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Ad title:
Program on Formalization - ILO
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International Labour Organization
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Published: 10 June
/ Deadline: 22 June
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The International Labour Organization (ILO) invites qualified international companies to submit proposals for a consultancy assignment under the ongoing project "Supporting Formalization of Informal Workers and Enterprises through an Integrated and Gender-Responsive National Strategy." The assignment will support the Government of Georgia in developing a Program on Formalization.
Supporting the Government of Georgia in elaboration of a Program on Formalization
Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
Application Deadline: 17.06.2026
Expected Start Date: 22.06.2026
Contract Type: Service Contract
1. Background and purpose:
Based on data from the 2021 and 2022 labour force surveys, informal employment remains widespread in Georgia, affecting four out of every ten employed individuals. The rate is significantly higher among men (42.9%) than women (29.8%), notably because it is most common in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, industries where men are typically over-represented. It`s also more prevalent in low-skilled occupations and tends to be concentrated in smaller firms and among individuals with lower educational attainment. For instance, over 70% of workers in micro-enterprises (1-4 employees) are informally employed, while the rate drops to under 10% in large firms (50+ employees).
Georgia has seen a decline in its informal sector due to comprehensive reforms implemented over the past decades. The simplification of business registration has facilitated business start-ups, and the establishment of the one-stop-shop principle, spearheaded by the LEPL "Public Services Development Agency, " has streamlined services. Taxation reforms have also modernized Georgia`s tax administration, introducing electronic systems and user-friendly online services, and preferential tax regimes have been introduced to support small businesses.
In recent years, the Government of Georgia has taken steps to address informality, including the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Formalization under the leadership of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. The Working Group—comprising the Ministry of Finance, the National Statistics Office of Georgia (GEOSTAT), the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and the National Bank of Georgia—has been mandated to develop a comprehensive programme and recommendations to address informality. The Working Group is moving toward elaborating a program on formalization, with technical support from the ILO.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is implementing the RBSA-funded project "Supporting Formalization of Informal Workers and Enterprises through an Integrated and Gender-responsive National Strategy. The project supports the Government of Georgia, employers` and workers` organizations in understanding the scale and drivers of informality, building capacity, and designing evidence-based policies to promote formalization in line with international labour standards, including ILO Recommendation No. 204 concerning the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy.
Significant preparatory work has already been undertaken under the project, including:
** A country brief and desk review on informality in Georgia.
** Two stakeholder workshops with employers` and workers` organizations to gather insights on drivers of informality and incentives for formalization.
** High-level and technical meetings with the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Formalization presenting ILO`s methodological approach and international best practices.
** Technical training for GEOSTAT on harmonizing the Labour Force Survey with ICLS standards.
** Studies on the impact of preferential tax regimes on formalization and on public policies affecting enterprise formalization.
** Studies on care worker conditions and financing of community-based care services.
** Legal analysis of labour protections for dual VET students.
** Capacity-building training for the Georgian Employers` Association (GEA);
** Trade union position paper and awareness-raising campaign by the Georgian Trade Union Confederation (GTUC).
** Building on this foundation, the ILO now seeks an experienced company to synthesize the available evidence and provide strategic guidance to support the Government of Georgia—in close cooperation with social partners—in elaborating a Program on Formalization.
2. Scope of work:
This assignment aims to support the Government of Georgia in elaboration of a comprehensive, evidence-based, integrated and gender-responsive Program on Formalization with active engagement of social partners. The program should reflect Georgia`s national context and economic structure, draw on international best practices, align with ILO Recommendation No. 204 and relevant EU standards, and provide actionable policy recommendations across relevant government institutions.
Specifically, the contractor will:
** Conduct a comprehensive review and synthesis of all existing analytical work and evidence produced under the project, including country briefs, studies on tax regimes, enterprise formalization, care services, VET legal analysis, stakeholder consultation reports, and working group meeting notes.
** Review and analyse international policy frameworks, including ILO Recommendation No. 204, the ILC 2025 Conclusions on the Informal Economy, the ILO strategy for formalization, and identify strategic alignment opportunities with Georgia`s Economic Reform Programme (ERP) and EU accession commitments.
** Undertake targeted stakeholder consultations with the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Formalization, key ministries, GEOSTAT, employer and worker organisations, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders.
** Propose policy options to tackle informality in Georgia, based on the information gathered.
** Develop a draft Program on Formalization covering a vision and strategic objectives, analysis of drivers of informality, priority sectors, policy recommendations, social protection linkages, care economy measures, and tax policy reforms.
** Develop an Action Plan (as an Annex) with specific, measurable, time-bound actions assigned to responsible institutions; short-term (1 year), medium-term (3 years), and long-term (5 years) milestones; estimated resource requirements; and a monitoring and evaluation framework with key performance indicators.
