Terms of reference for documentary production services in Zimbabwe

1.0 The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund

The AECF, LLC (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a leading non-profit development organisation that supports innovative enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors with the aim of reducing rural poverty, promoting climate-resilient communities, and creating jobs. 

 We catalyze the private sector by surfacing and commercializing new ideas, business models, and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change. We finance high-risk businesses that struggle to access commercial funding; we are committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go. 

 AECF is headquartered in Kenya and has offices in Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan, Benin, and Somalia. 

2.0 Purpose of the assignment

The purpose of the assignment is to showcase the impact of the work of two investees funded under the programme: Virl Microfinance and Zambuko Trust Limited. They were all funded by AECF through the REACT SSA program. 

3.0 About the investees

a) Virl Microfinance

VIRL Financial Services is a Zimbabwean microfinance institution (MFI) established in 2010 with a mission to promote financial inclusion and community transformation. As an MFI, VIRL provides small loans, savings, and capacity-building services to underserved populations, particularly women, youth, and rural entrepreneurs who lack access to traditional banking. Its products include agricultural loans, working capital loans, asset finance, and green loans for solar and energy-efficient solutions. Beyond credit, VIRL offers financial literacy and business training to ensure borrowers can grow sustainable enterprises. With a strong women-led leadership team and partnerships with development organizations, VIRL bridges the gap between marginalized communities and economic opportunity, driving both social and financial impact across Zimbabwe. 

 b) Zambuko Trust

Zambuko Trust is one of Zimbabwe’s pioneering and longest-serving microfinance institutions, established in 1990 with a mission to extend financial services to people traditionally excluded from formal banking. As an MFI, Zambuko operates at the intersection of financial inclusion and community transformation, providing small but catalytic loans to the economically active poor—particularly women, youth, and rural entrepreneurs—who lack collateral or access to mainstream credit. 

4.0 Scope of work

The consultant/production team will deliver two high-quality short documentaries (each 3–5 minutes), two one-minute social media videos, and accompanying production assets that showcase AECF’s impact through the two selected investees. 

1. Pre-Production
   • Conduct an inception meeting with AECF’s Communications Unit to align on key messages, target audiences, branding requirements, and visual storytelling approach. 
   • Develop scripts for two 3-minute documentaries (one per investee) with guidance and approval from the AECF Communications Unit. 
   • Create documentary treatments, story arcs, and narrative outlines focused on: 
     • Prior growth challenges faced by each investee before AECF funding. 
     • The growth steps taken and milestones achieved after AECF support. 
     • Current position and prospects of each investee. 
     • At least two beneficiary stories per film, with emphasis on rural development, economic and social transformation, and women and youth empowerment. 

• Conduct pre-interviews, location scouting, and scheduling for investees, beneficiaries, and the AECF portfolio manager. 
• Prepare a detailed production plan, filming schedule, consent documentation, and logistics. 

2. Production (Field Filming)
   • Travel to agreed locations to capture high-quality footage of investees, beneficiaries, operations, and community environments. 
   • Interview selected participants, including: 
     • The two investees 
     • Beneficiaries 
     • The AECF portfolio manager 

• Film b-roll illustrating enterprise operations, rural settings, transformation stories, and AECF-supported activities. 
• Capture high-quality audio, stable visuals, and drone footage (subject to approval and local regulations). 
• Observe safeguarding protocols and ensure inclusive representation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups. 
• Capture photography stills to supplement AECF’s communications outputs. 

3. Post-Production

• Edit and produce two 3–5 minute documentaries, each highlighting: 
  • Pre-funding challenges 
  • Support received from AECF 
  • Achievements, impact, and present-day position 
  • Beneficiary transformation stories 

• Produce two one-minute short videos optimized for digital and social media, focusing on: 
  • The AECF intervention 
  • Success stories of the investees and beneficiaries 

• Apply colour grading, sound design, subtitles, branding elements, and donor visibility guidelines. 
• Integrate voice-over and music where necessary. 
• Share draft versions for review and incorporate feedback (up to three rounds per film). 

4. Project management and reporting
   • Maintain clear and timely communication with AECF’s Communications Unit throughout the assignment. 
   • Provide weekly progress updates and flag any risks or changes. 
   • Submit a final production report summarizing activities, challenges, and recommendations. 

