** This opportunity is only open for national individual consultants. Companies or non-Jordanians are not eligible to apply.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. Mercy Corps is working in over 40 countries on the front lines of today’s biggest crises to create a future possibility, where everyone can prosper.
Since 2003, Mercy Corps has been actively working in Jordan, responding to the pressing needs of the vulnerable populations, strengthening cohesive and civically engaged communities, and increasing economic opportunities.
Iqlaa Overview
The Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa), funded by the United States Government, is a five-year program that started in May 2022 and aims to support Jordan's HBBs and MSEs to grow, transform, and become resilient to future challenges. Iqlaa’s approach explores new ways of doing business and improving access to finance, markets, and services. It focuses on four sectors: agriculture, tourism and hospitality, manufacturing, and services, with a special focus on technology integration. The program encourages and supports the participation of all MSE-owner segments.
Through research and adaptive collaborative learning, Iqlaa has identified opportunities, incentives, and constraints that facilitate or restrict formalization and growth. Based on findings, Iqlaa implements best practices to strengthen businesses and develop an MSE-focused financial sector within a market systems development framework. Program activities are delivered with a strong localization element to respond to specific market needs and local context. Iqlaa also leverages innovative behavioral change methodologies to facilitate long-term, sustainable changes in the MSEs ecosystem in Jordan.
Implementing Organizations: Mercy Corps (lead implementer), Andersen for Legal and Tax Consultancy, Dalberg Design, Expectation State, Middle East Investment Initiative (MEII), Migrate-Jordan, and American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan (AmCham).
Activity Purpose
Many small-scale farmers in Jordan face persistent constraints in packaging, branding, labeling, and the use of digital financial tools, driven by limited access to technical knowledge, practical training, mentorship, and appropriate resources. These gaps undermine product quality and competitiveness, limit income stability, and restrict access to formal domestic markets. These findings are consistent with the “Agricultural Challenges and Priorities (2025) – Jordan” study conducted under the Iqlaa program, which highlighted similar constraints among small-scale farmers.
At the post-harvest stage, weak packaging and handling practices often lead to product deterioration before reaching markets, resulting in mechanical damage, reduced shelf life, and lower market value[1]. These challenges are further compounded by gaps in the practical application of packaging techniques, as well as limited familiarity with branding and labeling fundamentals and digital tools, including e-wallets for business transactions.
In addition, limited access to appropriate and affordable packaging materials forces many small-scale farmers to rely on low-quality or informal packaging solutions[2], further weakening product presentation and market positioning. Without targeted support, farmers are likely to continue to experience losses, limited market visibility, and reduced readiness to engage in higher-value formal markets, as further highlighted in the Iqlaa “Agricultural Challenges and Priorities (2025) – Jordan” study.
These constraints are reflected at the sector level. The 2017 Agricultural Census in Jordan recorded 107,707 agricultural holdings, of which approximately 75% are smaller than 10 dunums, making smallholders a dominant but vulnerable group within the sector. Food security analysis in Jordan further highlights significant inefficiencies in agri-food systems, particularly in post-harvest handling and market access[3].
Together, these findings highlight a critical gap in packaging, branding, and market integration, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to improve competitiveness, reduce post-harvest losses, and strengthen small-scale farmers’ access to formal markets. Limited familiarity with digital financial tools and payment channels further restricts their ability to manage transactions efficiently, maintain financial records, and streamline daily business operations.
To address these challenges faced by small-scale agricultural producers, targeted efforts are necessary to:
- Strengthen practical skills in packaging, branding, and labeling to improve product quality and market readiness.
- Build capacity to integrate packaging and branding costs into pricing and financial decision-making.
- Strengthen the link between improved product presentation, marketability, and business sustainability.
- Strengthen the use of digital financial tools, including e-wallets, to improve transaction efficiency and business operations.
- Facilitate market linkages and exposure opportunities through participation in bazaars, festivals, and connections with logistics providers.
Through this integrated approach, the activity aims to improve product quality, consistency, and presentation among small-scale farmers, strengthen consumer trust, and enhance the overall marketability and competitiveness of their products, ultimately contributing to increased sales. It further seeks to support more informed financial and operational decision-making, enabling farmers to optimize costs and build more sustainable business models.
Activity Description
To address the critical gaps identified among small-scale farmers in Jordan, Iqlaa seeks a qualified national (Jordanian) individual consultant to design and deliver a targeted program in Arabic.
The integrated program aims to strengthen participants’ knowledge and practical skills in packaging and packing techniques, branding and labeling fundamentals, and improve product presentation through a structured training component, complemented by applied mentorship sessions and organized around three interrelated thematic areas: Packaging Fundamentals for Small-Scale Farmers, Packaging Compliance, Labeling, and Quality Assurance, and Market-Oriented Packaging and Branding.
The program will target 80 small-scale farmers across two to four governorates, divided into 4 to 5 groups. Training sessions will be delivered in person, each comprising 15-20 participants and receiving a minimum of 20 hours of training.
In addition to the structured training sessions, the program will incorporate tailored mentorship as an integral component. These mentorship sessions will build directly on the thematic areas and provide hands-on guidance to support participants in applying acquired skills, refine packaging choices, and align product identity with appropriate packaging solutions.
To support the practical application of both the training and mentorship components, the program will provide participants with packaging and branding supply kits. These kits will include essential packaging, branding, and labeling materials aligned with relevant standards and tailored to the requirements of the intended markets and target customer segments, to enhance product quality and reduce post-harvest losses. The kits will allow participants to directly apply the skills acquired during training and mentorship, supporting tangible improvements in product presentation, compliance, and overall market readiness.
