Consultancy Services: Hiring a Creative Agency to Lead and Implement the Regional Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery (PBID) Campaign Consultancy NEW

Request for Proposals for Creative Agency Services (PSI-RFP-2025-002)

(Lead and Implement the Regional Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery (PBID) Campaign in Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria)

PART I: BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES

1.0 Introduction

Population Services International (PSI) is a leading non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, USA. PSI uses social marketing to bring about lasting health impact to poor and vulnerable populations through its programs in over 45 countries around the world with the majority of them in sub-Saharan Africa. For further information on PSI’s size, scope, structure, and strategy refer to www.psi.org

2.0 Bidding Costs

Bidders are under no obligation to prepare or submit bids in response to this RFP and do so solely at their own risk and expense. PSI does not undertake to reimburse any costs incurred, therefore.

3.0 Review of RFP

Bidders are solely responsible for the careful examination of all the terms and conditions of this RFP and to comply fully therewith. Failure to do so will be at the Bidder’s risk and expense.

4.0 Language

All documents submitted in response to this RFP, as well as all correspondence in connection with the RFP, shall be in the English language.

5.0 Clarifications

All requests for formal clarification or queries on this RFP must be submitted in writing via email at [email protected] by November 5th, 2025.

Please make sure that the e-mail mentions the RFP reference number (PSI-RFP-2025-002)

6.0 Bid Preparation

Bidders should submit their responses to this RFP to include:

1. Technical Proposal
2. Financial Proposal – which should be password protected.

a. Technical Proposal

Your proposal should provide basic information about your Company and relevant service offerings. It should have a section addressing each of the following areas:

1. Approach & Responsiveness to the Scope of Work

Responses should include the following information: with reference to Evaluation criteria.

• Describe the agency’s experience dealing with the provision of creative services (refer to TOR)
• Describe the Company’s capability to deliver on the assignment.
• Provide a detailed track record of similar previous work undertaken.
• List of current clients (clients serviced in the last 2 years); email and phone numbers.
• Three reference letters for work conducted in the past 3 years.

(b) Company Profile

• MUST Provide company statutory/legal documentation as part of the preliminary requirements.
• Copy of Certificate of Registration/Incorporation
• Copy of Tax Registration Certificate
• Organisational profile including legal name, year incorporated, number of employees, description of services provided (indicate any in-house media production capabilities and/or outsource partners that may be engaged as third parties).
• Names and CVs of designated core team members to service the needs of the agreement.

B. Financial/Price Proposal

Applicants must include a detailed cost proposal structured as follows:
1. Creative concept development and design (including strategy and ideation)
2. Content production (video, visuals, captions, and design work)
3. Influencer engagement (fees, management, and logistics)
4. Digital media placement and paid promotion
5. Pharmacy activation events (materials, facilitation, and logistics)
6. Regional coordination and management costs (including staff time and travel, if any)

All costs should be presented in USD, inclusive of taxes, production, and agency fees. The proposal should also specify the payment schedule (e.g., upon approval of deliverables) and indicate any in-kind or subcontracted services to be managed under the agency.

Financial Proposal should be password protected.

7. Bid Evaluation

In evaluating the proposals, PSI will seek the best value for money rather than the lowest priced proposal. PSI will use a two-stage selection procedure:

• The first stage will evaluate the Technical Proposal.
• The second stage will evaluate the Cost Proposal for proposals that pass the Technical Proposal evaluation.

PSI is not bound to accept the lowest or any proposal and reserves the right to accept any proposal in whole or in part and to reject any or all proposals.

A. Technical evaluation

Technical evaluation will be based on a point – system out of a maximum 70. Scores will be awarded as per the matrix below:

1. Understanding of the Assignment. 15Mks
2. Creative Approach & Conceptual Strength. 20Mks
3. Team Composition & Experience. 15Mks
4. Regional Experience and Coordination Capacity. 20Mks

Bidders must score 60 points or more to qualify for financial evaluation.

