Request for Expression of Interest for External Audit

BACKGROUND

WeForest is a fast-growing international non-profit association headquartered in Belgium and with current Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) projects in Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Tanzania, Malawi, Senegal and Zambia. The mission of the organisation is to advance innovative, scalable and lasting solutions to restore forest and landscapes for climate, people and planet. We promote scientific evidence for the ways in which forests contribute to climate change mitigation, beyond their impacts as stocks of carbon, by increasing water availability, enhancing local biodiversity conservation and rural livelihood and resilience.

WeForest Zambia Ltd (WFZ) was established in 2019 with five projects running at the moment: two on the Copperbelt and three in Muchinga province. Support to forest and farm-based livelihoods to reverse forest degradation is a core part of WeForest Zambia’s programme. Since 2015, WeForest Zambia has worked with more than 1000 farmers in Copperbelt province to set up efficient forest honey production systems on farm forests and inside Katanino Forest Reserve – amongst other achievements. WFZ also supports climate smart agriculture where over half a million trees have been planted on farms to enhance the resilience of crop and animal production against climate change.

In accordance with the general provisions for funding, WFZ is required to appoint an independent Auditor to audit the accounts relating to the organization in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the requirements of the Companies Act, 2017 of Zambia. Therefore, WFZ would like to engage a reputable audit firm to carry out an independent audit for the financial year ending December 31, 2025 with a possibility of reappointment for a period not exceeding six years.

Consequently, suitably qualified audit firms are invited to submit their Expression of Interest which should include the following:

SCOPE OF WORK

The successful External Auditor will cover the WFZ Headquarters in Zambia and the project offices/sites within the country.

QUALIFICATIONS

The suitable audit firm are required to:

1.    Be registered with Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA)

2.    Have extensive experience in the audit field.

3.    Have strong analytical (budget) skills

4.    Have a strong track record in conducting external audits for non-profit organizations.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Interested audit firms are requested to provide following information in their Expression of Interest:

1.    A statement confirming the capacity to perform the scope of work;

2.    A statement of skills and qualifications of personnel to be involved;

3.    The proposed audit approach and methodology;

4.    Demonstration of ability to meet deadlines;

5.    The firm’s references of relevant audit services carried out in the last three years;

6.    Any actual or potential conflict of interest in taking up this role should be highlighted;

7.    Carbon emission/carbon project knowledge will be an added advantage;

8.    A quotation for performing the task.

Deadline for submission of Expression of Interest

The Expression of Interest should be submitted in a single PDF or Word Document attached to an email, addressed to zambia@weforest.org not later than Friday, 15th August 2025.