RFP for a Copywriter

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that builds media that girls want, trust, and need. From chatbots to chat shows, and TV dramas to tech, our content helps adolescent girls in Africa and Asia make choices and changes in their lives.

We create safe spaces for girls, sharing facts and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, and relationships, empowering girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible “for a girl”.

Our reach is 50 million and counting. And we’re using technology to reach girls at scale so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, her health, her learning and her livelihood.

Because 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.

Our Approach

Girl Effect uses a branded media approach towards delivering behavioural change messaging.

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 behaviour 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.

In 2021, we partnered with Meta to use Instagram and Facebook to deliver social behaviour change communication campaigns designed to tackle myths around Covid and the Covid vaccine, working with influencers like Taaooma and Kate Henshaw to break through the clutter to reach more than 9m people.

Our aim over the next few years is to launch a youth brand in Nigeria, creating sustainable impact at scale and build scalable and long-lasting impact for girls and their communities in Nigeria.

Brief 1

GAVI Project: HPV Vaccine Awareness Campaign

Girl Effect Nigeria seeks an imaginative and culturally sensitive Creative Copywriter to craft an engaging, educational, and impactful communication campaign to raise awareness of HPV vaccines in Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Delta, and Kaduna States.

This campaign will target parents and young girls between the ages of 9-14, positioning the HPV vaccine as a critical step towards protecting girls’ futures. The creative content should effectively dispel myths, foster trust, and encourage uptake of the vaccine.

Key Campaign Objectives

1. Educate parents and young girls on the safety, effectiveness, and importance of the HPV vaccine.
2. Empower young girls with the knowledge that vaccination is a powerful choice to protect their health and future.
3. Overcome misinformation with accessible and culturally sensitive myth-busting content.

Target Audience

• Primary Audience: Parents of girls aged 9-14 in rural and urban areas of the specified states.
• Secondary Audience: Young girls aged 9-14, with messaging that resonates with their daily experiences and aspirations.

Tone and Style

• Fun, relatable, and empowering content for parents and girls.
• Creative visuals and language that balance education and entertainment.
• Culturally sensitive storytelling integrating Nigerian languages (Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo) and diverse representations.

Suggested Campaign Components

• Video Content:
  Short animated educational clips (60 seconds or less) on topics such as “What is HPV?” and “Why the Vaccine Matters.”
• Interactive Social Media:
  Engaging quizzes, relatable scenarios, parent testimonials, and vibrant banners and infographics to address myths and concerns.
• Influencer Collaborations:
  Youth ambassadors and relatable role models promoting HPV vaccination.
• Virtual Webinars:
  Live Q&A sessions with healthcare professionals to answer parental concerns.
• Hashtag:
  Use of hashtags to encourage social sharing and engagement.

Brief 2

Gates Project: Saabi Campaign for SRH Awareness

Girl Effect Nigeria is also commissioning a compelling creative campaign to promote family planning awareness through the “Saabi – The Space to Grow” initiative in Kaduna State.

This campaign will address key messages around sexual and reproductive health (SRH), positioning child spacing as a smart, and empowering decision for families.

Key Campaign Objectives

1. Educate adolescents and young adults (18-24 years) about the benefits and importance of family planning.
2. Foster a positive narrative around SRH, encouraging informed decision-making.
3. Create relatable, culturally appropriate content that speaks authentically to the youth of Kaduna State.

Target Audience

• Primary Audience: Adolescents and young adults (ages 18-24), including both genders.

Tone and Style

• Fun, relatable, and fast-paced to reflect youth culture in Northern Nigeria.
• Empowering and positive storytelling using simple, inclusive language.

Cultural Considerations

• Content in Hausa and local dialects for inclusivity.
• Respectful messaging around SRH, ensuring cultural and societal sensitivities are acknowledged.

Suggested Campaign Components

• Radio Content:
  Radio shows, PSAs, series, and live-action content showcasing relatable scenarios around child spacing.
• Outdoors:
  Interactive posters, myth-busting flyers and stickers
• Influencer Partnerships:
  Engagement with local influencers to normalize family planning conversations.
• Community Events:
  Sessions with healthcare experts addressing SRH topics in an interactive format.

What You will do

• Write clear, compelling copy for various mediums (e.g. ads, blog posts, social media creatives, short-form scripts, radio spots/dramas, newsletters).
• Take part in brainstorming sessions and workshops with our creative team to develop a youth-friendly, innovative, communicative language for our initial and final prototype concepts.
• Assist brand development experts in developing our brand’s tone and voice.
• Feed into all creative assets and develop marketing copy that aligns with our target audience.
• Interpret copywriting briefs and ultimately write clear, attractive copy with a distinct voice.
• Support translating from English to pidgin, Yoruba, and Hausa or vice versa.
• Support creative campaign reports and presentations.

Who You Are

• A conversational copywriter/creator with experience creating content, content and campaigns for youth audiences, especially Nigerian girls from low-middle income backgrounds.
• Ability to deliver a clear message in a simple, straightforward, and non-judgmental manner with a fun and youthful style.
• An effective communicator and writer in Pidgin and English, with the ability to synthesize, communicate, and simplify complex language concepts per the needs of girls and young women.
• Someone who enjoys media & technology and exploring content through products like IVR, communities, blogs, etc.
• Passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of young women and girls.
• Proven ability to be flexible within a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Experience in health-related content/Behavior change content production in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Economic Empowerment would be a massive bonus.
• Basic safeguarding and digital safeguarding knowledge is a plus.

Reporting

The consultant will report to Girl Effect’s Create Team in Nigeria

Expected Commitment

• The assignment is expected to take approximately 6 – 8 months.
• The consultant will be expected to be available at team meetings for at least 1 hour per week.
• The consultant will be expected to work 15-20 hours per week
• The consultant will be expected to present to the team if needed.

Tentative Timelines

• Terms of reference published: February 5, 2025
• Deadline for responses: February 15th, 2025
• Project Commencement: March 2025

Location

The consultant will be based in Nigeria.

Proposal Submission

Your proposal, should you be interested (Max 5 pages), should cover

• Your understanding of the brief and why you feel you are well-placed to advise us on this
• Credentials – Please showcase any previous work that you consider relevant to what we are trying to achieve and how we approach our work, and the audience we cater to. Describe the qualifications, experience, and capabilities in providing the requested services.
• Reference -Provide at least three references
• Breakdown of Costs with applicable taxes and other charges clearly identified in Naira. Consultants should provide their daily or hourly billing rate or their proposed fixed fee for the requested deliverables.
  • All applicable taxes should be quoted separately;

In the 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.

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.

Evaluation Criteria

The criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are listed below.

Technical Evaluation

• Interpretation and understanding of this TOR – 10%
• Share samples of your work, articles for similar organizations, or work that has been published – 20%
• Showcases relevant experience in having done previous similar work with relevant agencies or organizations – 10 %
• Evidence of a minimum of three contactable references – 10%
• Experience and Qualification, share your CV – 20%

Financial Evaluation

• Value for money/proposed budget breakdown – 30%

Tax

Girl Effect Nigeria is obliged by the Nigerian 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 to Nigeria 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 ([email protected]).

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.