Building awareness around digital safety and technology facilitated gender based violence among adolescent boys and girls and youth  in schools and colleges

Top Line Objective:

Girl Effect is seeking the services of an experienced implementing partner to effectively implement an academic (school and college) intervention for our Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) program to empower both girls and boys, through a cohesive, inclusive, and participatory model of engagement in schools.

The work under this hiring/procurement will support Girl Effect India’s program on TFGBV with a strong focus on addressing Digital Safety, that equips adolescents and youth with the knowledge, confidence, and agency to navigate the digital world safely, challenge harmful gender norms, and promote respectful online and offline behaviours, through Girl Effect’s comprehensive, plug-and-play, digital, play-based toolkit.

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 62 million and counting. 

We are girl centered. We engage girls through evidence based social and behavior 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. 

Our Approach

Girl Effect uses a branded media approach towards delivering behavioral change programmes.

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, 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 on-ground. 

Girl Effect in India

Girl Effect India implements girl-centered programs to empower adolescent girls and young women by improving their access to health, safety, and digital opportunities. Our work focuses on key areas, including HPV vaccination, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, nutrition, and addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). Through digital innovation, behavior change content, and strategic partnerships, we equip girls with knowledge, skills, and resources to make informed choices. We also engage parents, communities, and institutions to create an enabling environment for girls to thrive. Moving forward, Girl Effect India will continue to drive impact by scaling initiatives, strengthening collaborations, and advocating for gender equity in health and digital space

Girl Effect India will empower adolescent girls and young women to navigate the digital world safely, free from harassment and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). Through digital literacy education, awareness campaigns, and partnerships, we will equip girls with knowledge of their rights while engaging boys, parents, educators, and communities to recognize and mitigate TFGBV. By collaborating with government bodies, cyber & legal experts, and civil society organizations, we will facilitate access to support services for survivors. Our holistic approach integrates learning, awareness, support, and policy advocacy. Girl Effect will lead programme design, content creation, and digital engagement while partnering for on-the-ground implementation and scale-up.

What You’ll Do

Aligned with the goal of enhancing awareness, knowledge, and attitudes among adolescents (classes 8–12 and college students), this intervention is designed to complement existing school and college sessions. We are engaging an experienced agency to deploy and roll out Girl Effect’s plug-and-play module, which leverages relatable digital content, co-created learning experiences, and safe spaces for dialogue to transform classrooms and campuses into participatory environments that empower both girls and boys. The module focuses on equipping adolescents and youth to navigate challenges such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), online risks, limited awareness of digital safety practices, and lack of knowledge about available redressal mechanisms.  As part of the approach, the agency will also support the creation of Digital Safety Ambassadors—peer leaders trained on key issues around TFGBV and digital safety. These youth ambassadors will serve as school/ college‑level champions, co‑leading workshops, supporting the rollout of the module, and acting as trusted points of contact for their peers. The agency will also convene expert talks and legal literacy sessions in collaboration with key stakeholders, including cybersecurity and digital rights organizations, as well as academic, legal, and police experts. These sessions will equip students with practical knowledge on reporting mechanisms, key laws such as the IPC, IT Act, and POCSO, and broader guidance on digital safety, safeguarding, and responsible online behavior. The intended outcomes include improved digital literacy, enhanced understanding of TFGBV and support systems, and the cultivation of respectful and inclusive online interactions among adolescent girls and boys. Additionally, the initiative aims to sensitize parents and teachers, fostering empathy and support for young people navigating the digital world.

Geography - Delhi & Maharashtra  (with possible addition of other states)

Duration - 15 months

Program Layout

Phase	Timeline	Activities
Phase 1: Design & Customization	Month 1	Test and co-create existing plug & Play module on TFGBV with a representative group of students in select schools and colleges
Phase 2: Pilot & Feedback	Month 2	Pilot final module in select schools, gather student and teacher feedback
Phase 3: Scale-Up	Month 3–15	Deployment of module across  schools and colleges; identification and orientation of digital safety ambassadors, and convening expert talks
Phase 4: Monitoring & Evaluation	Ongoing	Measure learning outcomes, engagement, and behavior change

 

1. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Develop a reporting and monitoring framework to track school coverage, knowledge uptake, and attitude shifts among students, educators, and parents.
• Establish periodic data collection on program impact, with regular reporting (monthly, quarterly) through digital dashboards.
• Capture photos and audiovisuals during rollout to support documentation and reporting.
• Provide comprehensive reports highlighting progress, success stories, challenges, and lessons learned.
• A dedicated M&E team will oversee real-time data collection, session quality, and school-wise progress.
• Conduct regular visits to schools and colleges, student feedback loops, and teacher /professor check-ins to ensure accountability and enable adaptive learning.
• Document case studies for advocacy and publish key findings in national and global forums to inform policy recommendations.

Who You Are

You are a mission-driven organization committed to improving adolescent outcomes and have a deep understanding of SBCC approaches and experience in implementing school based programs that drive behavior change and awareness.

Your organization is:

• Experienced in Adolescent and Youth Programs: You have successfully designed and implemented programs within schools and colleges, working closely with teachers, students, and parents.
• Well-versed in SBCC Strategies: You have expertise in developing and delivering behavior change communication campaigns.
• A Strong Implementer with Scalable Operations: You have the capacity to work at scale, adapting interventions to diverse settings while ensuring high-quality implementation.
• Data-Driven and Impact-Oriented: You have robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place, ensuring that program effectiveness is measured, lessons are documented, and approaches are refined for greater impact.
• Aligned with Gender Policies: You understand and work within the frameworks of policies on gender, ensuring alignment with national and global best practices.

