Insert in subject line: Proposal for Developing and Producing a Forest-PLUS Program Video

Tetra Tech ARD (a trade name of ARD, INC.,) Forest PLUS Program 53 Lodi Estate 1st Floor, New Delhi 110003, India. To: From: Offerors Tetra Tech ARD Date: 20 January 2015 Subject: Reference: Request for Proposal (RFP) Forest PLUS Project - India Dear Offerors: Enclosed is a request for proposals for Developing and Producing a Forest-PLUS Program Video. Tetra Tech ARD invites firms to submit a best-offer proposal for the work funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Forest PLUS Project, India. Submission of Questions: Questions may be submitted no later than 30 January 2015 (4:00 pm. IST). Offerors are invited to address questions to: Dr. V. Dakshinamurthy by e-mail: dakshinamurthy@inspirenetwork.org Insert in subject line: Proposal for Developing and Producing a Forest-PLUS Program Video Submission of proposals: All responses must be in English. All proposals should be submitted in hard copies only. One (1) Original and Two (2) copies of the Technical and Financial Proposals submitted in a sealed envelope shall be delivered no later than 20th February 2015 (1500 Hrs. IST) to: Suruchi Tuli, Finance & Contracts Assistant, Tetra Tech ARD, Forest-PLUS 1 st Floor, 53, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003. Appendices Attached: Appendix A: Proposal Cover Letter template Appendix B: Organizational Capabilities B1: Past Experience and Performance forms B2: Staffing form Appendix C: Company Details and Financial Capacity form Appendix D: Proposal Checklist 1

I. INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND The Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-PLUS) is a technical support program of USAID/India to improve the management of forested landscapes in India, particularly in ways that can help mitigate climate change. USAID/India and India s Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) designed Forest-PLUS to combine technical expertise in India and the US to develop and field-test innovative ways to manage Indian forests to yield climate change, biodiversity, environmental services, and livelihood benefits. Building India s capacity to participate in Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) is an important goal. Forests in India are an integral part of the cultural life of its people, deliver many of the ecosystem services at the foundation of India s economy, and support India s status as one of the world s mega-biodiversity countries. Almost 300 million Indians depend on forest resources for their livelihoods, including 87 million tribal people. Past deforestation has reduced India s forest area and long years of unsustainable use have degraded India s forest biomass and ecological function. Forest-PLUS works closely with MoEF, SFDs, Indian forestry organizations, and other institutions to improve forest management in India, particularly with forest carbon and REDD+ climate change mitigation as management objectives. With its partners, Forest-PLUS develops innovative technologies, tools, and methods and deploys them in four demonstration landscapes in the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim. An important part of Forest-PLUS is to create public awareness, understanding, and support for the issues of climate change, forests, forest management, and climate change mitigation in forested landscapes efforts to demonstrate building an environment for REDD+ and forest carbon focused forest management. In addition, as a prominent bilateral program of USAID/India, Forest-PLUS has an interest in bringing attention to its own activities and contributions to addressing these issues in India. Video is an effective mode of communication to achieve both these ends. Tetra Tech ARD seeks an agency with the talent, experience, and capacity to conceptualize, design, shoot, and produce a short video that presents both the issues of climate change and forests in India and the activities and accomplishments of Forest-PLUS in developing solutions to the challenges these issues pose. II. SCOPE OF WORK & DELIVERABLES Tetra Tech ARD expects the work performed to result in a short (15 minute duration) video or series of videos that creatively combine video and still photography, animation, graphics, sound, and text to present a compelling discussion of climate change, the role of forest condition in exacerbating and mitigating climate change, ecosystem forest management, the state of natural forests and forested landscapes in India, and the core messages, activities, and accomplishments of Forest-PLUS to improve Indian forest management for climate change mitigation and REDD+. The video(s) must accommodate audiences that may differ in language, education, age, technical knowledge, and culture. The contents of the video(s) should address the following themes: a) Forest-PLUS messages Connection between forests and climate change Forest management for carbon Safeguards for livelihoods and biodiversity REDD+ mechanism Forest-PLUS as a technical, co-development program between the US and India b) Communicate the state of India s forests Economic and cultural importance of forests in India History and current status of deforestation and degradation What are the economic, ecological and cultural losses due to deforestation and degradation? What are the potential contributions of better forest management to restoring or mitigating these economic, ecological and cultural losses? c) Solutions for better forest management Sustainable management of forested landscapes for climate change mitigation 2

