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 suppliers and processors, end users and NGOs. 

Through a process led by the Strategy and Objectives Working Group (Risk Subgroup), a risk analysis document has been developed for members to identify and manage risk. In its current iteration, the document contains identified social and environmental risks reflected in the GPSNR Policy Framework, information that is required to assess the tools, characteristics of high/low risk rubber production regions and potential mitigation measures. 

GPSNR is seeking a consultant to review and revise the risk analysis document and to work with the Risk Subgroup to suggest a guidance framework for members to identify risk thresholds with suggested mitigation measures. Members need to be able to invest in making rubber supplies sustainable and to make sourcing and engagement decisions based on preliminary risk assessments. Given members’ general lack of knowledge about the details of their supplies, risk assessments in many cases would have to be done at increasing levels of resolution, starting at country level, moving to districts, and finally to the actual plantation and farm level.

Objectives     

1. Review and further complete the sourcing risks document (see below ‘Scope of Work’)
2. Propose a methodology aiming to assess risks at different levels (country, district, and plantation/farm level), and the tools that
   1) are currently available to do so, or that
   2) would need to be developed, and where possible, an indication of the costs
3. Suggest the risk thresholds at country, district, and plantation/farm level at which risks have a reasonable chance to be successfully mitigated through active interventions by members or GPSNR in general. 
4. Suggest potential risk mitigation actions at the country, district, and plantation/farm level and provide a list of recommended existing tools (if any) to mitigate potential risks
5. Suggest the risk thresholds at country, district, and plantation/farm level at which sourcing should not be considered (i.e., when risk mitigation cannot be implemented).
6. Align the recommendations with the Accountability Framework Initiative (in particular, the Supply Chain Management guidance),  and link to source documents utilised
   -The review of tools, datasets and frameworks for risk assessment and mitigation is not limited to existing tools applied for the rubber industry,  the consultant can and is encouraged to draw on the experience of other commodities (palm oil / cocoa) if applicable.

7. Work closely with the members of GPSNR’s Risk Task Force to guide the above analysis.
8. Suggest members of other tropical commodities platforms who focus on risk assessment and mitigation and whom GPSNR’s Risk Task Force may consider contacting.

Scope of Work

For each of the five GPSNR Policy Framework components listed below, the consultant is expected to recommend methods for risk assessment and risk mitigation and the tools and baseline databases available to conduct them. 

Detailed guidance is provided in GPSNR’s Risk Analysis Working Document (available to bidding consultants upon request to the stefano.savi@gpsnr.org). 

The consultant should reference and build on the following work

• Risk Analysis Working Document Draft (Risk Task Force)
• GPSNR-REP-A02-006 Review of Transparency & Traceability Tools & Solutions
• GPSNR Policy Component
• Spatial data and mapping tools for detecting deforestation and threats to HCV/S areas in rubber production landscapes

The consultant is to populate each of the listed components of the GPSNR Policy Framework detailed in the Risk Analysis Working Document. The policy subsets were developed based the following list of required information and the consultant is encouraged to use the list when doing so: 

1. Risks most likely to be encountered
2. Risk assessment methods at country level
3. Risk assessment methods at district level
4. Risk assessment methods at plantation/farm level
5. Risk level before mitigation at which rubber should not be purchased at country level 
6. Risk level before mitigation at which rubber should not be purchased at district level
7. Risk level before mitigation at which rubber should not be purchased at plantation/farm level
8. Risk mitigation methods at country level
9. Risk mitigation methods at district level
10. Risk mitigation methods at plantation/farm level
11. Risk level after mitigation at which rubber should not be purchased at country level 
12. Risk level after mitigation at which rubber should not be purchased at district level
13. Risk level after mitigation at which rubber should not be purchased at plantation/farm level

The consultant is to focus on this subset of GPSNR Policy Framework components. Detailed guidance for each component (i.e., gaps identified by the Risk Subgroup members) have been provided (See ‘Annex’). 

1. Deforestation (see GPSNR Policy Framework component 2.1.2):

Background: Most natural rubber is produced by smallholders operating plantations in multiple use mosaic landscapes.

