International Consultant: C517 - Supporting Partnerships and Innovation under the Access to Finance Strategy

by June 30, 2026 (Output 1): At least 3 approved concept notes for partnership with financial institutions - Timely project proposals developed with cross-functional teams - Database of key access to finance institutional contacts Tailored access to finance methodology and toolbox for interventions targeted at women and youth by July 31, 2026 (Output 2): Revised proposal and partnership documentation incorporating internal and partner feedback - Finalized collateral for promotion of the access to finance strategy - 3 new strategic partners engaged - Partnership brief(s), pitch deck(s), and outreach note(s) tailored to priority partners - Background materials and talking points for bilateral discussions with partners - Timely project proposals developed with cross-functional teams - Up to date partnership pipeline tracker - Tailored access to finance methodology and toolbox for interventions targeted at supporting the green and digital transition by August 31, 2026 (Output 3): At least 1 new approved concept notes for partnership with financial institutions - Partnership brief(s), pitch deck(s), and outreach note(s) tailored to priority partners - Background materials and talking points for bilateral discussions with partners - Draft standardized templates and decision tools for project design and intervention selection. - Consolidate results and insights from ongoing programmes. - Timely project proposals developed with cross-functional teams - Up to date partnership pipeline tracker - Tailored access to finance methodology and toolbox for interventions targeted at supporting indigenous peoples by September 30, 2026 (Output 4): At least 1 new approved concept note for partnership with financial institutions - Revised proposals and partnership documentation incorporating internal and partner feedback - Follow up all active partnership leads ensuring timely information and updates - Timely project proposals developed with cross-functional teams - Up to date partnership pipeline tracker - Partnership brief(s), pitch deck(s), and outreach note(s) tailored to new priority partners - Background materials and talking points for bilateral discussions with partners by October 30, 2026 (Output 5): At least 1 new approved concept note for partnership with financial institutions - Follow up all active partnership leads ensuring timely information and updates - Timely project proposals developed with cross-functional teams - Up to date partnership pipeline tracker - Partnership brief(s), pitch deck(s), and outreach note(s) tailored to new priority partners - Background materials and talking points for bilateral discussions with partners by November 30, 2026 (output 6): Consolidated results and insights from ongoing programmes - Consolidated database of key access to finance institutional contacts - Final implementation support report summarizing achievements, partnerships, concepts developed, and recommendations - Final partner pipeline and engagement tracker - Consolidated repository of tools, templates, use cases, and guidance developed during the consultancy - Handover note with recommended next steps for implementation beyond the consultancy period

home-based (with possible travel)

