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Terms of Reference Production house: Digital content Ethiopia July 2025

Girl Effect
Contract
On-site
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Consultant Jobs in Ethiopia, Media and Journalism Jobs in Ethiopia, NGO Jobs in Ethiopia
Terms of Reference Production house: Digital content Ethiopia July 2025

Country: Ethiopia
Organization: Girl Effect
Closing date: 16 Jul 2025

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit organization dedicated to addressing challenges faced by adolescent girls and youth in Ethiopia. Operating in the country since 2013, the organization leverages Social and Behavior Change (SBC) strategies, combining media and on-the-ground interventions to tackle various societal issues and empower young people. Girl Effect Ethiopia created the youth brand Yegna in 2014 and, since then has reached over 10 million people through multiple products, outreach programs, girl networks, and research pieces done all for the betterment of adolescent lives.

We create safe spaces for girls, sharing facts and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, relationships, etc. And we use innovative technology so we can reach girls at scale. We arm girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible, so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, her health, her learning and livelihood.

When a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, community, and country.

That’s the Girl Effect.

Background

Yegna, Girl Effect’s branded multi-media platform established in Ethiopia in 2014, focuses on empowering adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) through fun, factual and fictional content using role-modeling and storytelling to inspire them to think and behave differently.

Meaning “Ours” in Amharic, Yegna brings young people together to overcome life’s challenges and realize their ambitions. Our platform comprises a national TV drama, music, digital and social media channels, and club activities. All our content is research-driven and co-designed with our audience. Testing, tracking and learning are critical to our design process. We aim for our content to be authentic, relevant, relatable to our audiences, and as engaging as possible.

As part of our commitment to reaching youth where they are, Girl Effect is commissioning a series of short mini-dramas for social media. These emotionally resonant stories will dramatize the real-life challenges faced by young people in Ethiopia, reflecting their world in their language.

What we are looking for

We are seeking an experienced production agency capable of producing a series of 32 short, 2-4 minute high-impact mini-dramas for social media. The content must be rooted in the authentic, lived realities of Ethiopian youth and designed for viral reach.

The Production agency should demonstrate the ability to:

  • Develop authentic and resonant scripts in collaboration with youth consultants.
  • Produce content that has a professional user-generated look and feel, blending high-quality production with a native social media aesthetic.
  • Incorporate viral elements, including animations and humorous content, where appropriate.
  • Cast age-appropriate actors who can deliver raw, emotional performances and speak teen slang fluently.
  • Collaborate effectively with Girl Effect’s team and adhere to our brand and safeguarding standards.
  • Film in diverse settings, including urban, semi-urban, and studio locations as needed.

Scope of Work

The production house will be responsible for:

  • Produce 32 short mini-drama videos (2–4 minutes each), each dramatizing a key moment in a teen’s life.
  • Develop scripts for each video in collaboration with the Girl Effect team and youth consultants.
  • Prepare a detailed Pre-Production Meeting (PPM) document for approval that clearly outlines the cast, locations, costumes, production design, and the overall look and feel of the series.
  • Prepare a script or treatment that guides filming, including the expected story flow, with flexibility to adapt during production.
  • Assemble and manage a small, agile, and professional production crew suitable for the project's needs.
  • Lead the audition and selection process to find authentic youth actors who fit the roles. While the Production company will manage the casting process, the final contractual agreements with the selected actors will be handled directly by Girl Effect.
  • Manage all aspects of post-production, including editing, colour grading, sound design, animations, and subtitling.

Responsibilities

The production house will undertake the following key responsibilities:

  • Coordinate with Girl Effect’s team throughout all phases of production.
  • Manage and adhere to production timelines.
  • Ensure informed consent is obtained and documented from all participants, especially minors.
  • Comply with Girl Effect's safeguarding standards and participate in any required training.

Expected Deliverables

  • Primary Videos:
    • Thirty-two (32) videos, 2–4 minutes each, in vertical (9:16) format.
  • Social Media Versions:
    • Thirty-two (32) versions optimized for YouTube Shorts.
    • Thirty-two (32) versions optimized for Instagram Reels.
  • Subtitles:
    • All videos will include professionally translated and timed subtitles in Amharic and English.

Expected Commitment

  • Duration: Jul 21, 2025 - Aug 31, 2025

N.B. The production agency is expected to deliver all agreed outputs in full and within the stipulated timeline. Please note that production will involve travel to both urban and semi-urban locations, as well as potential studio shoots. Locations will be determined based on the finalised script, but are expected to include settings such as schools and the homes of everyday young people in Addis Ababa and nearby towns. Kindly ensure that your financial proposal accounts for all potential costs associated with these requirements.

Management

The production agency will have a primary point of contact within our Ethiopia Create team.

Procurement Timeline

  • Terms of Reference Published: Jul 9, 2025
  • Deadline for Questions: Jul 11, 2025
  • Deadline for Proposal Submission: Jul 16, 2025
  • Project Commencement: Jul 23, 2025

Proposal Submission

Interested agencies should submit a maximum 10-page proposal that includes the following:

  • Technical Proposal
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the objectives, target audiences, and the intent behind using mini-dramas to connect with youth.
  • Describe your proposed approach to capturing authentic stories, including script development, casting, and your creative vision for a professional user-generated TikTok video production
  • Provide a high-level timeline covering pre-production, field production, post-production, and delivery of all outputs.
  • Provide recent examples of work completed within the last 6 months, with a focus on narrative-driven social media content. Experience with youth-focused content is strongly preferred.
  • Introduce key team members, their roles, and relevant experience.
  • Identify potential risks and outline how they will be managed.
  • Financial Proposal
  • Itemized budget with a breakdown of costs in Ethiopian Birr (ETB), all applicable taxes should be quoted separately;
  • Payment schedule aligned with deliverables.
  • Any other relevant financial considerations?

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

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.

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.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Technical Approach (40%) – The feasibility, depth, and creative alignment of the proposed methodology.
  • Relevant Experience (30%) – Demonstrated capacity in producing high-quality, narrative-driven video content for youth audiences on social media.
  • Team Composition (10%) – Qualifications and expertise of the proposed personnel.
  • Financial Proposal (20%) – Cost-effectiveness, value for money, and alignment with project deliverables.

Copyright

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

Equal Opportunities

Girl Effect is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, disability, gender or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to building an organization that is truly representative of the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy services of organizations and individuals with a deep understanding and experience of our programming markets and diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.

Safeguarding

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

Tax

Girl Effect Ethiopia is obliged by the Ethiopian 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 Ethiopian tax legislation when developing their proposals.

Disclaimer

GE reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of shortlisted 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 TOR and using our specified email address (suppliers@girleffect.org).

How to apply

How To Apply

To apply for this opportunity, please submit a proposal by email with the subject line “Production Agency - Digital Content-Ethiopia” to suppliers@girleffect.org by July 16, 2025.