Task: Identify methods to assess the risk that current operations or future expansion of some of these plantations harm HCV/HCS, suggest potential approaches to mitigate that risk, and suggest quantitative thresholds when risk is high enough to conduct mitigation activities, and when buyers should refrain from sourcing because mitigation has failed. Consider the applicability of available maps for use in natural rubber supply chains, taking into account its specificities. (See ‘Annex A: Deforestation for details) 

2. Supporting long term protection of natural forests, restoration of degraded rubber landscapes (see GPSNR Policy Framework component 2.2):

Task: In a rubber smallholder context, the consultant is expected to suggest ways how the downstream supply chain can help to protect remaining HCV/HCS areas and other natural ecosystems and help restore at least those crucial to re-establish connectivity between remaining blocks. (See ‘Annex B: Supporting long term protection of natural forests, restoration of degraded rubber landscape’ for details)

3. Fire use + Land Prep, Fire use + Land Management (see GPSNR Policy Framework component 2.3)

Task: Assess and refine current characteristics of High/Low risk at a country or region level depending on available information and standards. The consultant is advised to focus on defining and quantifying thresholds for the density of alerts to characterize areas of high and low risk. An example could be X instances of fire reported in a specified area over a year would be considered a high-risk area. 

4. Labour (see GPSNR Policy Framework Components 3.6)

Task: Identify methods to assess the risk of poor labour practices (e.g., poor working conditions and health and safety risks, child labour/forced labour) or practices and suggest potential approaches to mitigate that risk, and suggest quantitative thresholds when risk is high enough to conduct mitigation activities, and when buyers should refrain from sourcing because mitigation has failed. (See ‘Annex C: Labour’ for details)

A suggested focus on but non-exhaustive list:

Health and Safety
Working conditions (hours worked, rest days)
Child labour/Forced labour

5. Human Rights (see GPSNR Policy Framework component 3.6)

Task: Identify methods to assess the risk of human rights infringement (e.g., low income/wages, IPLC rights), suggest potential approaches to mitigate that risk, and suggest quantitative thresholds when risk is high enough to conduct mitigation activities, and when buyers should refrain from sourcing because mitigation has failed. (See ‘Annex D: Human Rights’ for details)

A suggested focus on but non-exhaustive list:
Income (farm owners) and wages (farm workers)
IPLC Rights with appropriate context for Natural Rubber supply chain

Expected Deliverables

GPSNR expects the consultant to:

1. Complete and finalize the risks assessment drafted in order to define a comprehensive set of questions to assess and mitigate risks based on the:
   1. Objectives listed above, (including the reviewing of tools in Objective 4, see ‘Objectives’) 
   2. Tasks for each policy component listed in the Scope of Work and their detailed guidance in the Annex
2. Consultant to pitch their findings, recommendations and opinion on our risk assessment and approach.

Proposal Format and Contents

The proposal should include the following:

1. A workplan that outlines all key activities of the deliverables (as outlined in Expected Deliverables above)
2. Timeline and key stages of operations (based on Expected 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
5. 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 daily 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 7th of October 2022 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to stefano.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

RFP Publication Note: Consultants should email cheryl@gpsnr.org to share any indicative or prospective interest to submit a proposal. This would allow GPSNR to share updates to the tender (where any) directly with the consultant.	26 August 2022
Proposals submitted by consultant to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org	7 October 2022
Selection of Top Bidders / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders	27 October 2022
Contract Award / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders	28 October 2022
Phase I – Review 1 of Deliverable 1: Complete and finalize the risks assessment drafted in order to define a comprehensive set of questions to assess and mitigate risks.	November 2022
Phase 2 – Review 2 (if needed)/Completion of Deliverable 1: Complete and finalize the risks assessment drafted in order to define a comprehensive set of questions to assess and mitigate risks.	December 2022
Phase 3 – Completion of Deliverable 2: Consultant to pitch its findings, recommendations and opinion on our risks assessment and approach	December 2022
Presentation to and discussion with GPSNR Executive Committee for feedback (via digital meeting)	December 2022
Phase 4 – Delivery of Deliverable 1 and 2 to GPSNR	Jan 2023

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than €25,000 be allocated to this engagement.

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.

