RFP

TRANScend - Impact Assessment 

1. Background

The Humsafar Trust (HST) is a community-based organisation (CBO) working on the health & well-being of the LGBTQ+ communities since 1994. We currently work in the health, equity & inclusion, research and capacity building of LGBTQ+ communities across India. While our Health vertical focuses on reaching out to 10,000+ community individuals every year with our health, prevention and testing services through offline and online outreach; our Equity & Inclusion vertical focuses on socioeconomic inclusion and wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community in the society through projects themed around sensitisation, education, employment, livelihood and crisis management. The Strategic Information and Research vertical at HST focuses on identifying changing trends and needs of the community on health and well-being and generate evidence to inform policy and program that supports community needs. HST also provides capacity building of CBOs working on LGBTQ+ issues across India on delivery of healthcare and support services to the community.

2. About TRANScend  

Since 2016, The Humsafar Trust has been implementing the TRANScend programme, a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing the economic, social, and legal inclusion of transgender communities across India. The programme has focused on building the capacities of transgender-led community-based organisations (CBOs), facilitating access to entitlements, sensitizing key stakeholders, and promoting inclusion in education, employment, and health systems.

The TRANScend Programme (2016–2025) is implemented by The Humsafar Trust with support from TLG India Pvt. Ltd, represents a comprehensive and evolving response to the persistent socio-economic exclusion of transgender and gender-diverse persons in India. Conceived in the context of progressive legal recognition following the 2014 Supreme Court judgment and subsequent policy developments, the programme was designed to bridge the gap between legal rights and lived realities. It has since evolved from a pilot initiative into a multi-layered, scalable ecosystem model that integrates community empowerment with institutional reform.

At its core, TRANScend adopts a systems-based approach to inclusion, recognising that sustainable change requires simultaneous interventions at individual, community, institutional, and policy levels. The programme combines capacity building, livelihood support, legal literacy, institutional sensitisation, and digital equity & inclusion to create enabling environments where transgender persons can access opportunities with dignity and agency.  

As TRANScend completes nearly a decade, The Humsafar Trust seeks to conduct a comprehensive impact assessment of the programme's interventions, achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.

2.1 Geographic Scope 

The TRANScend programme was implemented across multiple locations in India. The primary programme locations over the 2016 to 2025 period include: 

• Mumbai, Maharashtra (primary hub, HST headquarters) 
• Delhi NCR 
• Bengaluru, Karnataka 
• Additional locations through CBO partnerships established via INFOSEM network across India 

The selected consultant is expected to conduct primary data collection (field visits, interviews, focus groups) in a minimum of three programme locations- virtually or physically. The specific locations will be finalised during the inception phase in consultation with HST and the funding partner. Travel to programme locations is the responsibility of the consultant and must be budgeted within the financial proposal. 

3. Purpose of the RFP

This RFP invites proposals from qualified individuals, consulting agencies/ research organisations to undertake an impact assessment of the TRANScend programme (2016–2025). The selected consultant(s) will use appropriate methodologies to evaluate the programme’s influence on, socio-economic inclusion, legal awareness, and stakeholder engagement, particularly through the lived experiences of transgender individuals.

4. Objective of the Assignment

The impact assessment will evaluate the overall design, implementation, and outcomes of the TRANScend programme from 2016 to 2025. The assessment must be structured around the OECDDAC evaluation criteria (Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, Sustainability, and Coherence).In addition to the above evaluation criteria, the assessment must: 

• Document detailed qualitative changes in the lives of transgender participants and beneficiaries supported through the programme 
• Map engagement pathways and outcomes with various stakeholders including educational institutions, corporates, government bodies, and law enforcement agencies 
• Highlight success stories, challenges faced, missed opportunities, and lessons learned 
• Provide actionable, evidence-based recommendations for future programme planning, design, and investment   

Submission Details

Please email   your     complete      proposal     (in     PDF     format)     to: procurement@humsafar.org

Subject Line: “RFP-2026-27-TRANScend-002: Impact Assessment of TRANScend Programme”

• Proposals must be submitted as a single consolidated PDF file with all required documents merged in the order specified in Section 9 
• Incomplete proposals or proposals received after the deadline will not be considered 
• HST reserves the right to seek clarifications on any submitted proposal before final evaluation 
• Deadline for submission:27th^th May 2026.