this consultancy with a rough outline on how to approach the report.
- (Link to) Curriculum Vitae / LinkedIn Profile
- Links to past research papers or similar publications demonstrating experience in conducting comparable research and analysis.
- Full budget proposal including daily consultancy rate in CHF or EUR, inclusive of all costs, VAT and charges.
- Workplan outlining your understanding of the assignment and proposed approach.
- Proof of registration as a consultant/sole trader/proprietor or a company in country of residence as required
Payment will be based on the successful completion of deliverables to the required standard.
Please note: All service providers/consultants working with NRC should maintain high standards on ethical issues, respect and apply basic human and social rights, ensure non-exploitation of child labour, and give fair working conditions to their staff. NRC reserves the right to reject quotations provided by suppliers not meeting these standards. Consultants doing business with NRC will be screened on anti-corruption due diligence before NRC confirms a contract.
Please find the full Terms of Reference and application process enclosed.