01.06.26 - 30.11.26

The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization (WTO) based in Geneva. ITC's mission is to enable small business export success in developing and transition-economy countries, by providing, with partners, sustainable and inclusive development solutions to the private sector, trade support institutions and policymakers. ITC’s work on Access to Finance has been increasingly growing with a recognition from both member states and partners on the need to provide concrete solutions to addressing the financing gap that SMEs continue to face. Building on this, ITC recently approved its Access to Finance Strategy 2026-2030 that consolidates its work in the area while raising the ambition of its interventions across the micro, meso and macro levels of the trade system. Under the Access to Finance Strategy, ITC will deliver across the three goals below: • Goal 1: SMEs are finance and investor ready, with enhanced capacity to engage and attract financial actors • Goal 2: SMEs are able to access affordable and diversified financial services and products • Goal 3: SMEs are supported to access finance through enabling trade and policy environments ITC is looking for an Access to Finance expert to support the implementation of the strategy, particularly across Goals 1 and 2. The consultant will contribute to the development, structuring, and operationalization of partnerships, instruments, and delivery models that expand SMEs’ access to finance and improve their readiness to engage with financial actors. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Under the overall supervision of the Senior Program Officer - Access to Finance, in the Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness Section (SEC), the responsibilities of the consultant consist of the following: 1. Concept and proposal development • Support the design and drafting of concept notes, project proposals, partnership frameworks, pitch decks, and related documentation for access to finance initiatives. • Develop project/programme budgets, financing structures, and resourcing plans for proposed initiatives. • Ensure that proposals are technically sound, strategically aligned, and tailored to the priorities of prospective partners and target markets. • Liaise with internal teams to ensure proposal components are aligned to broader areas of ITC’s work. 2. Partnerships • Contribute to the design of partnership models that reflect the needs of SMEs, financial institutions, and development partners, while remaining aligned with ITC’s mandate and delivery capacity. • Support the negotiation of partnership arrangements, including roles, responsibilities, funding modalities, governance structures, implementation arrangements, and expected outcomes. • Identify and map strategic financial and institutional partners relevant to ITC’s access to finance agenda, including multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, commercial banks, impact investors, foundations, guarantee providers, fintech actors, and public sector institutions. • Conduct market scanning and stakeholder analysis to assess partner priorities, mandates, areas of interest, geographic focus, and potential alignment with ITC’s strategic objectives. • Support the prioritization of potential partners based on strategic fit, implementation potential, catalytic value, and complementarity with existing ITC initiatives. • Develop and maintain a structured pipeline of prospective partners, including contact mapping, engagement status, opportunity notes, and next steps. • Ensure timely follow up and sustained momentum with potential partners, including coordinating internal stakeholders for inputs. • Conduct outreach and onboarding of new partners including supporting the preparation of outreach materials, partnership briefs, talking points, and background notes for bilateral and multilateral engagement with partners. • Participate in and support strategic meetings, forums, conferences, and consultations to position ITC’s access to finance work and identify collaboration opportunities. 3. Cross-functional support to strategy implementation • Support the operationalization of ITC’s Access to Finance Strategy 2026–2030 through collaboration with colleagues across technical, programme, partnership, and monitoring functions. • Work closely with relevant ITC teams to ensure alignment between access to finance activities and broader trade competitiveness, enterprise development, and market systems objectives. • Support the preparation of internal reports, briefings, presentations, and updates on strategy implementation progress. • Support the development of the institutional toolbox and use cases that respond to specific market gaps and SME financing needs. • Ensure that proposed interventions, market-relevant, scalable, and aligned with impact objectives such as inclusion, resilience, job creation, and growth. • Document and sensitize internal stakeholders on use cases for different market segments, including women-owned businesses, youth-led enterprises, micro and small enterprises, vulnerable populations, and firms in early-stage or underserved markets. 4. Development of selection criteria, metrics, and operational guidance • Support the development of clear and documented procedures for determining the most appropriate intervention or partnership model based on market context, target segment and expected results. • Coordinate the consolidation of access to finance results from various programs across the institution. • Support the creation of standardized templates, decision tools, and documentation to improve consistency in project design and implementation of the access to finance tools. Copyright Clause: The consultant has to ensure that she/he has obtained the necessary permissions with regard to intellectual property rights required to perform his/her services under this consultancy contract and for the subsequent dissemination by ITC in any form. Documentary proof is to be submitted to ITC. Should any license fee be due for the use of copyrighted materials of third parties, the consultant shall request the prior written permission from ITC. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind.

• Advanced university degree in finance, business administration, actuarial science, management, economics or a related field. • A first-level university degree in combination with an additional seven years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.  A minimum of five years of experience in project/programme management, development finance, or related area is required.  Experience in banking, impact finance, development finance is required. Experience in designing, structuring and implementing interventions on access to finance for SMEs in developing countries.  Experience working with partners in the public or private sector, particularly financial institutions SKILLS  Self-organisation and planning;  Excellent written and oral communication;  Excellent analytical skills  Capacity to understand, assess, and summarize financial, business and regulatory information.  Excellent report writing and presentation skills.

Fluent in written and spoken English. Fluency in French or Spanish is an added advantage.

Not available.