UNICEF Thailand is seeking for a qualified institutional contractor to develop policy options for nutrition-sensitive cash transfers targeting families with children and pregnant women, using the SBPs as a reference context to inform a national policy framework. 1. Background Thailand has made significant progress in reducing poverty and improving nutrition, yet disparities persist—especially in the Southern Border Provinces (SBPs) , where families with children and pregnant women face heightened vulnerabilities due to poverty, conflict, and limited access to services. Child malnutrition in the SBPs is among the highest in the country. Stunting affects up to 23% of children in Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, compared to the national average of 13%. Wasting rates in the southernmost provinces range from 11% to 16%, higher than the national average of 7%. Children from non-Thai speaking and poor households are disproportionately affected, with stunting rates of 15.6% and underweight rates of 11.8%. Micronutrient deficiencies, such as anaemia (iron deficiency) and vitamin A deficiency are also elevated among children in the SBPs. Anaemia affects around 18.8% of children below the age of five. A study among a randomly selected population of children aged 6-59 months in four SBPs found vitamin A deficiency rates of 25.6% in Narathiwat, 34.1% in Pattani and 28.4% in Yala. Around one third of the sampled children (31.7%) were also suffering from undernutrition. (Nutrition assessment in SBPs). The SBPs represent some of the most underserved and nutritionally at-risk populations in Thailand. Addressing these gaps through nutrition-sensitive social protection—particularly cash transfers—can help ensure that vulnerable children and families receive the support they need. 2. Objectives, Purpose & Expected results UNICEF Thailand is seeking for a qualified institutional contractor to develop policy options for nutrition-sensitive cash transfers targeting families with children and pregnant women, using the SBPs as a reference context to inform a national policy framework. 3. Description of the assignment The assignment is divided into four (4) main phases as below. Phase 1: Situation Analysis & Needs Assessment i. Review existing social protection and nutrition programmes relevant to families with children and pregnant women in the SBPs. ii. Desk review of international practices and their impacts on children development. iii. Map relevant stakeholders at local, provincial, and national levels. iv. Map potential sources of budget for cash transfer programmes (National government budget allocations, Provincial and local government funds, etc.) v. Analyze socio-economic and nutritional conditions of the target population. vi. Identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for policy intervention. vii. Design consultations plan with stakeholders at national and local levels. Phase 2: Stakeholder Consultation i. Conduct consultations (interview and focus group) with stakeholders at the national and local levels on potential budget resources and operational mechanisms for a nutrition-sensitive social protection scheme. The list should include the following entities but not limited to: a. National Government / Local Authorities o Office of National Economic and Social Development Council o Department of Health o Ministry of Social Development and Human Security o Ministry of Interior o Department of Local Administration o Relevant national committees – (e.g., National Nutrition Committee, National Child Development Committee, etc.) o Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center o Local authorities – Provincial, district, and sub-district administrative organizations o Health promoting hospitals b. Parents and Communities o Parents of malnourished children o Community leaders o Teacher from public and private schools/early childhood development centers o Health volunteers c. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Academia o CSOs – Civil Society Organizations o Academic institutions – Universities, research centers, and policy think tanks Consultations should include joint focus group discussions among the Departments of Health, MSDHS and SBPAC at the national and local levels. In close consultation with UNICEF, identify and engage a core number of stakeholders to be organized as the “Technical Reference Group” for the undertaking. Phase 3: Drafting of Policy Proposals i. Develop feasible costed policy options for a nutrition-sensitive social protection scheme, including eligibility criteria, benefit levels, delivery mechanisms, and monitoring frameworks. ii. Present the proposals to stakeholders and incorporate feedback Phase 4: Advocacy & Policy Dialogue i. Develop a policy brief summarizing the key rationale and the proposed costed options ii. Organize policy dialogue meetings/events with key decision makers to present findings and recommendations. 4. Deliverables and Timeline Deliverables Indicative timeline of deliverables Deliverable 1 (estimated 20 working days) a. Inception report (in Thai and English) b. PowerPoint Presentation of the inception report in Thai and English c. Kick-off meeting with the Technical Reference Group March – April 2026 Deliverable 2 (estimated 20 working days) a. At least one in-person focus group discussions/interview with all group of stakeholders at the national level b. At least one in-person focus group discussions/interview with all group of stakeholders at the local level c. Summary Report of Stakeholder Consultations in Thai and in English May - July 2026 Deliverable 3 (estimated 20 working days) a. Draft policy proposals including different costed policy options (in Thai and English) b. Consultation meeting with the Technical Reference Group to incorporate feedback August - September 2026 Deliverable 4 (estimated 15 working days) a. Final Report (in Thai and English) b. Policy brief (in Thai and English) c. Policy Dialogue meetings/events with key decision makers October - November 2026 NB. Number of working days are only an estimation, bidder to confirm realistic number of days required in their technical and financial proposal. A detailed timeline will be agreed with the awarded contractor. 