Call for External Expertise (Individual or Consulting Company) in Capacity Building Programme, Coalition building, and policy engagement (WP3 &WP6) for the Interreg NextMed project “FOODGaP – Food Governance and Policies at Local Level”. (Ref. No 1/2026)

Deadline for Application: August 25th, 2026

The EPLO implements a large number of programs funded by the European Union and other international donors, assisting governments and institutions around the world. The main areas of intervention comprise: governance, the rule of law, human rights, public administration, democratization, legislative approximation to the EU acquis, migration and sustainable development. The external expert will be involved in the Interreg Next Med Project “FOODGaP: Food Governance and Policies at local level”, co-funded by the European Union and specifically will participate in the WP3 – Transnational capacity building for a common knowledge on food policies and WP6 – Mediterranean food policy coalition.

The FOODGaP project aims to strengthen cooperation governance in the Mediterranean by supporting local authorities and stakeholders in developing improved models for local food policies, in line with the new priority of the NEXT-MED programme. The project will enhance the capacity of public authorities to coordinate effectively with local actors, promote participatory governance approaches and test improved services through pilot actions. It aims to establish a Mediterranean Coalition for local food policy development, ensuring long-term impact and collaboration across the region.

The external expertise is expected to:
•    Support EPLO in participating in the Capacity Building programme 
•    Facilitate city-to-city exchange by establishing connections with new cities 
•    Contribute to the establishment of the Mediterranean Coalition for Local Food Policies, promoting a regional and place-based approach
•    Engage key stakeholders at a higher policy level
•    Share relevant materials and documentation to support knowledge transfer 
•    Support follow-up activities and ongoing collaboration
•    Assist in the Periodic Report drafting (every six months). 
•    Prepare a report on the implementation of the inputs provided and activities carried out in the context of the WP3 and WP6

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education
•    Individual consultants should possess a university degree in Public Policy, Governance, Political Science, Sociology, Sustainable Development, Environmental Studies or a related field.

Experience
•    At least 6 years of professional experience in sustainable development, governance, public policy, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and/or participatory design processes.
•    Experience in EU funded projects will be an asset.
•    Proven track record in designing and facilitating multi-stakeholder engagement (workshops, consultations, co-creation labs, participatory foresight).
•    Experience producing analytical reports, toolkits, and policy recommendations.
•    Excellent communication, facilitation, and intercultural dialogue skills. 

Languages
•    Fluency (oral and written) in English
•    Fluency (oral and written) in Greek
•    Competency in any other languages will be an asset 

How to apply

Interested individual consultants or companies are invited to submit their applications, including a CV (for individual applicants) or a company profile and the CV of the proposed expert(s) (for consulting companies) in English to info@eplo.int , quoting the Reference number of the call, by August 25th, 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

EPLO is an international organization promoting equality and equal chances. All candidates are evaluated without prejudice in terms of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, family status, disabilities, as well as other legally protected characteristics. Please be so kind as to remove from your CV any information that could be considered as prejudicial either from your side or EPLO’s side.