Strategic, technical, and coordination support for UNICEF’s Food Systems Engagement in SLAN Chile - 2026
A. UNICEF SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1.0. PROCEDURES AND RULES
1.1. Organizational Background
UNICEF is the agency of the United Nations mandated to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child UNICEF strives to establish children's rights as international standards of behavior towards children. UNICEF's role is to mobilize political will and material resources to help countries ensure a "first call for children". UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children.
1.1.1. UNICEF carries out its work through its headquarters in New York, 8 regional offices and 125 country offices world-wide. UNICEF also has a research centre in Florence, a supply operation based in Copenhagen and offices in Tokyo and Brussels. UNICEF's 37 committees raise funds and spread awareness about the organiTozations mission and work.
1.2. Purpose of the Request For Proposal for Services
The purpose of this RFPS is to invite proposals for Strategic, technical, and coordination support for UNICEF’s Food Systems Engagement in SLAN Chile - 2026.
1.3. Forecast Schedule
The schedule of the contractual process is as follows:
a) Closing date and time for submission of full proposal: 26.07.2026 before 23:59 Panamanian time (GMT -5)
b) Questions to be received by: 10.07.2026 before 23.59 Panamanian time to the email address: consultantpanama@unicef.org
c) Estimated date of Signature of contract: 20.08.2026
d) Award Notice: 01.08.2026
1.4. RFPS Change Policy
All requests for formal clarification or queries on this RFPS must be submitted in writing to Franklin Bethancourt via e-mail to consultantpanama@unicef.org. Please make sure that the e-mail mentions the RFPS reference number.
Only written inquiries will be entertained. Written response (including an explanation of the queries without identifying the sources) will be sent to all the bidders that have received the solicitation document and will also be published on all the media (websites) where the RFPS had been published.
Proposers are expected to examine all instructions pertaining to the work. Failure to do so will be at Proposer's own risk and disadvantage.
1.5. RFPS Response Format
Full proposals should be submitted in ENGLISH or SPANISH and must be received no later than 26.07.2026 before 23:59 Panamanian time (GMT -5).
N.B. The Proposal must be sent by email address to the account: consultantpanama@unicef.org. Proposals not sent in this manner will be disqualified.
They must be clearly marked as follows:
RFQS-503932 - Strategic, technical, and coordination support for UNICEF’s Food Systems Engagement in SLAN Chile - 2026
Proposals received in any other manner will be invalidated.
Offers delivered at a different address or in a different form than prescribed in this RFPS, or which do not respect the required confidentiality, or received after the designated time and date, will be rejected. Any delays encountered in the mail delivery will be at the risk of the Proposer.
All references to descriptive materials should be included in the appropriate response paragraph, though the material/documents themselves may be provided as annexes to the proposal/response.
The Proposer must also provide sufficient information in the proposal to address each area of the Proposal Evaluation Criteria as presented in this document to allow the evaluation team to make a fair assessment of the candidates and their proposal.
1.6. Proposer's Response
1.6.1. Formal submission requirements
The formal submission requirements as outlined in this Request for Proposal for Services must be followed, e.g. regarding form and timing of submission, marking of the envelopes, no price information in the technical proposal, etc.
1.6.2. Bid Form
The completed and signed Bid form must be submitted together with the proposal.
1.6.3. Mandatory criteria
All mandatory (i.e. must/have to/shall/will) criteria mentioned throughout this Request for Proposal for Services have to be addressed and met in your proposal.
1.6.4. Technical Proposal
The technical proposal should address all aspects and criteria outlined in this Request for Proposal for Services, especially in its statement of work, terms of reference and evaluation criteria of this Request for Proposal for Services. However, all these requirements represent a wish list from UNICEF. The Proposers are free to suggest/ propose any other solution. UNICEF welcomes new ideas and innovative approaches.
No price information should be contained in the technical proposal.
1.6.5. Price Proposal
The price proposal should be as per but not limited to the requirements contained in the statement of work and terms of reference of this Request for Proposal for Services.
1.7. Confidential Information
Information, which the Proposer considers proprietary, should be clearly marked "proprietary", if any, next to the relevant part of the text, and UNICEF will treat such information accordingly.
