Introduction

The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) is a pan-African, non-profit, and public charity organisation that supports, strengthens, and promotes science and innovation in Africa. The SFA Foundation is committed to improving African people's quality of life and promoting research uptake in communities, industry, and the public sector. We serve the African research ecosystem by designing, funding, and managing programmes that support excellent science and innovation; and that build and reinforce environments that are conducive for scientists to thrive and produce quality research that impacts development.

Background

The Research Management Capacity Strengthening (REMACS) Programme, implemented by the SFA Foundation, is designed to address critical gaps within the African research ecosystem and to cultivate a vibrant research culture and strong leadership across research institutions. The Programme aims to build the expertise required to establish and sustain robust research enterprises, strengthen institutional systems, and enhance the overall performance of research environments across the continent. REMACS focuses on overcoming systemic challenges that hinder the development of effective and sustainable research management systems. Its interventions are organised around three core pillars:

1. Institutional Development – Strengthening institutional systems, standards, governance frameworks, research impact mechanisms, and long-term sustainability.
2. Professional Development – Building the capacity of research managers through structured career pathways, training, mentorship, recognition programmes, and knowledge management platforms toward a professionalised research management ecosystem.
3. Enabling Environment – Supporting national research systems by engaging regulatory agencies, government departments, National Councils for Science and Technology, Science Granting Councils, and higher education networks to create a supportive ecosystem for research and innovation.

As part of its mandate, the REMACS Programme is implementing the Partner Organisation Effectiveness initiative, which aims at strengthening grant governance systems by enabling SFA grantees to seamlessly integrate the requirements of the first international standard for Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP- ARS 1651:2018)within their organisations' systems.

GFGP strengthens governance, financial management, procurement, human resources, and grants management processes within institutions receiving and managing grant funding.

To support its grantees and partners, the SFA Foundation seeks to provide structured technical assistance that helps them:

• Understand GFGP requirements
• Conduct a pre-certification assessment [c]. Identify and close gaps
• Attain formal GFGP certification through licensed Certification Bodies (CBs)

This consultancy will support selected SFA-funded institutions to strengthen their grant governance capacity and achieve GFGP Certification.

The GFGP standard (ARS 1651:2018) is currently undergoing a revision by ARSO based on feedback received from users with the new revised standard expected to be published mid-June 2026. The technical assistance under this RFP shall be based on the revised versions of GFGP standards.

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Objectives

The objective of this assignment is to provide targeted technical assistance to SFA Foundation-funded partner organisations to strengthen their compliance with the Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) Standard and guide them through the full certification cycle. Specifically, the consultancy aims to meet the following objectives:

• Objective 1: Strengthen Institutional Governance and Grant Management Systems Using the GFGP Framework – Provide targeted technical assistance to help partner institutions assess, strengthen, and align their governance, financial management, procurement, HR, and grant management systems with the requirements of the revised GFGP Standard.
• Objective 2: Build Institutional Capacity to Implement, Sustain, and Institutionalise Compliance Practices - Enhance the capacity of partner institutions through training, coaching, policy development support, and change management to ensure effective adoption and long-term sustainability of improved systems.
• Objective 3: Guide Institutions Through the full GFGP Certification Pathway - Support institutions from pre-certification assessment through readiness checks, engagement with certification bodies, and closure of nonconformities until successful achievement of GFGP certification.

Scope of Work

The Consultant/Firm will provide comprehensive, hands-on technical assistance to help SFA Foundation-funded institutions strengthen their governance, financial management, procurement, HR, and grant management systems, using the GFGP Standard as the guiding framework. The work will include, but not be limited to:

1. Institutional Assessments & Diagnostics
   • Conduct GFGP-aligned assessments, including document reviews, onsite/virtual verification, and maturity mapping.
   • Analyse institutional policies, systems, processes, internal controls, and governance structures.
2. Development of Gap-Closure Action Plans
   • Provide institution-specific, practical gap-closure roadmaps that outline required policy, procedural, and system changes.
   • Identify risk areas and mitigation measures.
3. Technical Assistance for Systems Strengthening
   • Draft or revise policies, SOPs, manuals, and templates aligned to GFGP.
   • Support implementation and institutionalisation of recommended changes.
   • Provide hands-on coaching to finance, HR, procurement, and grants teams.
4. Capacity Building & Change Management
   • Design and deliver targeted training sessions.
   • Facilitate change management processes to ensure adoption of new practices.
   • Engage institutional leadership and staff to support GFGP-aligned governance improvements.
5. Certification Readiness and Support
   • Conduct mock audits and readiness checks for certification.
   • Support partners during the formal GFGP audit, including responses to nonconformities.
   • Liaise with accredited certification bodies.
6. Monitoring, Learning, and Reporting
   • Provide monthly progress updates, risk logs, and recommendations.
   • Document lessons learned and best practices to inform the Foundation’s portfolio-wide learning.

Instructions on the Proposal Submission Process

1. Proposal to be sent by email to [email protected] on or before 10 June 2026 at 5.00 pm (EAT)
2. Protect your proposal with a password and share the password on 11 June 2026 by 8.00 am (EAT)
3. The proposal to be marked as follows on the subject line:

CONSULTANCY SERVICES PARTNER ORGANISATION EFFECTIVENESS USING THE GFGP STANDARD AS FRAMEWORK – RFP/009/2026

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