Terms of Reference (ToR) - Financial Inclusion Consultant

Date of issue: December 14, 2025          

Closing date of ToR: December 25, 2025

1. About Shedo

 Shedo is the next-generation Social Enterprise & NGO, which connects, equips, and champions women leaders across Iraq & KRI, and the international community working here. Think of SHEDO as a two-motor vehicle: the NGO engine powers community outreach and advocacy; the social-enterprise engine earns revenue through L&D, network services, consulting, and data dashboards. Both run on the same fuel—women’s untapped potential.

Before we kept meeting brilliant women who just needed a runway, SHEDO now builds that runway end-to-end: A to Z project delivery that starts with needs diagnosis and ends with measurable social and economic returns—no hand-offs, no cold chains, just seamless impact.

Introduction to the Project & Call for Experts

 Building Modern Economy Inclusion for Women MSMEs in Iraq Program is implemented by Shedo as part of SPACE. SPACE is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

 The project's objective is to strengthen the economic participation of women in Federal Iraq by improving their access to formal financial services (access to finance/A2F). We will achieve this through a dual strategy of building women's financial capabilities and co-designing better, more transparent lending tools with Iraqi financial institutions.

To achieve this, Shedo is seeking an expert Financial Inclusion Consultant to provide high-level technical expertise on MSME lending, credit products, and financial policy in Iraq.

3. Objectives of the Consultancy

The primary objective of this consultancy is to provide expert technical guidance to the Shedo team and our financial partners (MFIs/banks). The consultant will be the key expert in co-designing the practical tools and policy recommendations that will make the lending process in Iraq faster, fairer, and more transparent for women.

4. Scope of Work

The consultant will be responsible for the following, in close collaboration with the Shedo Project Lead:

• Conduct desk research on current practices & challenges in business loans for women in Iraq, assess existing tools, policies and procedures.
• Lead the technical design of a concise, plain-language "Lending Guide" that gives women practical checklists, templates, and examples for building a loan application in Iraq.
• Prepare financial inclusion training materials and tools & co-deliver financial inclusion training.
• Provide expert advice in co-designing tools with partner MFIs/banks & Project Team to improve lending process for women-executives & MSME business leaders.
• Participate as a technical expert in two (2) high-level Policy Roundtables with MFI/bank leaders, regulators (CBI, MoF), and other government bodies.
• Assist in drafting two (2) Policy Guidance Notes based on project evidence and bottlenecks observed during the project.

5. Period of Assignment & Logistics

• This is a short-term consultancy. The assignment requires a total of approx. 35 working days to be deployed between January 2026 and June 2026.
• The consultant will be expected to travel to project locations (Baghdad, Basra, Ninewa) as needed for the Scope of Work (e.g., for Policy Roundtables). All pre-approved project-related travel, accommodation, and logistics will be covered directly by Shedo or reimbursed in accordance with Shedo's travel policy. These costs should not be included in the financial proposal.

6. Required Qualifications & Eligibility Criteria

The ideal consultant must demonstrate the following:

• Essential: Demonstrable, high-level experience in Iraq's financial sector, specifically in MSME lending, credit risk, MSME loans, financial product development, or credit operations.
• Essential: Deep, practical understanding of the specific barriers to women's financial inclusion in Iraq, and of the local economic landscape & financial law of Iraq.
• Essential: Preference will be given to candidates based in Federal Iraq, specifically in or near the project locations (Baghdad, Basra, or Ninewa/Mosul); fluency in Arabic and English (both written and spoken).
• Desirable: Strong, existing professional networks within Iraqi MFIs, private banks, and/or regulatory bodies (e.g., Central Bank of Iraq). Experience with policy development for financial sector, similar experience in MENA region.
• Eligibility: Must be a legally registered individual consultant in Iraq. Only individuals are invited for this ToR.

Submission Details
Kindly send us all your questions & requests for clarifications if applicable no later than 5:00 PM (Baghdad Time) on December 20, 2025.

• All proposals must be submitted by email no later than 5:00 PM (Baghdad Time) on December 25, 2025.
• Please send your complete proposal to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• The email subject line must be: "ToR - Financial Inclusion Consultant – WL”

Tender's Files

693e9f81ac804-tor-financial-inclusion-consultant-for-shedo.pdf
693e9f81ad71e-offer-template-financial-inclusion-consultant-for-shedo.docx