Consultant

OVERVIEW

The Bahamas contains one of the largest and most carbon-dense seagrass ecosystems on Earth, with extensive meadows extending across the archipelago and locking away an estimated 420 to 590 million metric tons of organic carbon in seafloor sediments. The Bahamas Blue Carbon Project seeks to operationalize this extraordinary natural asset as a vehicle for climate finance, generating Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) through the protection, restoration, and improved management of seagrass meadows, while delivering measurable co-benefits for coastal communities, marine biodiversity, and national climate commitments.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) seeks a qualified individual or firm to conduct a focused financial review of a key Project vendor, assessing the reasonableness and allocability of recent expenditures against contractual commitments and evaluating the robustness of the vendor's financial management systems. The engagement will produce actionable findings and recommendations to support fiscal compliance and investor confidence as the Project enters its next phase.

The consultancy is anticipated to be a two-to-three-month engagement, with the possibility of extension depending on findings and the needs of the Project.

KEY ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES, TASKS & DUE DATE

• Review the key vendor's Project-related financial documents (e.g. transactions, budgets, invoices, and expenditure reports) for the past six months, assessing costs against contractual commitments to determine whether they are reasonable, allocable, and consistent with the Project's objectives and agreements.
• Evaluate the vendor's financial management systems, including procurement processes and internal controls, to determine whether they are sufficiently robust to ensure fiscal and legal compliance and to inspire confidence among sovereign partners and investors as the Project enters its next phase.
• Document findings and recommend corrective action where substantive risks are revealed, whether in individual transactions, financial practices, or management systems.

This engagement does not require the issuance of a formal audit opinion. The consultant will engage directly with the vendor and coordinate regularly with CRS throughout the engagement. All financial records, findings, and related materials accessed or produced during this engagement are confidential and may not be disclosed to third parties without the prior written consent of CRS.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Risk: CRS is seeking a consultant with strong expertise in project financial management and practical experience in international development or conservation finance contexts. The ideal candidate brings both technical rigor and the interpersonal skills necessary to work effectively across a multi-partner, cross-cultural program.
• Core Technical Competencies:
  • Project finance and financial management experience, including budget analysis, cost allocation, and expenditure verification.
  • Experience conducting financial due diligence or financial management assessments — distinct from formal auditing (though audit experience is useful).
  • Knowledge of financial reporting standards and/or best practices applicable to multi-partner, donor-funded programs.
  • Familiarity with international development or conservation finance structures, including grant, loan, and results-based financing instruments.
• Sector and Geographic Experience:
  • Experience working with government-led and/or NGO-led programs and/or public-private partnerships in developing country contexts.
  • Prior work in small island developing states is an advantage but not required.
  • Familiarity with blue carbon, nature-based solutions, and/or conservation finance programs is an asset but not required.
• Organizational and Interpersonal Skills:
  • Ability to work across a multi-partner consortium with diverse institutional cultures — government, NGO, and private sector.
  • Strong written communication skills, particularly for producing findings and recommendations accessible to non-financial audiences including sovereign partners and program leadership.
  • Discretion and professional judgment in handling sensitive financial information.

REQUIRED APPLICABLE COMPONENT

• Technical proposal maximum 5 pages, that includes:
• a. A detailed methodology for completing each anticipated deliverable, including a proposed timeframe.
• b. A summary of the consultant's or team's relevant expertise and capacity.
• c. Examples of comparable work carried out previously.
• Financial proposal maximum 1 page, that includes:
• a. A detailed summary of your financial details (a) Compensation rate per day or hour, (b) Total cost for completing the assignment, and (c) Confirmation of the level of effort (i.e., number of billable days) or a fixed fee for the total assignment.
• b. Resume/CV of the lead analyst and any supporting team members.
• c. Contact information of two engagements of comparable scope and nature, with the following details about the references: (a) name, (b) position, (c) company, (d) phone number, (e) email address, and (f) city, state, country.
• d. 1-2 sample work product, such as a redacted report or assessment memorandum.
• e. Proposals shall remain valid for 90 calendar days from the proposal submission deadline.
• f. Completion of Annex A.
• g. Conflict of interest disclosure — given that the consultant may have existing professional relationships with the vendor or other Project partners, all actual or potential conflicts must be disclosed.
• CRS will assess disclosed conflicts on a case-by-case basis and reserves the right to disqualify proposals where conflicts cannot be adequately mitigated.

Clarifying Questions and CRS Response

Prospective bidders may submit any clarifying questions by singular request to hqbids@crs.org by July 12, 2026, 11:59 PM EST. The solicitation name “US10370.07.2026 Financial Due Diligence Consultant for the Bahamas Blue Carbon Project” must be included in the Email Subject line. Responses will be provided to any known prospective bidders on July 14, 2026. Questions submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Proposal Submission

All proposals must be submitted to hqbids@crs.org no later than July 15, 2026, 11:59 PM EST. The solicitation name “US10370.07.2026 Financial Due Diligence Consultant for the Bahamas Blue Carbon Project” must be included in the Email Subject Line. Please note that all prospective bidders will receive a notification regarding the outcome of the Request for Proposal (RFP) promptly following the decision-making process.