Request for Proposal (RFP) at Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International provides outstanding, on-the-ground development services and forges partnerships to deliver sustainable solutions to global challenges. Its experts focus on building inclusive educational systems, transitioning communities from conflict to peace, developing sustainable economic growth, engaging youth, promoting transparent elections, and more. Creative is recognized for its ability to quickly adapt and excel in conflict and post-conflict environments. Creative is currently implementing a 2-year USAID-funded project titled “Northeast Connection: Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria”.

Applications are invited for:

Title: Request for Proposal (RFP) for Media Campaign Northeast Connection: Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria

RFP Number: RFP-YOL-05-22-0001
Location: Jere LGA and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno
Performance Period: June 15, 2022 - September 15, 2022
Reference: USAID Contract No. AID-OAA-I-13-00005/72062021F00005

Background
The purpose of the Northeast Connection project is to strengthen the resilience of communities vulnerable to violent extremism and conflict. The program targets communities in Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno states, seizing on opportunities to mitigate communities’ vulnerabilities, build social cohesion within and across communities, and respond to emergent risks. NE Connection seeks the service of a competent media firm or organization to support the government of Borno state efforts in addressing community grievances and, to strengthen the resilience of communities vulnerable to conflict through media campaigns by working with communities to support the reintegration of rehabilitated former extremists. This campaign will pave the way for a smoother reintegration experience for stakeholders in Borno state. The media firm/organization is expected to adopt local and conflict-sensitive approaches in propagating positive messages of peace, reconciliation, and reintegration of former Boko Haram members across communities in Jere LGA of Borno state.

Creative invites qualified consultant(s), firms, and organizations to submit a proposal for the Northeast Connection: Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria (hereinafter Northeast Connection) project funded under the referenced USAID contract.

Summary

• Under the guidance of the Chief of Party and Program Manager for the USAID NE Connection program. Media firm/organization will be engaged to produce, broadcast, disseminate and amplify positive voices of citizens on reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration of repentant VEOs across Jere local government area (LGA) of Borno state.
• This assignment will focus on strengthening the resilience of communities targeted for the return and reintegration of repentant VEOs through media campaigns on tolerance, forgiveness, and reintegration.
• The assignment will involve the use of multimedia to propagate positive views and opinions of community members, influential leaders, and victims of insurgency in an area not harnessed by most actors working in the LGA.

Scope of Services

• The Northeast Connection Activity (2021- 2023) aims to strengthen the resilience of communities vulnerable to violent extremist infiltration and conflict and to develop local capacity to respond to emerging threats. By targeting communities not yet under the control of violent extremist organizations (VEOs). Northeast Connection will mitigate the grievances that make communities vulnerable to violent extremism while building social cohesion within and across communities in northeast Nigeria.
• In addition to helping, Northeast Nigerians create a stronger foundation against the violent extremist and conflict threats, the activity is designed to develop local capacity to respond to emerging threats.
• Creative Associate international seeks to engage the services of a media firm or organization to facilitate the production and broadcasting of (2-3 months) live radio phone-in program, jingles containing pre-recorded interviews with respected/influential personalities.
• The purpose of this assignment is to produce a context specific media content, broadcast and amplify positive voices of citizens on reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration of repentant VEOs across Jere local government area of Borno state.

Specific Tasks of the Media Firm
Northeast Connection will contract the firm or organization to:

• Produce, broadcast, or disseminate radio program that promotes reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration of repentant VEOs across community ready
• Record, edit and produce interviews, broadcasting of weekly live radio phone-in program, airing daily radio jingles in English, Kanuri and Hausa languages.
• Produce schedules of weekly radio phone-in program and daily jingles – ensuring that contributions from listeners are delivered in a conflict sensitive and professional manner.
• Support dissemination and management of social media activities on reconciliation, forgiveness and reintegration
• Develop broadcast schedule for live radio phone-in program and jingles to be reviewed and approved by NE Connection.
• Monitor and provide data of radio listener’s reach and social media analytics to NE Connection for onward evaluation and reporting.