An ecosystem approach to forest management: landscape ecology, silviculture for forest restoration, NTFP management, forest-grazing management Better data collection, analysis, use, and access for forest management, policy-making, and economic planning Better forest governance: common pool resource governance, common pool resource institution building, better governance assessments Building capacity in forestry technical training institutions Public awareness about forests and climate change, forests and environmental services, forests and sustainable economic growth. Contract Activities a) Work with Forest-PLUS to conceptualize a Forest-PLUS video(s) that clearly identifies and links messages to target audiences through appropriate video techniques to achieve Forest-PLUS communication goals. b) Work with Forest-PLUS to develop a storyboard, visual design, logic structure, and other elements of an overall design for a Forest-PLUS video(s) consistent with its conceptualization. c) Work with photographers, graphics artists, animators, writers, researchers, Forest-PLUS staff, and others to create or acquire the specific information and visual material to realize the Forest-PLUS video(s) design. d) Assemble and edit the visual material into a video(s) that achieves the approved concept and design of a Forest-PLUS video. e) Supervise the production of at least 20 copies of the final, edited video(s). f) Develop an event to introduce the video(s) publicly Contract Deliverables a) Presentation of video(s) concept b) Presentation of video(s) design c) Acquisition of information and visual material needed to achieve video(s) concept and design d) Final, edited video(s) e) Public event to introduce the film III. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE March 15, 2015 August 31, 2015 IV. TYPE OF AWARD The award will be a Fixed Price Subcontract with payments for deliverables approved by Tetra Tech ARD. The total available budget for this assignment is: INR12,000,000.00 (exclusive of taxes). Proposals exceeding the total available budget will be rejected. V. QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES EXPECTED a) The vendor (organization or a TV production company) which will participate in a production should have extensive experience in producing public information video films or TV programmes, relating to the forests /environmental/social / economic matters; b) Experience in working with international organizations and/or government agencies c) Awareness of the international development and technical assistance programmes in India; d) Excellent technical capacities to ensure smooth and high quality production (video production staff, owner of its own video production studio or a documented proof of an access to a rented video studio); e) Experience in working with state institutions, NGOs and local authorities, working in the local development and public administration field; f) Ability to produce the film to meet the format standards and technical requirements of regional, national and international Television; g) Ability to promote the screening of the final film in prominent regional, national and international venues and communication platforms, including TV networks; h) Extensive experience in organizing public presentations of documentaries; i) Excellent planning and organizational skills; j) Excellent ability to meet deadlines. 3

VI. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Offerors should read the following proposal instructions carefully. All interested offerors must provide the following A. Cover Letter: A cover letter signed by a person authorized to sign on behalf of the Offeror. (Use the template in Appendix A) B. Technical Approach: 1. A written video design proposal that completely and clearly presents the offeror s concept how a video will achieve the Forest-PLUS communication objectives stated in this RFP. The format, length, and style of the design proposal are choices of the offeror. 2. A proposed work plan with proposed implementation schedule. C. Organizational Capabilities: A written supplementary document presenting supporting information on the capacity of the offeror to fulfill their video design proposal including staffing and staff skills, past experience, examples of past work (if possible similar to the work proposed in this RFP), and references with contact details. (Use the templates in Appendix B) D. Price/Cost Proposal: A separate cost proposal that presents the financial structure of the offeror s proposal with sufficient detail to allow evaluation of elements of costs proposed. Budgets should be submitted in Indian Rupees. E. Other Details: A written document providing the vendor s legal identity, registration details, address, contact information, etc. (Use the template in Appendix C) F. Proposal Checklist: The Offeror is provided for their own use to check if all the documents are provided. (Use the template in Appendix D) VII. EVALUATION CRITERIA Tetra Tech ARD will evaluate all proposals received in response to this RFP by scoring on cost and technical factors. Tetra Tech ARD will award the subcontract to the offeror that has the highest total proposal evaluation score based on a combination of the following categories: A. Creativity of proposal a) Quality of overall video design b) Freshness of graphic design, visual imagery, text, sound c) Integration of different video elements d) Solutions to requirement that the video can address different audiences e) Solutions to requirement that the video can be adapted to different lengths B. Effectiveness of presentation of Forest-PLUS communication themes a) Completeness of presentation b) Logical structure of presentation c) Use of video elements to present d) Effective storyboard/ communication sequence e) Presentation of technical detail f) Effective illustration of key concepts C. Organizational capacity a) General capacity to perform the project b) Relevant experience: filming in HD video c) Relevant experience: recording sound of HD video projects d) Relevant experience: editing and structuring video films e) Relevant experience: journalism f) Relevant experience: international experience in diverse cultural settings g) Quality of client references and work samples h) Reputation of organization and team D. Key personnel skills and capacity a) Proposed team structure b) Project manager: skills, qualifications, and experience c) Other key personnel: skills, qualifications, and experience d) Language capacity: English, Hindi, Nepali, Kannada e) Creative capacity in international settings f) Ability to engage with project management 4