** Present and facilitate discussion of the draft Program and Action Plan at a national tripartite validation workshop convened by the ILO with the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Formalization, social partners, and other relevant stakeholders.
** Incorporate feedback and finalise the Program and Action Plan, ensuring endorsement by the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Formalization.
3. Detailed tasks:
The contractor will be responsible to:
1. Inception and evidence review:
** Review relevant international frameworks, including ILO Recommendation No. 204, the ILC 2025 Conclusions on the Informal Economy, and the ILO Strategy for Formalization.
** Compile and review all analytical outputs produced under the project.
** Synthesize findings across key thematic areas and identify key drivers of informality, evidence gaps, and policy-relevant insights.
** Prepare an annotated evidence map and identify outstanding analytical needs.
** Submit an Inception Report, including methodology, workplan, consultation plan, and preliminary findings.
2. Policy and institutional analysis:
** Review national frameworks, including Georgia`s Economic Reform Programme (ERP), and relevant EU standards and accession-related commitments.
** Develop a Policy Alignment Matrix comparing international frameworks with national legislation and policies.
** Identify gaps, inconsistencies, and strategic entry points for policy action.
3. Stakeholder consultations:
** Design and implement a stakeholder consultation process, including tailored tools and interview guides.
** Conduct consultations with the Inter-Ministerial Working Group, relevant institutions, and social partners.
** Consolidate and validate findings, including key constraints, priorities, and proposed solutions.
** Prepare a Consultation Report summarizing stakeholder inputs.
4. Development of the Program on Formalization:
** Synthesize analytical and consultation findings into a set of prioritized policy options.
• Develop a draft Program on Formalization, including:
• Strategic objectives and priority areas
• Analysis of drivers of informality
• Strategic Policy Actions
** Formulate clear, actionable, and time-bound actions, with assigned institutional responsibilities.
5. Action Plan and validation:
** Develop an Action Plan with short-, medium-, and long-term measures, resource estimates, and a monitoring and evaluation framework with indicators.
** Submit the draft Program and Action Plan for ILO review and revise accordingly.
** Prepare and facilitate a national tripartite validation workshop, including presentation of key findings.
** Incorporate feedback and finalize the Program on Formalization and Action Plan, supporting the endorsement process.
4. Expected deliverables:
The contractor is expected to deliver the following outputs:
** Inception Report — outlining the proposed methodology, workplan, consultation schedule, and preliminary evidence map.
** Policy Alignment Matrix — cross-reference table of ILO/EU frameworks with national policy, with accompanying narrative note.
** Consultation Report — structured summary of stakeholder consultation findings, including list of consulted parties and key discussion points.
** Draft Program on Formalization — full program document covering all the prioritized dimensions, accompanied by the Draft Action Plan.
** Workshop Presentation and Facilitation — PowerPoint presentation and active facilitation of the national validation workshop; post-workshop report and feedback matrix.
** Final Program on Formalization and Action Plan — fully revised, endorsed Program and updated Action Plan, incorporating all stakeholder feedback; accompanied by a change log documenting substantive revision.
5. Reporting arrangements:
The ILO expects regular contacts and information exchanges with the contractor during the execution of the contract with Ms María José Chamorro, the ILO`s Specialist on Gender and Formalization, and Ekaterine Karchkhadze, ILO`s National Coordinator in Georgia.
6. Detailed qualifications, experience and skills required
The contractor should meet the following qualifications:
** Demonstrate relevant institutional expertise through a team with advanced qualifications, in Public Policy, Economics, Law, Statistics, Social Sciences, or other related fields.
** Proven professional experience in policy advisory, economic development, institutional reform, legal/regulatory analysis, or similar assignments.
** Demonstrated expertise in qualitative evaluation, qualitative analysis, and applied policy research, including sectoral knowledge in areas such as labour economics, tax policy, social protection, informality, MSME development, or national accounts/statistical methodology.
** Strong analytical and methodological capacity, including the ability to review legal, institutional, statistical, and administrative data sources and translate findings into practical policy recommendations.
** Demonstrated understanding of business formalization, informal economy measurement, and related policy challenges.
** Understanding of the Georgian context, including Georgia`s institutional, economic, labour market, and policy environment will be an asset.
7. Submission of Applications:
Interested bidders are invited to submit the proposals to klimiashvili@ilo.org and sikharulidze@ilo.org
The proposal should include:
** A brief technical approach and methodology;
** Proposed workplan aligned with the deliverables and timeline;
** Company profile and relevant institutional experience;
** Team composition, expert roles and CVs;
** Examples of similar assignments;
** Financial proposal, including fees and estimated working days.
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