1.8. Rights of UNICEF
UNICEF reserves the right to accept any proposal, in whole or in part; or, to reject any or all proposals. UNICEF reserves the right to invalidate any Proposal received from a Proposer who has previously failed to perform properly or complete contracts on time, or a Proposal received from a Proposer who, in the opinion of UNICEF, is not in a position to perform the contract. UNICEF shall not be held responsible for any cost incurred by the Proposer in preparing the response to this Request for Proposal. The Proposer agrees to be bound by the decision of UNICEF as to whether her/his proposal meets the requirements stated in this Request for Proposal. Specifically, UNICEF reserves the right to:
- contact any or all references supplied by the Proposer(s);
- request additional supporting or supplementary data (from the Proposer(s));
- arrange interviews with the Proposer(s);
- reject any or all proposals submitted;
- accept any proposals in whole or in part;
- negotiate with the service provider(s) who has/have attained the best rating/ranking, i.e. the one(s) providing the overall best value proposal(s);
- contract any number of candidates as required to achieve the overall evaluation objectives.
1.9. Proposal Opening
Due to the nature of this RFPS, there will be no public opening of proposals.
1.10. Proposal Evaluation
After the opening of proposals, each proposal will be assessed first on its technical merits and subsequently on its price. The proposal with the best overall value, composed of technical merit and price, will be recommended for approval. UNICEF will set up an evaluation panel composed of technical UNICEF staff and their conclusions will be forwarded to the Contracting Centre where the commercial evaluation will be done of proposals that have reached the minimum technical score required.
The evaluation panel will first evaluate each response for compliance with the requirements of this RFPS. Responses deemed not to meet all of the mandatory requirements will be considered non-compliant and rejected at this stage without further consideration. Failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions contained in this RFPS, including provision of all required information, may result in a response or proposal being disqualified from further consideration.
The responses to the RFPS should include and will be evaluated against the following:
a) Technical Evaluation
i. Overall response and understanding of the TOR: clarity of the proposal and understanding of the scope, objectives, components and deliverables
10
ii. Institutional capacity and relevant experience: experience with regional academic/scientific platforms, and capacity to engage with SLAN
20
iii. Proposed methodology, workplan and implementation approach: quality and feasibility of the methodology, timeline, coordination approach, deliverable structure and progress tracking across components
25
iv. Team structure and key personnel: qualifications, roles and relevant experience of the proposed team, including the Team Lead and supporting team members
15
Total technical score 70
Only proposals which receive a minimum of 49 points will be considered further.
The evaluation criteria will be a split between technical and commercial scores (a 70/ 30 split).
Technical scores to be given based on the above-mentioned desired deliverables, whereas commercial scores will relate to price.
b) Price Proposal
The total amount of points allocated for the price component is 30. The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest price proposal that is opened and compared among those invited firms/institutions which obtain the threshold points in the evaluation of the technical component. All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price; e.g.:
Score for price proposal X = [Max. score for price proposal (30 Points) * Price of lowest priced proposal] / Price of proposal X
Total obtainable Technical and Price points: 100
UNICEF will award the contract to the vendor whose response is of high quality, clear and meets the projects goals, including:
The price/cost of each of the technically compliant proposals shall be considered only upon evaluation of the above technical criteria.
The Proposers should ensure that all pricing information is provided in accordance with the following:
The currency of the proposal shall be in USD
Invoicing will be in the currency of the proposal. The Proposer will suggest a payment schedule for the Contract, linked to unambiguous Contract milestones. All prices/rates quoted must be exclusive of all taxes as UNICEF is a tax-exempt organization.
1.11. Property of UNICEF
This RFPS, along with any responses there to, shall be considered the property of UNICEF and the proposals will not be returned to their originators. In submitting this proposal the Proposer will accept the decision of UNICEF as to whether the proposal meets the requirements stated in this RFPS.
1.12. Validity
Proposal must be valid for a minimum of ninety (90) days from the date of opening of this RFPS and must be signed by an authorised representative of the legal entity submitting the proposal. Proposers are requested to indicate the validity period of their proposal in the Proposal Form. UNICEF may also request for an extension of the validity of the proposal.
1.13. Full right to use and sell
The Proposer warrants that it has not and shall not enter into any agreement or arrangement that restrains or restricts UNICEF rights to use, sell, dispose of or, otherwise, deal with any service or outcome that may be acquired under any resulting Contract.
1.14. Payment Terms
Payment will be made only upon UNICEF’s acceptance of the work performed. The terms of payment are Net 30 days, after receipt of invoice and acceptance of work. Payment will be effected by bank transfer in the currency of billing. Financial proposals should include any offered discounts based on earlier payment, if available. The proposer may offer early payment discounts, i.e. payment within a specific period of time faster than UNICEF’s standard payment terms of 30 days.
