Procurement Summary
Item Details
RFP Title TV Drama Production Partner for TUKI Season 2
Procurement Method Open competitive tender
Eligible Applicants Qualified production companies, agencies
Location Kenya
Contract Period Approximately 6–8 months
Anticipated Delivery Period December 2026 to July 2027
Reporting To Designated Create or Programme Lead
Clarification Deadline 11 November 2026
Proposal Deadline 30 November 2026
Proposal Currency Kenyan shillings
Submission Email [email protected]
WHO WE ARE
Girl Effect is an international non-profit that builds media girls want, trust, and need. From chatbots to chat shows and TV dramas to tech, our content helps young people, especially adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, India, and South Africa to make empowering life choices and changes.
We create safe spaces for girls, sharing facts and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, and relationships, empowering girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible “for a girl.”
Our reach is 50 million and counting. We’re using technology to reach girls at scale so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, her health, her learning, and her livelihood.
Because when a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so, too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, community, and country.
That’s the Girl Effect.
BACKGROUND
Tukisonga is a Kenyan youth brand designed for young people aged 18–24. It uses an integrated multimedia ecosystem to deliver relevant social and behaviour change content.
Its flagship television drama, TUKI?, explored how young people navigate economic empowerment, relationships and sexual and reproductive health. The first season was broadcast on television and distributed through YouTube, radio adaptations, community screenings and supporting digital content.
TUKI Season 1 and the wider Tukisonga ecosystem reached more than five million young Kenyans. Audience research found that viewers considered the content entertaining, authentic, relevant and trustworthy. Evaluation findings also indicated increased confidence in discussing sexual and reproductive health, greater acceptance of contraception and increased reflection on gender roles within relationships.
Girl Effect is now developing TUKI Season 2 as part of an expanded Tukisonga and WAZZII multimedia programme focused on adolescent girls, young women and young men aged 15–24 in Nairobi and Nakuru.
OBJECTIVE
Girl Effect is expanding the Tukisonga multimedia behavior change platform alongside WAZZII, our AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot. This joint initiative aims to boost contraceptive adoption, challenge existing social norms surrounding SRH care-seeking, and enhance STI prevention among adolescent girls, young women, and young men (AGYW/ABYM aged 15–24) across Nairobi and Nakuru.
Central to our multimedia ecosystem, the TV drama series serves as a key driver for our behavior change communications. TUKI is returning for its second season to explore new environments, storylines, and character journeys. We are seeking an established production partner to produce an 8-episode drama series that builds on the first season's success. The series will guide our audience from initial awareness toward active engagement, encouraging informed decision-making regarding their health, education, and economic well-being.
We require an experienced production house capable of managing the full end-to-end production of the youth-centered drama series, while continuing to genuinely reflect the lived experiences of young people in Kenya.
Impact metrics from the inaugural season highlight the platform's effectiveness:
- Expansive Audience Reach: TUKI? Season one and its supporting content connected with over 5 million young Kenyans, earning strong praise for authentic storytelling and engaging entertainment.
- Positive Behavioral Outcomes: Evaluation data confirmed increased confidence in discussing SRH topics with partners, greater acceptance of contraceptive use, and deeper reflection on interpersonal gender dynamics.
Audience Trust and Relevance: Follow-up participant surveys affirmed that youth regard the Tukisonga ecosystem as a highly credible, relatable, and educational source for SRH guidance.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
The production company would partner with Girl Effect to produce a branded youth-focused series rooted in and resonant with the realities that young people in Kenya face. The series must embody the spirit of the times, with a premise authentic to contemporary youth culture.
The characters should be relatable, multi-layered, and complex. We follow them on a journey of self-discovery and change as they fail, forge friendships, find mentors and find mental resilience in their adulting journey.
The characters will negotiate through our behaviour change framework, modeling positive journeys for our audience.
The production workflow spans four distinct phases, adhering to international multi-platform drama standards and incorporating local Kenyan regulatory, language, and distribution requirements:
- Development Phase:
- Assembling the writers' room and securing an experienced head writer with proven expertise in youth drama and Social and Behavior Change (SBC) messaging.
