Cultivating New Frontiers In Agriculture (CNFA)- Request For Proposal For Still Photo Coverage Services

DEADLINE: 9TH DECEMBER, 2022
CULTIVATING NEW FRONTIERS IN AGRICULTURE (CNFA)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR STILL PHOTO COVERAGE SERVICES
LOCATION: NG (PRIMARY)
CATEGORY: CONSULTING, PROCUREMENT
FIELD POINT OF CONTACT (POC): COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
HQ POINT OF CONTACT (POC): COMMUNICATIONS LEAD
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND/OR LEVEL OF EFFORT (LOE): 10 DAYS IN JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2023
LOCATION: KADUNA, NIGER, DELTA AND CROSS RIVER

Background:
About CNFA:
CNFA is a Washington D.C.-based international agricultural development organization that strives to stimulate economic growth and improve livelihoods by cultivating entrepreneurship. CNFA builds strong local and global partnerships, incorporates innovative approaches in its programs, and fosters inclusive development to offer enhanced opportunities to under-served groups. Additionally, CNFA has implemented more than $600 million in donor-funded agriculture development programs in 44 different countries across Africa, Eastern Europe, Latina America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South and Central Asia.

About Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity:
The Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity is a USAID Nigeria program implemented by CNFA in Nigeria, as part of the United States Government’s Feed the Future Initiative and aims to strengthen the business enabling environment to promote private sector investment in agriculture. To achieve this goal, the activity focuses on three interrelated components: improving the ease of doing business in the agricultural sector; broadening access to finance by mitigating the credit risks of agribusinesses; and promoting investment opportunities for agribusinesses to expand and scale up operations. In line with the U.S. and Nigerian Government’s commitment to growing the non-oil-based economy, these efforts will increase the quality, quantity, market access, and diversification of Nigeria’s agribusiness sector.

Beginning in December 2018 and closing in 2023, the project aims to integrate thousands of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and producer organizations as high-performing commercial actors in the value chains for rice, maize, soy, aquaculture, and cowpeas. As a result of streamlined regulations, more effective policies, improved production and processing practices, and significantly increased finance and investment flows, the project will increase the competitiveness and returns of both large and small-scale agricultural enterprises. Employing a value chain approach, the Agribusiness Investment Activity aims to facilitate $125 million in new lending and $100 million in new investments across the 5 crops in the following 7 designated States: Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi, and Cross River. Activities will encompass four broad but interrelated components. First, the Agribusiness Investment Activity will improve the ease of doing business in the agricultural sector; second, the Activity will expand access to finance by mitigating the credit risks of agribusinesses; third, the Activity will promote investment opportunities for agribusinesses to strengthen their readiness to expand and scale up their operations and fourth, enhance the performance standards of agribusiness MSMEs. Taken together, these efforts will increase the volume, added value, and diversification of agribusiness investments.

Overview of the Assignment:
Objective:
The Activity aims to collect high-quality project photography of events and activities of the Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity, which will be used to demonstrate the project’s success to various audiences, including but not limited to: the American public, project donors, national and local government agencies, project partners, and the private sector. These photos may be used by USAID as well as CNFA for distribution on USAID/CNFA’s website, social media, and screened at conferences, etc.

Photo Descriptions:

• Photos that highlight beneficiary faces and actions (cooperatives, agribusiness partners, youth, women).
• Photos that showcase program activities (agribusiness partners in their factories, post-harvest, conservation agriculture, etc.).
• Close-up, high-resolution photos of crops, farmer hands holding crops, people working in agribusiness factories, etc.
• Landscape photos of farms, fields, processing facilities, storage warehouses, etc.
• Photos of technology (farm mechanization, equipment operation in agribusiness factories, post-harvest technology, irrigation, cold chain, etc.).
• Photos showing access to finance (VS&L groups, cooperatives, financial institutions, mobile money, etc.).
• Photos highlighting nutrition (maternal and child health, dietary diversity, food distribution programs, etc.)

Photo Requirements:

• The photos captured must be shot in HD and should use a wide variety of camera angles to ensure a professional and engaging product.
• Photography must include titles or captions which provide information such as the name(s) of the beneficiaries or subjects (particularly for photos with three or less people), the activity that is occurring, location of the activity, and project name.
• The selected offeror will discuss with the Activity team on any travel or security related considerations or approvals prior to arrival.
• The final photos must be delivered via a web-accessible folder for CNFA HQ and Activity staff, as well as a hard copy of all images. The digital copy may be provided via Dropbox, Google, etc. and the hard copy may be provided via hard drive or flash drive, etc.
• The final deliverable must include 300 – 500 photos post-production (editing included).

The Client (CNFA)
Upon award, the Client will have the following general responsibilities under the agreement:

(1) The Communications Specialist shall be the Point of Contact (POC) for all communications between the selected offeror and the Activity

(2) Provide timely feedback to the selected offeror

(3) Provide information, feedback, and guidance on the security context

(4) Support selected offeror by organizing and attending field visits

(5) Host introductions with beneficiaries, communities, etc.

(6) Provide activity summary documents, and/or detailed visual guides of the desired content

(7) Develop list of beneficiaries and locations, as well as detailed itinerary for field visits

(8) Provide photography consent form

The Selected Offeror (photographer/production firm)
Upon award, the selected offeror will have the following general responsibilities under the agreement:

(1) Lead preparations, production, and post-production editing for the set of photos

(2) Deliver the final photo set

(3) Manage photography team to: 

(a) Travel to field sites to photograph beneficiaries, landscapes, etc.

(b) Provide varied photos and editing, as needed

(4) Provide signed photography consent forms from all individuals/hosts photographed (this release form will be provided by CNFA Field Supervisor)

Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1: 300 – 500 approved, high-resolution photos with titles/captions delivered via web-accessible folder as well as hard copy.

LOE: 10 Days (8 days for onsite production – 2 per state; 2 days for post-production (editing)

Deliverable Schedule:

Application Submission
Emails should be sent to operations@ag-invest.org.  Please specify Photography Consultant in the subject line. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be considered or contacted. No phone calls please. Deadline for receiving applications is 9 December, 2022. Top of Form

Anticipated Timeline:

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must have more than 3 years proven professional experience and training in photography
• Experience in photo shoot of agriculture-focused programs shall be added advantage
• Excellent technical capacities and ability to mobilize Full High-Definition video and other state of the art photography equipment/tools to the selected locations to ensure hi-res photos. Note that the consultant is expected to provide all equipment required to plan, execute, and complete the shoot.
• Applications should include submitted samples and/or a link to an online portfolio showing past relevant work
• Names and contact information of at least two references (of other similar clients).

Proposal Format Instructions: All proposals must be formatted in accordance with the below requirements:
(a) Submit a proposal clearly stating your experience and suitability for the proposed assignment. Your proposal must include your proposed cost/budget.

(b) Proposals must include your company/individual profile and links/attachments to samples showing previous works

(c) Provide two contacts for references from organizations/individuals for which the offeror has successfully performed similar work.

Emails should be sent to operations@ag-invest.org. Please specify Photography Consultant in the subject line. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be considered or contacted. No phone calls please. Deadline for receiving applications is 9 December, 2022.

(A) CONFIDENTIALITY:
The Agribusiness Investment Activity confirms that non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements will be included in contracts awarded to any and all service providers hired to provide technical assistance under this SOW. Consultants, consulting firms, and service providers will be prohibited from disclosing proprietary information under the terms of this agreement.