5. Reporting requirements • Reports as described above in No.4 of this TOR, followed by monthly update on the progress on achieving deliverables outlined in this TOR. Additional meetings may be required based on needs. • All deliverables and presentations must be provided in both English and Thai. The contractor shall be responsible for all revisions, including editing, until the deliverables meet UNICEF’s expected quality standards. Unless otherwise agreed during the inception phase, all submissions shall be delivered electronically 6. Location and Duration • The assignment is expected to be completed within 9 months after the signing of the contract. (tentatively from March to November 2026). A detailed workplan will be agreed with the awarded contractor. • The assignment will be completed at the contractor’s premises. The contractor will be responsible for acquiring resources and facilities required for its completion, including any travel arrangements. • The awarded contractor will be required for travel to the SBPs and Bangkok to facilitate national-level activities under this assignment. 7. Mandatory and Desirable Qualification Requirements This contract will be awarded to an institution. If a consortium of two or more institutions submits a joint bid, a lead institution must be named. The lead institution will serve as the sole point of contact with UNICEF for contract management purposes. Qualification for institutional contractor • The contractor (and any sub-contracted institution under the lead contractor) must be legally permitted to operate and have a license (if required by law) to carry out the required tasks in Thailand. • At least 10 years of successful experience and direct experience in developing policy recommendations regarding social protection. • Be able to demonstrate ability in public finance quantitative analyses, conducting consultation workshops. • Must have proven knowledge of the Thai social protection system. • Experience of working with Thai government entities • Must understand UNICEF Procedure on Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation, Data Collection and Analysis and be able to conduct an ethical review according to UNICEF’s requirement. • Thai national institutional organizations or companies are strongly preferred. • Experience of working with UNICEF, UN agencies, international or national civil organizations is desirable. • Expertise in nutrition, children development and family welfare and knowledge of the policy landscape of the SBPs would be advantage. Mandatory qualification for Project Lead/ Lead Researcher • Advanced degree in Social Policy, Social Protection, Economics, or related fields • At least 10 years of direct experience in social policy/social protection research and practice in Thailand • Knowledge of current developments in the field of social protection and nutrition-sensitive social protection • Proven experience in conducting policy consultations • Proven experience working with multiple partners, including government institutions, and civil society organizations • Excellent analytical, facilitation, and communication skills • Demonstrated experience in public policy engagements in Thailand • Excellent knowledge of child rights and child wellbeing • Excellent English and Thai communication and report writing skills Mandatory qualification for Research Team Members • Advanced degree in Social Policy, Social Protection, Economics, or related fields • At least 3 years of experience in social policy/social protection research and/or practice • At least one member of the team must have an advanced degree in public health or nutrition and demonstrated knowledge of the nutrition status of children in Thailand • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in quantitative and qualitative research • Good command of communication and writing skills in Thai and English Team composition: It is recommended the team to comprise representatives from both local and central academic institutions as following: • Local Academia: Institutions based in the SBPs with expertise in local socio-economic dynamics, nutrition, and community engagement. • Central Academia: National-level institutions with experience in policy design, social protection systems, and national-level policy engagement and advocacy. For full details, please refer to the attached Annex B - Terms of Reference. This tender will be run through the UNICEF e-submissions system (UNGM). By clicking on the blue ‘Express Interest’ button in the UNGM tender notice, the full UNICEF e-submission system instructions to bidders document (including instructions on how to access the tender documents and submit an Offer) will be automatically emailed to the ‘contact persons’ included in your UNGM registration. Alternatively, the full UNICEF e-submission system instructions to bidders document is publicly available on the UNICEF supply internet pages here: https://www.unicef.org/supply/index_procurement_policies.html . In the tender management site, if you navigate to the documents tab and opt in to confirm your intention to submit a Bid – you will then see the mandatory placeholders for documents that must be attached prior to submitting your Offer (you will also see if there are any mandatory questionnaires to complete). As such, you are recommended to `opt in` well before the submission deadline so you are clear exactly what documents are required to be uploaded prior to completing your submission. Please note that in order to access the full-set of tender documents through UNICEF’s e-submissions system, vendors must: (1) be registered with UNICEF in UNGM as a company/NGO; (2) have successfully completed all mandatory information currently required by UNGM when registering. Please ensure that any files submitted as part of your bid are not corrupt or damaged in any way. Please exercise caution when using compressed files. Any corrupt or damaged files may lead to your Bid being invalidated. All vendors are strongly recommended to regularly log-in to the UNICEF e-submissions system to check for any deadline extensions, new clarifications, new correspondence or updated tender documents relating to this tender. Should you have any questions against this solicitation, please submit your queries to Tongchanok Sonsawangphol at [email protected] with CC to: [email protected] - no later than 19 January 2026 so that all queries could be clarified and circulated to all bidders before the deadline. The closing date of e-submission on UNGM is 26 January 2026 at 10.00 AM Bangkok time. We look forward to receiving your proposals within the given timeline. Best regards, UNICEF Supply team