Expression of Interest (EOI) for Selection of NGOs/INGOs and Non-Profit Organizations

Reference Number: UNH-PK-EOI-2025-001

Issued by: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Pakistan Country Office

Date of Issue: 8 September 2025

Project Title: Harmonizing Afghan Refugees and Host Communities in Urban Slums in Pakistan for Peaceful Coexistence and Social, Gender-Positive Inclusiveness.

Funding Partner: Government of Netherlands

Deadline for Submission: 14 September 2025 (23:59 PKT)

1. Key information

In the next 4 months, UN-Habitat Pakistan (“UNH”) will competitively select up to 2 Implementing Partners (“IP”s) to help realizing project results for the project ‘Harmonizing Afghan Refugees and Host Communities in Urban Slums in Pakistan for Peaceful Coexistence and Social, Gender-Positive Inclusiveness’, hereafter referred to as the “Project”, in urban slum communities in Karachi, Peshawar, Kohat and Haripur. The intent is to arrive at signed Agreements of Cooperation (“AOC”s) by late December. The total value of these AOCs will be up to USD 3 million, to be implemented over approximately 2 years.

IPs must be not-for-profit organizations with sufficient capacity and prior experience in Pakistan. Further information on eligibility is in Section 5 (see below). AOCs are UN agreements requiring IPs to implement agreed activities at cost (no profit), with cash advances made against progress and subject to audits and external monitoring, and with the obligation and capacity to use assets of the organization in support of the activities.

The IPs will be selected competitively as per the rules and regulations of the UN and UN-Habitat. The activities in Karachi and KP province will be organized as two lots. Interested IPs will be able to submit proposals for one lot or two, by province. UNH-P may decide to issue one or two agreements, one for each province or one for both provinces. Qualified IPs will be requested to provide a full technical and financial proposal in response to a Request for Proposal(s) (“RFP”). UNH will publish the RFPs as soon as 20 September 2025.

To support the call, UNH releases this Expression of Interest (“EOI”), to which interested IPs can respond by sending an email to UNH. Two in-person information sessions will be organized to share information about the Project, to participate in-person, interested IPs must respond and RSVP at the latest two days before the meeting (see Section 7 below). To participate online, a response is required one day before the meeting.

The online/in-person Information Meeting will be held in Peshawar on Monday, 15 September 2025, a tentative agenda will be shared with interested organizations by email. The online/in-person information meeting in Karachi will be held on Monday, 22 September 2025.

The submission of Full Proposals in response to the RFP will require substantial time for an interested organization. Administrative requirements and the template documents and agreements are already attached in this EOI, as Annex 1 (see below), to allow IPs to prepare timely.

IPs who do not participate in the EOI and subsequent information meetings are still allowed to submit proposals in response to the RFP. However, they will miss out on the opportunity to ask questions about the Project and the ongoing assessment being undertaken by UNH and the IPs engaged in the assessment.

2. Introduction

UN-Habitat, the United Nations Agency for Human Settlements, is committed to promoting socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

UN-Habitat strongly focuses on improving the lives of people in informal settlements and slum upgrading, both through normative and operational engagements. Pakistan’s urban slums face significant challenges, including overcrowding, inadequate housing, limited access to basic services, poor water and sanitation infrastructure, unhygienic living conditions due to inadequate solid waste management, frequent flooding, threats of eviction, and lack of livelihood skills. These areas are home to some of Pakistan’s most vulnerable populations, including large numbers of Afghan refugees living alongside marginalized host communities.

This EOI is for the selection of IPs to support activities under the Project, which focuses on improving living conditions in selected urban slums in Sindh (Karachi) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK: Peshawar, Kohat, Haripur). Launched in late 2024 the Project aims to transform informal settlements into more sustainable and equitable urban neighborhoods. The project promotes peaceful coexistence, social inclusion, and gender-positive initiatives through community-driven approaches. Key focus areas include enhancing access to basic services, empowering communities to manage and maintain those services and public spaces, inclusive community participation in decision-making, planning, and the resolution of local issues, in selected low-income urban slums across Karachi (Sindh), Peshawar, Kohat, Haripur (KPK), and Quetta (Balochistan).