- Collaborate closely with GE-appointed Create, SBC, and safeguarding consultants throughout narrative development.
- Finalize show Bible, character arcs, episode outlines, and obtain formal sign-offs.
- Conduct pre-testing and focus group reviews of draft scripts to validate tone, authenticity, and SBC alignment.
- Develop dual-track script adaptations concurrently for both TV broadcast and the accompanying radio drama series.
- Establish master pre-production schedules, technical pipelines, and safeguarding protocols.
- Pre-Production Phase:
- Production Planning & Scheduling: Build comprehensive production master schedules, budgeting frameworks, and risk management strategies across TV and radio workflows.
- Casting & Talent Management: Conduct inclusive casting calls for youth actors representing target demographics; negotiate talent contracts, performance rights, and multi-platform image releases.
- Location Scouting & Permitting: Secure all shooting locations, film licenses, municipal permissions, and Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) filming permits.
- HOD & Creative Team Assembly: Recruit top-tier creative heads (Director, DoP, Line Producer, ADs, Production Designer, Sound Recordist, Editor, and Sound Mixer).
- Technical & Workflow Specifications: Establish technical shooting specs (Full HD/4K capture, color space, audio channel mapping) and file asset management protocols.
- Shooting Script Lock: Oversee final script polishes, table reads, and scene breakdowns for locked shooting scripts.
- Contracts & Legal Clearance: Execute binding cast/crew contracts, location agreements, copyright assignments, and music licensing clearances.
- Multi-Platform Asset Preparation: Plan ancillary production captures, including behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage, actor interviews, podcast integration, and digital/social promo clips.
- Safeguarding & On-Set Safety Setup: Implement child/youth protection policies, HSE protocols, and risk mitigation strategies across all filming sites.
- Production Phase:
- Principal Photography (TV Series): Execute principal photography over a minimum 2-month window (~5 shoot days per episode) using high-grade camera, lighting, and sound gear.
- Radio Drama Studio Recording: Conduct dedicated studio voice recording sessions with the cast to capture full-length dialogue and soundscapes for the 8-episode radio drama adaptation.
- Directing & On-Set Quality Control: Lead episode direction to preserve artistic vision, performance authenticity, language nuances (English, Kiswahili, Sheng), and SBC fidelity.
- Ancillary & Promo Content Capture: Simultaneously capture digital-first assets, behind-the-scenes (BTS) featurettes, cast interviews, social media reels, and high-res promo photography.
- Production Management & Reporting: Maintain smooth operations, weekly progress updates, budget tracking, and real-time troubleshooting.
- Safe & Compliant Set Operations: Enforce youth safeguarding measures, on-set safety standards, and transparent stakeholder communication throughout filming.
- Post-Production Phase:
- Editorial & Assembly (Offline & Online Cut): Execute offline edits, rough cuts, fine cuts, and locked picture assemblies for all 8 TV episodes.
- Sound Design, Score & Audio Mixing: Produce master audio mixes (dialogue cleaning, ADR, sound effects, Foley, original musical score, and audio stems) for TV and radio broadcasts.
- Color Grading & Visual Effects: Apply professional master color grading and complete required title sequences, lower thirds, and visual effects (VFX).
- Localization & Subtitling: Deliver comprehensive English SRT subtitle packages for digital/YouTube CC and burnt-in subtitles for non-English/Sheng dialogue.
- Post-Production Quality Control (QC): Conduct strict technical QC checks to ensure compliance with broadcast specs (1080p / 24fps / stereo audio normalization) and digital formats (YouTube 16:9 and social 9:16/1:1 cuts).
- Stakeholder Review & Feedback Loops: Manage structured revision rounds incorporating feedback from Girl Effect Create, SBC, pre-testing panels, and technical review teams.
- Regulatory Submission & Compliance: Submit final TV cuts to the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) for official age-rating certification before public release.
- Final Asset Master Packaging: Deliver broadcast-ready master video files, unmixed audio stems, radio drama masters, promotional suites, cue sheets, and digital archives.
EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
- End-to-end production...