<h1 align="center" style="text-align:center;">REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS</h1><div style="text-align:center;">AI-Driven Capacity Building  </div>  Issue Date: August 6, 2025 Proposal Due Date: August 22, 2025, at 5pm EST Anticipated Award Date: August 30, 2025 Questions: Submit your questions to <a href="mailto:RLageBarbosa@irex.org" style="color:#467886;text-decoration:underline;">RLageBarbosa@irex.org</a> and <a href="mailto:IChaney@irex.org" style="color:#467886;text-decoration:underline;">IChaney@irex.org</a> by 5 PM EST on August 15, 2025 Submission instructions: Submit your proposal to <a href="mailto:RLageBarbosa@irex.org" style="color:#467886;text-decoration:underline;">RLageBarbosa@irex.org</a> and <a href="mailto:IChaney@irex.org" style="color:#467886;text-decoration:underline;">IChaney@irex.org</a> by 5 PM EST on August 22, 2025 Anticipated funding: IREX intends to award a contract with an estimated value of $45,000 USD To Whom It May Concern:  IREX (International Research & Exchanges Board) is seeking proposals from qualified organizations in Latin America to provide mentorship, technical support, and training to small media outlets, enhancing their operations through AI-driven tools and automation strategies.  IREX aims to strengthen audience engagement, content production, revenue streams, operational efficiency, and credibility by leveraging cost-effective or free AI tools (e.g., Google Analytics, ChatGPT, Zapier, Mailchimp). The selected organization will deliver one-on-one mentorship, at least four virtual workshops, and at least one month of post-workshop mentorship, focusing on real-world applications tailored to the needs of small outlets.   IREX reserves the right to withdrawal this request for proposals at any time up to the award of the contract.  <ol><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Objective</li></ol> The selected organization will support seven small outlets in Latin America to:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">Apply AI tools to enhance content production, distribution, transcription, translation, monetization, and moderation.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Develop and implement automation strategies for repetitive tasks to improve operational efficiency.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Implement high-impact, low-resource operational and financial improvements tailored to small media outlets.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Diversify revenue streams through low-cost monetization models and AI-driven analytics.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Incorporate ethical considerations and bias mitigation strategies in AI use to ensure responsible implementation.</li></ul> <ol start="2"><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Proposal Requirements</li></ol>The selected organization must address the following responsibilities, using free or low-cost AI tools to ensure feasibility within 3-month timeline:  <ul><li style="list-style-type:none;"><ol><li style="text-align:justify;">Conduct a Rapid Needs Assessment for 7 media outlets</li><li style="text-align:justify;" value="1">AI-Driven Production, Distribution, and Analysis</li></ol></li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Based on the results of 1, train and mentor outlets to use AI tools to streamline content creation, distribution, and performance analysis.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Support outlets to develop practical workflows for producing audience-relevant content and analyzing engagement metrics (e.g., page views, click-through rates).</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Mentor outlets on AI applications for transcription, translation, content generation, monetization, and moderation, ensuring content quality improvement through AI tools.</li></ul> <ul><li style="list-style-type:none;"><ol><li style="text-align:justify;">Automation Strategy Development</li></ol></li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Mentor outlets in identifying repetitive tasks suitable for automation (e.g., content scheduling, data entry).</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Provide guidance on selecting and implementing appropriate automation tools (e.g., Zapier’s free tier, Google Sheets with AI plugins).</li></ul> <ul><li style="list-style-type:none;"><ol><li style="text-align:justify;">Revenue Diversification Coaching</li></ol></li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Coach outlets on 1-2 monetization models (e.g., subscriptions via Mailchimp, branded content), focusing on low-cost implementation.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Use AI tools (e.g., Mailchimp’s analytics) to analyze revenue potential and track campaign performance.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Provide 1-2 case studies of Latin American media ventures to guide strategy.</li></ul> <ul><li style="list-style-type:none;"><ol><li style="text-align:justify;">AI-Driven Administrative and Financial Operations</li></ol></li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Implement free or low-cost AI tools (e.g., Zapier’s free tier, Google Sheets with AI plugins) to automate administrative tasks like content scheduling and data entry.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Use free or low-cost tools for expense tracking and basic budgeting.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Develop simple AI-generated dashboards (e.g., Google Data Studio) for operational and financial insights.</li></ul> <ul><li style="list-style-type:none;"><ol><li style="text-align:justify;">Capacity Building through Workshops and Mentorship</li></ol></li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Conduct at least five virtual workshops to train outlet staff on AI tools, automation strategies, revenue diversification, and administrative/financial operations.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Provide one month of post-workshop mentorship with personalized sessions (one-on-one or group-based, based on common needs) to support implementation.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Document use cases and make recommendations to outlet’s action plans.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Incorporate ethical considerations and bias mitigation strategies in AI training and mentorship to ensure responsible use.