Local Implementing Partner Competencies

Applicant organizations are expected to fulfil the following competencies:

• Demonstrate an understanding of Child Protection, Safeguarding and ethical issues in research.
• Have existing school/college relationships in the target geographies and have experience working with and supporting young people, particularly adolescent girls, and specific knowledge of gender dynamics at individual and community levels.
• Experience in fieldwork supervision.
• Ability to report and respond to comments and questions promptly and appropriately.
• Good digital skills (be familiar with web browsers and have some experience with using Android apps).
• Must demonstrate past experience and credentials in education programs and have strong relationships and established agreements or MOUs with state‑level education departments to enable effective engagement and rollout.

Expected Duration

The initial commitment for this partnership is fifteen (15) months, with the potential for renewal based on performance, funding availability, and program impact. 

Location

The organisation must be based in India and have extensive experience in Delhi/Mumbai. 

Management

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

Procurement Timeline

• Terms of Reference Published: August 7th, 2025
• Deadline for Questions/Clarifications: August 15th, 2025
• Deadline for Proposal Submission: August 25th, 2025
• Project Commencement: September 2025

Regional Application Requirement

Organizations can apply for specific regions where they have a strong operational presence, established networks, and proven expertise. The eligible regions for implementation are Delhi & Mumbai. Applicants should clearly specify the region they are applying for in their proposal and demonstrate their capacity, local expertise, and stakeholder relationships in that specific area. 

Proposal Submission 

• Produce a technical proposal that highlights the following key areas (max 15 pages)
• Brief  overview of your organization (Profile/Credentials)
• Project goal and objectives
• Strategies to be used, including a section on how the agency will build local capacity (e.g., training teachers, sustaining youth ambassadors beyond the project period).  The agency is also invited to outline strategies for scaling the module, such as integration into existing curriculum frameworks, alignment with state education policies, or expansion through established school networks and education department platforms.
• Implementation plan (including a plan to possibly collaborate with government stakeholders)
• List of activities with a clear description of how the activity will roll out, who it targets, number to be reached, frequency of  activity Output of the suggested activities 
• Monitoring and reporting approach with a clear description of how the suggested activities will be monitored, how data is captured and documented and reporting timelines.
• The quantitative table that highlights the target for each suggested activity
• Work plan highlighting timelines of the activities.
• Team structure proposed.
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan (1 page maximum). 
• Additional required documents from Applicants:
• Organization contact details.
• Contacts of three organizations (national/international) with whom you have worked previously, who can be contacted for a reference.
• Copies of other registration/mandatory documents
• Past experience and credentials with other adolescent  education programs
• Agreements/ MOUs with State-level Education Departments 
• Breakdown of Costs provided with applicable taxes and other charges clearly identified in INR. The breakdown of costs per activity with a detailed cost breakdown by units and frequency. Refer to this link to fill in the detailed Budget. 
• All applicable taxes should be quoted separately.

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

In their technical 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. 

GE is not liable for any cost 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 90 days from the date of bid closure.

Mandatory Requirements

• Organizations having MOUs with Governments will be preferred.
• Organizations with valid FCRA registration.
• The organization should have a turnover of 1 Cr+
• Organizations should have school programs experience in the same state.
• Organizations should have active projects in the same state.

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria	(Total 100)
Organisational Capacities and Reputation,  Locations and geographical footprint. Experience working with schools, governments, and relevant experience with girls.	30
Technical Approach - detailed implementation plan outlining the  strategy,  reach, components and  risk and mitigation measures	40
Organizational Staff/ Management Credentials	10
Cost-effectiveness (Financial Proposal)	20

Ethics 

• The successful agency must adhere to Girl Effect protocols and safeguarding measures during all stages of research. This will ensure all young people’s participation will be conducted safely and securely. 
• Consent must be obtained from respondents with consent forms that clearly state that at any time, research participants are free to decide to leave the research should they feel a reason to do so. 
• Care also should be taken by the successful agency to maintain the confidentiality of the information provided by the respondents during the community. Informed voluntary consent should be taken before starting from the community, and parent/caregiver consent should be obtained for a minor.  If an individual refuses to participate, they should not be compelled to participate or demoralized by any means. These cases will be treated as no-response under this survey.  The research team must all undergo safeguarding training per Girl Effect’s safeguarding procedures and sign the Girl Effect safeguarding policy. 
• All data must be stored in password-protected electronic files and shared with Girl Effect via a  secure file transfer protocol (FTP)

Questions/Clarifications

If you have any questions about this RFP, please email suppliers@girleffect.org by Aug 15th, 2025. All questions will be answered and shared through an FAQ with all agencies that have received the RFP for fairness. 

How to Apply

Please submit proposals, as described above, to Girl Effect’s procurement team (suppliers@girleffect.org) by August 25th. Please mark your email with the subject line, ‘‘Implementing Partner India - TFGBV.’

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, 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.

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 violence against children, beneficiaries, and staff.

Equal Opportunities

Girl Effect Services is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, colour, 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 increasingly representative organisation that works extensively with the communities we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy service organisations and individuals with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.