Under the overall guidance of the Nigeria Northeast Connection Program Manager, the media firm will accomplish the following tasks using experience, knowledge, and additional understanding gleaned from available resources:

• Participate in activity kick-off and planning meeting with NE Connection team: The media firm/organization will participate in a joint kick off and planning meeting with media firm, Programme Assistant and the NE Connection program and Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) teams to discuss key deliverables, timeline, and reporting. During the planning meeting, NE Connection will introduce the media firm/organization to all the program team and technical consultants that are on board and agree on the channels of communication and key responsibilities. This will help ensure synergy and clarify of roles and responsibilities during the media campaign.
• Production and broadcasting of radio phone-in program, pre-recorded interview, and radio jingles: Firm will produce short video skits, jingles, pre-recorded interviews by develop ed by a consultant engaged by NE Connection. and design conflict sensitive messages to be printed on T-shirts, Face-caps and Hijabs in English, Hausa, and Kanuri languages.
• Broadcasting/dissemination of media contents on reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration: The team media organization or firm will work closely with the media consultant engaged by NE Connection to produce, broadcast, or disseminate live phone-in program, jingles, short video skits, pre-recorded interviews with important personalities and social media contents in Hausa, English, and Kanuri languages, that propagates reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration of repentant VEOs. The media firm or organization will broadcast 15 episodes of weekly radio phone-in program and air jingles 120 times (twice times daily) over a period of 60 days. The media organization will support the consultant in the recording of 10 interviews with influential personalities, produce 5 distinct short video skits in English, Kanuri, and Hausa, as well as posting and monitoring of social media activities on the project.
• Activity Monitoring and Listenership survey: NE Connection state team will support the Monitoring and Evaluation unit will conduct two monitoring visits; one to assess the output of the project after the first two months and the second is to facilitate a listenership survey for evaluation of impact of the project. Audience and social media users across the 6 target communities and 2 wards will be engaged on KII and FGDs. The Programme Assistant will actively participate in the exercise to ensure adequate reporting, coordination.

Deliverables
The following are the key deliverables of the media firm:

• Production of short video skits developed by NE Connection in three languages
• Produce of audio jingles in three different languages
• Broadcast and airing of weekly live radio phone-in program and jingles
• List of listeners or program anchor staff to engaged during monitoring visit and listenership survey.

Milestone Schedule and Deliverables

Milestone No.	Milestone’s Description and Required Documentation	Payment Amount (%)	Completion Dates
Milestone No. 1	Kickoff meeting with NE Connection Project staff hired/mobilized Develop a detailed broadcast schedule for live radio phone and jingles submitted and approved by NE Connection Commence recording and production of interviews with influential personalities and shared with NE Connection Detailed activity inception report submitted to NE Connection using the approved template.	30%	June 15, 2022
Milestone No. 2	Production and broadcasting of radio phone-in program, pre-recorded interviews, and radio jingles Broadcast 15 episodes of weekly radio phone-in program and air jingles 120 times (twice times daily) Month 2 progress report submitted Progress report using a template approved by NE Connection	50%	July 26, 2022
Milestone No. 3	Provide a list of listeners or program anchor staff to engage during monitoring visit and listenership survey 10 good pictures from the activity Activity final report including infographics	20%	August 25, 2022

Eligibility of Applying Organization

• Must be a registered non-profit or for-profit organization or firm.
• Must be working in compliance with relevant civil and fiscal regulations for example evidence of registration with the National Planning Commission, Corporate Affairs Commission, or Agency for the Coordination of Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Activities in Borno).
• Proof that the entity or organization is not a debarred organization.
• Individuals and government are not eligible to apply.

Supervision and Guidance:

• The organization will be supervised on a day-to-day basis by the Nigeria Northeast Connection Project Team, led by the Chief of Party (COP). The COP will be responsible for deliverables review, payment, and administrative management.
• The organization will participate in relevant meetings with USAID, as required and under the supervision of the COP.
• The organization is expected to exercise the highest degree of resourcefulness and confidentiality consistent with the sensitivity of this intervention and USAID’s overall policy and procedural framework.

