About RT4D

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.

Learn More

Project Summary

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

The following project is approved under AISP.

  • Project Name: General Design Principles for Digital Exchange Frameworks
  • Project Objectives: This project aims to support AANZFTA Parties, in particular ASEAN LDEs, to adopt globally recognised design principles for the development of digital exchange frameworks. The focus is on ensuring equal access to the domestic, regional and global digital economy at low or no cost. The project has the following specific objectives:
    1. Provide AANZFTA Parties with General Design Principles to support the domestic adoption of digital exchange frameworks that promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
    2. Provide AANZFTA Parties with a Regional Toolkit that ensures officials and businesses know, understand and trust the benefits of inclusive digital exchange frameworks and engagement with the rapidly expanding digital economy to increase the competitiveness of their economies, products and services.
    3. Provide additional technical assistance to ASEAN LDEs with adapted LDE Toolkits that are tailored to local contexts and language to further support inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
    4. Provide private sector stakeholders (particularly businesses with individuals and groups that disproportionately face barriers to participate in the digital economy) with opportunities to participate in the development of the domestic digital economy and to access regional and global networks at low or no cost.

The Opportunity

RT4D is seeking a consultancy firm/ consortium partner (hereafter referred to as "the Consultant") to manage and deliver both technical and event organisation support for the above-mentioned project. The delivery will follow standard RT4D templates and be subject to comments, amendments, and approval from the RT4D Facility Team, the Project Proponent, ASEAN Secretariat, Committee on Electronic Commerce (CEC), and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The Consultant must field a multidisciplinary team with proven expertise in legal metrology, standards and conformity assessment, technical guideline development, and ASEAN stakeholder engagement. The team should demonstrate strong project management capability and experience conducting technical research, analysing verification and approval practices, and producing structured outputs such as guideline outlines, diagrams, flowcharts, consultation summaries, and final technical guidelines. Demonstrated ability to deliver inclusive consultations, apply GEDSI and MEL principles, and produce accessible, high-quality materials is essential. Strong writing, documentation, and facilitation skills, along with experience working across AMS with different institutional capacities, are required. 

Closing Date for Queries: 23 February 2026

Queries

Terms of Reference

Financial Proposal Template

 

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

  • Advanced degree in Economics, International Trade, Public Policy, Digital Commerce, ICT, or related fields, providing a strong technical foundation in trade, e-commerce, and policy frameworks relevant to ASEAN and AANZFTA Parties.
  • Demonstrated experience in digital exchange frameworks, e-commerce, or interoperability standards, enabling effective design, review, and validation of the General Design Principles and related toolkits.
  • Strong stakeholder facilitation and consultation skills, essential for coordinating Policy Working Group meetings, bilateral consultations, and multi-stakeholder workshops.
  • Proven experience in policy paper development and toolkit or manual preparation, ensuring outputs are technically sound, accessible, inclusive, and practical for regional and national stakeholders.
  • Sound knowledge of regional and multilateral trade agreements, including the AEC, AANZFTA, WTO, and RCEP, to ensure alignment with international obligations and regional priorities.
  • Proven experience working with government agencies and regional authorities, enabling effective engagement, coordination, and endorsement of project outputs.
  • Demonstrated ability in multi-stakeholder coordination and consensus-building, including managing diverse inputs and aligning competing perspectives with project objectives.
  • Experience in planning and delivering workshops, webinars, and bilateral consultations, supporting effective capacity building and structured stakeholder feedback.
  • Experience in developing and implementing toolkits and guidance documents, with a focus on usability, sustainability, and practical application.
  • Strong reporting and documentation skills, including preparation of progress reports, consultation summaries, workshop reports, and completion reports.
  • Ability to integrate GEDSI considerations across activities and outputs, ensuring inclusion of women, persons with disabilities, LDEs, and other underrepresented stakeholders.
  • Prior engagement with similar donors, such as DFAT, RT4D, or MFAT, which would be considered an advantage.
  • Experience in coordinating translations or producing multi-lingual outputs, ensuring technical accuracy while adapting materials for multiple ASEAN contexts.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Apply before 07 March 2026

Apply Now