Request for Proposals (RFP) for UA Voices Abroad (ENGAGE Partner Storytelling)

Date of holding: 2024-04-30 00:00

The deadline for submitting documents: 2024-04-12 00:00

Request for Proposals (RFP) for UA Voices Abroad (ENGAGE Partner Storytelling)

1. BACKGROUND

Pact is an International NGO with offices throughout the world with a mission to enable systematic solutions that allow those who are poor and marginalized to earn a dignified living, be healthy and take part in the benefits that nature provides. Pact accomplishes this by strengthening local capacity, forging effective governance systems, and transforming markets into a force for development. Pact has worked in Ukraine since 2006 in the areas of governance, capacity development, and health. Building on a decade of experience, we address key challenges facing civil society organizations in Ukraine.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is a part of the Activity to Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement (ENGAGE). The purpose of ENGAGE is to increase citizen awareness of and engagement in civic activities at the national, subnational, and local level.

Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, ensuring continuous and adequate international solidarity, political, financial, humanitarian, and military support has become one of Ukraine’s priority policies and a mission of many media and civil society organizations. To attain this objective, state institutions, media and civic actors actively reached out to international audiences to strategically communicate “Ukraine’s story.” ENGAGE CSO partners also refocused their media and citizen outreach campaigns on topics related to the war, including outreach to foreign audiences with war crime documenting efforts, street rallies to support provision of enhanced aid packages to Ukraine, as well as array of cultural diplomacy events, high profile meetings with policy makers and meaningful appearances in media. In the first year of the full-scale invasion, these efforts helped to secure popular support to Ukraine and contributed to governmental strategic communication aimed at ensuring Ukraine’s EU candidacy status.

However, with periodic high-profile corruption scandals, internal political infighting, slow progress and pushbacks on the frontline, Ukrainians’ declining trust in the President and growing disbelief that the country is moving in the right direction are some of the reasons for a growing fatigue amongst its western partners. Ukraine’s international partners’ own electoral processes as well global events, such as the Israel-Gaza war, are diverting foreign media, public and policymakers’ attention from Ukraine. The number of articles about Ukraine in major international online media as well as the social media buzz have been steadily and sharply declining since April 2023. At the same time, in the Global South countries (China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Turkey, and UAE) 34% of people surveyed had a clear pro-Ukrainian position, with a further 46% being neutral to Ukraine or Russia, and the rest 20% positive to Russia. This contrasts with around 80% of the population in Europe and North America who claimed they supported Ukraine and roughly 15% had a neutral position. Overall, the support for Russia and neutrality were higher in the countries of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America — 25% and 15% on average, respectively

As Ukraine enters the third year of full-scale war with Russia, this situation creates both risks and opportunities for Ukraine’s strategic communication abroad. In 2024, in order to help its CSO partners communicate “Ukraine’s story” more strategically abroad, Pact seeks to procure a set of comprehensive services in order to increase production of civil society-sponsored media content on fighting Russia`s aggression through contracts with marketing vendors to support the development, communication and placing of stories covering domestic events taking place in Ukraine, as well as CSO partners’ success stories and policy-relevant products.

Purpose:

To help maintain international support to Ukraine and its advocacy agenda by raising international awareness of domestic events through production and dissemination of stories covering ENGAGE and its partners’ programming targeted at foreign audiences.

Objectives:

• To ensure timely production and dissemination of truthful content covering events taking place in Ukraine and ENGAGE partners’ stories in foreign media.
• To ensure placement of ENGAGE partners’ stories in external media to help extend partners’ outreach and meaningfully contribute to international advocacy efforts.
• To facilitate horizontal networking between ENGAGE partners and foreign counterparts aimed at securing international support to Ukraine and its advocacy agenda.

Expected Results:

• International awareness of domestic events taking place inside of Ukraine increased.

Duties and Responsibilities:

To achieve the above objectives, the purchase is divided into six lots. Prospective bidders can submit an offer for one of the selected lots, or for all lots at the same time.

Lot 1: Ensure production, communication and placement of stories covering ENGAGE and its partners’ programming and events taking place in Ukraine for Europe and North America:

• Ensure communication support for ENGAGE direct activities envisaged with regard to cultural heritage programming aimed at foreign audiences.
• Produce, adapt and package ENGAGE partners’ stories for various audiences.
• Provide PR services to ensure pitching and publication of stories to foreign media representatives.
• Organize relevant events to promote topical expertise of Ukrainian specialists in foreign media.