1. Financial Evaluation

The lowest financial proposal will be awarded 30 points. The rest of the proposals will be determined as follows:

Lowest submitted Total Cost Evaluation = a score of 30 points

Ranking for the other bids

Normalized Price Score = (Lowest submitted Total Cost/Submitted Total Cost by Bidder) x 30

The Weights are as follows: – Technical Proposal, T = 70% & Financial Proposal, P= 30%

T is the weight given to the technical proposal (in this case 70%) and P is the weight given to the financial proposal (in this case 30%)

Note P + T will be equal to 100%.

The award may be awarded to the bidder with the highest combined score.

8. Payment Terms

Payment will be made only upon PSI’s acceptance of the work performed in accordance with the contractual milestones. The terms of payment are net 30 days, after receipt of invoice and acceptance of work.

PART 2 – Terms of Reference (ToR)

Hiring a Creative Agency to Lead and Implement the Regional Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery (PBID) Campaign

1. Introduction / Background

Population Services International (PSI), through funding from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, is leading a regional initiative to test innovative models that expand access to vaccines in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. The initiative, known as the Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery (PBID) program, aims to bring immunization services closer to communities by leveraging pharmacies as safe, accessible, and trusted vaccine delivery points.

The PBID initiative is part of a broader regional effort under Takeda’s Immunization at Scale partnership, designed to generate evidence on alternative vaccine delivery channels that complement public health systems and contribute to increased immunization coverage across Africa. The model emphasizes pharmacies as private sector partners that can effectively reach populations, especially women and adolescent girls, who may face barriers accessing routine immunization through public facilities.

In its pilot phase, PBID will be implemented in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria, with each country adapting the model to its unique health system and regulatory context. PSI’s country platforms will work closely with respective Ministries of Health and professional pharmacy associations to ensure alignment with national immunization strategies and to build a pathway for scale.

In Ethiopia, the PBID project is being implemented by PSI Ethiopia in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Association. It focuses on two priority vaccines: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td), targeting adolescent girls and pregnant women respectively. Similar approaches will be adapted in Kenya and Nigeria, guided by each country’s national priorities and immunization frameworks.

Across the three countries, the project seeks to:
• Expand the enabling environment for pharmacy-based immunization;
• Strengthen pharmacist capacity and service quality;
• Build public trust and generate vaccine demand through human-centered communication approaches; and
• Generate evidence to inform policy and scale-up at the regional level.

The selected agency will lead the creative design, production, and implementation of the PBID regional demand generation campaign, ensuring strong alignment and coordination across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria.

2. Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this assignment is to identify and onboard a qualified creative agency to lead, produce, and implement the regional PBID demand generation campaign.
This assignment seeks a partner who can creatively position pharmacy-based vaccination as a trusted, accessible, and community-friendly service.

Specifically, the agency will:
• Develop a unifying creative concept or “Big Idea” that drives awareness and demand for pharmacy-based vaccination services;
• Produce compelling video, visual, and social media content adaptable for each of the three pilot countries;
• Recommend influencer engagement strategies suitable for target audience segments;
• Lead campaign rollout across digital platforms and pharmacy activation sites in close collaboration with PSI country teams; and
• Ensure alignment, consistency, and quality across all campaign executions.

3. Scope of Work

3.1. Big Idea

Develop a central creative concept that anchors the campaign—emotionally resonant, relevant, and adaptable across three countries. The idea should normalize pharmacy-based vaccination, emphasize trust and convenience, and reflect community realities. The Big Idea must allow for adaptation across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria, using a consistent visual identity and tone but flexible cultural execution.

3.2. Influencer Strategy

Propose five influencer archetypes (e.g., two mothers, two young adults, one pharmacy professional) suitable for the campaign. Recommend how influencer engagement can be executed in each country, either by using local influencers or regionally recognized figures, with consistent messaging and branding.

3.3. Creative Content Production

Produce 10 short-form videos (up to 90 seconds each) and 20 key visuals optimized for digital platforms for each country (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok). Develop accompanying captions, hashtags, and other social media assets. Deliver both final outputs and editable files in required formats.

