Background and Context:
The International Labour Organization is planning a series of workshops with the key governmental counterparts to discuss the next DWCP and other strategic events in line with the decent work social protection reform agenda.
The International Labour Organization is implementing the EU-UN Joint Programme on Social Protection in Iraq, funded by the European Union. Under this programme the ILO supports the Government of Iraq to extend social protection coverage, to strengthen the institutions that deliver it, and to support the transition of workers and economic units from the informal to the formal economy in line with ILO Recommendation No. 204.
By Ministerial Order No. 4618 of 9 July 2026, the Ministry of Planning constituted the National Steering Committee for the Preparation of the National Strategy for the Transition to the Formal Economy (Integrated Policies and Follow-up Mechanisms). The Committee is chaired by the Ministry of Planning through the Director General of the Economic and Financial Policies Directorate. It brings together the ministries and national institutions concerned, together with workers’ and employers’ organizations. The ILO participates as technical advisor to the Committee.
The Committee works to a roadmap that runs from its first coordination meeting in August 2026 to the launch of the Strategy in April 2027. The second item on that roadmap is a national workshop on the efforts already made in Iraq on the transition to the formal economy. Its purpose is to establish a common factual starting point before the Technical Drafting Committee is formed in September 2026.
An in-person workshop is required. The participants are drawn from more than 15 national institutions and from workers’ and employers’ organizations; the analytical material to be discussed has to be presented and discussed in the room; and the outcome sought is a shared understanding among the members who will subsequently sit on the drafting arrangements.
The ILO will therefore co-host this workshop with the Ministry of Planning on National Efforts in the Transition to the Formal Economy in Baghdad on Wednesday 2 September 2026, from 09:00 to 13:00, for 40 to 50 participants, with simultaneous Arabic to English interpretation and a hybrid connection for participants joining remotely.
Objectives of the Meeting
• Present the efforts already made in Iraq on the transition from the informal to the formal economy, across enterprise registration, tax administration, labour inspection and enforcement, skills development and social security coverage.
• Present an analysis of the composition of Iraq’s informal economy by category of worker and economic unit, drawn from existing labour force survey rounds and administrative registers.
• Introduce the international framework provided by ILO Recommendation No. 204 and the elements that a national formalization strategy is expected to contain.
• Agree the evidence the National Steering Committee requires in order to draft the Strategy, and the sequence in which that evidence will be produced.
The Building Equitable and Inclusive Transformation (BEIT) project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), supports the launch of the Iraq Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2026–2029 through a high-level event that will bring together all national partners and ILO constituents, including the Government, employers’ and workers’ organizations,
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to participate in the official signing ceremony of the DWCP. The event will provide a platform to formally endorse the Programme, reaffirm the commitment of national constituents and development partners to advancing decent work in Iraq, and highlight the shared priorities and strategic areas of cooperation for the 2026–2029 period. It will also strengthen visibility of the DWCP and promote continued coordination and collaboration among national stakeholders in its implementation.
Under the same event management contract, the ILO will also conduct a workshop to discuss the Iraqi Labour Code amendments essential to address key gaps, challenges and support the compliance with international labour standards in line with BEIT project labour governance refrorm agenda at policy level.
Both events will be conducted on the 3rd of September in sequence at the same venue. While the launch event of the DWCP will be implemented from 9:00 -12:00, the labour code amendments workshop will be implemented from 01:00 to 03:00.
The objectives of the 2 events on the 3rd of September:
• To formally launch and endorse the Iraq Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2026–2029 through a high-level signing ceremony, reaffirming the commitment of the Government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and other national partners to its implementation.
• To strengthen national ownership and partnership around the DWCP 2026–2029 by bringing together key government institutions, social partners, development partners, and other stakeholders to promote coordinated action towards advancing decent work in Iraq.
• To raise awareness and visibility of the DWCP 2026–2029 and its strategic priorities, highlighting its contribution to employment creation, labour rights, social protection, social dialogue, inclusive economic development, and improved labour market governance.
• To facilitate policy dialogue on the proposed amendments to the Iraqi Labour Code, providing a platform for government institutions, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss key gaps and challenges and identify areas requiring further reform.
