Request for Proposal
Creative Services: Graphic Design, Photography, Videography and Podcast production

Quotation Submittal Due Date

June 7, 2025 (5:00 PM CAT)

Overview

In 2011, Carnegie Mellon University and the Government of Rwanda signed an agreement to establish a CMU location in Kigali, Rwanda. This partnership was designed to respond to the critical shortage of high-quality engineering talent required to harness Africa's tremendous potential as home to the fastest-growing workforce in the world.

CMU-Africa, located in Kigali Innovation City, is a regional ICT center of excellence educating a diverse composition of future leaders from all over Africa, who will use their hands-on skills and knowledge to advance technology innovation and grow businesses.

Carnegie Mellon University's presence in Rwanda continues to provide a platform to engage in Africa's most significant opportunities and challenges through world-class education and contextually relevant research.

Vision

CMU-Africa will have a transformative impact on African society through continual innovation in education, research, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

Mission

CMU-Africa delivers transformative educational programs to cultivate future technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators across Africa. The university engages in collaborative research and innovation to address African and global challenges.

For more general information about Carnegie Mellon, visit cmu-africa.

Overview of Opportunity

Carnegie Mellon University-Africa (CMU-Africa) seeks proposals from professional companies to provide marketing and communications services. This Request for Proposal (RFP) aims to identify a qualified supplier capable of providing comprehensive marketing communications support for CMU-Africa.

The scope of work outlines the marketing and communications services required by CMU-Africa.  The objective is to enhance marketing communication within the parameters of:

a) Brand and image enhancement: Amplification of CMU-Africa as an institution that provides world-class education, has renowned faculty and conducts impactful, innovative research that drives digital transformation across Africa and beyond.

b) Brand positioning: To strengthen our brand as an institution that offers educational opportunities, career growth, and measurable high employability.

c) Storytelling: CMU-Africa’s impact through curated success stories.

Interested companies are invited to submit proposals outlining their expertise, experience, and proposed approaches to fulfilling the specified services.

Scope of Work

Graphic Design:

1. Create visually appealing digital and print collateral, including brochures, banners, infographics, and social media graphics.
2. Ensure brand consistency throughout all design work.
3. Deliver high-quality digital files in suitable formats for web, social media and print use.
4. Design reports, PowerPoint presentations, posters, and branding concepts.
5. Design promotional merchandise

Estimated volume:

1. 4 fliers per week
2. 5 PowerPoint presentations per month
3. Institutional and stewardship reports (up to 6)

Photography:

1. Thematic photo shoots for marketing campaigns and reporting.
2. Event photography (conferences, delegation visits, workshops, and community engagements).
3. Capture high-resolution photographs for promotional and report use.
4. Institutional headshots and team photos.
5. Edit and enhance the visual content to produce professional-quality images.
6. Edited photographs and videos on the web, social media, and print-ready formats.
7. Manage the CMU-Africa flickr album.

Estimated volume:

• Annual First-Year student headshots ( approx 170 )
• 20 monthly delegation visits ( 3-5 per week)
• 4-6 conferences/workshops
• 3 weekly external engagements
• 3 student events

Videography

• Professional videos highlighting the activities and impact of CMU-Africa
• Event coverage and highlight videos.
• Testimonial and interview-based videos.
• Promotional and informational videos.
• Post-production services such as color correction, cropping, retouching, and video editing as required.
• Post-production editing, including voiceovers, captions, and motion graphics.
• Social media-edited videos
• Manage the CMU-Africa YouTube Channel.

Estimated volume:

• 2 ( 3-minute) videos per month
• 2-4 event highlight videos every other month
• 5 annual recruitment testimonials and marketing videos
• 1 research video per month
• 1 (3-minute) internal communication video per month

Podcast production:

• Concept development and scripting.
• Recording, editing, and mastering audio.
• Integration of video, music, sound effects, and branding elements.
• Publishing and distribution support.

Estimated volume:

• 2 per semester

Timeline & Process

• Issuance Date                     May 8, 2025
• Response Deadline            June 7, 2025 (5:00 PM CAT)
• Selection                             June 28, 2025
• Contract Implementation   July 1, 2025

Any questions regarding this document must be issued via email to africa-finance@andrew.cmu.edu . All questions will be answered via email to all bid participants. Prospective vendors may not communicate with any university staff or related third parties regarding this document or process than the university contact.  Doing so may result in immediate rejection of that company from the process.

Responses are due via email in PDF form by the deadline listed above.

University Contact

Chipiwa Zimbwa

Chief Operations Officer

Email: africa-finance@andrew.cmu.edu

Response

Prospective vendors must provide a response to the following bullet points.  Repeat each bullet with your response below.  The total response is not to exceed 20 pages in length.

General

• Provide a brief overview of your company, including its history, core values and strategy.
• Provide Certificate of Registration.
• Provide Tax Compliant Certificate.
• High-level timeline and rationale for proposed methodology (showing phasing, the feedback loop of drafts, milestones, and resources required).
• Indicate the activities that will be delivered in-person and those that will be delivered through virtual arrangements, if any.
• In the ‘Pricing and Services’ table below, clearly state the turnaround time required to deliver the service, the human resource allocation and the cost for the service.
• References and experience list for similar type projects.
• Cost proposal.

Proficiency evaluation

• Demonstrate video production - brief interpretation to final cut.
• Demonstrate photo editing skills.
• Demonstrate podcast editing and mastering
  1. Podcast edit – WAV format
  2. Video Edit – MP4format (H.264 codec)

Pricing and Services

• Provide pricing for each of the services below separately:

Other Items

• Include a copy of your company’s audited financial statements.
• Include copies of CVs of the team
• Have you done business with Carnegie Mellon in the past? If yes, please provide details.
• Describe any competitive advantages your company holds that should be considered outside of pricing.

Terms & Conditions

Vendors providing a quote agree to the following terms and conditions:

• The University reserves the right to reject any or all quotations received, to request clarification of any Quotation, to waive informalities or irregularities; and to award a contract not based solely on the lowest cost.
• All information contained in this document is considered confidential and cannot be shared without permission by the University.
• Pricing included in your quote must be valid for at least sixty days and may not be modified, withdrawn or canceled.
• The University will not pay for any information requested herein, nor is it liable for any costs incurred by the participant in responding to this request.  All quotations submitted become the property of the University; they will not be returned.
• None of the information released either verbally or in writing shall be deemed binding to the University in any manner.
• All quotations or offers must be signed by a duly appointed officer or agent of your company.
• The University payments terms are Net 30.

Should your company’s quote be accepted by the university, the standard terms and conditions of university purchase orders apply. To review the standard university terms and conditions, please request from Chipiwa Zimbwa at  africa-finance@andrew.cmu.edu