The program will also facilitate market linkages by connecting participating farmers with relevant markets, festivals, and bazaars, enabling them to showcase their products, test consumer demand, and strengthen their visibility within formal market channels. In addition, opportunities will be explored to link selected participants with logistics and delivery service providers to support product distribution, improve access to identified markets, and sustain sales beyond time-bound market events.
In parallel, the Iqlaa team will strengthen participants' capacity to use formal digital financial tools by introducing them to digital payment channels and supporting the use of business e-wallets to improve transaction safety and business operations.
The thematic areas outlined below are indicative and intended to guide the overall design and delivery of the “Pack To Market” program. The consultant is expected to refine and propose the final structure and content in alignment with the activity objectives and the identified participant needs:
- Thematic Area 1: Packaging Fundamentals for Small-Scale Farmers: Introduces participants to the fundamentals of effective packaging and its role in protecting products, maintaining quality, and improving market readiness. It also guides participants on how to incorporate packaging costs into product pricing, ensuring accurate costing, and supporting better pricing decisions that maintain profitability.
- Thematic Area 2: Packaging Compliance, Labeling, and Quality Assurance: Focuses on the regulatory and quality aspects of packaging and labeling to ensure that products meet basic market and consumer requirements.
- Thematic Area 3: Market-Oriented Packaging and Branding: Explores how packaging and branding can support product differentiation and stronger market engagement. It also guides participants in identifying practical improvements to their current packaging and branding, and in developing simple, actionable improvements that strengthen customer trust and increase product attractiveness in the market.
The expected outputs under each thematic area may include but are not limited to the following indicative themes. The consultant may propose alternative or additional themes, with a clear and justified rationale for the changes in the technical proposal:
Thematic area 1: Packaging Fundamentals for Small-Scale farmers
Expected Outputs:
· Improved understanding of the role of packaging in product protection and market readiness.
· Identification of suitable packaging designs aligned with their products.
· Selection of appropriate, cost-effective, and sustainable packaging materials.
· Identification of practical packaging options within their budget.
- Ability to calculate and integrate packaging costs into product pricing.
Thematic area 2: Packaging Compliance, Labeling, and Quality Assurance
Expected Outputs:
· Improved understanding of basic packaging requirements.
· Development of a draft product label with key required information.
- Application of basic quality checks to ensure product protection and integrity.
Thematic area 3: Market-Oriented Packaging and Branding
Expected Outputs
· Definition of basic branding elements for their products.
· Improved product presentation for market display.
· Increase understanding of how packaging influences consumer trust and sales.
- Development of an initial packaging improvement concept for their product.
Scope of Work
You can download the full Scope including the evaluation criteria and the required submittals through this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cyr2BsQa1yDr8aqJ8gFxm_mi5lIb-xCW?usp=sharing
How to Apply
Please submit the following at [Click to show email], mentioning the consultancy title in the subject line. Offers must be submitted maximum by Wednesday 3 June, 2026 at 3:00 pm Amman time:
- All the documents requested in the “Proposal Submission Requirements” section in the SOW document.
- A copy of your Jordanian ID or passport.
- A filled & signed copy of the NIC Data Form in this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XByAzzzrWO1OSZNfAQmFCKLYJjL1As6D?usp=sharing.
** Mercy Corps has the right to disqualify any late offers.
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الصون و الأخلاق
ميرسي كور تلتزم بضمان المعاملة اللائقة واحترام جميع الأفراد اللذين نتواصل معهم من خلال عملنا, سواء كانوا أعضاء الفريق أو أعضاء المجتمع أو المشاركين في البرامج أو غيرهم. نحن ملتزمون بالمبادئ الرئيسية المتعلقة بمنع الاستغلال والإساءة الجنسية التي وضعها الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة واللجنة الدائمة للتنسيق بين الوكالات الإنسانية (IASC)، وقد وقعنا على نظام الإفصاح المتبادل بين الجهات الفاعلة في حالة السلوك الغير اللائق. عند التقديم لهذا الدور، يؤكد المتقدم أنه لم ينتهك في السابق سياسة السلوك الجنسي، والاستغلال والإساءة جنسية، صون الأطفال، أو الاتجار بالبشر لأي جهة عمل. ميرسي كور لن تتسامح مع إساءة معاملة الأطفال أو الاستغلال الجنسي أو الإساءة أو التحرش من قبل أو بسبب أعضاء فريقنا. كجزء من التزامنا تجاه توفير بيئة عمل آمنة وشاملة, من المتوقع أن يتصرف أعضاء الفريق بطريقة مهنية, تحترم القوانين والعادات المحلية. والالتزام بسياسات وقيم مدونة قواعد السلوك الخاصة بمنظمة ميرسي كور في جميع الأوقات. كما يتطلب من جميع أعضاء الفريق إكمال دورات التعليم الإلكتروني الإلزامية لقواعد السلوك عند التوظيف وذلك بشكل سنوي.
كمتقدم للوظيفة، إذا كنت قد شهدت أو تعرضت لأي نوع من أنواع السلوك الجنسي الغير لائق خلال عملية التوظيف، يرجى الإبلاغ عن ذلك إلى خط النزاهة في منظمة ميرسي كور ([Click to show email]).
RECRUITMENT SCAMS & FRAUD WARNING
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- Recruiters will never ask for a fee during any stage of the recruitment process.
- All active jobs are advertised directly on Akhtaboot.
- Official Mercy Corps emails will always arrive from a @mercycorps.org email address.
- Please report any suspicious communications to (([Click to show email]))