[Hiring] Request for Proposals - Responsible Recruitment Register – Research of company policies @Institute for Human Rights & Business

Role Description

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) seeks expertise from a credible organisation or individual with proven research experience on business and labour migration. This short-term consultancy will take place over a period of 2 months with 35 working days (ideally August - September 2026) and with the following outputs:

• Undertake a review of the recruitment policies of 5,000 companies and 250 industry associations;
• Collate company information into a database for use in an advocacy campaign;
• Review of Existing Register Entries for Policy Updates and Changes;
• Develop Removal Criteria for Companies, Associations and Recruitment Agencies;

Role location: flexible (home based)

Duration of consultancy: 35 Days / 2 months approx.

In 2026-2027, IHRB will expand and modernise the platform through a new, user-friendly interface to enhance visibility and impact. Public commitments to EPP made by companies, associations, recruiters and governments will be recorded and tracked through the Responsible Recruitment Register, enabling accountability and visibility over time. Specifically, this includes:

• 1,000 new companies added over two years, based on the expectation that ~20% of assessed companies will meet zero-fee criteria, bringing the total companies on the Register to ~1,400 by the end of 2027.
• 50 additional industry associations assessed and listed as compliant, bringing the total to ~80 associations.

The expected outcomes of an expanded Responsible Recruitment Register include:

• Greater market visibility for EPP adopters, contributing to positive competitive pressure and peer learning;
• Improved accountability as register data enables stakeholders to track progress and identify gaps;
• Registers widely used as reference points for due diligence, sourcing decisions, and industry initiatives.

Deliverables

• Review and collation of company recruitment policies:
• Review the recruitment/migrant worker/forced labour/human rights policies/supplier guidance and standards of 5000 companies collecting data on their publicly available policies relating to the recruitment of migrant workers in their direct operations or extended supply chains.
• Companies with appropriate public policies will feature in the IHRB Responsible Recruitment Register.
• Review and collation of Industry Association recruitment policies:
• Review and collate publicly available policies, standards, codes of conduct and member guidance issued by industry associations relating to the recruitment of migrant workers, forced labour, human rights, responsible business conduct and supply-chain due diligence.
• Associations with clear and publicly available policies aligned with responsible recruitment and the Employer Pays Principle will be included in the IHRB Responsible Recruitment Register.
• Review of Existing Register Entries for Policy Updates and Changes:
• Review the existing 407 companies and 37 industry associations currently listed on the Responsible Recruitment Register to identify any updates, changes or gaps in their publicly available policies.
• The review will help ensure that the Register remains accurate, current and reliable as a transparency and accountability resource.
• Collation of company information for advocacy campaign:
• Whilst reviewing recruitment policies, collate additional information that will be subsequently used in an advocacy campaign based on those policies regarding recruitment.
• Company details:
• Name of company
• Company address
• Name of Chief Executive
• Sustainability contact including email address.
• Membership of trade or sustainable business associations
• Policies:
• Dedicated Migrant Worker Policy
• Prohibition on recruitment fees to workers
• Reference to Employer Pays Principle
• Reference to fee repayment if workers are found to have paid.
• Reference to Dhaka Principles
• Develop Removal Criteria for Companies, Associations and Recruitment Agencies:
• The consultant will review the current Responsible Recruitment Register process and work with IHRB to develop a clear, transparent and consistent approach for removing entries from all three Registers (companies, industry associations, and recruitment agencies).
• The approach will need to reflect that companies and associations are generally removed on procedural grounds, while recruitment agencies require a different approach.

Requirements

• Demonstrable expert level understanding of migrant rights and labour migration.
• Experience / understanding of the private sector and Business and Human Rights.
• Experience conducting similar reviews and analysis.
• Excellent communications skills, especially writing and editing skills in English.
• Ability to complete the review by 31st October 2026.

Fee

• A fee maximum $14,000 USD.

Application Process

• Deadline for applications: 5pm BST on 26 July 2026.
• Interviews: 12 & 14 August 2026.
• Expected start date: August 2026.
• Interested parties (individuals or organisations) are invited to submit the following:
• A brief proposal summarising your approach, work plan, and suitability for this work (strictly no more than 2 pages).
• A detailed financial proposal.
• Links to any relevant research previously completed on similar projects or with a similar approach.
• Name and contact details for two references.