g) Ability to engage with Forest-PLUS staff and other organizations h) Flexibility in timing and location work E. Proposed work plan a) Quality and logic of work plan b) Appropriate allocation of resources to achieve deliverables c) Appropriate pacing of resources and activities to achieve deliverables F. Cost a) Transparency b) Completeness and detail c) Appropriate budget lines d) Verifiable charges e) Budget explanation f) Overall cost G. Evaluation criteria weightings: A Creativity of proposal 20% B Effectiveness of proposal in presenting Forest-PLUS communication themes 15% C Organizational capacity to achieve SOW deliverables 15% D Key personnel skills and capacity 15% E Proposed work plan 15% F Cost 20% VIII. SELECTION PROCESS A. Offeror short list a) Tetra Tech ARD will determine a short list of offerors after reviewing and ranking proposals on the criteria described below. B. Proposal presentation a) Tetra Tech ARD may choose to invite one or several short-listed offerors to present and discuss their proposal in person at the Forest-PLUS office in Delhi. C. Proposal revision a) Tetra Tech ARD may choose to invite one or several short-listed offerors to prepare revised proposals to reflect Tetra Tech ARD comments and discussions with the offeror. D. Proposal acceptance a) Tetra Tech ARD will notify the successful offeror in writing. E. Subcontract preparation Tetra Tech ARD will negotiate details of a final contract with the offeror after acceptance of the offeror s design and cost proposals. IX. RFP Response Information All responses to this RFP must be received no later than 1500 Hrs. on 20 th February 2015. All proposals should be submitted in hard copies only. One (1) Original and Two (2) Copies of the Technical and Financial Proposals should be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked Proposal for Developing and Producing Forest-PLUS Program Video, and TO BE OPENED ONLY BY A MEMBER/MEMBERS OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE. Tetra Tech ARD may choose not to evaluate an incomplete proposal. Original copies to be mailed to Suruchi Tuli at the following address: Suruchi Tuli Finance & Contracts Assistant Tetra Tech ARD, Forest-PLUS 1 st Floor, 53 Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003. Tetra Tech ARD will not compensate offerors for its preparation of its response to this RFP 5

X. RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS RIGHT TO SELECT/REJECT Tetra Tech ARD reserves the right to select and negotiate with those firms it determines, in its sole discretion, to be qualified for competitive proposals and to terminate negotiations without incurring any liability. Tetra Tech ARD also reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received without explanation. RFP NOT AN OFFER This RFP represents only a definition of requirements. It is merely an invitation for submission of proposals and does not legally obligate Tetra Tech ARD to accept any of the submitted proposals in whole or in part, nor is Tetra Tech ARD obligated to select the lowest priced proposal. Tetra Tech ARD has no contractual obligations with any firms based upon issuance of this RFP. It is not an offer to contract. Only the execution of a written contract shall obligate Tetra Tech ARD in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in such contract. DISCUSSIONS AND AWARD Tetra Tech ARD reserves the right to seek clarifications, enter into discussions or negotiations, or to make award on initial submissions without discussions or negotiations of any kind. Tetra Tech ARD reserves the right to exclude from further consideration any proposal at any time, including after discussions or negotiations have been entered into. PRE-AWARD (Due-diligence) Tetra Tech ARD reserves the right to conduct pre award review of the selected offeror before making a final decision to award. PROPOSAL VALIDITY DATE All information submitted in connection with this RFP will be valid for three (3) months from the RFP due date. This includes, but is not limited to, cost, pricing, terms and conditions, service levels, and all other information. If your firm is awarded the contract, all information in the RFP and negotiation process is contractually binding. OFFER VERIFICATION Tetra Tech ARD may contact offerors to confirm contact person, address, bid amount and to confirm that the bid was submitted for this solicitation. FALSE STATEMENTS IN OFFER Offerors must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and its attachments. At any time that Tetra Tech ARD determines that an offeror has provided false statements in the proposal, Tetra Tech ARD may reject the proposal without further consideration. RESERVED RIGHTS All RFP responses become the property of Tetra Tech ARD and Tetra Tech ARD reserves the right in its sole discretion to: o To disqualify any offer based on offeror failure to follow solicitation instructions; o o o Tetra Tech ARD reserves the right to waive any deviations by offerors from the requirements of this solicitation that in Tetra Tech ARD's opinion are considered not to be material defects requiring rejection or disqualification; or where such a waiver will promote increased competition; Extend the time for submission of all RFP responses after notification to all offerors; Terminate or modify the RFP process at any time and re-issue the RFP to whomever Tetra Tech ARD deems appropriate; 6

o o Tetra Tech ARD reserves the right to issue an award based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion; Award only part of the activities in the solicitation or issue multiple awards based on solicitation activities. 7