Period of Performance:

• Creative anticipates a period of performance of four months (June 15, 2022 - September 15, 2022); to be finalized at the time of the award.

Application Closing Date
5:00 PM: 9th June, 2022.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified Offerors should submit their Technical and Cost / Business Proposal to the Procurement Department via: procurement@connection-nigeria.com

Click here for the Request for Proposal (RFP) (PDF)

Submission of Proposal

• Proposals must be submitted in two separate e-mails:
  • E-mail 1 - Technical Proposal
  • E-mail 2 - Cost / Business proposal
• Each e-mail should be clearly labeled with the RFP number and project title.
• Proposals must be delivered no later than the specified date/time.
• Offerors who do not submit their technical and cost proposals separately will be automatically disqualified.

Content of Proposal:
The proposal shall be comprised of four sections:

• The Cover Letter (Attachment IV)
• Offeror’s Valid Business license
• Commitment statement that expresses commitment and availability for the entire period of the assignment
• The Technical Proposal
• The Cost/Business Proposal.

Note

• The Cover Letter: should be on the Offeror’s letterhead and MUST contain the information requested in Attachment IV and a maximum of one (1) page
• Commitment statement that expresses commitment and availability of personnel and resources for the entire period of the assignment and a maximum of one (1) page
• Copy of Offeror’s Valid Business License.

The Proposals
Technical Proposal:

• The Technical Proposal should clearly & precisely address theoretical and practical aspects that the Offeror has considered and will employ to carry out the statement of work.
• The Technical Proposal is the opportunity for the Offeror to demonstrate that the firm is “technically capable” of implementing the activity, and should demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding of and capabilities to carry out the work, and address the key issues described in the Evaluation Criteria in Attachment III.
• The Technical Proposal should be divided into clearly separate sections following the same order of the Evaluation Criteria in Attachment III. A mis-ordered proposal that makes information hard to find will result in lower scores.
• Technical proposal should include illustrative research questions and proposed multi-method data collection tools and approaches.
• Technical proposal should include a management section on how the offeror will manage personnel and simultaneous work in three target states.
• Technical proposal should be a maximum of ten (10) pages.
• Technical proposal should include the following annexes (not counting towards page limit)
  • Work plan and timeline articulating the framework and processes to implement the activities under this consultancy. Workplan and timeline should be a maximum of four (4) pages
  • CVs of proposed individual consultants and those contracted by the firm or organization. CVs should be a maximum of one (1) page each
  • Contact details of at least two references.
• If an Offeror submits a proposal that fails to respond to the majority of the information requested in this RFP, as outlined specifically in the statement of work and the evaluation criteria, the Offeror’s proposal will be automatically disqualified.

The Cost / Business Proposal:
The Cost / Business Proposal must be submitted separately from the technical proposal and will primarily indicate the cost for performing the work specified in this RFP. At a minimum, the Cost/Business proposal should include the following information:

• A detailed budget that provides a break-down of costs by line item. Note that any indirect/overhead costs should be listed as a separate line item in the budget and should not be built into the direct costs. Use the budget template presented in the Evaluation Criteria, in Attachment III.
• Bidders should not use any “loaded rates” for labor. Budgets should include base labor rates only. Forms with loaded rates (i.e. inclusive of staff bonuses or any other type of financial benefit) will be rejected.
• Detailed and comprehensive cost notes that provides information on each of the line items in the budget and explains why these items are needed for implementation of the activity.
• If indirect rates are charged, Offerors must provide supporting computations for the allocation for indirect/overhead costs, a copy of an audit report and balance sheet, and a profit and loss (P&L)/income & expenditure / revenue & expenditure statement OR a copy of the current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

Note

• Failure to comply with any of the above points will result in the Offeror being considered “unresponsive” and the proposal may be rejected.
• If an Offeror provides insufficient information in their technical and/or cost proposal, Creative reserves the right to request additional information or to request a revised proposal from the Offeror, if necessary.
• Creative reserves the right to make no award, or multiple awards, under this RFP.