• To build consensus and support for Labour Code reforms aligned with international labour standards, while strengthening tripartite dialogue and establishing a shared understanding of the priorities and next steps required to advance labour governance reforms in Iraq.
Purpose for this Service:
Workshop on National Efforts in the Transition to the Formal Economy
The ILO is seeking a qualified event management service provider to deliver the following services for 3 key strategic events: the venues, interpretation, catering, printing, media, visibility and logistical services required and others as detailed in the below logistic requirements tables for these series of workshops that will be implemented in Baghdad. The event is expected to be delivered to a high professional standard commensurate with a high-level national event attended by senior government officials, members of the diplomatic community, and senior ILO representatives.
The service provider will be responsible for ensuring the smooth organization of the events, including venue arrangements, interpretation services, catering, meeting materials, media and visibility requirements, participant support, and all related logistical coordination in line with ILO standards.
• Facilitate a well-organized one-day national workshop on 2nd of September in Baghdad for up to 50 participants, in a four-star or five-star hotel approved by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.
• Facilitate well-organized 2 events on the 3rd of September in Baghdad, the morning event will engage up to 115 participants, while the afternoon workshop will engage 50 participants. The hotel should be Rasheed, Babylon or World Heart.
• Support all arrangements for simultaneous Arabic – English- Kurdish interpretation, hybrid connection, catering, printing, media coverage, visibility materials, and accommodation for participants travelling from outside Baghdad.
• Ensure logistical and technical arrangements for all events are completed, well organized, tested and in place before the opening session, in accordance with ILO branding and operational requirements.
Event date from/to:
1. Wednesday 2 September 2026, from 09:00 to 13:00. Registration starts at 08:30 hrs. The date is indicative and may be moved within the contract period by written instruction of the ILO.
2. Thursday 3 September, from 09:00 to 12:00, and after lunch time, the second workshop will be implemented from 01:00 to 3:00.
Venue: Baghdad, Republic of Iraq.
Contract period:
From the date of the purchase order to 30 September 2026. The event is scheduled for Wednesday 2 September 2026 and may be moved by the ILO to any other date within the contract period. Ǫuoted prices are held valid for the whole of the contract period.
Number of Participants:
For the event on the 2nd September:
Total expected participants: 40 to 50, costing against a ceiling of 50, including:
Ministry of Planning:
• Chair and members of the National Steering Committee (up to 15)
Other member ministries and national institutions represented on the National Steering Committee:
• Including invited governorate representatives (up to 15)
Workers’ and employers’ organizations:
• (up to 6)
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International Labour Organization:
• Deputy Regional Director, ILO Regional Office for Arab States, the Social Protection Specialist and the project team (up to 6)
Delegation of the European Union to Iraq, United Nations agencies and other development partners:
• (up to 6)
For the events on the 3rd September:
115 participants form all relevant stakeholders including 15 from KRI. 115 will attend the morning event, and only 15 of them will remain for the afternoon workshop.
Indicative Agenda
2 September 2026, Baghdad, 09:00 to 13:00
08:30 to 09:00 Registration and welcome coffee, and distribution of the workshop pack
09:00 to 10:05 Opening session: Ministry of Planning, the International Labour Organization, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Delegation of the European Union to Iraq
10:05 to 10:15 Group photograph and media 10:15 to 10:30 Coffee break
10:30 to 11:00 Session 1: Who is in Iraq’s informal economy, and what the evidence shows
11:00 to 11:40 Session 2: Extending coverage in practice, regional experience and what is possible in Iraq 11:40 to 12:20 Session 3: National efforts, what institutions are already doing
12:20 to 12:50 Session 4: From this workshop to the drafting table 12:50 to 13:00 Conclusions and next steps
The agenda is indicative. Session times and content may be adjusted by the Ministry of Planning and the ILO without any change to the services required under this contract.
3 September 2026, Baghdad, 09:00 to 15:00 pm.
The agenda for both events will be shared later.
