Department: AUA Research and Grants Administration

Contract type: Service contract

Job location: Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia

Application deadline: 03/09/2026

Location of Services: Can be both onsite and remote (with virtual meetings with AUA teams)

Background 

About the American University of Armenia: Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia is committed to providing excellent education at the graduate and undergraduate levels. AUA’s mission is to bring American education to Armenia, preparing Armenian citizens and those of the region to address the needs of sustainable development in an environment that values academic excellence, free inquiry, integrity, scholarship, innovation, leadership, and service to society. AUA is accredited by the US Department of Education, through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) regional accrediting body, and it benefits from a formal affiliation with the University of California system, which has significantly influenced its academic development.

The American University of Armenia (AUA) aims to strengthen its institutional research capacity, international partnerships, and participation in competitive European Union funding programs, including but not limited to Horizon Europe, WIDERA, MSCA, Erasmus+, and other EU and international schemes.

As part of this strategic effort, AUA seeks to engage an experienced external service provider to deliver high-quality proposal writing support to AUA research teams.

This Request for Proposals (RfP) invites qualified individuals or firms to submit technical and financial proposals for the provision of EU research proposal support services.

Objectives of the Assignment

The overall objectives of this engagement are to:

• Strengthen the quality and competitiveness of AUA’s EU funding applications;
• Support research teams in structuring and developing high-quality proposals aligned with EU call requirements and evaluation criteria;
• Enhance coherence between scientific excellence, implementation planning, and impact pathways;
• Build internal capacity through close collaboration between the consultant, research teams, and AUA Office of Sponsored Programs.

Scope of Work

The selected service provider will deliver targeted, hands-on proposal development support. The exact level of involvement will vary depending on the specific call and proposal stage.

Services may include, but are not limited to:

A. Proposal Development & Writing Support (to be done in close collaboration and joint work with AUA research teams)

• Structuring proposals in alignment with call text and evaluation criteria;
• Drafting and/or co-writing specific sections (e.g., Excellence, Impact, Implementation);
• Refining objectives, methodology, work packages, tasks, deliverables, milestones, and KPIs;
• Strengthening impact narratives, dissemination and exploitation strategies;
• Supporting alignment between work plan and budget logic;
• Improving narrative coherence, clarity, and evaluative positioning.
• Advice on evaluator expectations and scoring logic;
• Recommendations to improve competitiveness.

B. Iterative Review, Budgeting & Editing

• Iterative review of draft versions up to submission;
• Substantive editing (not only language editing);
• Final consistency check before submission.
• Support for lump-sum budget structuring and justification;
• Advisory on Horizon Europe-specific compliance requirements;

Required Qualifications

Applicants (individual consultants or firms) should demonstrate:

• Proven experience in EU research proposal development (Horizon Europe experience required);
• Strong understanding of Horizon Europe evaluation criteria and structure;
• Experience working with universities or research institutions;
• Excellent writing and analytical skills in English.

Experience working with Widening countries or capacity-building actions (e.g., Twinning, ERA, CSA) will be considered an asset.

Proposal Submission Requirements

Applicants must submit:

Technical Proposal:

• CV(s) 
• Brief description of relevant experience;
• Description of proposed approach and methodology;

Financial Proposal:

• Fee structure (hourly rate or per-assignment rate, per section rate);
• Clear indication of pricing logic (e.g., per proposal stage, per section, etc.)

All proposals must be submitted electronically to jobs@aua.am with the subject "EU Research Proposal Support" by March 9, 2026.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Relevant experience and track record;
• Technical approach and understanding of EU proposal development;
• Cost competitiveness and value for money;
• Availability and responsiveness;
• Fit with AUA’s institutional needs.

Contracting & Flexibility

AUA reserves the right to:

• Enter into a framework agreement with the selected provider;
• Engage the provider on a per-assignment basis;
• Adjust the scope of services based on evolving institutional needs;
• Negotiate final terms, including scope and budget.

This RfP does not commit AUA to award a contract.

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