Annex

Annex A: Deforestation

Gaps that the group has identified in the Risk Analysis Working Document:

• Is it possible, and if so how, to assess this risk at a coarse grain country or province / district level, or does such an assessment have to be done at the landscape / plantation level?  
  -Which tools (e.g., publicly or commercially available HCV/HCS maps exist for which rubber growing areas? 
  -How do these existing maps need to be queried and what answers can they provide to members?  
  -Should existing tools not be sufficient, what tools would need to be developed to assess risk at a satisfactory level, sufficient to protect HCVs and HCS forests?  

• What is the likelihood of existing, known smallholders to expand into HCV/HCS?  
  -Is there a link to the distance between current plantations and blocks of HCV/HCS?  
  -Is there a link between the occurrence of fire hotspots, rubber plantations and blocks of HCV/HCS? 
  -If there is, what intensity of fire hotspots can indicate what levels of risk to HCV/HCS? 
  -What level of detail do maps have to have to identify such a link with reasonable accuracy? 
  -What is the likelihood of previously unknown smallholders to open forest for new plantations? 
  -What are the early warning signs for either? How can they be detected, analysed, and applied? 
  -At what time will it be necessary to conduct detailed plantation level surveys?  

• At what risk threshold should downstream buyers engage in on-site surveys and risk mitigation activities? 
  -Can such threshold be quantified or at least categorized into no/low versus high risk, and if so, how? 
  -What tools exist for such on-site activities and who can apply them?  
  -How can the impact of such risk mitigation activities be evaluated?  
  -At what threshold should buyers refrain from buying supplies from the assessed area? 

For more details, please click this link

Annex B: Supporting long term protection of natural forests, restoration of degraded rubber landscapes 

Gaps that the group has identified in the Risk Analysis Working Document:

• How to assess the capability of local government to exercise effective protection of legal protected areas (e.g., based on trajectory of forest loss in surrounding protected areas or based on gov budgets)? 
• How to assess the presence of effective landscape or jurisdictional initiatives in the area? 
• How can the remaining natural forests be protected and how can the restored blocks of degraded rubber landscapes be mapped and prioritized?  
• How can smallholders be integrated in this process?  
• How can the commercial supply chain join local private and government efforts?  
• How can supply chain members best join hands to financially and/or practically support them? 

Annex C: Labour

Gaps that the group has identified in the Risk Analysis Working Document:

• Is it possible, and if so how, to assess this risk at a province / district level (coarser than farm level)? 
  -Which tools (e.g., publicly, or commercially available) exist to assess these socio-economic data? 
  -How do these solutions query and (if possible) summarize data at a coarse-grained level and what answers can they provide to members?  

• At what risk threshold should downstream buyers engage in on-site surveys and risk mitigation activities?  
  -Can such threshold be quantified or at least categorized into no/low versus high risk, and if so, how?
  -What tools exist for such on-site activities and who can apply them?  
  -How can the impact such risk mitigation activities be evaluated?  
  -At what threshold should buyers refrain from buying supplies from the assessed area?   

Annex D: Human Rights

Gaps that the group has identified in the Risk Analysis Working Document:

• Is it possible, and if so how, to assess this risk at a province / district level (coarser than farm level)? 
  -Which tools (e.g., publicly, or commercially available) exist to assess these socio-economic data?  
  -How do these solutions query and (if possible) summarize data at a coarse-grained level and what answers can they provide to members

• At what risk threshold should downstream buyers engage in on-site surveys and risk mitigation activities?  
  -Can such threshold be quantified or at least categorized into no/low versus high risk, and if so, how?  
  -What tools exist for such on-site activities and who can apply them?  
  -How can the impact such risk mitigation activities be evaluated?  
  -At what threshold should buyers refrain from buying supplies from the assessed area?  

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.

Milestone	Date
RFP Published	7 October 2026
Proposal Submission Deadline	20 October 2026
Contract Awarded	27 October 2026
Inception Meeting	3 November 2026
Member & Expert Consultation Phase	3 November – 12 December 2026
Holiday Pause (no activity expected)	15 December 2026 – 4 January 2027
Draft Report & Cost Model	12 January 2027
Final Report & Presentation to GPSNR	19 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.