1.15. Contractual Terms and Conditions
The UNICEF General Terms and Conditions for Services are attached and will form part of any contract resulting from this RFPS.
B. AWARD NOTIFICATION
Notification of the outcome on an RFPS with an estimated value over USD 100,000 advising product, awarded contractor and total value of award is published on a monthly basis on the following site: http://www.unicef.org/supply/index_27009.html.
C. TERMS OF REFERENCE
Background
UNICEF works to promote and protect the rights and well-being of children and adolescents, placing equity and the most vulnerable populations at the centre of its efforts. Within this mandate, nutrition is a critical pillar to ensure healthy growth, development, and long-term human capital outcomes across the life course.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the region faces a complex nutrition landscape characterized by the coexistence of multiple forms of malnutrition, alongside a rapidly increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. These trends are closely linked to broader transformations in food systems, including the expansion of unhealthy food environments, the increased availability and marketing of ultra-processed foods, and persistent structural inequalities affecting access to healthy diets.
Addressing these challenges requires a shift toward food systems approaches that integrate policy, regulation, and programmatic action across sectors, with a strong focus on prevention. There is growing recognition of the need to strengthen policy and regulatory frameworks to improve food environments, reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing, and enable healthier choices across the life course. In this context, regional and global platforms that convene scientific, policy, and institutional actors play a key role in shaping agendas, advancing evidence-based dialogue, and strengthening partnerships for action.
The Latin American Nutrition Society Congress (SLAN 2026) represents the leading regional scientific and technical platform on nutrition, bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and institutions across Latin America. It provides a strategic opportunity to position children and adolescents within the regional food systems agenda, elevate overweight and obesity prevention as a central public health priority, and strengthen the link between scientific evidence, policy dialogue, and programmatic implementation.
Building on its regional role and partnerships, including collaboration with the Alianza Latinoamericana por la Alimentación Saludable (ALSANNA) and youth-led platforms such as Fix My Food, UNICEF seeks to strategically engage in SLAN 2026 to:
• advance the food systems for children’s agenda in LAC,
• strengthen policy and regulatory dialogue on healthy food environments,
• promote meaningful youth participation and accountability, and
• disseminate UNICEF’s evidence among key stakeholders
This Terms of Reference outlines the technical and strategic support required to ensure a coherent and high-impact participation of UNICEF and its partners in SLAN 2026, aligned with regional priorities and organizational objectives.
For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac).
2.0 Purpose of the Job
The purpose of this assignment is to strengthen UNICEF’s strategic engagement in SLAN – Chile 2026 as a regional platform to advance food systems for children and adolescents. The assignment will contribute to positioning UNICEF priorities in scientific and policy discussions, disseminating evidence generated by UNICEF in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting meaningful youth participation, supporting regional dialogue with ALSANNA and relevant actors, and contributing to the generation and dissemination of knowledge for action.
Note: UNICEF will keep strategic direction, define technical priorities and approve final UNICEF-branded outputs.
Specific Tasks and scope
The scope is organized around four programmatic components. These components define the areas of work to be supported by the contractor and provide the reference targets for the technical and financial proposals.
Component and main focus
Contractor support / planning targets
1. Institutional positioning, visibility and dissemination of UNICEF LAC evidence. Position UNICEF priorities on food systems for children within SLAN 2026 and disseminate evidence generated by UNICEF in LAC
• UNICEF’s strategic participation in priority SLAN spaces includes the opening of the congress, plenary sessions, 4 sessions, technical presentations, poster or oral presentation spaces (including participation of speakers at least 17 specialists, and 8 young leaders).
• UNICEF visibility includes 1 institutional visibility space, 2 summary videos, and photo package, and UNICEF branding in key material and documents.
2. Regional dialogue coordination. Support UNICEF’s engagement with ALSANNA through dialogue spaces
• Coordination of 3 dialogue spaces, such as an ALSANNA–UNICEF dialogue symposium and a youth dialogue symposium (including participation of at least 8 speakers)
• Coordination support for 1 ALSANNA session.
3. Youth, student participation and leadership. Support meaningful participation of youth, students and emerging leaders within SLAN 2026.
• Coordination, invitation, and follow-up for 3 young researchers, policymakers or NGO representatives from the region to participate in a pre-congress leadership training workshop (LILANUT)
• Support participation of 20 regional students and 30 local students or youth collective representatives (cover travel expenses only for 20 regional students)
• Support for intergenerational exchange or recognition activity, and coordination of 7 recognition awards for young researchers.
