Introduction & Background

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) is an international, multi-stakeholder, voluntary membership initiative seeking to lead improvements in the socioeconomic and environmental performance of the natural rubber value chain. Members of the platform include rubber products manufacturers, natural rubber producers and processors,  end users, smallholders and NGOs.

In 2021, GPSNR members approved Reporting Requirements that would allow member companies to report on their progress implementing their commitments under the Policy Framework. With the approval of the Reporting Requirements, ordinary member companies now report annually on the questions included in the Reporting Matrix, which is organized by member category. Many of the questions in the matrix require qualitative responses.  While qualitative information is helpful to understand a company’s progress in implementing its policy, it makes data analysis either to evaluate its progress year to year or to assess progress within a particular stakeholder category difficult.

GPSNR Policy Toolbox Working Group is seeking a consultant to review the GPSNR Reporting Matrix and revise the questions to generate quantitative responses wherever possible.  The consultant should review the following GPSNR documents to inform these proposed revisions: draft GPSNR Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), GPSNR risk assessment guidance documents, feedback from member survey on Year 1 reporting. The consultant should also do a crosswalk with other credible reporting frameworks commonly used by members (e.g., Global Reporting Initiative – GRI, CDP Forest and ZSL SPOTT) to inform proposed changes.

Objectives and Scope of Work

1. Review GPSNR’s Reporting Matrix to  identify questions that currently generate qualitative responses that could generate quantitative responses and propose revisions (this may not be feasible in all cases).
2. Do a crosswalk of the draft category specific KPIs to determine if they can replace any questions with qualitative responses in the reporting matrix.
3. Do a crosswalk of the Reporting Matrix questions with GRI, CDP Forest and ZSL-SPOTT reporting questionnaires to identify gaps between the GPSNR Reporting Matrix and the identified reporting schemes and propose equivalent questions from the identified reporting schemes to be integrated into the Reporting Matrix.
4. Review the recommendations for clarifying reporting questions and responses in the Reporting Matrix that were made by the consortium of consultants that prepared the GPSNR Reporting Guidance (Proforest, Are We There Yet, and Hevea Connect), and propose revisions to reporting questions/responses accordingly.

The consultant can also reference other GPSNR work, such as the risk assessment matrix and the draft Due Diligence Manual.

Expected Deliverables

GPSNR expects the consultant to:

Review and revise questions in the GPSNR Reporting Matrix that require a qualitative/narrative response that could be modified to generate a quantitative response. To support the process, the consultants should do the following:

1. Crosswalk the GPSNR Reporting matrix with reporting frameworks such as GRI, CDP Forest, and ZSL-SPOTT
2. Use feedback from members’ survey and report from consultants that prepared the reporting guidance to revise reporting questions/responses that have been flagged as unclear and in need of rewording.
3. Reference the below-listed GPSNR work and determine if any of the work could be used in place of the existing questions in the Reporting Matrix to obtain quantitative responses.
   1. Draft stakeholder category KPIs document
   2. Draft risk assessment guidance framework
   3. Draft due diligence guidance document

Proposal Format and Contents

The proposal should include the following:

1. A workplan that outlines the key activities towards the deliverables outlined in Expected Deliverables above

2. The timeline and key stages of operations based on Project Timeline below

3. Budget, including detailed breakdown of expected manpower, logistics, and costs based on Budget below

4. Description of past work and technical expertise that is relevant to this RFP

A list of project team members with their roles in the project and associated qualifications.

Submission Guidelines & Requirements

The following submission guidelines & requirements apply to this Request for Proposal:

1. Proposals will only be accepted from individuals or firms with experience relevant to this project.
2. Examples of previous relevant work should be provided as well.
3. A technical proposal must be provided that is not more than 4 pages. This technical proposal must provide an overview of the proposed solution as well as resumes of all key personnel performing the work. In addition, the technical proposal should provide a proposed schedule and milestones, as applicable.
4. A price proposal must be provided that is not more than 1 pages. This price proposal should indicate the overall fixed price for the project as well as hourly rates and an estimated total number of days.
5. Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to commit bidder’s company.
6. Proposals must be received prior to the 14 Apr 2023 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to savi@gpsnr.org for consideration.
7. GPSNR reserves the right to amend the scope and budget of this RFP in order to get the most suitable consultant for each topic.