UNH implements the Project in partnership with the Commissionerate of Afghan Refugee’s (CAR) provincial offices, local authorities, communities, and selected NGOs/INGOs/non-profits, utilizing a “people’s process” that emphasizes participatory planning and empowerment.

In the past months, UNH has engaged in an in-depth assessment (hereafter referred to as the “Assessment”) of 12 settlements in Karachi and 14 settlements in Peshawar. This Assessment is strongly field-based and participatory and is yielding Strategic Settlement Plans with prioritized community actions, which include both “hard” (infrastructure) and “soft” (training programmes, livelihoods initiatives, social-cultural actions,). The Assessment also includes a survey-driven socio-economic assessment, which is ongoing.

The preliminary conclusions of the Assessment are the following:

• Slum settlements hosting Afghan refugees are often socially, economically, and physically isolated from their urban surroundings, they lack linkages to access many of the opportunities offered by the cities where they are located (including basic services, jobs, recreation, and cultural and educational activities).
• The effective maintenance and management of basic services and community infrastructure depends on the capacity of responsible community-based organizations and leaders, but they face significant capacity challenges.
• Improving access to basic services and mobility options requires infrastructure interventions that connect community systems to city supply networks, investment in small-scale infrastructure, consistent maintenance and repair, and strengthened community capacity to effectively manage and maintain services independently.
• Open spaces in slum settlements, including paths, roads, and empty lots, lack greenery, are often polluted, have experienced encroachment, may appear abandoned, and pose risk to residents. However, they can provide such communities with the opportunity to create shared, attractive, and inclusive spaces, that enable communal activities, including sports and recreation, and promote access.
• Women and children are often marginalized from local decision-making processes, the use of shared spaces and facilities, and from accessing livelihoods and educational opportunities.
• Participatory planning, resulting in collective development strategies, including settlement plans, area business plans, and open space plans, can promote collective action and support more harmonious co-existence between Afghan refugee and hosting communities.

Scoping in collaboration with communities is still ongoing, both by UNH’s provincial teams and by IPs already engaged to conduct the Assessment. The IPs for the implementation under this EOI will be required themselves to engage profoundly with target communities, in collaboration with UNH and the Assessment IPs. They are also required to set up, with communities, transparent and effective procurement and implementation processes for “hard” deliverables. In addition, they will need to plan and operationalize a wide range of “soft” deliverables, in participation with and for priority beneficiaries among both Afghan refugee residents and host community members.

3. Note on the standing order to repatriate

UNH is closely following the Government of Pakistan’s evolving policy framework on refugee repatriation and remains in contact with the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR). UNH will act in accordance with applicable instructions of the Government of Pakistan. To ensure full alignment, the scope and timelines of this EOI and the Project may, if necessary, be adjusted, deferred, suspended or cancelled at any time, without liability to respondents. Provincial Steering Committees being formalized to strengthen coordination may provide guidance that informs implementation decisions.

4. Scope of Work

Selected partners will be responsible for implementing specific project components in one or more of the target locations (Karachi, Peshawar, Kohat, Haripur). Potential activities include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting assessments on the functionality of basic service networks and infrastructure, identify local organizations and assess the strengths and weaknesses of their capacity, survey the local business environment, all leading to the design of tailored capacity building and organizational strengthening programming.
• Mobilizing and strengthening community-based organizations to support the effective management and maintenance of basic service networks and community assets and spaces, and the provision of some degree of community support services, such as education and recreation programmes.