Instructions to Offerors
These Instructions to Offerors will not form part of the offer or of the Contract. They are intended solely to aid Offerors in the preparation of their proposals. Read and follow these instructions carefully:

• The proposal and all corresponding documents related to the proposal must be written in the English language, unless otherwise explicitly allowed. Additionally, all proposals should be single-spaced with clear section headings, and be presented in the order specified in Attachment III – Evaluation Criteria.
• Proposals must include only the Offeror’s own work. No text should be copied from sources outside of your organization unless those sources are adequately cited and credited. If Creative determines that any part of the proposal is plagiarized from outside sources, the Offeror will be automatically disqualified.
• Proposals and all cost and price figures must be presented in Nigerian Naira and USD. All prices should be gross of tax, but net of any customs duties.
• The Offeror must state in their Proposal the validity period of their offer. The minimum offer acceptance period for this RFP is 90 days after the closing date of the RFP. If an Offeror has provided a validity period of less than 90 days, they will be asked to revise this. If the Offeror does not extend the validity period, their proposal will be rejected. Creative reserves the right not to make an award.
• The Technical Proposal and Cost/Business Proposal must be kept separate from each other. Technical Proposals must not make reference to cost or pricing information at any point. This will enable in order the technical evaluation to be made strictly on the basis of technical merit.
• Offerors must be licensed and authorized to conduct business in Nigeria, as evidenced by submission of a copy of a valid Business License (if registered as a for-profit company), a valid Host Government license (if registered as a non-profit organization) or a municipal license (if registered as a local vendor of goods or import-export dealer). The copy of the license must clearly show a license number, official government stamp and a date of issue and date of expiry.
• Common ownership of Offerors shall be documented in their proposal. Creative will only accept one company bidding per RFx. If Creative determines common ownership of multiple Offerors, all will be disqualified
• No costs incurred by the Offerors in preparing and submitting the proposal are reimbursable by Creative. All such costs will be at the Offeror’s expense.
• Responsibility Determination: Award shall only be made to “responsive” subcontractors. To enable Creative to make this determination, the Offeror must provide a cover letter, as provided in Attachment IV.
• Late Offers: Offerors are wholly responsible for ensuring that their Offers are received in accordance with the instructions stated herein. A late Offer will be recommended for rejection, even if it was late as a result of circumstances beyond the Offeror’s control. Late offers will only be considered at the procurement department’s discretion.
• Modification/Withdrawal of Offers: Offerors have the right to withdraw, modify or correct their offer after it has been delivered to Creative at the address stated above, and provided that the request is made before the RFP closing date.
• Disposition of Proposals: Proposals submitted in response to this RFP will not be returned. Reasonable effort will be made to ensure confidentiality of proposals received from all Offerors. This RFP does not seek information of a highly proprietary nature, but if such information is included in the Offeror’s proposal, the Offeror must alert Creative and must annotate the material by marking it “Confidential and Proprietary” so that these sections can be treated appropriately.
• Clarifications and Amendments to the RFP: Any questions regarding this solicitation must be emailed to: procurement@connection-nigeria.com. No questions/clarifications will be entertained if they are received by another means. The solicitation number should be stated in the subject. Responses will be complied and emailed to the requesting potential Offeror, and will be sent to all organizations that requested this RFP, or re-posted publicly if offered as a full and open competition.
• Creative anticipates that discussions with Offerors will be conducted; however, Creative reserves the right to make an award without discussions. It is strongly recommended that Offerors present their best offer.
• Eligibility of Firms: Source/Origin/Nationality: The authorized geographic code for the source and origin of the goods and services and for the nationality of our suppliers under this contract is 937. A full discussion of the source/origin/nationality requirements maybe found at 22 CFR 228 (see http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/22cfr228_02.html). Offerors whose proposals fail to meet the nationality requirements will be considered non-responsive.

Note: Failure to agree and comply with any of the above specifications will result in the Offeror being considered unresponsive and the proposal may be rejected.