Call for applications: Researcher and Writer for Sound Connects Fund

The Music In Africa Foundation and Goethe-Institut recently started the implementation of the Sound Connects Fund, a European Union (EU) and Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States-funded 40-month project aiming to support creatives in Southern Africa in nine countries – namely Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and eSwatini. 

The project aims to support creatives and practitioners through subgrants to improve their products and services, in gaining more access to markets and to finances as well as in implementing initiatives focused on audience literacy.

Grantees have started implementing projects and the Sound Connects Fund would like to document and compile good practices that come out of such a unique project.

Key responsibilities/Objective

1. Co-conceptualisation of Good Practice Reports

Finalise the ideas and concept (incl. content collection, formats, media, etc.) for the Good Practice Reports together with the Sound Connects Fund management.

2. Writing Services

Research and professional writing of three separate Good Practice Reports based on the various arts and culture projects currently being implemented by the Sound Connect Funds subgrantees. The freelancer or company will engage with the Sound Connects Fund subgrantees, the Sound Connects Fund M&E team and Sound Connects Fund grant officers to compile, edit and deliver the final written reports.

Note: The Sound Connects Fund has employed an M&E and Learning partner who will contribute data and information from the various subgrantee projects. The appointed consultant or company may consider the data and information for inclusion in the final Good Practice Reports.

Subgrantee information

The appointed service provider or company will be expected to interface with the Sound Connects Fund grantees cohorts across our nine target countries in order to collect relevant data and information for inclusion in the final Good Practice Reports.

• Cohort 1 – 11 Grantees (Projects started in January 2022).
• Cohort 2 – 13 Grantees (Projects start in August 2022).
• Cohort 3 – 10 Grantees (Projects start in March 2023).

Note: The expertise of the service provider will guide the deliverables of the outputs in these terms of reference. However, the final tasks, specifications and scope will be approved by the Sound Connects Fund management team.

Submission

The service provider or company must submit the following to the Music In Africa Foundation and Goethe-Institut:

• Proof of expertise and previous work in the writing and delivery of Good Practice Reports and other related project analysis reports.
• Proposed approach to providing a 360 service that includes writing, editing, proofreading, layout and services. Where applicable, please include profiles of other external partners or service providers that will form part of your delivery plan and team.
• Proposed workflow, including a typical timeline, demonstrating the production and client liaison process that will be employed in the delivery of the service of these terms of reference.
• A complete and detailed cost indication, ideally itemised billing of each deliverable under these terms of reference. Please note that final costs and service fees will be determined by the final tasks, specifications and scope of delivery to be negotiated between the appointed service provider and the Sound Connects Fund management team.
• Profile of freelancer or company demonstrating suitability for the work; examples of previous work delivered.

Profile of service provider qualifications of personnel

• Expertise and experience of working in the Southern African region in a similar capacity.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Understanding of activities of projects in the creative industries and arts development.
• Experience in good practice research and reporting in the context of monitoring and evaluation processes.

Budget plan and other aspects

• The budget shall be presented in EUR (or local currency, if from South Africa) and shall contain all other expenditure components (e.g. internet access, working materials, etc.). Goethe-Institut will only pay the total price as indicated by the offer. Note: final costs and service fees will be determined by the final tasks, specifications and scope of delivery to be negotiated between the appointed service provider or company and the Sound Connects Fund management team.
• All costs shall be listed without VAT. VAT (if applicable) shall be highlighted as a once-off.
• Any equipment needed for the provision of the tasks shall be provided by the service provider.

General provisions

• Rights of usage: Goethe-Institut and the Music In Africa Foundation shall be granted an exclusive right to use the products of the contract for all known and unknown types of use, which is unlimited in terms of time, space and content. This right of use also extends to the right to utilise individual parts or the entire product in connection with other works not originating from the contractual partner.
• Criteria for selection: A committee compiled by
• Goethe-Institut and the Music In Africa Foundation will evaluate the different bids submitted. Submissions after the deadline will not be considered. Goethe-Institut reserves the right to ask for additional documentation after submission. The evaluation consists of four parts: price (30%), quality of the offer (30%), professional experience (20%) and regional expertise (20%). The offer with the highest number of cumulative points across all four sections will be awarded.

Submission of proposals

Only qualified and experienced service providers capable of delivering services on time and at affordable rates with a proven track record will be considered. The contract will be signed with Goethe-Institut.

Interested service providers should submit detailed technical and financial proposals with a detailed budget detailing all costs related to this call.

General provisions

• Bidders should note that once contracted, there will be no extension of allocated time, beyond the closing date as defined in contract.
• Failure to comply with the provisions of the contract could render the cancellation of the contract without prejudice to the contracting party.
• Goethe-Institut reserves the right not to appoint any consultant/service provider or to appoint the work to more than one bidder.
• Goethe-Institut reserves the right to undertake reference and other checks, and by responding to this bid, the consultant(s)/service provider hereby gives Goethe-Institut consent/authority to undertake such checks.
• Goethe-Institut reserves the right to withdraw this bid/or amend these terms of reference by notice in writing (email or posting on the website) to only shortlisted bidders who will have responded to this call prior to the closing date.
• The award of the contract will be based on best value for money – that being the best outcome for Goethe-Institut as a whole, considering price, economic, environmental and social benefits (if applicable).
• Goethe-Institut reserves the right not to make an award or to accept the lowest bid.

Application process

Candidates are invited to submit a budget and proposal that is a maximum of four (4) pages, outlining the proposed process with time frames by the closing date.

Anti-competitive behaviour

Anti-competitive arrangements, particularly agreements and recommendations regarding the following, are forbidden:

• Profit margin.
• Profit sharing.
• Prices.
• Deficiency compensation/redundancy pay, etc. 
• Terms and conditions for delivery of service, payment and contract which influence the pricing apart from exceptions mentioned in the GWB (German Competition Law, implementing Article 101 of the EU Treaty),

Miscellaneous

• The information, materials and documents made available by the contracting authority may only be used for the purpose of this tender, have to be kept strictly confidential and are not allowed to be recirculated to third parties without prior approval of the contracting authority. 
• Costs incurred for the preparation and presentation (including travel expenses) for the bid cannot be reimbursed. Unless otherwise agreed, the documents, samples, etc. attached to the bid will pass into the ownership of the contracting authority. Bidders cannot claim a reimbursement of any costs.

How to submit and offer

Offers need to be submitted electronically (preferably in one PDF) in English to Ms Priscilla Mwasinga at priscilla.mwasinga@goethe.de with the subject line ‘Sound Connects Fund Good Practice Reports’ no later than 25 July 2022 at 6pm SAST.

Late submissions will not be considered.

For further enquiries, contact Sound Connects Fund officer MS Priscilla Mwasinga at priscilla.mwasinga@goethe.de or Sound Connects Fund regional coordinator Mr Thabiso Mohare at thabiso@musicinafrica.net.