ToR ESG Consultant - Lebanon

1. Background 

About Alfanar  

Alfanar Venture Philanthropy (VP) supports high-potential social enterprises (SEs) across the Arab region with the objective of enabling them to transition from grant dependency toward sustainable, investment-ready business models. Alfanar VP combines catalytic capital with structured technical assistance to strengthen enterprises’ financial performance, institutional maturity, and risk management capabilities, in preparation for potential investment. 

About the Impact Investment Readiness Hub (IIRH) 

Within this approach, Alfanar VP has established the Impact Investment Readiness Hub (IIRH) as a dedicated technical facility designed to identify, assess, and prepare high-potential social enterprises for future impact investment. The Hub provides targeted diagnostics, specialized advisory support, and expert-led interventions aimed at addressing the key gaps that prevent enterprises from reaching investment readiness. 

A core function of the IIRH is to systematically scan and assess portfolio enterprises across financial, operational, governance, and ESG dimensions, and to design tailored support pathways that address material risks and weaknesses prior to investment consideration. As part of this process, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations are treated as a critical investment readiness criterion, rather than a standalone compliance or reporting exercise.  Accordingly, Alfanar VP seeks to engage an ESG consultant (individual or firm, hereafter referred to as “the Consultant”) to support the IIRH by conducting ESG risk screening and assessment, supporting closure of priority ESG gaps, and monitoring progress to ensure that selected social enterprises are adequately prepared to meet ESG expectations by the end of their investment readiness journey. 

2. Objectives of the Consultancy 

The primary objective of this consultancy is to conduct structured Impact and ESG assessments for high-potential social enterprises (up to 4) supported under the Impact Investment Readiness Hub, in order to determine their readiness for impact investment and identify any ESG-related risks or gaps that must be addressed prior to investment consideration. 

Specifically, the consultancy aims to: 

Evaluate if the company has a clear, well-defined credible theory of change and an appropriate IMM (Impact Management and Measurement) system in place. 

Assess material ESG risks and gaps across environmental, social, and governance dimensions that may affect an enterprise’s suitability for investment. 

Evaluate the adequacy of existing IMM and ESG systems,policies, and practices in relation to the enterprise’s scale, sector, and operating context 

Translate assessment findings into clear, actionable ESG action plans, sequenced realistically within the enterprise’s investment readiness journey 

Support the implementation, monitoring and reporting of priority ESG actions, where required, to ensure that identified gaps are effectively addressed by the end of the Hub engagement 

Support with the identification of the main Impact and ESG related Key Performance Indicators  

Through this process, the consultancy will enable Alfanar VP to make informed, risk-aware investment readiness decisions, ensuring that enterprises entering the investment pipeline meet minimum ESG expectations and have clear impact measurement and reporting tools in place and are positioned to engage credibly with impact investors. 

3. Scope of Work 

The consultancy will be delivered per social enterprise, with each SE supported through a phased ESG engagement covering assessment, implementation support, and monitoring. Social enterprises may enter the process on a rolling basis, depending on readiness and portfolio sequencing. 

A. ESG and Impact Risk & Systems Assessment (Phase 1) (1-2 months) 

The Consultant will conduct a structured ESG and Impact assessment for each SE, focusing on existing systems and scaling-related risks. This assessment should be done in line with GRI & IFRS standards. 

 Activities include: 

Review of key documents & data (governance, HR, operations, policies, impact strategy, impact data and KPIs, theory of change) 

Review of key impact and ESG tracking and reporting systems in place (if any) 

Interviews with senior management, relevant operational staff, customers and affected communities. 

Site visits where relevant, depending on sector and risk exposure 

Identification of material ESG risks, with attention to: 

Governance and oversight structures 

Labor practices, worker welfare, and HR systems 

Health and safety procedures 

Environmental exposure and management (especially for waste and manufacturing operations) 

Supply chain and partner practices 

Stakeholder safeguarding and ethical standards 

Outputs/ Deliverables: 

ESG Risk & Gap Assessment Report   

Board and management capacity report (is the Board capable of holding the company accountable to both financial and Impact targets?) 