4. Technical sessions, capacity strengthening and knowledge products. Support technical coordination of expert sessions, capacity-strengthening activities and knowledge products related to food systems for children and adolescents.
• Identification, invitation, coordination and tracking of 10 key technical contributors, 24 technical experts participating in high-level technical sessions related to children and adolescents.
•Support travel and accommodation only for 10 selected speakers
• Identification and support to at least 6 technical symposiums on priority themes.
•Support at least 1 abstract publication or equivalent dissemination product.
•Translation or interpretation support were required
•Final report with key results
*Important Note: travel and accommodation will be covered only for 10 selected speakers, and for 20 regional students.
Work phases
The four programmatic components above define the scope of work. The four phases below describe how work across those components will be planned, developed, consolidated and documented over time. Each phase applies to the four components, as relevant, and will be completed through the corresponding deliverable described in the table below.
Phase 1. Strategic planning: This phase will define the overall approach, priority themes, proposed SLAN spaces, actors to be engaged, activities by component, coordination structure and timeline. This phase will be completed through Deliverable 1. Workplan.
Phase 2. Programme design and stakeholder engagement: This phase will translate the workplan into a concrete programme and advance engagement with speakers, contributors, youth, students and relevant actors across the four components. This phase will be completed through Deliverable 2. Programme and stakeholder engagement package.
Phase 3. Programme consolidation and congress preparation: This phase will consolidate the programme across the four components, including agendas, speakers, participants, briefing materials, visibility inputs, coordination tools and documentation templates for UNICEF’s engagement in SLAN 2026. This phase will be completed through Deliverable 3. Programme consolidation and congress preparation package.
Phase 4. Final reporting and documentation: This phase will document results including supported sessions, participation, visibility outputs, knowledge products, key messages, lessons learned and recommendations for follow-up. This phase will be completed through Deliverable 4. Final report and knowledge documentation package.
Implementation arrangements, roles and direct costs
- UNICEF will have overall strategic direction and technical leadership. This includes defining technical priorities, validating agendas and key messages, confirming speakers, participants and beneficiaries to be supported, confirming any direct cost categories, and approving final UNICEF-branded outputs.
- The contractor will support the implementation of the agreed scope by coordinating planning, actor mapping, invitations, registration tracking, speaker and participant follow-up, agendas, documentation and reporting. The contractor will also support thematic alignment, session design, synthesis of key messages, and inputs for visibility, communication and knowledge products.
- The planning targets listed under each component constitute the reference scope for the technical and financial proposals. The contractor should develop the technical methodology and financial proposal on the basis of these targets.
- Any proposed adjustment to activities, supported participants, beneficiaries or direct cost assumptions should be clearly justified in the technical methodology and, where applicable, reflected in the financial proposal. Adjustments or additional activities will only be implemented if reviewed and approved by UNICEF and included in the final contract.
- Direct costs related to registration, participation, travel or accommodation may only be administered by the contractor when they are aligned with the component planning targets, justified in the technical proposal where applicable (also described in the financial proposal), and included in the final contract.
Expected Results (measurable)
Result 1. UNICEF’s strategic engagement in SLAN 2026 is coordinated and implemented across the agreed components. Measured through the approved workplan, agendas, tracking records, confirmed speakers and participants, supported sessions, briefing materials, visibility inputs and implementation records.
Result 2. UNICEF’s evidence, visibility and knowledge outputs reach relevant SLAN 2026 audiences. Measured through participation and reach records, dissemination outputs, SLAN visibility or communication channels, audiovisual materials, knowledge products, final report.
5.0 Deliverables
Deliverable
Description
Expected deadline
Deliverable 1. Workplan
The workplan should include the proposed methodology, timeline, priority themes, proposed SLAN spaces, stakeholder mapping approach, estimated activities by component.
August 20th
Deliverable 2. Programme design and stakeholder engagement package
This deliverable should include draft agendas organized by component, lists of proposed speakers and participants, invitation and registration tracking, youth and student engagement activities, visibility and communications planning, and proposed topics and speakers for strategic sessions.
August 25th
Deliverable 3. Consolidated programme and congress preparation package
This deliverable should include final agendas organized by component, confirmed speaker and participant lists, registration and confirmation records, briefing materials, visibility and communication inputs, and the final plan for agreed support during SLAN 2026.