• Training and capacity building to residents and community-based organizations in terms of conflict resolution, financial management, infrastructure maintenance, vocational and technical skills training, entrepreneurship, youth and women engagement, health, hygiene, and disaster preparedness, with a focus on women and youth.
• Community engagement to facilitate participatory decision-making, organization of awareness campaigns, behavioral change communication, promotion of women’s participation, and establishment of feedback mechanisms.
• Upgrading and expansion of infrastructure and basic services, such as water supply, sanitation, drainage, and solid waste management systems.
• Disaster risk reduction and climate resilience measures, including flood mitigation and environmental improvements.
• Social cohesion activities to promote peaceful coexistence between Afghan refugees and host communities, including gender-sensitive programming.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on project outcomes, ensuring alignment with UN-Habitat standards and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

5. Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, interested IPs must meet the following minimum requirements:

Key experience

• At least 5 years of demonstrated field experience in at least four (4) of the following sectors: urban development, slum upgrading, refugee support, community infrastructure, disaster risk management, livelihoods support, skills training, social-cultural support in Pakistan.
• Proven track record of working in Sindh and/or KPK.
• Experience in gender-responsive and inclusive programming, with experience in promoting women’s participation, preferably in the context of engagement with communities living in urban or peri-urban slums or informal settlements.
• Experience supporting Afghan refugees is an asset.

Key capacities

• Legal registration and authorization to operate in Pakistan (e.g., registered with the Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), or relevant provincial authorities for NGOs/INGOs).
• Notarized / Registered Statutes confirming not-for-profit status.
• Audited financial statements of the Organization for the last 2 years, showing financial stability.
• Documented experience in successfully completing large projects of more than $500,000, with available documentation including project evaluation and project audit reports.
• Current organizational documentation pertaining to financial, accounting, HR, procurement, operational, PSEAH, anti-corruption and social-environmental safeguards policies and procedures.
• Policy allowing the Organization to maintain a project bank account for a project under implementation.
• Organizations must not be on any UN sanctions list or ineligible under Pakistani law.
• Prior experience partnering with UN agencies or international donors is an asset.

6. 6. Important Notes

• This EOI does not constitute a solicitation or commitment to award a contract.
• UN-Habitat promotes equal opportunities and encourages applications from women-led or gender-focused organizations.
• All information provided will be treated confidentially.
• Costs incurred in preparing the EOI are the responsibility of the applicant.

7. How to express interest (RSVP)

We kindly request interested organizations to RSVP to confirm their attendance at the information sessions (as it will support further sharing of information and provision of refreshments). To RSVP kindly email Naseem Ahmed Khan (email address: khan126@un.org using the subject line:

UNH-PK-EOI-2025-01 – [Organization Name] – [Province(s)]

Please include only the following in the email body:

1. Organization name and type (NGO/INGO/NPO).
2. Contact person (name, role, email, phone).
3. Province(s)/city(ies) of interest (e.g., Karachi; Peshawar/Kohat/Haripur; Quetta).
4. Preferred session (Peshawar 15 September / Karachi 22 September). In-person or virtual.
5. Accessibility needs (if any).

Deadline to RSVP (for logistics):

• For Peshawar session by 13 September 2025 (23:59 PKT)
• For Karachi session by 20 September 2025 (23:59 PKT)

8. Contact Information

For additional inquiries please contact:

UN-Habitat Pakistan Country Office

UN-Habitat looks forward to collaborating with dedicated organizations to build inclusive and resilient communities in Pakistan.

Annex 1: Submission Requirements for the RFP

• A cover letter expressing interest and confirming eligibility (maximum 2 pages).
• Organizational profile, including registration certificates, legal status, and operational presence in Pakistan
• Summary of relevant experience, including past projects in similar areas/locations, with references (maximum 10 pages).
• Audited financial statements for the last 5 years.
• List of key staff and their qualifications.
• Any additional supporting documents (e.g., annual reports, partnership agreements with UN or donors).
• Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
• Organisations can already attach docs at the time of replying now for the EOI, but they can update them later for the RFP. Only The RFP documents will be formally reviewed.