</li></ul> <ol start="2"><li style="text-align:justify;">Estimated timeline of Deliverables (around 3 Months)</li></ol> <table class="Table" style="border-collapse:collapse;border:none;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:181px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:23px;border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;">Month</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:23px;border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Deliverables</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="4" style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:181px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:61px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;">Month 1: Assessment and Initial Training</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:61px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Conduct needs assessment for each outlet to identify gaps in content production, social media, automation, revenue streams, and administrative operations.</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:41px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Deliver Workshop 1 on AI tools for content production and social media management, introducing ethical considerations and bias mitigation in AI use.</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:23px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Deliver Workshop 2 on automation strategy development.</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:41px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Begin one-on-one or group-based mentorship sessions to address specific needs from assessments and workshops.</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="4" style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:181px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:23px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;">Month 2: Implementation and Revenue/Operational Training</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:23px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Deliver Workshop 3 on revenue diversification coaching.</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:23px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;"><a>Deliver</a> Workshop 4 on AI-driven administrative and financial operations.</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:41px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Conduct mentorship sessions to support implementation of AI tools, automation, revenue models, and administrative operations.</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:23px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Conduct mentorship sessions to address common challenges.</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3" style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:181px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:61px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;">Month 3: Optimization and Mentorship</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:61px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Conduct one-month post-workshop mentorship with 1 one-on-one or group-based session per outlet to support implementation of AI tools, automation, revenue models, and administrative operations.</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:41px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Conduct additional mentorship sessions to address common implementation challenges.</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid #000000;width:403px;padding:0in 7px 0in 7px;height:41px;border-top:none;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-left:none;">Conduct mentorship sessions to finalize implementation and address remaining questions.</td></tr></tbody></table> <ol start="3"><li style="margin-left:8px;">Duration</li></ol>The assignment is expected to last 3 months, starting from the date of contract signing.  <ol start="4"><li style="margin-left:8px;">Qualifications</li></ol>The selected organization must demonstrate:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">Proven experience in using AI-driven tools for media content production, distribution, and analysis to streamline workflows and enhance content quality, including transcription, translation, monetization, and moderation.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Proficiency in developing and implementing automation strategies using free or low-cost tools (e.g., Zapier’s free tier, Google Sheets with AI plugins) to optimize repetitive tasks like content scheduling and data entry.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Experience in coaching small media outlets on revenue diversification, including low-cost monetization models (e.g., subscriptions, branded content) and AI-driven revenue analytics (e.g., Mailchimp’s analytics), with familiarity in developing regional case.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Proven track record of delivering capacity-building projects, including virtual workshops and mentorship, within 3-month timelines, using agile methodologies to support small media outlets in Latin America.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Experience working with small media outlets in Latin America, with knowledge of regional media ecosystems and challenges, to deliver low-resource, high-impact solutions.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Proficiency in Spanish, with ability to deliver training, mentorship, and documentation (e.g., workshop materials, reports) in Spanish; English proficiency is optional.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Strong project management skills, with experience coordinating multiple beneficiaries concurrently.</li></ul> <ol start="5"><li style="margin-left:8px;">Submission Requirements</li></ol>  Interested vendors should submit (either in Spanish or English)   1. Capacity Statement (max 2 pages). Demonstrate the organization’s ability to deliver on the following:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">AI-Driven Media Support: Experience applying AI tools for media content production, distribution, transcription, translation, monetization, and moderation, especially in Spanish-language contexts.