REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

A project to provide strategic public relations services for Nutrition ProgramVital Strategies in Ethiopia

CLOSING DATE: January 14, 2021

i.Statement of Confidentiality 

This Request for Proposal (RFP) contains confidential and proprietary information that is the property of Vital Strategies, which is provided for the sole purpose of permitting the recipient to respond to the RFP. The recipient agrees to maintain such information in confidence and not to copy nor disclose this information to any person outside the group directly responsible for responding to its contents. The contents of this document may not be used for any purpose other than the preparation of a response to this RFP.

ii.Introduction 

a.About this Request for Proposals

Globally, the fast-changing food environment has made it increasingly difficult for consumers to avoid buying unhealthy foods. The high number of product choices in stores, incomprehensible labels and aggressive advertising by the industry disempower consumers from opting for healthier foods. Robust, policy-related preventive interventions are required. Some countries have laws and policies that enforce the application of front-of-package warning labels on unhealthy foods and regulate junk food advertising to children thus making the environment more supportive of heathier food choices.

Additional Information: 

• Obesity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Burden, Drivers, and Emerging Challenges: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044604
• Current South African campaign on food labelling: https://whatsinmyfood.org.za
• Library of TV commercials: https://www.mediabeacon.org/obesity/

b.About Vital Strategies

We are a global health organization that envisions a world where every person is protected by a strong public health system. We build programs to improve public health around the world.  Our distinctive approach bridges the gap between public health needs and their solutions, with a focus on rapid, large-scale impact.We achieve this through public health intelligence, institutional strengthening, and strategic communication and advocacy.  

Vital Strategies is also a global leader in anti-tobacco health communications campaigns, having run over 250 strategic tobacco control campaigns in more than 40 countries over the last 10 years. More than 2 billion people have seen a Vital Strategies-sponsored or supported campaign. 

For more information about Vital Strategies, please visit www.vitalstrategies.org

iii. Project Overview 

Vital Strategies’ Resolve to Save Lives and partners are currently working with stakeholder groups on a population level communication campaign on the problems of an unhealthy diet in Ethiopia. The communication campaign aims to empower consumers with knowledge about unhealthy foods and to call for clear information on food packaging. Vital Strategies seeks to appoint an agency to provide communications and public relations services for a national media campaign to be launched for six months. An experienced agency is required to develop and implement a communication strategy to publicize and promote the campaign and the problem that the country is facing as a result of an unhealthy diet.

iv. Agency task

The successful bidder will be expected to conceptualize and carry out a communications and public relations strategy to increase the public’s understanding, acceptance and support for adoption of front-of-package nutrient labels to deter unhealthy food purchases and enable consumers to make healthier food choices.

Activities will include but are not limited to 

Phase 1

Public and policymaker education about contents of unhealthy package food and negative impact on health

Suggested activities

• Regular earned media – Organize media round table and educate the media on unhealthy packaged food (facts on impact of unhealthy packaged food, in adequacy of current packaged food content and to encourage the public to demand clear information on content of packaged food)  
• Develop op-eds for newspaper (Amharic) 
• Provide journalists with fact and figures on unhealthy packed food and impact on health , including information on prevalence figures of obesity, over- and under-weight, type 2 diabetes, heart disease
• Have an in-person or online background briefing for journalists – invite researchers, civil society and key spokespeople 

Video and Radio ads

• Videos and radio ads on contents of unhealthy food and warn them about food high in salt, sugar and trans fat. Agency will handle placement and agreement with media houses. 

Social media - fact and figures on unhealthy pack food and impact on health. 

• Content targeted at policy makers 
• Content targeted at the public that educates 
• On unhealthy packed food 
• On the inadequacy of current packaged food content 
• and also content that encourages the public to demand clear information on content of packed food. 

Print 

• Posters and flyers that encourage the public to demand clear information on content of packed food. With a well thought out plan to have the public voice their demand. 

