Request for Proposal Production Partner - Digital Micro Drama Series

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that builds media and technology that girls want, trust and need. We use youth-centred storytelling, behaviour-change science and digital engagement to help adolescent girls make informed choices about their health, education, relationships and futures.

In India, our initiatives include Chhaa Jaa and Teeka Talk. These programmes provide trusted information and support on health, relationships, empowerment and HPV vaccination through social media, digital content, chatbots and community engagement.

Background and Objective

Girl Effect India seeks an experienced production partner to develop and produce a compelling digital-first micro drama series for Instagram, YouTube and other short-form platforms.

The series will follow interconnected adolescent girls and the family members, friends, peers, boys and community members who influence their lives. It will use relatable family-drama storytelling to entertain audiences and promote positive role modelling, agency, empathy and informed decision-making.

The story will integrate themes including:

• Girl empowerment;

• Menstruation;

• Nutrition;

• Mental health;

• Gender-based violence; and

• HPV immunisation as a central theme.

These messages must be woven naturally into engaging stories rather than delivered as direct instruction. The production must be youth-friendly, gender-inclusive, body- and sex-positive, trauma-informed, rights-based and culturally credible.

Required Outputs

Output

Included Base Quantity

Requirement

Micro-drama episodes

25-30

Each episode will be 60–90 seconds, serialised, digital-first and supplied in approved platform formats.

Optional additional episodes

Up to 5

Separately priced per episode and produced only following written authorisation.

Original song and music video

1 each

Original composition, production, master and agreed promotional cutdowns, with all rights cleared.

Series trailer

1

Up to 60 seconds, including an agreed vertical version.

Promos

3

Short-form campaign promos in agreed aspect ratios.

Cast interviews

5–6

Edited short-form interviews with approved cast members.

Behind-the-scenes and shoulder content

Minimum 10 clips

Edited clips suitable for episodic amplification.

Episode thumbnails and stills

Thumbnail sets and a curated stills package for all episodes

Editable templates and final exports.

Regional-language versions

Up to 3 languages

Optional and separately priced by language and episode or as a full-series package.

The quantities above constitute the base scope. Any additional output must be approved through the change-control process before production begins.

What You will do

The selected production partner will be responsible for the end-to-end development and production of the series, including but not limited to:

• Concept & Story Development: Develop the overarching concept, story universe, and narrative arc for across all episodes of the micro-drama series featuring multiple adolescent girl protagonists and an interconnected universe of characters.

• Character & Story Arcs: Develop detailed character profiles and individual arcs, ensuring each girl’s and character's journey explores relatable adolescent experiences while contributing to the larger narrative.

• Scriptwriting: Develop episode-wise scripts that organically integrate key themes and messages around girl empowerment, menstruation, nutrition, mental health, gender-based violence, and a strong focus on HPV immunisation.

• Creative Development: Translate programme objectives and key messages into engaging, emotionally resonant, culturally relevant stories with strong role modelling and positive behavioural shifts.

• Digital-First Storytelling: Ensure episodes are structured, paced, and formatted for 1–1.5-minute short-form consumption, with strong hooks, narrative continuity, and platform-appropriate storytelling.

• Pre-Production: Casting of actors, location scouting, costume and production design, scheduling, shot planning, and all other pre-production requirements.

• Production: End-to-end filming of all episodes in conversational Hindi, incorporating appropriate regional and cultural nuances to ensure authenticity and relatability.

• Post-Production: Editing, sound design, music, colour grading, subtitles/captions, graphics, and final mastering of all episodes for digital distribution.

• Series Identity & Packaging: Develop the visual identity, title treatment, opening/closing elements, thumbnails, and other creative assets required for multi-platform release.

• OST & Music Video: Conceptualise, compose, produce, and deliver an original song/OST and accompanying music video that captures the spirit of the series and can be used across marketing and promotional campaigns.

• Language Adaptations: Support adaptations/dubbing/subtitling in up to three additional regional languages, as required and quoted separately.

• Final Deliverables: Provide all final episodes, scripts, character/story bibles, episode breakdowns, promotional assets, OST/music video, and relevant production/master files in agreed formats.

• Promotion Plan - A suggestive plan to amplify the series with an on-ground and digital component

Technical and Delivery Standards

The agency must:

• Capture and master content at a minimum resolution of 4K unless Girl Effect approves otherwise.

• Frame footage safely for all agreed platform aspect ratios.

• Deliver files using the codecs, audio standards, naming conventions and folder structure agreed at inception.

• Ensure that dialogue, sound, music, colour, subtitles, captions and graphics meet professional digital-broadcast standards.

• Check all names, logos, health information, translations and on-screen text for accuracy.