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Automation & Operational Efficiency: Proven ability to support media implement automation strategies using free or low-cost tools (e.g., Zapier, Google Sheets plugins) to streamline repetitive tasks.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Revenue Diversification: Familiarity with low-cost monetization models and AI-driven analytics (e.g., Mailchimp), including experience coaching small media outlets.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Regional Expertise: Experience working with small media outlets in Latin America and understanding of local media ecosystems. </li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Capacity Building: Track record of delivering virtual workshops and mentorship programs tailored to small media organizations.</li></ul> 2. Technical Proposal. Address the following areas:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Approach & Methodology<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li style="margin-left:8px;text-align:justify;">How will you support media outlets in implementing AI-driven tools for administrative, financial and content production/analysis operations? Provide examples of tools and explain how they will improve efficiency in a low-resource context. </li><li style="margin-left:8px;text-align:justify;">Outline your plan for delivering the five virtual workshops (topics, structure) and tailoring mentorship sessions (one-on-one or group-based) to meet each outlet’s needs.</li><li style="margin-left:8px;text-align:justify;">How will you use regional case studies to guide media outlets in developing revenue diversification strategies? Provide an example approach.</li><li style="margin-left:8px;text-align:justify;">How will you manage coordination for seven media outlets to ensure timely delivery?</li><li style="margin-left:8px;text-align:justify;">Describe your project management approach to meet all deliverables and handle challenges with multiple participants.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Security & Privacy<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li style="margin-left:8px;text-align:justify;">How will you ensure ethical AI use and mitigate bias?</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Tool Selection<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li style="margin-left:8px;text-align:justify;">Specify the free or low-cost AI and automation tools you propose for content production, distribution, administrative tasks, and revenue analytics. Justify their suitability for small media outlets and explain how you will train staff to adopt them effectively.</li></ul></li></ul> 3. Attachments<ul><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Work Plan & Timeline: Aligned with the 3-month implementation period, including workshops and mentorship phases.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Budget & Budget Narrative: Itemized costs with justification, emphasizing free or low-cost tools.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Team Bios: Roles and qualifications of key personnel, including Spanish-language proficiency.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Company Profile: Including legal registration and relevant credentials.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">References: At least the contact information of two references from similar projects, preferably in Latin America.</li><li style="text-align:justify;margin-left:8px;">Sample Work (Optional): Links or files demonstrating relevant past work in media, AI, or automation.</li></ul> <ol start="6"><li>Proposal Submission Requirements</li></ol>If you are interested in furnishing this service, please e-mail a proposal to <a href="mailto:RLageBarbosa@irex.org" style="color:#467886;text-decoration:underline;">RLageBarbosa@irex.org</a> and <a href="mailto:IChaney@irex.org" style="color:#467886;text-decoration:underline;">IChaney@irex.org</a>, subject line: AI-Driven Capacity Building.   If you decide to submit a proposal, it must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the closing date indicated above. Late submissions will only be considered if in the best interests of the project, and then at IREX’s sole discretion. All proposals submitted must be valid for a period of not less than sixty (60) calendar days from the closing date indicated above.    <ol start="7"><li>Evaluation Criteria</li></ol>Proposals will be evaluated based on: ·       Technical approach and methodology (30%) ·       Relevant experience and qualifications (50%) ·       Cost-effectiveness (20%)  <ol start="8"><li>Authorized Geographic Code </li></ol>The authorized geographic code for procurement of goods and services is 935 defined as any area or country but excluding any country that is a prohibited source.   IREX may at its discretion ask for additional information or perform site visits. IREX may accept multiple bidders and partial bids for the services requested.  <ol start="9"><li>Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment   </li></ol>IREX is prohibited from procuring or entering into a contract to procure goods or services which make use of covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component. For the purposes of this section, “covered telecommunications equipment or services” also include systems that use covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Vendors are required to certify that the bids do not contain any of these prohibited telecommunications equipment.       The restrictions cover broad categories of telecommunications and video surveillance equipment and services produced and provided by:    a. Huawei Technologies Company Ltd.,    b. ZTE Corporation,    c. Hytera Communications Corporation,    d. Dahua Technology Company Ltd., and    e. Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company Ltd., and their subsidiaries or affiliates.     <ol start="10"><li>Renewal</li></ol>IREX reserves the right, based on availability of funding and vendor performance, to enter into subsequent contractual agreements with the winning vendor for a period of up to three years without issuing a new RFP.  <ol start="11"><li>Contact Information</li></ol>Name: Isabella Chaney Title: Senior Program Officer IREX 1350 Street NW, Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20005

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