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TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)
Engagement of an Employer of Record (EoR) Service Provider
Effective Date: January 2026
1. Background
StrongMinds is a growing international non-profit organization focused on improving the mental health of women and adolescents in Africa and beyond. Since its founding in 2013, StrongMinds has treated over one million individuals through group interpersonal therapy and community-based mental health interventions. With operational hubs in Uganda, Zambia, and the US, and a soon-expanding footprint in Africa, StrongMinds is pursuing an ambitious Vision 2035, aiming to reach 100 million people with mental health care.
As part of its organizational expansion and the 2026–2028 Global People & Culture Strategy, StrongMinds is transitioning toward a globally distributed workforce model. This approach enables the organization to attract and retain highly skilled talent across multiple geographies, including countries where StrongMinds does not currently have a legal entity.
To support this model, StrongMinds will engage a qualified Employer of Record (EoR) service provider to ensure compliant employment, payroll administration, and fulfilment of local tax and statutory obligations. While the EoR model will be used to enable employment in countries without existing entities, it will also serve as a strategic mechanism in countries where StrongMinds may establish legal entities in the future.
In such contexts, the EoR will enable StrongMinds to limit in-country headcount, reduce administrative and regulatory burden, and maintain flexibility during early stages of country entry or expansion, while ensuring continued compliance with evolving local labour and employment laws.
2. Objective
The objective of this engagement is to select and contract an experienced EoR provider to facilitate compliant, efficient, and transparent employment of StrongMinds personnel in designated countries where StrongMinds is not legally registered. This partnership will support StrongMinds to attract and retain high-quality global talent, operate efficiently while ensuring compliance with local labour laws, enable remote and flexible hiring across new geographies, and minimize HR and compliance risks during international expansion.
3. Scope of Services
The EoR service provider will deliver a comprehensive suite of services, including but not limited to:
A. Employment & Contracting
• Formal employment of staff selected by StrongMinds in the agreed countries. • Issuance of locally compliant employment contracts in line with StrongMinds’ global HR policies and values. • Management of statutory social security contributions, taxes, and deductions. • Ensuring equitable and inclusive employment terms across geographies.
B. Payroll & Benefits Administration
• Monthly payroll processing and disbursement, including all statutory deductions and employer contributions. • Provision of pay slips and monthly payroll summaries to StrongMinds’ global people and finance team. • Administration of local benefits, including leave, sick pay, and insurance (aligned to country context and StrongMinds’ global benefits framework).
C. Compliance & Risk Management
• Full compliance with local labour, tax, and social security laws. • Provision of legal and HR advisory updates on employment regulations. • Support in mitigating compliance, taxation, and reputational risks.
D. Administrative & HR Support
• Serving as the local point of contact for employees on HR and administrative matters. • Managing onboarding and offboarding processes. • Coordinating with StrongMinds’ HRIS (BambooHR) and ensuring data integration where feasible. • Providing regular staff and cost reports, as well as ad hoc data requests.
4. StrongMinds’ Responsibilities
StrongMinds will provide the necessary staff data, job information, and contractual terms; ensure the timely payment of all agreed-upon service fees and related costs; maintain oversight of all EoR-managed employees through the global people team; and align EoR services with StrongMinds’ global HR compliance standards and data protection policies.
5. Provider Requirements
The selected EoR provider must demonstrate proven experience supporting international NGOs or non-profits, legal presence, or strong partner networks in target African, and European markets, expertise in labour and tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions, ability to generate documentation in English, transparent pricing, robust data protection standards, onboarding capacity within four weeks, and ability to integrate with HR systems e.g BambooHR – currently used by StrongMinds.
Strong customer service and responsiveness, including:
●A dedicated account manager or a clear point of contact
●Defined service-level agreements (SLAs) for response and issue resolution
●Demonstrated ability to provide timely, practical guidance on employment-related matters across time zones.
6. Target Countries
Initial EoR coverage may include, but is not limited to: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Additional countries may be added based on StrongMinds’ strategy/ expansion priorities.
7. Proposal Submission
Interested EoR providers are invited to submit proposals comprising: a Technical Proposal (company profile, experience, service delivery model, implementation plan, and data protection frameworks), a Financial Proposal (pricing structure, invoicing arrangements), and References (at least three from comparable (international non-profit) clients.
8. Terms and Conditions
StrongMinds reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal without justification, to negotiate terms and pricing with shortlisted providers, and to conduct due diligence before making a final selection.