Organisational Background

Established in 2021, the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) is a pan-African organisation created to support, strengthen, and promote science and innovation in Africa. The SFA Foundation is committed to improving the quality of lives of African people and to promoting the uptake of research in communities, industry, and the public sector.

The goal of SFA Foundation is to support stakeholders in addressing the continent’s most pressing developmental needs by generating knowledge that solves problems and informs decision-making. The SFA Foundation serves the African research ecosystem by funding excellent research and innovation ideas; enabling interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers; and building and reinforcing environments that are conducive for scientists to thrive and produce quality research that generates new, locally relevant knowledge.

Project Overview, Scope of Work and Deliverables

SFA Foundation is currently implementing its 2023-2027 strategic plan. As part of this strategic direction, the Corporate and Science Communication Department has identified digital media as a key driver in realising the ambitious objectives set out in the communications strategy. We therefore invite qualified digital agencies with a global footprint or Kenyan based affiliates to submit proposals to develop a comprehensive Digital Marketing Masterplan for the SFA Foundation. This masterplan will serve as a strategic roadmap to enhance our online presence, reach our target audiences effectively, and achieve our objectives through various digital marketing channels and tactics.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL RFP HERE

The selected agency, working closely with the SFA Foundation Corporate and Science Communication Department will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive Digital Marketing Masterplan that covers, but is not limited to, the following key areas:

a. Strategy Development

This is the main output of this exercise and will involve the development of a comprehensive and data-driven digital marketing strategy that outlines recommended channels, platforms, and tactics to achieve the established objectives. This strategy should encompass content marketing, social media engagement, lead generation, audience retention, brand awareness initiatives etc. Each strategy should be supported by detailed action plans and timelines for seamless execution.

b. Situation Analysis

Conduct an in-depth analysis and audit of our current digital marketing efforts across all channels and platforms. This includes a comprehensive review of our website's performance, SEO practices, social media presence, email marketing campaigns, paid advertising initiatives, and data analytics. Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) in our online marketing landscape. The agency should also analyse our competitors' digital strategies to gain insights into industry best practices and potential opportunities for differentiation and strategic positioning.

c. Audience Insights

Conduct thorough market research and gather actionable data to understand our target audience segments. Develop detailed audience personas to identify the specific needs, preferences, pain points, and behaviours of our current and potential audience members. These insights will inform the creation of personalised marketing strategies and content that resonates with our target audiences, leading to increased engagement and conversions. This should include gathering insights on our internal audiences and identifying creative ways to keep them informed and engaged with communication outputs.

d. Content Strategy

Propose a comprehensive content marketing plan that aligns with the overall digital marketing strategy. The content strategy should encompass various formats based on best practice, current and emerging trends and suitability to the niche that the SFA Foundation occupies in the science/R&D landscape. The agency should also propose dissemination tactics that can be used across our digital platforms.

e. Social Media Strategy

Develop a results-driven social media marketing strategy that aligns with our brand voice and engages our target audience on relevant platforms. The agency should outline specific social media campaigns, content calendar templates, and community management guidelines.

f. Email Marketing Strategy

Design an email marketing strategy that nurtures leads, retains audiences, and attracts new ones. The agency should propose how the SFA Foundation can leverage its e-mail marketing platform (Mailchimp) to develop engaging email campaigns, including welcome sequences, newsletters etc

g. SEO and Website Optimisation

Conduct a thorough SEO audit of our website and provide actionable recommendations for on-page and off-page optimisation. Identify relevant keywords, optimise meta tags, improve site structure, and enhance site speed for better search engine rankings and user experience. The agency should also explore opportunities for link-building and guest posting to boost our domain authority.

h. Objectives and KPIs

Collaborate closely with our team to establish clear and measurable digital marketing objectives aligned with overall SFA Foundation strategic objectives and communications strategy. The agency should work with us to define key performance indicators (KPIs) that track the progress and success of our digital marketing efforts. These KPIs should be tied directly to the aforementioned objectives to ensure the effectiveness of the masterplan.

i. Measurement and Analytics

Develop a robust measurement framework that tracks the performance of various digital marketing initiatives.

j. Paid Advertising Campaigns - AdTech

Create a well-structured plan for effective paid advertising campaigns that maximise on ROI, including Google Ads, social media ads, display advertising, and other relevant ad-tech enabled platforms.

k. Training

The agency should in a position to deliver an internationally recognised digital marketing course that will equip point staff to successfully operationalise the finalised digital marketing masterplan.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL RFP HERE