Community engagement 

• Organize workshops/meetings with health workers, civil societies and other stakeholders to discuss the impact of packed food on health. 
• Secure an expert letter from stakeholders and ensure media coverage 

Phase 2 : On introducing label 

• Earned media – Organize media round table and discuss benefit of clear information on contents of unhealthy food and warn them about food high in salt, sugar and trans fat. And on how and when label will be enrolled 
• Social media 
  • Content targeted at the public on foods that are high in salt, sugar and trans fat. 
  • Inform public on when label will be enrolled 

Phase 1 to Phase 2

• Do regular media monitoring and analysis to track food policy issues 
• Do regular media monitoring on the performance of the campaign and identify publicity opportunities
• Identify, target and secure relevant multimediaplatforms
• Compile and regularly update a database of media outlets
• Prepare comprehensive and targeted media schedules
• Report on media achievements, reach 

Stakeholder engagement 

• Do stakeholder mapping 
• Develop an engagement plan based on the targeted stakeholders 
• Identify tactic of engagement for the targeted engagements 
• Coordinate the engagement activities with earned media, plan for media coverage of the engagement events 
• Monitor and report on the achievements 

Note: the activities listed above has an open space for the successful bidder creativity and to include additional activities to maximize the achievement of the campaign. 

v.RFP Deliverables

Our procurement processes require us to invite communication and public relations agencies to respond to this invitation to demonstrate how their credentials and experience can support the challenge ahead.

Your submission should include:

1. A statement of why your agency would be a suitable partner (one page).
2. Description of previous work done that is relevant to the communication task specified. Links should be provided to view examples online (including examples of media coverage achieved, etc) (no more than 5 pages).
3. Experience working with similar not-for-profit clients and your approach to this type of work (no more than two pages).
4. Experience plus one or two examples of delivering high impact communication strategies for campaigns (including developing content, planning and managing media and stakeholder events). (two pages).
5. Experience of the proposed team that would be assigned to the project (including account manager, strategist, media liaison, production director, writer/content producer, events manager etc.). 
6. Agency proven capabilities to manage large projects and a workplan that demonstrates availability to work on the account over January – March 2021 (two pages)
7. 3 Letters of recommendations from organizations that received similar services 
8. Full rate card (one page)
9. Equipment types and number if they are going to produce the campaign

Note: Please structure your submission addressing the points numbered 1 to 9 as above.

vi. Appointment Process

The shortlisted agencies will be appointed through a 2-step appointment process involving a review and rating of credentials and cost schedules. 

The successful agency will be selected by a panel based on professional merit, ability to deliver against project goals at the highest quality and within the scheduled time, and value for money. Based on the scores given, up to three agencies will be invited to meet with our team. This meeting will be the final selection and confirmation of the agency to be appointed.

Submissions will be reviewed and rated based on the extent to which agencies demonstrate:

• An understanding of the challenge for Ethiopia and the project’s objectives
• The extent to which their experience and capability complement the task 
• Appropriate costs and fees

The contract is expected to run until July 19, 2021 commencing on the date of signing the Service Level Agreement. The successful bidder should be able to start from Jan 20, 2021.

vii. Proposal evaluation criteria 

Agencies will be evaluated based on their ability to adhere to the project timelines, their track record of producing similar social or public health campaigns, the experience and capability of the agency, and value for money.

a.Phase 1: Technical Evaluation

The evaluation of the technical part of the proposal will be on the basis of the candidate’s responsiveness to the application of the evaluation criteria and points system as indicated below. Each responsive proposal will be given a technical score.

Criteria Points Allocated

Demonstration through presentation of strategic thinking and creativity of proposal including an approach to overall communication strategy for campaign and launch event 35

The proposals will receive further consideration if they score at least 60% minimum points out of the 100 points on technical criteria as listed above as well as at least 50% in each criteria.

b.Phase 2: Location

Only suppliers who are physically based in Ethiopia will be considered in the bidding process.

viii. Proposal submission details 

Please submit completed proposals to Desta Kasahun email ddegaga@vitalstrategies.org from January 4, 2021 to January 14, 2021.

Queries and requests for additional information should be directed to Desta Kasahun..

Please note: questions and answers will be shared with all agencies in the pitch process (to ensure that no one agency is unfairly advantaged)

ix.Conflict of interest 

In terms of good corporate governance, a supplier will not be appointed where there is an existing real or perceived conflict of interest. Vital Strategies will not entertain proposals from agencies that currently provide services to, received support from, or been affiliated with the tobacco, alcohol or processed food and sugary beverage industry or its agents or associates within the past two (2) years.

Please complete the attached confidentiality and conflict of interest declaration form.