INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to catalyze action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sector, to ensure we learn from each other and work together for a climate resilient future. Adapting to impacts of climate change provides a “win-win” for livelihoods, food security, water supply, health, security, and economic growth. The work of the GCA elevates the visibility and political importance of climate adaptation and facilitates solutions, such as smarter investments, new technologies and better planning to become more resilient to climate related threats. GCA is a rapidly growing organization with offices in Abidjan, Beijing, Dhaka, Groningen, and Rotterdam.

The GCA’s ambitious 2020-2025 business plan and strategy have three pillars:

• Programs: Food Security; Using Nature for more resilient infrastructure; Water for Urban Growth and Resilience; Climate Finance; Youth Leadership.
• Knowledge: Building adaptation knowledge globally through cutting edge products such as the State and Trends in Adaptation Report and the Adaptation Knowledge Portal.
• Advocacy and Awareness: Formulating policy messages to move the global, regional, and local adaptation agendas forward.

Purpose of this Assignment
Within this context, GCA is seeking a qualified firm to Economic Modelling Services for Resilience Index Development.

The expected services to be provided under this assignment include conducting the economic modelling elements envisaged under the Resilience Index, provide advisory and conceptual support to the desk-research elements to be conducted by the GCA, and develop and apply a method to compile the final Index score. The detailed Terms of Reference and Deliverables for this assignment are presented in Annex 3. The total duration of this assignment is estimated at up to 8 months.

Bidders shall respond to the strategic requirements of GCA with a strong emphasis on responsiveness to GCA technical requirements and performance, substantive progress reports, achievement of tasks and activities to match the Scope of Services/Terms of Reference and the production of the deliverables on time, to highest applicable standards. For further information See Annex 3 – Terms of Reference.

Scope of the Services, Key Tasks and Activities to be Performed
 The services sought by the GCA for this assignment encompass the following:

• Conceptualization, iterative development and preparation for publication a new index measuring the resilience of African economies to climate change, leveraging on the very latest and most advanced climate change modeling and economic and financial data
• Conceptualization of the macro-economic model that will assess economic exposure to climate change shocks and impacts at national level for the region of Africa (55 economies)
• Application of the model to 55 African countries, including the integration of spatial analysis on asset exposure
  Application of the model to a few non-African economies during the test phase to ensure replicability of the methodology in future iterations
• Complementing GCA staff desk-based research on policy and financial readiness (including national and international public financing flows as well as available private sector investment data, based on a proposed GCA methodology) with support to analyze and integrate the related data as integral components of the Index to be developed
• Advice on overall Index conception and integration of different elements
• Development and application of the methodology to compile the overall “scoring” of the Index, including the weighing of the different components 

Upon completion of the assignment period, the GCA will also retain a 5-year license to use the and receive support to run and update this model with annualized data updates from the same sources and following the same structure as the first 2025 version of the Index for Africa.
 
Within the scope of the services described above, individual tasks and activities can be itemized as follows:

• In consultation with the GCA team, conceptualize the macro-economic modelling approach to be applied for the development of the Index;
• Collect the necessary data to inform the model;
• Integrate spatial analysis into the proposed model;
• Test-run the proposed model with iterative feedback from the GCA team (2-3 iterations of development and feedback), notably ensuring the ability for the model to be applied to a variety of economies, with the ultimate aim for a globally applicable and replicable approach;
• Apply the model and compile results for all 55 African economies;
• Support the policy preparedness and financial readiness analysis to analyze and integrate the related data as integral components of the Index to be developed;
• Develop and apply the methodology to compile index scores;
• Take part in brainstorming sessions and consultations as required, including session(s) with an informal stakeholder consultation group to be established by the GCA;
• Recommend and support liaison with experts that are high-profile economists/scientists in fields relevant to the new index to take part in the Review Board for the Index, and support engagement of the GCA with this Board in order to finalize the methodology and related aspects of the new Index;
• Review the report produced by the GCA to publish the first new Index, ensuring consistency with the final methodology and results (during September/October 2025);
• During the GCA license period, provide sporadic support to run and update the model for Africa.

The partner may be asked to perform further tasks as relates to the overall scope of the assignment.

Submission of the Proposal
If you are interested in participating in this Request for Proposal, you are requested to submit your proposal in PDF format to the link: GCA-PR-25-704 – Economic Modelling Services for Resilience Index Development no later than 21 April 2025, 16:00:00 hours (04:00:00 p.m. o’clock), Central European Time (CET) (hereinafter referred to as “the closing date and time”).

Bidders are cautioned that the timing of submission is based on when the proposal is received by the GCA, not when a proposal is submitted by a bidder. As transmission can be delayed due to file transfer size, transmission speed or other technical factors, bidders should plan to submit proposals well in advance of the Submission Deadline to avoid submitting late due to technical issues. Bidders submitting near the Submission Deadline do so at their own risk.

Proposals received after the closing date and time will be rejected. GCA will confirm receipt of proposals within 24 hours from the closing date and time. Bidders that do not receive this confirmation must contact GCA within 48 hours from the closing date and time. After 48 hours from the closing date and time, GCA shall not respond to any queries related to whether a bidder’s proposal was received.

Please download the full RFP on the page for more information.