3.4. Pharmacy Activation and Engagement

Develop and implement creative activation events in selected pharmacies across the three pilot countries. Propose innovative in-pharmacy engagement ideas (e.g., storytelling corners, branded information booths, or interactive sessions). Ensure all activation materials and activities are aligned with PSI’s brand and public health standards.

3.5. Media Engagement and Consultation

Recommend suitable TV programs and digital platforms for earned media. Advise PSI on appropriate channels and opportunities for team participation in interviews or public awareness segments.

3.6. Social Media Campaign and Content Calendar

Prepare a three-month content calendar tailored to each country’s digital landscape. Manage influencer posting schedules, campaign sequencing, and performance optimization across channels. Support PSI in community management and audience engagement during the campaign period.

3.7. Campaign Production and Implementation

Lead the end-to-end production and implementation of all campaign materials and activities. Manage influencer engagement and ensure timely content delivery across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. Coordinate with PSI country communication leads for content approval, rollout, and performance tracking. Maintain brand consistency and ensure campaign materials adhere to PSI’s standards and country-specific regulations.

3.8. Regional Coordination

Manage creative alignment across all three countries, either through the agency’s own offices or via partnerships with qualified local creative firms. Share creative guidelines, templates, and quality assurance tools to ensure message consistency. Provide regular progress updates to PSI’s regional coordination team. The selected agency will collaborate closely with PSI’s communication leads in each country to ensure localized adaptation and smooth implementation. Each PSI country office will assign a focal person for content review, cultural adaptation, and approval. The agency will facilitate biweekly coordination calls with PSI’s regional and country teams to ensure progress alignment.

4. Deliverables

1. Creative Concept Deck, Comprehensive “Big Idea” presentation, including rationale, audience insights, influencer strategy, and sample creatives. Delivered in PDF / PPT formats within 3 weeks of contract signing.
2. Regional Adaptation Framework, Outline of how the concept will be adapted for Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria, delivered in PDF within 5 weeks of contract signing.
3. Full Campaign Production Package, Final produced assets (videos, visuals, captions, influencer content, and activation materials). Delivered in editable + final formats within 10 weeks of approval of the Big Idea.
4. Social Media Content Calendar Three-month calendar covering posting frequency, influencer activity, and key messages. Delivered in Excel / PDF formats by week 8
5. Activation Report, Summary of pharmacy activation events with visuals and performance insights. Delivered in PDF within 2 weeks after campaign completion
6. Media Consultation Summary, recommendations for team TV appearances or earned media features. Delivered in Word / PDF formats by week 10.
7. Final Implementation Report, Comprehensive summary of activities, reach, performance metrics, and lessons learned delivered in PDF format at End of contract.

Duration of Contract.

It is expected that the agreement will last three months from December 2025 to February 2026, with the option to extend for an additional 1 – 2 months. The award and contract will in all respects be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Kenya.

5. Monitoring and Reporting

The agency will work with PSI to define performance indicators that measure campaign reach, engagement, and impact. Suggested indicators include:
• Digital reach and engagement (impressions, views, shares, comments)
• Influencer content performance metrics
• Pharmacy activation attendance and audience feedback
• Qualitative insights from community engagement

PSI will provide templates for periodic progress reporting and require brief monthly performance updates.

6. Eligibility

1. Eligible applicants are creative agencies legally registered in any African country with permission to operate regionally and demonstrate experience implementing campaigns in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. Agencies may deliver through their in-country presence or via subcontracted local partners under their supervision. Preference will be given to agencies headquartered in one of the three pilot countries (Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria).
2. Experience in health communication, behavioral change, or social impact marketing is strongly preferred. Agencies should demonstrate a proven track record of campaign leadership and end-to-end implementation across multiple markets.
3. Agencies must demonstrate the ability to deliver high-quality outputs under tight timelines and multi-country coordination contexts.

Submission Requirements

Applicants must submit:
• Company profile and proof of legal registration
• Description of regional structure (offices or local partners)
• Creative concept deck (maximum 15 slides)
• Key staff bios
• Portfolio of similar health or social campaigns
• Detailed cost proposal (in USD, inclusive of taxes)

Tagged as: Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Population Services International