Lot 2: Ensure production, communication and placement of stories covering ENGAGE and its partners’ programming and events taking place in Ukraine for MENA region and Turkey audiences, which may include but is not limited to:

• Production of digital content, including videos, blogs and other relevant formats in languages native to MENA and Turkey region.
• Production, placement, and promotion of policy-relevant analysis in regional media platforms. The platforms and channels could include but are not limited to traditional (TV, radio, press) and online media outlets; as well as other relevant websites, blogging platforms and new media.
• Ensuring knowledge and information sharing between local and Ukrainian opinion leadersvia participation in joint events, publications or press tours.

Lot 3.  Ensure communication and placement of ENGAGE and its partners’ stories and events taking place in Ukraine in Sub-Saharan region:

• Identify opportunities for knowledge sharing, media and other meaningful appearances.
• Serve as a liaison between ENGAGE partners and local counterparts to facilitate horizontal networking necessary to build local partnerships.
• Organize relevant events and activities to ensure communication of ENGAGE partners’ stories to Sub-Saharan audiences, such as press tours, exchange visits, festivals, conferences etc.
• Ensure production and promotion of digital content to reach local audiences with truthful information about developments in Ukraine and ENGAGE partners’ stories.

Lot 4.  Ensure communication and placement of ENGAGE and its partners’ stories and events taking place in Ukraine in Southeast Asia region:

• Promote topical expertise of ENGAGE partners by meaningful engagements with local media and promotion of their policy relevant products and stories to local audiences.
• Organize relevant events and activities to ensure communication of ENGAGE partners’ stories to Southeast Asian audiences.
• Ensure production and promotion of digital content to reach local audiences with truthful information about developments in Ukraine and ENGAGE partners’ stories.

Lot 5.  Ensure communication and placement of ENGAGE and its partners’ stories and events taking place in Ukraine in Latin America:

• Promote topical expertise of ENGAGE partners by meaningful engagements with local media and promotion of their policy relevant products and stories to local audiences.
• Organize relevant events and activities to ensure communication of ENGAGE partners’ stories to Latin American audiences.
• Ensure production and promotion of digital content to reach local audiences with truthful information about developments in Ukraine and ENGAGE partners’ stories.

Lot 6. Produce multimedia content to support international advocacy efforts and communicate ENGAGE partners’ stories to other foreign audiences, which may include but is not limited to production of documentaries, special features, audio and video materials, art exhibitions, photo stories and other creative projects.

Qualifications:

Under Lot 1:

• Technical knowledge, skills and expertise in communications, journalism, or script writing.
• Experience in running PR campaigns, especially abroad.
• Ability to effectively engage in negotiations with foreign media to ensure placement of stories.
• Ability to organize and execute promotional events to showcase Ukrainian cultural heritage expertise.
• Demonstrated experience in similar contracts.

Under Lot 2:

• Technical knowledge, skills and expertise in communications, journalism, or script writing.
• Proficiency in producing digital content in languages native to the MENA and Turkey region.
• Strong network and understanding of MENA and Turkey region media landscape.
• Experience in promoting policy-relevant analysis in regional media platforms.
• Ability to facilitate cross-cultural knowledge sharing and collaboration between local and Ukrainian stakeholders.

Under Lot 3:

• Previous engagement in communication and outreach activities targeting Sub-Saharan region audiences.
• Familiarity with Sub-Saharan regional media outlets and organizations for effective story dissemination.
• Strong communication skills and ability to develop culturally sensitive messaging and content adapted for diverse audiences.
• Experience in organizing and managing events tailored to Sub-Saharan region audiences.
• Representation in one of the Sub-Saharan countries would be an asset.

Under Lot 4:

• Previous engagement in communication and outreach activities targeting South- East Asian region audiences.
• Familiarity with targeting South- East Asian regional media outlets and organizations for effective story dissemination.
• Strong communication skills and ability to develop culturally sensitive messaging and content adapted for diverse audiences.
• Experience in organizing and managing events tailored to various audiences.

Under Lot 5:

• Previous engagement in communication and outreach activities targeting Latin American audiences.
• Familiarity with Latin American regional media outlets and organizations for effective story dissemination.
• Strong communication skills and ability to develop culturally sensitive messaging and content adapted for diverse audiences.
• Experience in organizing and managing events tailored to various audiences.

Under Lot 6:

• Proficiency in multimedia content creation including documentaries, special features, and audiovisual materials.
• Creative storytelling abilities to engage diverse foreign audiences.

Please review the full scope of work and deliverables requirements in the complete Request for Proposals (RFP) attached below.

All questions or clarifications regarding this RFP must be in writing and submitted to mbodak@pactworld.org by March 22, 2024 (18:00 Kyiv time).

Questions and requests for clarification, and the responses thereto, will be circulated to all RFP recipients who have indicated an interest in this RFP.

Proposals must be submitted in electronic format only (PDF, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint) to mbodak@pactworld.org by April 12, 2024 (23:59 Kyiv time).