Call for tenders – Technical expertise mission on media in exile

The AGILE project is a European Union (EU)-funded project launched in December 2024 and led by Internews and its consortium partners CFI, Thomson Media, ARTICLE 19 and Fojo Media Institute. AGILE aims at supporting independent journalism in countries where media freedom is under attack.

Under the AGILE project’s umbrella, CFI is contributing to the Workstream 1 of the action, focusing on good information. This workstream combines safety and thematic training, networking and incubation for at-risk and exiled media, innovation pilots on AI and disinformation, and knowledge sharing through convenings and learning events.

The Senior Technical Advisor provides strategic and technical leadership for the design, implementation, and quality assurance of support to exiled and at-risk media under Workstream 1. They lead the development of incubator models, guide regional partners, and contribute to learning, coordination, and stakeholder engagement across the consortium.

The Services entrusted to the Service Provider are as follows: – Provide advisory support to Workstream 1 – Good Information and in particular on the creation and operations of incubators for media in exile in the context of the activity A1.3 Pilot: At-risk media networking and learning: Internews and CFI will collaborate to build the resilience of at-risk and exiled media organisations through capacity building, networking, and knowledge sharing, while also creating opportunities to identify best support practices for the wider media support sector. Consortium partners will invite a limited pool of 2-3 pre-identified organisations in each of three regions (Asia, Africa and the Americas) to submit a short proposal aligned to the activity’s scope of work and select and issue a subgrant to one organisation in each region. Selected local partners will organise a gathering for up to 20 at-risk and exiled media organisations and/or journalists and develop an assessment of their needs, based on which consortium partners will provide structured, sustained support and learning spaces for targeted capacity building, development of projects, peer mentoring, and legal/psychosocial support, among others. Participating media outlets and journalists will also have opportunities to apply to Thomson Media’s activities under Workstream 3. Based on these interventions, Internews will work with local partners on the creation of multi-lingual resources for at-risk and exiled media organisations and journalists, as well as the wider media development community.

Outputs: three convenings and needs assessments; three incubators established/strengthened; knowledge sharing resources developed, per region.

Service Provider services:

– Write the Terms of Reference (ToRs) of Regional Technical Advisors and experts pool to support to journalists and media actors at risk, exiled or displaced, support selection.

– Contribute to the framing of the call for projects, selection criteria and process for regional implementing partners.

– Help define the thematic areas and learning priorities for the incubator phase, based on needs assessments and regional context.

– Lead the design of the incubator model(s), including objectives, approaches, structure, and support mechanisms (e.g., legal, psychosocial) tailored to exiled and at-risk media.

– Provide technical guidance and quality assurance to the three (3) selected regional partners during proposal refinement, activity design, and implementation.

– Monitor implementation progress and troubleshoot challenges with partners, in close collaboration with CFI and consortium partners.

– Advise on how lessons learned from incubators can be captured and translated into recommendations facilitating cross-regional exchange of good practices.

– Contribute to the identification and development of multi-lingual learning resources for use by exiled media and the broader sector.

– Stakeholder engagement and representation:

– Represent, from time to time and only at CFI’s request, the Project at consortium events, meetings, and consultations, as needed, contributing technical insights and strategic positioning in the field of exiled or at-risk media and capacity building of local partners.

– Provide EU Delegations with timely, tailored consulting services relating to exiled or at-risk media.

– Coordination, reporting and communication:

– Submit quarterly technical updates (inputs, progress, challenges, and lessons learned); provide inputs to progress reporting.

– Coordinate regularly with the Project Manager to ensure synergies and coherence across activities and regions, and consistency with the overall objectives of the Project.

– Support, as part of the Project, the development of internal and external knowledge-sharing and visibility products.