Request for Proposal Regional Media Partnership April 2025

Top Line Objective:

Girl Effect is seeking the services of experienced media organization/s.By leveraging strategic media partnerships with media organisations, Girl Effect India aims to support and enhance the cervical cancer prevention vaccine rollout in targeted regions. Through culturally resonant storytelling, digital engagement, and community-driven media and stakeholder-focused initiatives, this initiative will drive demand, improve access, and ultimately contribute to better health outcomes for adolescent girls in India.

Girl Effect India will work to improve the health of adolescent girls and young women by increasing demand for and uptake of priority health services while addressing barriers to access. This includes building awareness and acceptance of the Cervical cancer prevention vaccine among girls and parents, alongside improving knowledge of essential health services such as sexual reproductive health, preventive care, nutrition, and mental health. Through strategic partnerships with government and civil society organizations at national, state, and district levels, Girl Effect will strengthen demand, access, and capacity-building efforts for cervical cancer prevention and other services. Additionally, it will drive learning and advocacy within the immunization, gender equity, and early childhood development sectors by sharing research, best practices, and innovations on national and global platforms.

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that connects girls to the resources and support she needs to overcome barriers, see themselves differently and unleash their full potential. We believe that the most powerful force to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty is GIRLS. When you connect GIRLS to what they need, unleash the limits communities set for them, and change how girls see themselves- they change the world. That’s the Girl Effect.

Our approach redefines what girls think they can and should do. We do this by building digital and media technologies that girls want, trust and need. From chatbots and applications to chat shows and TV dramas, our approach uses modern technologies to reach girls where they are today.  Our reach is 45 million and counting. 

We are girl centered. We engage girls through evidence-based social and behavioural change.  We meet girls where they are today, in the spaces, on the platforms and channels they trust and love. We work with governments to transform systems to work for HER. 

We reach girls across the world, where they are -online and offline, to support them at the critical moments in life when choices around their health, education and economic future need to be made. 

We use our expertise in behavior change science to motivate and equip girls with information and support to help them see a different future for themselves, act on those choices, and drive greater demand for the opportunities and services available to them. 

Chhaa Jaa in India, Tujibebe in Tanzania, and Yegna in Ethiopia are some of our youth brands. They exist across multiple channels - digital ( Meta, Google and other SM platforms), TV, radio, print and offline. Where required and relevant, we also use white-label brands for specific campaigns. 

Girl Effect in India

In 2019, Girl Effect launched Chhaa Jaa, a digital-first youth programme that helps girls in India build the confidence to make choices and changes in their lives - from accessing information about her body and sexual reproductive health services around her to negotiating about education choices, navigating relationships and. Chhaa Jaa was designed keeping in mind adolescent girls between 17-19 years, currently in higher education, and accessible online via mobile, whether girls own or borrow a mobile phone. 

Over the last six years, we have invested in setting up key online assets and infrastructure that can be leveraged to deliver programmes under a range of thematics for older adolescent girls. We have built a multi-product digital ecosystem of products across ‘broadcast’ and ‘interactive’ features, that are social media-based and available to girls whenever they need it. 

This includes:

• Chhaajaa: an Inspiring and enabling  girls’ channel  for  social and behavior change  on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
• Bol Behen: An AI-enabled chatbot on WhatsApp that allows girls to explore taboo topics such as mental health, menstruation, relationships and sex   in a safe 1:1 space and nudges them to connect her with health services 
• ChaaJaawebsite, aggregating youth-friendly services, is updated regularly with blog content.
• BAK  BAK gang: A girls-only Facebook group to experience social support and a sense of community 

New programmes funded by us are expanding the scope of our work and audiences: 

• Cervical Cancer Prevention Vaccine Awareness Programme- Building awareness for vaccination, menstrual health and nutrition for girls aged 9-14 years and their parents
• Tipping Point Project- Changing norms around sexual and reproductive health for young women and men 18-24 years
• Tackling Tech-facilitated gender-based violence project:  Building knowledge and awareness among girls and boys 15-24 years on online violence and connecting them to support services

Scope of Work for Regional Media Partnerships for Cervical Cancer Prevention Vaccine Rollout in India

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in India, despite being preventable through vaccination. The cervical cancer prevention vaccine rollout aims to cover 10 -14-year-old girls, with schools playing a crucial role in implementation, while parental acceptance remains a key determinant of success.

In alignment with these efforts, Girl Effect India seeks to complement state-led initiatives in the North East states, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Goa by leveraging regional media partnerships. These partnerships will enhance awareness, promote acceptance, and increase the uptake of the cervical cancer vaccine among adolescent girls and their parents, ensuring that key messages reach communities effectively. The partnership should also bring the key stakeholders together to support vaccine awareness and acceptance.

Objective

To strengthen regional communication efforts in the select states by collaborating with media partners to:

• Increase awareness for cervical cancer prevention and  disseminate the benefits of HPV vaccination  among parents of adolescent girls
  • Engage champions (health providers, influencers, sports and other personalities)  to increase awareness of CCP
  • Address myths, misconceptions, and hesitancy surrounding the vaccine by directing queries to credible experts and an easy to access WA based chatbot.
  • Align with and amplify state/national government campaigns to ensure a unified and impactful messaging approach.
  • Increase engagement with Educators/ principals/ parents at school and  community level.