Project Timelines

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than $10,000 USD be allocated to this engagement with an additional amount available to support approved travel, if
necessary.

Payment terms shall be:

·        20% at the signing of the contract

·        30% at the midpoint date to be agreed upon and memorialized in the contract based on the submitted work plan.

·        50% on delivery of the final report

The allocation of the payment shall be based on the net amount after travel
expenses, if deemed necessary by both the consultant and Secretariat, are
incurred and documented.

Evaluation Factors

 GPSNR will rate proposals based on the following factors, with cost being the most important factor:

1.        Responsiveness to the requirements set forth in this Request for Proposal

2.      Relevant past performance/ experience

3.      Samples of work

4.     Cost, including an assessment of total cost of ownership.

5.      Technical expertise/experience of bidder and bidder’s staff

GPSNR reserves the right to award to the bidder that presents the best value to GPSNR as determined solely by GPSNR in its absolute discretion.eforestation Regulation consolidated text 20-12-22

View RFP Document here

Reference: GPSNR-RFP-CR-SCOPE-2026

Date: 7 October 2026

Issued by: Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR)

Representative: Stefano Savi, CEO – stefano.savi@gpsnr.org – +65 9297 0636

Co-contact: Aidan – aidan@gpsnr.org

Introduction & Background

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) is an international, multi-stakeholder, voluntary membership initiative seeking to lead improvements in the socioeconomic and environmental performance of the natural rubber value chain. Members include rubber product manufacturers, natural rubber suppliers and processors (PPTs), end users, smallholders, and civil society organisations.

In September 2023, GPSNR issued RFP-C03-036 for a Central Repository intended to store polygon and supply chain data, support EUDR compliance, and reduce duplicated mapping effort across manufacturers. That process, led by the Manufacturer’s Subgroup, was discontinued in November 2023 after a group of tiremakers opted for a different solution outside the formal tender.

In 2026, the Secretariat restarted the initiative under a broader, multi-stakeholder approach, since the original manufacturer-led working group is no longer active. The concept has since been presented to the GPSNR membership and to Enterprise Singapore, which has indicated willingness to support the project.

Following that presentation, GPSNR member companies raised material questions that must be resolved before any funding or build decision is made, specifically regarding: (i) the long-term cost of setting up and maintaining such a system; (ii) the actual benefits and value proposition relative to existing member-run systems; and (iii) data sharing, data ownership, and cybersecurity concerns, given the commercially sensitive nature of individual companies’ supply chain data.

GPSNR members have provisionally agreed to jointly commission an independent consultant to conduct a scoping study that consults GPSNR members and relevant external experts, and produces a grounded assessment of scope, guardrails, and cost, together with a roadmap showing how the repository could evolve towards adjacent and downstream sustainability applications, ahead of any decision to proceed with development.

To keep the engagement lean, the GPSNR Secretariat will provide direct support to the consultant: scheduling and inviting member participants, handling logistics and communications, and co-facilitating or note-taking for a subset of member consultation sessions. The consultant remains responsible for consultation design, expert engagement, analysis, and the final deliverables.

Objectives and Scope of Work / Deliverables

GPSNR expects the consultant to deliver the following:

Member consultation

• Design structured consultations (interview guide and/or survey) covering a representative cross-section of GPSNR members: manufacturers, PPTs/traders, smallholder representatives, and civil society organisations.
• Lead the consultation sessions; the GPSNR Secretariat will handle scheduling, invitations, and logistics, and may co-facilitate or take notes for a subset of sessions to reduce consultant time on coordination.
• Capture views on perceived benefits, willingness to contribute data, red lines on data sharing, and preferred governance and access-control models.
• Identify areas of consensus and disagreement, and any conditions members attach to their participation.

Expert consultation

• Consult relevant technical and legal experts, including traceability/data platform providers (e.g. Koltiva, Agridence, TRST01, DIBIZ or equivalent), cybersecurity/data governance specialists, and legal counsel on competition law implications of inter-competitor data sharing.
• Benchmark comparable shared data infrastructure in other commodity sectors (e.g. palm oil, cocoa, soy) where relevant precedents exist.
• Consult downstream and adjacent players, such as banks and trade finance providers offering sustainability-linked financing, and carbon accounting, carbon project and registry actors, to assess how consolidated mapping data could evolve beyond EUDR compliance into applications such as sustainability-linked trade financing, carbon accounting and carbon projects.
• Identify what these applications would require of the data: coverage, granularity, verification and assurance, update frequency, and governance and consent arrangements.