Appendix A PROPOSAL COVER LETTER New Delhi, India <Date> TO: TETRA TECH ARD, Ladies and Gentlemen: We, the undersigned, offer to Develop and Produce a Forest PLUS Program Video in accordance with your Request for Proposal dated 20 January 2015 and our Proposal (Technical and Financial) is submitted herewith. Our proposal shall be binding upon us subject to the modifications resulting from subcontract negotiations, up to expiration of the validity period of the proposal, i.e., <Offeror to insert Expiration date or Validity period of Offer>. We understand you are not bound to accept any Proposal you receive. Sincerely yours, Authorized Signature: Name and Title of Signatory: Name of Firm: Address: 8

Appendix B ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES [Offeror to write a brief general overview of their Organization here] 9

Appendix B1 PAST EXPERIENCE AND PERFORMANCE FORMS Project #1 Project Title Description Of Activities Location Client Reference Name: Email: Telephone: Type of Contract (e.g. fixed price, time-and-materials, cost plus fixed fee etc.) Contract Awarded Value And Final Cost Start Date End Date Delays External Factors (Working Days) Delays Internal Factors (Working Days) Final Completion/ Certificate of completion Offeror needs to submit the above form for at least three projects. Copies of the Offeror s Certificates of Final Completion must be attached for each of the three projects. Should copies of these certificates not be available, Offeror must submit at least one of the following: Copy of Final Payment verifying retention amount was fully paid. Contractor Performance Report Copy of award letter in the event if the project is currently being implemented 10

Appendix B2 STAFFING FORM POSITION NAME TITLE AND TASK OF TEAM MEMBER Overall Management Position (e.g., Project Manager) Top Technical Position Attach a CV for at least top 3 technical positions. 11

Appendix C COMPANY DETAILS & FINANCIAL CAPACITY Name: Registered Address: Telephone No.: Fax No.: Email: Website: Indicate whether organization is: Sole Proprietorship Partnership Public Limited Company Private Limited Company Joint Venture Please check appropriate box Registration Number: Permanent Account Number: Service Tax Number: Affiliations / Accreditations (if any): 12

If a Public Limited Company, Complete the following Date of Incorporation: Corporate Identity Number (CIN) of the Company: Paid up Capital: Shares in Issue: Listing Information (Name of Stock Exchange and date of Listing): Any other relevant information: If a Private Limited Company, Complete the following Date of Incorporation: Share Capital: Number of Shareholders: Number of Directors : Any other relevant information: If a Sole Proprietorship, list details of the Proprietor Full Name: Date of Birth: Registered Address: PAN Number: If a Partnership, list details of all current partners Full Name Address PAN Number 13

If a Joint Venture, complete the following. 1/ Are you registered as a joint venture with RBI or FIPB? If yes, provide a copy of the certificate. If not, provide a copy of the Joint Venture agreement between the two parties. 2/ Describe the proposed role of each Joint Venture member in the project. How many years has your organization been in business under; (a) Its present name? (b) A former name? In what other types of business are you financially engaged? 1. 2. 3. List the annual gross revenue in INR generated from work for the following four (4) years: Type of Projects 2013-2014 2012-2013 2011-2012 2010-2011 Total 14

APPENDIX D PROPOSAL CHECKLIST (Please check all that apply and include this page in the sealed envelope with the proposal) RFP: Developing and Producing a Forest PLUS Program Video Offeror: Have you? Submitted your technical and financial proposal to Tetra Tech ARD by hard copy in sealed envelope by the required deadline? Does your proposal include the following? Cover Letter {use template in Appendix A} Brief general overview of the organization {use form in Appendix B} Past Experience and Performance {use form in Appendix B (1)} Certificates for the projects in Appendix B (1) {no template provided} Staffing Plan {use template in Appendix B2} CVs for employees mentioned in Appendix B2 Company Details and Financial Capacity {use template in Appendix C} and on additional sheets as required Copy of relevant registration / affiliation / accreditation certificates 15