Regional Trade for Development - Project Designs - AANZFTA Projects on Cross-Border E-Commerce and Non-Tariff Measures

⁠⁠⁠The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) initiative is funded by both the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. It assists ASEAN Member States (AMS) in meeting their commitments and realising the advantages offered by the Agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, or AANZFTA, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.

Through the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) and the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), RT4D provides tailored support to enhance the capabilities of ASEAN Member States by strengthening skills, building networks, facilitating policy options and ensuring that trade benefits everyone, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and people with disabilities.

The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have committed up to AUD 53.3 million to fund RT4D from 2020-21 to 2027-28.

Project Summary

The AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP), implemented through RT4D Facility, aims to support ASEAN Member States to realise the full benefits of AANFTA through the provision of capacity-building support and access to technical expertise.  

The following two projects are approved under AISP.

• Project 1: API standards, roles and benefits to facilitate cross border e-commerce in AANZFTA
• Project 2: AANZFTA Non-Tariff Measures (NTM) Stocktaking and Work Plan Development

The Opportunity

RT4D is seeking a seeking a consultancy firm or individual consultant (hereafter referred to as "the Consultant") to manage and deliver two (2) separate Project Designs, with one Project Design developed for each of the abovementioned 2 projects. The delivery will follow standard RT4D templates and be subject to comments, amendments, and approval from the RT4D Facility Team, the respective Project Proponent, the ASEAN Secretariat and the respective AANZFTA Committee.

General competencies and qualifications the Consultant should demonstrate, include (but are not limited to):

General Technical and Experience Requirements

• Skilled and experienced expert/team of Experts with the technical expertise, bandwidth, and capabilities to support the RT4D Facility to deliver all outputs in alignment with the remit and timelines set within this Scope of Services.
• Demonstrable experience developing program and project plans and designs that consider and incorporate the needs, priorities and concerns of diverse government stakeholders (i.e. stakeholders representing countries with different priorities and capacity constraints and agencies with different mandates and priorities).
• Demonstrable experience designing, facilitating and delivering online and on-site consultations and workshops that effectively engage a diverse government audience.
• Experience working with ASEAN governments, the ASEAN Secretariat, Australian and/or New Zealand officials is a distinct advantage. The organisation must be comfortable with ASEAN stakeholders and following ways of working (or comparable governance arrangements).
• Proven excellent report drafting experience, with ability to incorporate comprehensive feedback at multiple stages.
• Experience working with the Projects’ Proponents, and Australian and New Zealand officials is a distinct advantage. The organisation must be comfortable with ASEAN stakeholders and following ways of working (or comparable governance arrangements).
• Strong understanding of and ability to operationalise the Monitoring & Evaluation, GEDSI, Communications and Program Management considerations outlined in the above sections of this ToR.

Project-Specific Expertise Requirements

Project 1: API Standards, Roles and Benefits to Facilitate Cross-Border E-Commerce in AANZFTA

• Strong understanding of digital trade ecosystems, including e-commerce, interoperability frameworks, API standards, and their role in facilitating cross-border business transactions and data exchange.
• Track record in analysing digital trade policies, regulatory frameworks, and technical solutions, with the ability to develop evidence-based recommendations to support regional digital integration. Experience in ASEAN, AANZFTA, or other regional trade initiatives would be highly regarded.

Project 2: AANZFTA Non-Tariff Measures (NTM) Stocktaking and Work Plan Development

• In-depth knowledge of non-tariff measures, trade facilitation issues, and regulatory barriers affecting regional trade, including familiarity with relevant international and regional frameworks.
• Experience undertaking stocktaking exercises, stakeholder consultations, policy assessments, and action plan development, particularly in the context of trade agreements, economic cooperation programmes, or regulatory reform initiatives. Familiarity with ASEAN and/or AANZFTA processes is an advantage.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Timeline:

Invitation Issue Date: Friday, 26 June 2026

Last Queries Date: Friday, 10 July 2026

Closing Date and Time: 11:59 PM (AEST) Monday, 20 July 2026

Please check RT4D’s website for complete ToR.

RFP - Project Designs - AANZFTA Projects on Cross-Border E-Commerce and Non-Tariff Measures