Introduction

The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) is a pan-African, non-profit, and public charity organisation that supports, strengthens, and promotes science and innovation in Africa. The SFA Foundation is committed to improving African people's quality of life and promoting research uptake in communities, industry, and the public sector. We serve the African research ecosystem by designing, funding, and managing programmes that support excellent science and innovation; and that build and reinforce environments that are conducive for scientists to thrive and produce quality research that impacts development.

Background

The SFA Foundation is implementing the DELTAS Africa programme and manages the second phase, DELTAS Africa II, 2023-2027 with support from Wellcome and the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

DELTAS Africa seeks to produce researchers who drive locally relevant and high-quality health research impacting on science, policy and practice in Africa and contributing to improved health and sustainable development on the continent and globally.

This second phase kicked off in 2023 with 14 consortia led from 9 African countries, namely Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe with partnerships across Africa and globally. The focus is to improve Africa’s research ecosystem through the production of quality science, a critical mass of world-class science leaders; addressing and linking country level challenges via Science Innovation, Translation and Entrepreneurship; and strengthening science ecosystems and infrastructure that is conducive to deliver targeted R&D outcomes for Africa.  

Project Overview

Storytelling in the science and research realm has traditionally been executed from a documentation perspective, i.e., told from the observer’s or narrator’s perspective depending on how they understand and perceive the science they are documenting. At the SFA Foundation, we are bucking up this trend by adopting an immersive storytelling approach that leverages the power of multimedia tools and human connection to tell science stories that inform, educate and are relatable to our target audiences.  

The SFA Foundation is seeking a suitable storytelling organisation that will capture impactful stories of the DELTAS Africa II impact outcomes, using creative interview and writing approaches. This project is envisaged to be executed over the next 3 months. For the purposes of project kick-off, we require quotes for a one-off execution as per the scope of work below. Discussions of the long-term project will be done with the company that will be selected for the task and dependent on performance.

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Objectives of the Assignment  

The Stories of Change Publication aims to:

• Showcase Impact: Highlight the tangible contributions of DELTAS Africa to the Fellows' careers and how the Fellows are driving scientific research and innovations within their respective fields.
• Celebrate Fellow Achievements: Feature the personal and professional journeys of fellows, illustrating how their work has created significant change in local communities and beyond.
• Communicate Science to Broader Audiences: Present the scientific achievements of the Fellows in a way that is accessible and engaging to non-scientific audiences, funders, and policymakers.
• Promote DELTAS Africa’s Values: Emphasize the four thematic pillars of the DELTAS Africa program.
• A bilingual publication in English and French to enhance the reach of the narratives and representation across the African continent.
• Individual web-format stories/narratives in both English and French. 

 Scope of Work 

 Planning and Research

• Participate in an inception meeting with the SFA Foundation to understand project objectives, key messages, and target audiences.
• Review existing background materials, reports, and data on DELTAS Africa’s research leadership initiatives and Fellows.
• Co-development of a Fellow selection criteria and guidelines that guide the selection of Fellows to be interviewed.

Interviews and Story Collection

• Conduct interviews (virtual or in-person) with selected DELTAS Africa Fellows, mentors, and program staff, focusing on personal growth, leadership journeys, and impact stories.
• Capture gender-sensitive, inclusive, and contextually rich narratives representing diverse geographic and disciplinary coverage.

Storytelling and Writing

• Develop approximately 12–15 well-crafted human-interest stories (800–1,000 words each) written in a compelling, feature style.
• Ensure narratives demonstrate tangible outcomes under the “Strengthened Research Leadership Capacities” pillar.
• Craft engaging summaries and pull quotes suitable for web and social media dissemination.

Translation and Adaptation

• Oversee the translation of the publication into French, ensuring cultural and linguistic accuracy.

Social Media Assets

• Develop individual social media cards for each featured Fellow (quote + image + key message).
• Provide resized versions optimized for different platforms (LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).

Review and Finalisation

• Submit draft stories and word-version design layouts for SFA Foundation review and integrate feedback.
• Deliver final, print-ready and web-optimized versions of the publication in both English and French.

Deliverables

The consultant will deliver the following:

Guidelines
A documented guideline outlining clear criteria and considerations for selecting DELTAS Africa Fellows to be featured, aligned with the program’s thematic pillars, geographic diversity, and gender inclusion objectives.

Interview Tools
A structured interview guide/questionnaire highlighting key and probing questions to support immersive, human-centered storytelling with Fellows, mentors, and relevant program staff.

Interview Documentation
Audio and/or video recordings of all conducted interviews (virtual or in-person), submitted in an agreed digital format and accompanied by basic file labeling for ease of reference.

Draft Stories (Bilingual)
First drafts of 12–15 human-interest narratives (approximately 800–1,000 words each) developed in English, with corresponding French translations, submitted for review and feedback by the SFA Foundation.

Story Extracts for Dissemination
Curated pull-out quotes and short narrative excerpts from each story suitable for web, social media, and promotional use.

Final Story Manuscripts (Design-Ready)
Final, revised, and approved story manuscripts in English and French, submitted in editable Word format and prepared for layout and design for both print and web publication.

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Instructions on the Proposal Submission Process

1. Proposal to be sent by email to [email protected] on or before 6 February 2026 at 5.00 pm (EAT)
2. Protect your proposal with a password and share the password on 9 February 2026 by 8.00 am (EAT)
3. The proposal to be marked as follows on the subject line:

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) CONSULTANCY SERVICES ON DELTAS AFRICA STORIES OF CHANGE PUBLICATION-RFP/004/2026

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