Jobs and Inclusive Growth Centre of Expertise - Technical Assistance Facility

The Jobs and Inclusive Growth Community of Expertise (previously Green and Inclusive Growth) Technical Assistance Facility has been established by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to support higher, sustained international growth. It aims to increase investment, jobs and exports amongst firms that are part of the economic transformation narrative of middle and lower income countries.

Indicative requirements under this opportunity include:

Evidence and data-driven assessments: Sectoral, political economy, and local capability analyses to identify high-potential sectors and firms, and design evidence-based solutions to address productivity and growth barriers in target markets

National and sector strategies & policy influencing: Research and policy advice to enable reforms, build government capacity for industrial planning, and foster public-private dialogue for inclusive and climate-aligned growth

Direct business advisory & investment readiness support: Tailored advisory and technical support to medium- and large-sized firms on core business fundamentals and investment readiness to support productivity, growth and investment mobilisation

Pipeline building & investor matchmaking: Development of investment pipelines and investment facilitation support to catalyse climate compatible and inclusive investments into strategic growth sectors

Building local ecosystems: Inclusion of local advisory networks and service providers through market linkages and partnerships to deliver localised and high-quality business and investment support Facilitation of market linkages: Facilitation of market linkages between anchor firms, investors, and UK expertise to expand market access and support UK interests.

Further to market engagement carried out in December 2025 this update is to inform the market of the intention to extend the TORs to delivery against some of FCDO’s trade for development objectives:

Making Trade Happen aims to turn trade opportunities into real economic outcomes, by helping firms in developing countries use and benefit from UK trade agreements, access markets, meet standards, and benefit from export led growth.

Core purpose of MTH:

• Aims to increase international trade and diversify beneficiaries, focusing specifically on firms, because it is firms that carry out trade and determine who gains from trade.

• Provides interventions to help developing countries boost their uptake of UK trade agreements, specifically UK-EPAs and the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

• Strengthens export promotion, product development, and business enabling regulations, helping firms connect with buyers, meet standards, and respond to market opportunities.

• Works with export promotion agencies, line ministries, and business associations to improve the enabling environment for trade and to ensure firms’ needs feed into policy design.

The Addressing Barriers to Trade (ABT) component tackle the non tariff barriers (NTBs) and regulatory constraints that make it harder, slower and more expensive for firms, particularly in developing countries, to export. It directly supports the overarching goal of boosting export led growth, reducing poverty, and strengthening climate resilience.

Core purpose of ABT:

• Reducing NTBs (standards, SPS, customs barriers, licensing, certification).

• Strengthening regulatory institutions and governance.

• Supporting compliance with international standards, including green and digital/AI related regulations.

• Enhancing customs efficiency, transparency, and anti corruption.

• Enabling marginalised firms and regulators to participate more fully in global value chains.

This is anticipated to be a contract awarded for an initial 4.5 year period (with extension and scale up values to be defined). The TAF will deliver integrated TA activities across JIG and the above TfD’s themes and on a demand-responsive basis, subject to criteria and strategic alignment with JIG and TfD. Activities will be delivered at a range of scales (deep vs. targeted). The JIG TAF will deliver part of the learning and evidence function for JIG and include monitoring, review and learning (assessing JIG’s impact, performance and VfM and provide continual learning over the period of the programme).

Suppliers interested in this opportunity either as a Prime or subcontractor are invited to attend an Early Market Engagement Event on Thursday 26th March at 10am UK time when we will share more information on the requirement. Please follow this link for registration details: https://forms.office.com/e/zNQNtRyDed

Budgets are only estimated at this time and subject to change until ITT issued.

The route to market for this contract is not yet determined and FCDO will be using market feedback from Preliminary Market Engagement activities to inform the decision.