IMM  Assessment Report (review of Theory of Change, KPIs tracked,  alignment with authoritative standards, reporting, stakeholder engagement and systems in place)Prioritized  Action Plan (12–18 months), distinguishing: 

Critical, medium, and lower-risk issues 

Immediate actions vs medium-term system improvements 

B. ESG and Impact-related Implementation Support (Phase 2) (2-4 months) 

Following the assessment, the Consultant will provide advisory support to assist SEs in implementing priority  actions. Activities include: 

Advisory sessions with SE management teams on identified risks, gaps and determining/addressing material topics 

Guidance on strengthening or formalizing ESGrelated policies, procedures, and systems 

Guidance on strengthening IMM systems  

Support in embedding ESG actions into operational and governance processes 

Light review and feedback on ESG-related documents drafted by the SEOutputs/ Deliverables: 

Minutes of meetings with the SEs  

Documents reviewed by the consultant or developed in partnership with the SE if any  

Explicit exclusions: 

Drafting full policies from scratch 

Legal or regulatory compliance responsibility 

Day-to-day operational execution 

Ownership of ESG implementation remains with the social enterprise. 

C. ESG Monitoring & Follow-Up (Phase 3) (6-8 months) 

The Consultant will provide high-level monitoring, aimed at ensuring progress, provide guidance when needed and identify  arising risks. Activities include: 

Periodicprogress check-ins (approximately every 4 weeks (once a month)) 

Tracking progress against the agreed action plan 

Identification of implementation bottlenecks or emerging risks 

Recommendations to adjust sequencing or priorities where needed 

Outputs/Deliverables: 

Brief  progress notes (monthly) 

Updated action tracker (monthly) 

Final progress summary per SE (at then end of the monitoring phase) 

Monitoring is intended to be supportive and forward-looking, not audit-driven. 

4. Deliverables 

Deliverables for each phase are detailed in the previous section. Recommendations provided should be relevant, practical and enforceable. The consultant will receive ongoing feedback from Alfanar’s VP and participating SEs 

5. Duration & Sequencing 

The indicative duration per social enterprise is a total of 12 months of which up to 2 months for the assessment phase, up to 2 months for the implementation support and up to 8 months for the high-level monitoring phase. 

Sequencing and pacing will be agreed with the Portfolio Success Manager, based on each SE’s readiness and operational capacity 

6. Qualifications 

Educational Background 

Bachelor’s degree in environmental management, sustainability, engineering, economics, public policy, governance, or a related field. 

A master’s degree in a relevant discipline is an asset. 

Academic background must be complemented by practical, applied ESG experience. 

Professional Experience 

Minimum 7 years of professional experience in ESG, sustainability, risk management, or related advisory roles. 

Proven experience conducting ESG and/or impact assessments and due diligence for enterprises, SMEs, or social enterprises, preferably in an investment readiness or scaling context. 

Experience supporting implementation of ESG actions (systems, policies, governance, or operational practices). 

Skills & Context 

Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify material ESG risks and translate them into practical, prioritized actions. 

Experience working in emerging or complex contexts; MENA experience is an asset. 

Fluency in English required; Arabic is an asset. 

7. Reporting 

The Consultant will report directly to the Portfolio Success Manager 

 Regular coordination meetings will be held to ensure alignment and quality 

8. Payment Terms 

The consultancy will be structured on a per–social enterprise (SE) basis, with each assignment treated as a standalone engagement under this Terms of Reference. Social enterprises may enter the ESG process at different points in time. 

Payments will be phase-gated and linked to the satisfactory completion and approval of deliverables, ensuring quality control, flexibility, and alignment with investment readiness decision-making. 

9. Confidentiality and Ethical Considerations  

The Consultant agrees to maintain confidentiality of all information shared by Alfanar VP and participating SEs. All materials and outputs produced under this consultancy will remain the property of Alfanar VP. The Consultant must adhere to professional and ethical standards throughout the engagement.  

10. Termination Clause  

The organization may terminate the contract with 7 days’ written notice if the consultant fails to meet agreed-upon deliverables or timelines. Likewise, the consultant may terminate the contract within 15 days’ notice, subject to the fulfillment of prior obligations.  

11. Application Process 

Interested consultants should submit: 

Updated CV(s) highlighting relevant experience 

Technical proposal outlining approach and methodology 

Financial proposal (per social enterprise and per phase) 

Examples of relevant previous work 

Contact details for two professional references 

11. Evaluation and Selection Criteria  

Applications will be evaluated based on the following weighted criteria: 

Relevant ESG Experience & Qualifications – 30% 

Financial Proposal (Value for Money) – 30% 

Proposed Approach & Methodology – 30% 

Sectoral & Geographic Relevance – 10% 

Deadline for applications:  

Please send applications to:  applications@alfanar.org.uk   before 25/02/2026.  

Due to the high number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further steps in the selection process.