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.

Project Background

Echoes of Evidence is a new podcast launched by the SFA Foundation, designed to bridge science and society through accessible, engaging conversations. It aims to build public trust, elevate African science voices, foster pan-African dialogue, and influence science-informed policy. The bi-weekly show unpacks complex scientific concepts and developments into accessible, relatable and candid conversations featuring African science leaders, innovators, experts, and policy/decision makers. 

The podcast is poised to grow into a trusted Pan-African science communication platform that not only informs but also connects. By embracing conversational storytelling, multilingual access, and diverse African perspectives, the podcast will extend its reach to wider audiences, from everyday citizens to policymakers, ensuring that science remains relevant to Africa’s future.

To ensure the podcast reaches a wide and diverse audience, the SFA Foundation seeks a consultant Multimedia Content Specialist who is social media savvy and possess a thorough understanding of short form video content on video centric social channels. The consultant is expected to: ensure the production integrity of the podcast for online consumption and drive visibility and audience growth of the podcast through creative, data-driven campaigns.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL RFP HERE

Objectives of the Assignment 

• Liaise with the podcast production company to ensure the delivery of technically sound and coherent podcast narratives.
• Increase the visibility, reach, and engagement of Echoes of Evidence across digital platforms.
• Translate podcast episodes and themes into compelling short-form content (reels, clips, teasers, audiograms) and visual assets. This includes collecting relevant content during shoots e.g. behind the scenes content.
• Build a content pipeline and promotional strategy that sustains audience growth over time.
• Support integration of branding, creative storytelling, and measurement to optimise content performance.

Scope of Work 

The consultant will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following tasks:

Strategy and Planning

• Develop a production checklist for the desired look and feel of final podcast episodes and ensure it is adhered to during shoots.
• Propose a visibility / promotional strategy (3–6 months) tuned to Echoes of Evidence’s goals (science literacy, trust, pan-African reach).
• Define target audiences, platform mix (YouTube, Instagram, X and LinkedIn), content themes, messaging angles, and KPI benchmarks.
• Develop a content calendar mapping episode theme to promotional assets.

Content Creation and Production

• Attend podcast shoots to collect relevant content that can be used in promotional campaigns.
• Create short-form video content from podcast recordings: teaser clips, highlights, audiograms, social media cuts optimised for selected channels.
• Produce promotional visual assets: cover art, thumbnails, quote cards, carousels, infographics, animations as needed.
• Edit video (and audio) segments to produce polished clips with captions, motion graphics, transitions.
• Ensure branding consistency (logo, typography, color palette) across all assets.
• Work with the podcast hosts to generate scripts or storyboards for social promos.

Publication and Distribution

• Scheduling and publishing content across platforms (YouTube shorts/reels, Instagram Reels, X, LinkedIn, Facebook).
• Recommend optimal posting schedules, hashtags, cross-promotion tactics, and paid campaign strategies.
• Repurpose content from earlier episodes for extended reach (e.g. evergreen themes, throwbacks).

Monitoring, Analytics and Optimisation

• Track performance metrics (views, engagement, reach, click-throughs, saves, shares, follower growth) and produce monthly summary reports.
• Use analytics to adjust the content strategy and delivery

DOWNLOAD THE FULL RFP HERE

Instructions on the Proposal Submission Process

1. Proposal to be sent by email to: [email protected] on or before
2. 24 October 2025 at 5.00 pm (EAT)
3. Protect your proposal with a password and share the password on 25 October 2025 by 8.00 am (EAT)
4. The proposal to be marked as follows on the subject line:

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR PODCAST SHORT FORM CONTENT PRODUCTION AND PROMOTION RFP/024/2025