September 25th
Deliverable 4. Final report
The final report will include key results (people reached through event, web page and social media, participation figures) audiovisuals from the event, and key recommendations.
November 20. Important note: timeline might be adjusted depending on start date of the contract
• Dates could be adjusted depending on the start date of the contract
Minimum Requirements and Qualifications
• The institution must demonstrate at least 4 years of relevant experience in organizing or supporting regional or international platforms or events involving multiple stakeholders (e.g., scientific congresses, policy forums or expert meetings).
• Proven experience in programme design and coordination of multi-actor processes, including agenda development, engagement of speakers and stakeholders, and facilitation of dialogue spaces.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and coordinate key actors, including academia, international organizations, government, and civil society.
• Demonstrated capacity to engage with SLAN, including coordination experience with its leadership or governing bodies.
• The institution must be legally registered and have the capacity to operate in Chile.
Team requirements
The institution must propose a core team of at least three members, including:
• Senior level team lead with at least 12 years of relevant professional experience in nutrition, food systems, public health, scientific engagement, policy dialogue or multi-stakeholder coordination.
• At least two supporting team members with at least 4 years of relevant professional experience in programme coordination, stakeholder engagement, event/congress coordination, communications, knowledge management or technical content support.
• The team must demonstrate capacity to engage with academia, international organizations, government, civil society, youth networks and regional platforms.
• Experience working with SLAN or similar regional scientific platforms will be considered an asset.
6.2 Note on eligibility and subcontracting:
• The vendor must be a legally registered entity in Chile and must demonstrates technical and operational capacity to implement the assignment in Chile.
• Subcontracting may be used where needed for specialized tasks, such as translation, interpretation, design, audiovisual support, or other specific technical services.
• The primary contractor will remain fully accountable for the quality, timeliness and completion of all deliverables.
Languages
• The team must demonstrate capacity to work in Spanish and English.
Proposal requirements and evaluation criteria
The proposal should include a technical proposal and a financial proposal.
The technical proposal should include:
• Proposed methodology and workplan, showing how the assignment will be delivered.
• Team structure and roles.
The financial proposal should:
• Be organized by deliverable/payment milestone.
• Show how the proposed cost for each deliverable reflects the work required across the four components, as applicable.
• Present costs by category: distinguishing professional fees, operational costs and direct costs, where applicable (for example: participation fees, publication-related costs, translation, interpretation, audiovisuals, travel or accommodation support for 30 selected speakers/participants, etc.). See targets described in each component of the assignment to estimate the direct costs.
Important note:
- Bidders must unconditionally accept UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions (GTCs). Acceptance must be expressly confirmed by signing the RFP Bid Form, with no requests for deviations submitted in the RFP Bid Form, technical proposal, or financial proposal
- All travel and the related budget should be pre-approved by UNICEF. Should there be any travel, the Contractor will be responsible for administering its own travel and will be responsible for all travel costs - flights, daily subsistence allowance etc. Travel expenses will be reimbursed separately upon presentation of receipts based on actual cost or as per UN rates (http://icsc.un.org/rootindex.asp and/or https://icsc.un.org/Home/DailySubsistence) whichever is Lower. ICSC DSA of special hotels will not be applicable. Travel expenses shall be calculated based on economy class travel, regardless of the length of travel and costs for accommodation, meals and incidentals shall not exceed applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC)”
Evaluation Criteria (70 % technical + 30% financial)
Proposals will first be reviewed against mandatory eligibility requirements. Only proposals meeting the mandatory requirements will proceed with technical evaluation
Technical criteria Points
Overall response and understanding of the TOR: clarity of the proposal and understanding of the scope, objectives, components and deliverables 10
Institutional capacity and relevant experience: experience with regional academic/scientific platforms, and capacity to engage with SLAN 20
Proposed methodology, workplan and implementation approach: quality and feasibility of the methodology, timeline, coordination approach, deliverable structure and progress tracking across components 25
Team structure and key personnel: qualifications, roles and relevant experience of the proposed team, including the Team Lead and supporting team members 15
Total technical score 70
- A minimum technical score of 49/70 will be required to proceed to financial evaluation.
The financial proposal will account for 30 points. The final award will be based on the highest combined technical and financial score, in accordance with UNICEF procurement procedures.
Estimated August1st 2026 to November 20th, 2026.
Important note: SLAN 2026 will take place from 25 to 29 October 2026. As described in this Terms of Reference (ToR) the assignment will cover planning, programme design, coordination, readiness, implementation support and post-event report.