Prequalification of Content Creative Agencies At Girl Effect

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that builds media that girls want, trust and need. From chatbots to chat shows and TV dramas to tech, our content helps adolescent girls in Africa and Asia make choices and changes in their lives. We create safe spaces for girls, sharing facts and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, and relationships, empowering girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible “for a girl”.

Our reach is 50 million and counting. And we’re using technology to reach girls at scale so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, her health, her learning and her livelihood.

Because when a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, community, and country.

That’s the Girl Effect.

Background

The Brand

Chhaa Jaa is a digital-first Hinglish youth brand designed for girls from economically vulnerable backgrounds within the Hindi-speaking belt of India. Chhaa Jaa inspires, informs and equips girls in India with the right skills and confidence to navigate adolescence – helping them access information about sexual and reproductive health, giving them skills to negotiate with parents and gatekeepers, or preparing them to find a first job.

Chhaa Jaa consists of –

• Social media pages across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube which create a space for girls to discover and access information, conversations and interactions around her body, health and relationships.
• A closed, girls-only Facebook group called Bak Bak Gang focused on sexual and reproductive health. A chatbot called Bol Behen – a private and safe space that answers frequently asked questions and curiosities girls have about their bodies, relationships and various other topics.
• A service directory website www.chhaajaa.com that connects girls to SRH services like counsellors, gynaecologists, on-ground clinics, telemedicine portals and helplines.

The Scope

Girl Effect India is in the process of identifying Creative Content & Production Partners who will support and shape the production & growth of our content in India over the next two years. To support our current and future programming at Girl Effect India, we need to be agile in collaborating with multiple agencies that can use our expertise in social and behavior change communication as a springboard for creating compelling and engaging content for young audiences.

We want to create a roster of known creative agencies we have vetted and can call upon when relevant and aligned projects arise at Girl Effect India. We would like to work with

• Video production houses (Fiction) – for short fictional sketches, long fiction series, TVCs
• Video production house (Non-fiction & documentaries) – for explainers, podcasts, Vox Pops, non-fiction content, short documentaries, long documentaries
• Influencer/Content creator agency – for Micro and Macro content creators across social media platforms from the Hindi belt.
• Casting agency- for junior and senior actors for fiction content, TVCs, explainers
• Animation & video editing agency – for 2D, 3D illustrators & animators in one Fiction, TVC, Non-fiction, documentaries, and short format videos for SM
• Photography & video studio – for Chroma set up, living room set up, bedroom set up, kitchen set up, etc.

If you work in the creative industry and are passionate about unlocking the power of girls, then we would like to work with you.

We believe that building steady creative partnerships will reduce time spent on more administrative processes around agency identification, onboarding, and due diligence, thus giving us all more time to focus on building great products and great content.

How will it work?

We do not expect one applicant to fulfil all our criteria, but we welcome applications from agencies who can help us understand how their experience, knowledge, and skills could enable us to reach our objectives around unlocking change for young people through media and tech.

We are extending the opportunity for you to potentially join our Create roster on a retainer contract for one to two years, with agreed-upon rates. This positions you to become an integral part of the team, playing a crucial role in creating a better world for girls.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure you send in your submissions and register using thislink. Agencies must be available from June 2024 and be able to jump onto projects with a lead time of no more than 2 weeks. The Girl Effect team will provide a clear brief for pieces of work based on an agreed-upon template, for which the vendor will propose the number of days required for completion. We will be using Asana to keep track of all activities and would need the vendor also to be able to update progress as per the set-up activities.

What we value

• Alignment with our mission and commitment to empowering adolescent girls
• An understanding of and (ideally lived) experience in the countries we work in
• Empathy, curiosity and excellent communication skills
• The ability to really listen to our needs and drive to strive for the best solutions
• A supportive mindset to help our teams and partners develop their skills and knowledge
• Openness and honesty about where we could improve
• Portfolio of work demonstrating experience working on projects targeting youth and possibly health outcomes

Who you are

Skills and expertise:

• You are based in India and primarily work with a target audience based in the Hindi belt.
• Fluency in Hindi, Hinglish, and English, both written and spoken, is required for this partnership.
• Experience in creating health-related content/Behavior change content production in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Economic Empowerment would be a massive bonus.
• Project Management: Ability to effectively manage projects, coordinate teams with diverse skill sets, develop project strategies, and ensure successful execution from start to finish.
• Local Market Knowledge: Strong understanding of local trends, media landscape, and cultural nuances to tailor creative solutions that resonate with the target audience in the Indian market.
• Time and Budget Management: Proficiency in delivering projects on schedule and within budgetary constraints, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and adherence to financial targets.
• Creative Ideation: Skill to generate innovative and unique ideas aligned with our objectives and target audience (girls and women), fostering creativity and pushing boundaries to deliver outstanding creative work.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to analyse client goals, target audience preferences, and market trends to develop a strategic approach that drives results and provides effective creative solutions.
• Multi-platform Expertise: Proficiency in creating content for diverse platforms such as digital, social media, print, TV, radio, and emerging media channels (chatbots), leveraging each platform’s unique features to engage the target audiences.
• Branding and Storytelling: Capability to craft compelling brand narratives and storytelling techniques that effectively communicate the Girl Effect message, create emotional connections, and build brand loyalty.
• Visual and Design Skills: Strong aesthetic sense and knowledge of visual communication principles encompassing photography, videography, and visual effects, enabling the creation of visually appealing and impactful creative assets.
• Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with the latest creative production tools and technologies, including design software, video editing tools, and content management systems, to ensure efficient and high-quality output.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with clients, creative teams, copywriters, designers, and stakeholders to bring ideas to life, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment.
• Basic safeguarding and digital safeguarding knowledge are a plus.
• Familiarity with tools such as Google Suit, Asana, and Slack is a bonus.