Scope and guardrails

• Based on consultation findings, define 2–3 realistic scope options for the Central Repository (e.g. minimum viable shared layer vs. fuller-featured platform).
• Propose data governance guardrails: data ownership, access tiers, aggregation/anonymisation options, consent and opt-in/opt-out mechanisms, and security/compliance requirements (GDPR, PDPA, and competition law).
• For each scope option, indicate how it could be extended over time to support the adjacent and downstream applications identified in the expert consultation.

Cost assessment

• Estimate one-off set-up costs and recurring annual maintenance costs for each scope option, including hosting, licensing, integration, support, and governance overhead.
• Compare build vs. buy/partner options, including leveraging an existing vendor platform versus a bespoke build.
• Propose an indicative funding and fee model.

Recommendations and reporting

• Recommend a preferred option (or phased pathway) with a rationale tied directly to consultation findings and cost analysis.
• Develop an indicative roadmap with key milestones and timeframes, taking into account industry readiness, to show how long the project may require. As a minimum, the roadmap should set out:

when the mapping data is expected to be consolidated and validated for broader use;

• • whether, and at what stage, integration with the EU Information System is expected; and
  •  when additional industry participation could be integrated to enable adjacent and downstream applications
  •  Outline key risks and mitigations, and a proposed decision-making and governance process for the GPSNR General Assembly.
  • Present findings to the GPSNR Executive Committee, membership, and Enterprise Singapore.

Deliverables Summary

• Inception report and detailed workplan (within 1 week of contract award)
• Member and expert consultation summary report
•  Scope and guardrails options paper
• Cost model covering set-up and multi-year maintenance costs, by option
• Final report with recommendations and an indicative roadmap with key milestones
•  Presentation of findings to GPSNR governance bodies and Enterprise Singapore

Proposal Format and Contents

The proposal should include the following:

• A workplan outlining all key activities against the deliverables above
•  Timeline and key stages of the engagement
• Budget, including a breakdown of days by activity/team member, and any expenses (e.g. travel for in-person consultations)
•  Description of past work and technical expertise relevant to this RFP (e.g. multi-stakeholder consultation, data governance, agri-commodity traceability, cost/business-case modelling)
•  A list of project team members with roles and qualifications

Submission Guidelines & Requirements

• Proposals will only be accepted from individuals or firms with experience relevant to this project.
• Examples of previous relevant work should be provided.
•  A technical proposal of no more than 4 pages, covering the proposed approach, team resumes, and a proposed schedule with milestones.
•  A price proposal of no more than 1 page, indicating the overall fixed price, a cost breakdown, and daily rates with estimated number of days.
• Proposals must be signed by a representative authorised to commit the bidder’s company.
• – Proposals should be submitted to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org and aidan@gpsnr.org for consideration.
• GPSNR reserves the right to amend the scope and budget of this RFP to secure the most suitable consultant.

Project Timeline

The schedule below allows two additional weeks versus a compressed timeline, and builds in a pause over the December holiday period, when member and expert availability drops sharply. Final delivery falls in January 2027.

Budget & Payment Terms

GPSNR will review budget proposals jointly; cost and value for money are important factors in the award decision. Given Secretariat support with member consultation logistics (see above), GPSNR expects proposals in the indicative range of SGD 20,000–30,000. Bidders should scope their approach and days accordingly, and may propose a leaner or more extensive approach with rationale. Bidders should show separately the days allocated to the downstream applications assessment and the roadmap.

GPSNR will invite at least three qualified consultants to submit quotations, to allow a competitive comparison by GPSNR.

Proposed payment terms:

• 30% at signing of contract
• 40% on submission of the draft report and cost model
• 30% on delivery of the final report and presentation

Evaluation Factors

GPSNR will rate proposals based on the following factors:

• Responsiveness to the requirements set out in this RFP
• Relevant past performance and experience, particularly in multi-stakeholder consultation and data governance/cost modelling for shared digital infrastructure
• Samples of comparable work
• Cost, including an assessment of total cost of ownership of the proposed approach
• – Technical expertise and experience of the bidder’s team, including independence and ability to engage objectively with commercially sensitive member concerns

GPSNR reserves the right to award to the bidder that presents the best value to GPSNRas determined solely by GPSNR in its discretion.