Title	Capacity Building on unlocking finances for Strengthening Livelihoods for Community Growth in Northeast India.
Timeline	02 months
Expected area of expertise	Livelihoods and value-chain development Financial viability assessment for rural enterprises Communication of technical, operational, and financial viability Experience with credit linkage and working with banks, NBFCs, FPOs, MSMEs
Location	PAN North East
Apply Link	https://forms.gle/QonLeP9CZnVfXDkh8
Last Date for Apply	15th December, 2025.

 

About SELCO Foundation

SELCO Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that engages in field-based R&D and ecosystem building for the deployment of clean energy solutions that alleviate poverty by improving access to sustainable energy to underserved communities in tribal, rural, and urban poor areas. The organization works in collaboration with practitioners in the social sector, energy entrepreneurs, NGOs from various developmental sectors, and educational institutions to link the benefits of sustainable energy to poverty eradication. The organization works across verticals such as energy access, health, and livelihoods with practitioners in the social sector, energy entrepreneurs, and partners from various developmental sectors. You can find more information about the SELCO Foundation   on   our   organization’s   website.   (Read   more   about   SELCO here: http://www.selcofoundation.org/)

Background of the Project:

Across North-East India, NGO partners are engaged in strengthening community livelihoods through training, mobilization, and production support. While these interventions have helped communities adopt improved practices and initiate small-scale enterprises, financial access remains the most persistent barrier to scale, sustainability, and resilience.

Most community enterprises operate with limited capital, rely heavily on subsidies, and struggle to secure investments needed for asset purchase, working capital, or value addition. NGOs, despite their strong grassroots presence, often lack the internal financial expertise required to navigate formal finance, build bankable business cases, or effectively leverage government schemes. As a result:

• Promising livelihood solutions remain under-capitalized
• Enterprises fail to reach market-ready scale
• Communities remain locked in low-income cycles
• Banks and government schemes remain under-utilized

To bridge this systemic gap, SELCO Foundation developed a focused capacity-building initiative to strengthen the financial literacy, modelling skills, and scheme navigation capabilities of partner NGOs. This initiative directly responds to insights from the regional diagnostic conducted across partners. This aims to equip NGO practitioners to become finance enablers professionals who can design financially viable livelihood programs, build strong district-level financing networks, and create pathways for communities to access credit, subsidies, and institutional support. By strengthening this critical missing link—finance—the program unlocks the full potential of livelihood value chains and ensures that community enterprises can grow into resilient, market-ready and sustainable businesses.

Goal and Objective:

This is a three-month, practice-driven learning series designed to equip NGO partners in North-East India with the financial acumen, tools, and networks needed to unlock formal finance for community livelihoods.

While many NGOs successfully facilitate production and value addition, finance continues to be the weakest link—resulting in viable enterprises failing to scale or sustain. Finance Gateways addresses this gap by helping partners move from “scheme dependent” to “finance fluent.”

Consultant Requirements

Educational Qualification

Graduate/Postgraduate in Commerce background, Rural Development, Economics, or related fields.

Experience

Minimum 5–7 years of experience in livelihoods, value-chain development, financial inclusion, or enterprise advisory. Experience working with banks, FPOs, MSMEs, or NGOs in rural contexts preferred.

Knowledge Areas

• Understanding of credit-linked schemes (NRLM, NABARD, PMEGP, PMFME, etc.).
• Familiarity with rural enterprise economics and financing models.
• Ability to simplify financial concepts for grassroots organizations.

Skills

• Strong presentation and facilitation skills.
• Ability to contextualize concepts to the Northeast region.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills (English and at least one regional language preferred).

Note: Applicants are required to submit applications to apply in the link. Each application should detail the plan, methodology, and deliverables specific as per the requirement mention in the scope of work.

Selection Criteria

The agency will be selected based on:

• Proven experience in information design, especially in the development/social/non- profit sector.
• Portfolio showcasing ability to translate complex information into accessible formats.
• Team qualifications and creative approach.
• Names of clients who can be reached out for recommendations
• Understanding of SELCO’s ethos and communication needs.

To apply

Interested consultants / organisations, with relevant experience (please include samples and/or references of the previous similar work as proof of experience) and based out of India are requested to reach out with a detailed proposal giving a brief on the methodology and the process they will uptake for this project, including budgets (with break-ups and explanation), timelines and milestones and submit the same to google form https://forms.gle/e6KV2barSa7Th8qL7 on before 15th December, 2025.

Any further queries please write to procurement@selcofoundation.org with a subject line: “Capacity Building on unlocking finances for NGOs in Northeast India” (Name of Project)

To download the full ToR, click here: ToR of Unlocking finances for Strengthening Livelihoods for Community Growth in Northeast India

Tags Environment and Sustainability Financial Inclusion