Requirements:

• Demonstrable and relevant work experience in your field of work, previous work experience in India
• Experience & proven success in the field you are in
• Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity about the cultures within which Girl Effect operates,
• Experience working remotely with colleagues and/or field agencies and the ability to work effectively in multicultural teams with varying expertise, skills and backgrounds,
• Creative and inquisitive mindset,
• Ability to communicate and build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, consultants, vendors and clients,
• Commitment to realizing the potential of girls and to the vision and values of Girl Effect.

Proposal Submission

• Agency Profile
  • Detailed Portfolio
  • Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments carried out
    • Please showcase work that you consider to be relevant to what we are trying to achieve or that you feel might speak strongly of your sense of work, commitment & style. If you have worked with others, not for profit, please include that work here too.
  • Team profile that demonstrates possession of qualifications and experience required
  • Provide at least three references for similar contracts with a description of the service provided and the contract periods of performance.
• Financial Proposal
  • The agency shall provide a daily rate or rate card in INR.
  • The agency may also propose additional pricing options or modalities for consideration. We would welcome a discounted amount based on a frequent engagement with the agency.
  • All applicable taxes should be quoted separately.
  • If the financial proposal does not mention taxes, GE shall assume these are inclusive.

Specific Instructions

• All agencies must first register using this Link. Then, send your portfolio to the email provided below.
• Only pre-qualified agencies under this process will be invited to bid for the projects at a later stage.
• Any false statement(s) by the Applicant will result in disqualification at any stage of the process.
• All applications shall be prepared in English. Information in any other language GE reserves the right for disqualification in case of non-compliance with the above requirement.
• The Applicants must respond to all questions on the link and send in their portfolio to provide complete and verifiable information with complete supporting data as advised in this document. Any failure to provide essential information or references may result in the disqualification of the Applicant.
• Clarifications (if required by GE) may be asked by email to suppliers@girleffect.org .

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements to register on the GE Consultant Database. The Individual shall not be on any of the following:

• World Bank designation list: https://www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/procurement/debarred-firms
• Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List maintained by the U.S. Treasury onhttps://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov;
• Active exclusion on System for Award Management (SAM) (gov);
• Blacklisted by any government or multilateral banks such as the World Bank and African Development Bank;
• The Individual or Firm confirms that it has never been involved/convicted of fraud and/or corruption in its past dealings.

Expected Commitment

All prequalified agencies will be classified as preferred vendors and in the GE supplier roster for 2 years.

GE will sign an IDIQ/framework contract (Master Service Agreement) with successful consultants and work will be assigned on an as-needed/ad-hoc basis.

Intended Timeframe

• Request for Proposal published: 22nd March 2024
• Deadline for responses: 11th April 2024

Evaluation Criteria

• Your understanding of the brief and why you are well placed to deliver on the requirements
• Key personnel: Detailed CV. Qualification and experience of the key staff in carrying out similar assignments.
• Experience of the firm***:*** Experience working with development agencies, with specific experience in India.
• Past performance: Provide details of at least three similar assignments carried out in the past and reference letters detailing work done, and the contact details of three client references. Strong knowledge and demonstrated experience in their field.
• Financial Proposal: Value for Money

In deciding the final selection of the consultant, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 75% based on the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. Only agencies who score 75% and above will be included in our pool of agency roster.

GE is not liable for any cost incurred during the preparation, submission, or negotiation of the award/contract. All submitted documentation and/or materials shall become and remain the property of GE.

Tax

Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of India’s tax position with regards to provisions of their local jurisdiction tax legislation when developing their proposals.

Safeguarding

You may be required to undertake safeguarding checks. Shortlisted consultants will be assessed on our organizational values at the interview stage. The successful consultant will be expected to adhere to our safeguarding policy. We encourage you to read and understand our safeguarding policy, the executive summary of which can be found Here. We have zero tolerance for all forms of violence against children, beneficiaries and staff.

Disclaimer

GE reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party. GE shall inform ONLY successful applicant(s). The process of negotiation and signing of the contract with the successful applicant(s) will follow.

Equal Opportunities

Girl Effect is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to building an organization that is increasingly representative of, and works extensively with, the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy service organizations and individuals with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.