Conditions that must be met in the hall:
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1. The halls should have enough space for sitting, including registration table at the entrance, per each day
2. The hall should have easy access to a minimum of 2 toilets
3. The hotel should have full considerations for disability access
4. The Hall should be sufficiently bright with good light and air conditions.
5. The hotel shall arrange for fully functional electronic and audio-visual equipment and workshop materials (such as banners and/ or flags banners, data shows, wireless microphones, audio systems, teleconference equipment and similar items)
6. Fiber link with minimum speed of 32 Mbps.
7. Flipcharts with stands, whiteboard with paper, and markers
8. Meeting signage including company logo to guide your guests.
9. Four-star or five-star hotel, approved by UNDSS.
10. Room on ground floor or higher (not basement floor)
11. Free Wi-Fi internet connection in the training room.
12. A minimum of 5 Universal Adapters.
13. Backup internet line.
14. Pens and notepads per participants per day
Coordination
The service provider will liaise and report to Nazar Al-Hashamat al-hashamat@ilo.org , Miran Bakragha at bakragha@ilo.org, Gashaw shareef at shareef@ilo.org and Marina Rai at marina@ilo.org
Payment
According to the ILO policy, the payments of services are performed 30 days after receipt of service.
The payment schedule will consist of a single payment, issued after the completion of the service and upon receipt of the invoice and required documents from the supplier, in line with ILO’s satisfaction with the service.
Means of payment: the payment will be paid via wire transfer to the designated bank account of the supplier. The supplier will be billed to ILO based on the actual number of participants and service.
Important Notes:
The hotel will be billed to ILO based on the actual number of participants and service.
1) This Terms of Reference also serves as the request for quotation. Bidders complete the Unit Price and Total Price columns in the table above and return this document, signed and dated, as their quotation. Prices are quoted in United States dollars, or in Iraqi dinars with the exchange rate applied stated on the quotation, and are inclusive of all taxes and charges. Ǫuoted prices are held valid for the whole of the contract period stated above.
2) The quantities in the table above are ceilings and not commitments. The ILO is billed on the actual number of participants and on the services actually delivered.
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3) The dates in this Terms of Reference are indicative. The ILO may move the date of the event to any other date within the contract period by written instruction to the service provider. Such a change does not require an amendment to this contract and attracts no additional cost, fee, penalty or rebooking charge.
4) The ILO may postpone or cancel the event for any reason, including but not limited to the security situation, the availability of participants, and the instructions of the co-hosting institution. Postponement or cancellation notified at least 72 hours before the start of the event is free of charge, and no fee, penalty or rebooking charge is payable. Where the venue’s own terms do not permit cancellation or postponement on 72 hours’ notice without charge, the service provider states this in its quotation, identifies the lines affected, states the notice period the venue requires and states the maximum charge that would fall due. A quotation that states no such limitation is taken to offer free cancellation and postponement on 72 hours’ notice on every line, and a cancellation charge not disclosed in the quotation is not payable.
5) The service provider may not assume that any requirement set out in this Terms of Reference is met under a separate ILO contract. The service provider may not draw on any other ILO framework or call-off contract for interpretation, translation, event management or travel services in order to meet these requirements. Every item listed above is supplied under this contract.
6) The quotation states separately, as unit prices, the incremental cost of extending room hire and interpretation from a half day of up to four hours to a full day of up to eight hours, and the incremental cost of adding Kurdish as a third interpretation language. The ILO may take up either option by written instruction before the event, without amendment to this contract.
7) Participant daily subsistence allowance and travel reimbursement are administered by the service provider under instructions from ILO, where a quantity is entered against the relevant line in the table above. The participant signs a receipt together with a declaration that no subsistence payment is being received from their own institution for the same days.
8) All visibility materials follow the ILO Branding Guidelines and the European Union visibility requirements. Designs are provided by the ILO. No photograph, film or other material produced under this contract may be published or released by the service provider without the prior written approval of the ILO.
9) The service provider assigns a named focal point who is present at the venue from 07:00 hrs on the day of the event until the venue is cleared, and who is reachable by telephone from the date of signature.
10) Interpreters, technicians, photographers and other staff provided by the service provider are additional to the participant numbers stated above and are not billed as participants.
How to apply
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