 

• Improve knowledge of broader adolescent health services, including sexual and reproductive health, preventive care, nutrition, and mental well-being.
  • Amplify GE’s  work that is specially designed for girls and women around the above themes.

Scope of Work for Regional Media Partnerships

Media partnership initiative : 

• Design state-specific co-branded media initiative in collaboration with Girl Effect India to promote vaccine acceptance, demand and stakeholder engagement. 
• Develop an integrated media plan that aligns with vaccine rollout efforts at the state level.

Content Development & Dissemination:

• Create and distribute regionally relevant materials
• Produce engaging storytelling formats, including case studies, interviews, and success stories.

Community & Stakeholder Engagement Events

• Organize live radio and television discussions featuring medical professionals and community leaders.
• Host community-based meetings and community forums to address vaccine-related concerns.
• Host events to engage multi-stakeholders in the initiative.
• Conduct media-supported school and parent engagement activities.

Social Media & Digital Outreach

• Leverage regional social media influencers and digital content creators to drive awareness.
• Design and execute interactive online campaigns, including Q&A sessions and myth-busting posts.
• Monitor digital engagement and respond to queries in real-time.

Collaboration with Government & Civil Society

• Align messaging with government immunization campaigns.
• Partner with NGOs and community organizations to expand outreach and credibility.
• Facilitate media training for health workers and educators to improve community engagement.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Provide regular reports on media reach, engagement, and impact.
• Document best practices and human interest stories.

Who You Are

To maximize reach and impact, the initiative will collaborate with a diverse range of media organizations, including:

• Regional Print/ Broadcast Media (TV/ radio )/Digital News Platform: Leading national/regional newspapers, radio channels, and TV stations that have strong local influence and credibility. Regional and national online news portals with high engagement among young audiences and parents.
• Should have a presence on Social Media and access to Influencer Networks: Digital content creators, social media influencers, and community-based platforms that can drive conversations and address misinformation.
• Experience in creating media initiatives for social impact and  Public health will be important.
• Should have network presence /partners across India in all regions ( North, South, East, West, North-east)

Expected Commitment

• The engagement will be for 10 months (May 2025 to February 2026)

Location

The media partners must be based in India and have extensive experience in the country. The Assignment will be carried out in India -  North (Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh), North East (Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh), West (Maharashtra, Goa, Daman Diu), South (Karnataka and Puducherry).

Management

The consultant/organisation will have a primary point of contact within our India Programs team in Delhi/Mumbai. The language of the materials and reports shall be English. The contract supervisor shall approve all deliverables submitted before any payment is made.

Procurement Timeframe

• Terms of reference published: April 29, 2025
• Deadline for Questions/Clarifications: May 5, 2025
• Deadline for responses from GE: May 9, 2025
• Proposal submission: May 16, 2025

Proposal Submission

Your proposal, should you be interested (Max 10 pages), should cover

Technical Proposal

• Your understanding of the brief and why you feel you are well-placed to advise us on this
• Your approach, strategy and campaign plan with a multi-state presence 
• Activities proposed under the strategy
• Timeline of executing the partnership 
• Credential/Profile/CV
• • Please showcase any previous work that you consider relevant to what we are trying to achieve, how we approach our work, and the audience we cater to. Describe the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the firm in providing the requested services.
• Reference - Provide at least three references for similar contracts with a description of the service provided, the value of the contract, and the contract periods of performance.

Financial Proposal 

• A breakdown of the financial proposal in INR (Including all related expenses).
  • All applicable taxes should be quoted separately.

In their proposal, the bidder must demonstrate an understanding of the requirements described in the RFP and demonstrate how the bidder will meet the requirements of the evaluation criteria.

Technical and Financial proposals will need to be submitted as separate documents. Financial bids will not be opened until the technical evaluation and then only for those proposals deemed qualified and responsive.

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

VALIDITY of the proposal shall be for 180 days from the date of bid closure.

Evaluation Criteria

The criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are listed below.

Technical Evaluation - 70%

• Interpretation and understanding of this TOR  -20%
• Showcases relevant experience in having done previous similar work with relevant agencies or organizations -10%
• Strategy, Proposed plan, Big Idea to bring  diverse stakeholders together, timeline, proposed team,-40%

Financial Evaluation

• Value for money/proposed budget breakdown - 30%

Questions/Clarifications

If you have any questions about this RFP, please email suppliers@girleffect.org by May 5, 2025. All questions will be answered and shared with all agencies that have received the RFP for transparency and fairness. 

How to Apply

Please submit proposals, as described below, to suppliers@girleffect.org by May 16, 2025  latest. Please clearly mark your email with the subject ‘Regional Media Partnership-India’. 

Tax

Girl Effect India is obliged by the Indian tax authorities to ensure all taxes are charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position regarding provisions of Indian tax legislation when developing their proposals.

Copyright

All materials/documents arising from this consultancy work shall remain the property of Girl Effect.

Disclaimer

GE reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the 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 the ONLY successful applicant(s). The process of negotiation and signing of the contract with the successful applicant(s) will follow.

Please note: We will evaluate only proposals submitted following the application process outlined in the RFP and using our specified email address (suppliers@girleffect.org).

Safeguarding

You may be required to undertake safeguarding checks. Shortlisted consultants will be assessed on our organisational 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. 

Equal Opportunities 

Girl Effect Services 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.