• Use only properly licensed footage, music, fonts, graphics, photographs and other third-party materials.

• Retain project settings and original-quality production files throughout post-production.

• Securely store and maintain recoverable copies of production files until Girl Effect confirms final handover and acceptance.

No generative-AI material may be used without Girl Effect’s prior written approval. Any proposed AI use must be disclosed and must not compromise intellectual property, consent, privacy, safeguarding or authenticity.

Approvals, Revisions and Change Control

The following provisions will apply:

• Corrections required because an output does not meet the approved brief, script, technical specification or quality standard will not count as creative revisions and must be completed at no additional cost.

• Reshoots or rework resulting from agency error, poor technical quality, missing coverage, continuity failures, rights failures or unauthorised deviations will be undertaken at the agency’s cost.

• Changes requested by Girl Effect that materially alter an already approved quantity, output, duration, language, cast, location, schedule or specification may be treated as additional scope.

• Before starting additional work, the agency must submit a written change request describing the reason, deliverables, cost, schedule and impact on the existing work.

• No additional fee, expense or deadline extension will be valid without written approval through an authorised change order or contract amendment.

• General discussions, meetings or emails with project team members do not authorise additional expenditure unless approved by Girl Effect’s authorised contract representative.

• The agency must continue delivering the unaffected parts of the approved scope while a proposed change is being reviewed.

Deliverables

• Development

• Creative vision and promotional strategy document

• Series concept, overarching storyline, characterisation and narrative universe

• Detailed episode-wise narrative breakdowns

• Development plans, timelines, and production processes

• Regular progress reports and production meetings

• Pre-Production

• Finalised scripts for all episodes and promotional content

• Storyboards

• Cast/talent contracts, release forms, usage rights, and due diligence documentation

• Pre-production plan for CTAs, social content, cast interviews, and other promotional assets

• Production

• Pre-production deck and plan

• End-to-end shoot of all episodes and agreed promotional assets

• Original OST/song and accompanying music video

• Relevant permission and licensing documents [rights to rest with Gift Effect]

• Post-Production

• Episodic master files - release ready

• Series visual identity, packaging, and promotional assets

• Comprehensive promotional package including Teasers, Promos, BTS, Cast interviews [5-6]

• Final OST/music video and associated assets

• Weekly production status reports

• Final Handover

• Final master files, clean files, open files, raw footage of all episodes, music video and promotional assets on Google Drive as well as physical HDD.

• Complete rights, releases, licenses, and usage documentation

• Hosting & Amplification

• Cast-led videos for amplification of episodes across their social media handles, with usage and promotional rights.

• Episode-level BTS, cast bytes, shoulder content, teaser and other promotional content for audience engagement and amplification with usage and promotional rights.

• Weekly performance reports covering reach, impressions, views, likes, shares, saves, comments, and reposts for all episodes and promotional content.

Who You Are

We are looking for production houses that have fulfilled either all or at least two of the following criteria:

• Have extensive knowledge of creating PAN India serialised content at scale with a regional flavor while maintaining authenticity and relatability.

• Developed fictional content for the development sector, but with a youth-friendly content focussed approach.

• Worked with brands targeting younger audiences

• A portfolio of award-winning fictional storytelling work on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp will be a plus.

• Capacity to work on tight timelines.

Skills and expertise:

• You are based in India, preferably in Delhi or Mumbai, and have worked on fictional content with regional nuances.

• Fluency in English, conversational Hindi and Hinglish.

• Experience in creating health-related /behavior change content production in the field of gender based tech violence, mental health, health and immunization, sexual and reproductive health and rights and economic empowerment would be a massive bonus.

• Strong understanding of local trends, media landscape, and cultural nuances to tailor creative solutions that resonate with the target audience in the Indian market.

• Proficiency in creative and strategic thinking, project/time/budget management.

• Proficiency in creating content and branding for diverse platforms such as digital, social media, and emerging media channels, leveraging each platform's unique features to engage the target audiences.

• Experienced with the latest creative production tools and technologies, including design software, video editing tools, and content management systems, to ensure efficient and high-quality output.

• Basic safeguarding and digital safeguarding knowledge are a plus.

• Most importantly, we need you to ensure that you have a lens that is youth-friendly & fun, body and sex-positive, gender inclusive, trauma-informed and adopts a rights-based approach towards girls and young women.

Expected Commitment

• The project is expected to have a duration of 3 months.

Location

The Agency must be based in Delhi or Mumbai and have extensive experience in the country.

Management

• The consultant will have a primary point of contact within our India Create team.

• The language of the materials and reports shall be English.

• The contract supervisor shall approve all deliverables submitted before any payment is made.

Procurement