Consultancy - Canada-Vietnam Technical Matchmaking component of the AGILE Project

Terms of Reference

Assignment Title: Consultancy Firm to Co-design and Implement the Canada-Vietnam Technical Matchmaking component of the AGILE Project

Position Location: Canada (remote)

Reports to:              Head of Asia Programs

Contract term:       12 months (renewable)

Closing date for applications:  March 13, 2026 

1. Overview

WUSC– World University Service of Canada – is a Canadian global development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. We bring together and collaborate with a diverse network of partners (including students, volunteers, schools, governments, not-for-profits, and businesses) who share this mission. Together, we influence systems change and foster inclusive, youth-centered solutions that enable young people to thrive and belong. We work with all young people, with a focus on women and displaced populations.  WUSC currently operates in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our global team includes over 100 staff in Canada and more than 250 staff internationally, implementing a diverse portfolio of development projects in collaboration with numerous multilateral and bilateral donors and philanthropic foundations.

Scope of Work 

 The Advancing Growth, Innovation, and Leadership for Enterprises in Vietnam (AGILE) Project is a four-year (2025-2029) initiative dedicated to increasing the climate resilience of vulnerable populations in Vietnam, specifically women. While women lead 27% of all Vietnamese businesses, 99% of these are MSMEs, often lacking access to the climate-adaptation technologies and finance required to thrive in a changing environment.

AGILE operates at the nexus of:

• Gender Lens Investment: Deploying capital that specifically empowers women.
• Climate Adaptation Finance: Directing resources toward solutions for climate impacts.
• Enterprise Growth: Supporting climate-focused SMEs to scale their impact.

A cornerstone of AGILE’s strategy is the Matchmaking Component, which connects Vietnamese entrepreneurs with Canadian technical, social, or environmental solutions (Cleantech, AgTech, OceanTech, and Advisory). WUSC is seeking a Canadian partner organization or firm to co-design and co-implement this component. The successful applicant will lead the bridge-building between Canadian innovation clusters and Vietnamese climate enterprises.

2. Deliverables 

The Key Deliverables for the consultancy are as follows:

• Collaborate with WUSC to build a flexible matchmaking framework between Canadian and Vietnamese businesses
• Lead the outreach, recruitment, screening, and selection of potential Canadian participants;
• Act as the primary liaison to Canadian private sector/innovation stakeholders.
• In collaboration with WUSC, facilitate exchange between Canadian solution providers and  select Vietnamese businesses 
• Develop a framework that supports long-term partnership sustainability.

3. Technical Requirements and Framing Questions

Applicants must provide detailed responses to the following framing considerations in their methodology:

• Network Mapping: How will you leverage specific Canadian networks or clusters (e.g., OceanTech in the Atlantic, AgTech in the Prairies) to find niche solutions suitable for the Vietnamese context?
• Adaptability & Selection: How will you design a flexible framework that pivots based on the specific technical gaps of the yet-to-be-selected Vietnamese SMEs? (Please include your proposed input for the partner selection process).
• Identification & Incentives: What is your approach to diagnosing enterprise challenges and identifying the right solution providers? How will you incentivize actors in both ecosystems to maintain partnerships beyond the project lifecycle? Have you worked in the past with early stage businesses and, if so, please provide evidence of value creation in your engagement with them. 
• Market Expansion: Describe your strategy for facilitating market exploration for Canadian firms in Vietnam and Vietnamese firms in Canada.
• Inclusion: How will you ensure that the Canadian resources and innovations identified are inclusive of, and accessible to, women-led organizations?

WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, consultants, representatives, and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC adheres to strict safeguarding principles and promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, and sexual exploitation and abuse of any form.

4.Application: 

Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following: 

1. A technical proposal , as per the guidelines listed in the  RFP 
2. A detailed financial proposal, as per the guidelines listed in the RFP
3. A signed copy of Declaration of No Conflict of Interest (Annex 3) 

Please refer to the full request for proposal and annexes here. 

Any questions regarding the RFP can be sent by email to [email protected] with the subject line INQUIRIES - AGILE RFP, up to 3 business days prior to the submission deadline. Please note that questions via phone will not be accepted.

Closing date for applications is March 13, 2026 

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