UNICEF
UNICEF India is exploring scalable, demand-led remote employment models that create structured, income-generating, home-based work opportunities for rural young women (18–29 years) Request for EOI

Reference: REOI – UN – 2026– 001
Beneficiary countries or territories: India
Registration level: Basic
Published on: 11-Jun-2026
Deadline on: 02-Jul-2026 00:00 (GMT 5.30)
Description

UNICEF India invites interested and eligible organizations to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the services outlined below. The purpose of this REOI is to identify organizations with demonstrated experience and capacity to design, implement, or facilitate such models and who are interested in participating in subsequent engagement with UNICEF in India.

Introduction-

UNICEF India is committed to enhancing young women’s economic participation and supporting pathways that enable equitable access to employment opportunities. While recent data indicates[1]

Multiple systemic barriers continue to limit women’s participation in the workforce. These include poverty, mobility constraints, limited access to education and skilling, gender stereotypes, and social norms. In addition, the disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work further constrains women’s ability to engage in formal employment.[2] Even when jobs are available, women are often unable to take them up due to lack of flexible options, rigid work hours, long commutes, or the absence of childcare support.

In this context, emerging models of remote and digitally enabled work present a significant opportunity to address some of these barriers. By enabling decentralized, home-based work, such models have the potential to expand access to income-generating opportunities for women who are otherwise excluded from traditional labor markets. However, there remains a need for structured, demand-led approaches that ensure consistent work availability, fair compensation, and sustained engagement.

There is a need to identify and strengthen structured, demand-led, cost-effective models where employment opportunities are directly linked to verified employer demand, tasks are systematically designed for remote execution, and workers are supported through appropriate systems, processes, and safeguards.

In line with this, UNICEF India, through YuWaah, is exploring models where employment demand is anchored in employers (corporates, AI/tech firms, BPM companies, service providers, digital platforms), and work is systematically structured, modularized, and enabled through digital platforms, workflow systems, or other technological infrastructure to facilitate remote execution at scale.

Objective:-

The primary objective of this REOI is to identify organizations that demonstrate scalable, sustainable and cost-effective remote employment models for rural young women (18-29 years). These may include organizations that directly employ young women or act as accountable intermediaries that aggregate demand, structure work, and manage distributed workforces.

The intent is to build a pool of organizations with proven or promising approaches that go beyond skilling and job aggregation to enable predictable, demand-linked employment outcomes.

Scope of Interest:-

UNICEF India is seeking Expressions of Interest from organizations that:

  • Have established partnerships with employers generating recurring or predictable demand for remote work
  • Structure and break down job roles into modular, distributed, or task-based formats suitable for remote or home-based execution
  • Utilize digital platforms, workflow tools, AI-enabled systems, or other technological infrastructure to manage distributed workforces
  • Provide onboarding, skilling, or capacity building that is directly linked to confirmed or anticipated work demand
  • Ensure transparent payment mechanisms, defined earning benchmarks, and worker protection measures
  • Demonstrate the ability to operate in rural and semi-urban geographies, including last-mile engagement and support
  • Have the ability to provide 8000-1000 remote opportunities in an year
  • Demonstrate the ability to provide consistent remote work to young women (18-29 years)
  • Demonstrate cost-effective models with optimized cost structures that enable scalability and sustainability

Please note:

  • Models focused primarily on training delivery, job listing aggregation, or open gig marketplace access without employer accountability may not be prioritized
  • Preference will be given to models that demonstrate clear linkages between demand generation, work allocation, and income outcomes
  • Use of digital systems, platforms, or technology to enable scale and efficiency will be an added advantage
  • Preference will be given to models focusing and catering to the needs of rural young women (18-29 years)

Submission Requirements:-

Interested organizations are requested to submit a brief note (4–5 pages maximum) covering the following:

  • Certificate of Incorporation
  • Cover Letter confirming interest, availability and description of the remote employment model 
  • List of similar assignments completed in the last 3–5 years
  • At least three references with contact details
  • ISO certifications (if any), HSE policies, safeguarding policies
  • Types of employers engaged for aggregating remote jobs
  • Nature of work/tasks enabled through the model and average earnings per worker

The above documents should be sent  by email to procurement.india@unicef.org before the deadline i.e. 02 July 2026.

Please make the subject line of the email as "EOI for exploring scalable, demand-led remote employment models that create structured, income-generating, home-based work opportunities for rural young women (18–29 years)"

The  documents will be treated as strictly confidential and will not be made available to the public.Please note UNICEF will not consider incomplete submissions.

General information:

  • UNGM is the official procurement portal for the UN system, used by 32 UN organizations to source suppliers and publish new opportunities. Registration on UNGM is free.
  • Note: Prices are not required at this stage.

Selection Process:-

Submissions will be reviewed based on:

  • Relevance and alignment with the stated objective
  • Strength and scalability of the employment model
  • Past experience of working on rural models focused on economic engagement of young women (18-29 years)
  • Ability to deliver structured and sustained income opportunities
  • Stated capacity of the organization to provide bulk opportunities
  • Results/Impact achieved in the past from the proposed model

Selected organizations may be contacted for further discussions, detailed proposals, or participation in subsequent processes.

Disclaimer:-

This REOI does not constitute a solicitation. UNICEF India reserves the right to change or cancel the requirements at any time during the REOI and/or solicitation process. Submitting a response to this REOI does not guarantee that a supplier will be contracted by UNICEF India.

UNICEF India also reserves the right to require compliance with additional conditions as and when issuing the final solicitation documents.

Submitting an EOI does not automatically guarantee receipt of the solicitation documents when issued. Invitations to bid or requests for proposals and any subsequent purchase order or contract will be issued in accordance with the rules and procedures of the particular UN agency advertising the RFP/consultancy opportunity.


[1] https://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/press_release/Press_note_AR_PLFS_2023_24_22092024.pdf?utm_source

[2] https://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/TUS_Factsheet_25022025.pdf


Neha Agnihotri - nagnihotri@unicef.org
Email address: nagnihotri@unicef.org
First name: Neha
Surname: Agnihotri