5.0 Deliverables

a. Inception package 

• • Inception report outlining creative direction, storylines, key messages, work plan, filming schedule, and locations. 
  • Draft scripts/treatments for the two 3-minute documentaries (one per investee). 
  • Proposed list of interviewees, including investees, beneficiaries, and the AECF portfolio manager. 
  • Consent plan and safeguarding approach.

b. Raw production assets

• • All raw footage captured during field filming (interviews and b-roll). 
  • High-resolution photographs of investees, beneficiaries, and field environments. 
  • Signed consent forms from all filmed/photographed individuals. 
  • Audio recordings, drone files (if applicable), and location notes. 

c. Draft video cuts

• • Two draft 3–5-minute documentaries incorporating narrative flow, interviews, and preliminary visuals. 
  • Two draft one-minute social media videos, optimized for digital channels. 
  • First-cut versions should include temporary music, rough edits, and placeholder graphics for client review. 

4. Final video products
   • Two final polished documentaries (3–5 minutes each) highlighting: 
   • Pre-AECF growth challenges 
   • Steps taken after AECF funding 
   • Achievements and impact 
   • At least two beneficiary stories 
   • Themes of rural development, socio-economic transformation, and women and youth empowerment 

• Two final one-minute videos tailored for social media highlighting AECF’s intervention and investee impact. 

• Delivery formats: 
  • Full HD or 4K resolution 
  • MP4 (H.264 codec) 
  • Subtitle files (.srt) 
  • Social media-ready cuts (square/vertical) if required 

• All films must include colour grading, sound design, licensed music, captions, and approved AECF/donor branding. 

6.0 Guidelines for submission of products

Footage to be captured – a guide. 

• • Record interviews of beneficiaries in different formats, including long shot, medium shot, and up-close. These interviews will be in English or the vernacular language (provided they can be accurately translated). 
  • Record interviews of AECF investees providing insight into the support provided and how it transformed their companies. 
  • Capture footage that shows the investee company’s core activities, including warehouse, factory, sales and marketing, interaction with customers, etc. 
  • Capture footage of technologies produced by the investee companies and showing these technologies being utilized. 
  • Capture footage of the wider community, showing how people live, where possible, capture footage of the environment, infrastructure such as roads, and the general terrain. 
  • Where possible, capture footage of investees (it is on-the-ground officials and support staff) going about their work.  

Areas to be considered

• • General Demeanour: The Consultant is expected to always maintain demeanour and behaviour consistent with the highest ethical standards and as a representative of AECF. 
  • Quality: AECF uses footage for a variety of purposes, requiring that these videos be of high quality 
  • High Resolution Footage: The footage should be recorded at the highest possible resolution that the camera permits. The minimum accepted resolution is full HD. 
  • B-Roll: All recorded and unedited footage needs to be handed over to AECF at the end of the assignment. 
  • Approval: The two documentaries require AECF approval before final edits are undertaken 
  • Captioning: The footage will be appropriately labelled/captioned (including topic, date and location, and the name/identity of the person in case of interviews) for easy identification 
  • Copyright: Copyright solely belongs to AECF. The consultant may not use, reproduce, or otherwise disseminate footage without prior consent from AECF. 
  • Deadlines: All edited videos, together with the B-Roll, should be submitted to AECF no later than 30 days after the field visit. 
  • Payment: The service provider’s payment shall be based on the financial proposal developed for this consultancy. Payment shall be made in three installments of 40% down payment upon submission of an inception report acceptable to AECF; 40% upon submission of acceptable edited video footage as described in the deliverables above; and 20% final payment upon submission of the final outputs, incorporating suggestions and recommendations from AECF. 
  • Equipment: Consultant will be expected to use own Cameras and accessories, computer, and communication technologies (internet access/email etc.) 
  • Travel: Consultant will be expected to arrange for their own transport, accommodation, and meals to all video sites. These costs can be factored into the Consultant’s overall costs. 

7.0 Duration and management

This is a one-month contract from the date of signing. The Consultant will report to the Communications Manager. 

8.0 Proposal submission

Interested companies/individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications.  

1. A technical proposal (excluding annexes) including the following:A profile of the lead consultant (max. 3 pages) explaining why they are the most suitable for the work 

• • CVs of the team composition, expertise and their role in the assignment. 
  • A comprehensive description of the consultant’s understanding of the Terms of Reference and indicating any major inconsistency or deficiency in the Terms of Reference and proposed amendments Proposed methodology and work plan for executing the assignment.  
  • Detailed reference list with contacts indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments.  
  • Letters of references/recommendation from previous companies/assignments 
  • Relevant services undertaken. Sample of past work: applicants are requested to submit a sample of similar tasks to demonstrate the experiences required by this Terms of Reference 
  • All documents related to the technical proposal must be compiled into a single PDF file, organized with a clear table of contents.  

2. A financial proposal

• • Financial proposal in USD clearly showing the proposed team member, roles, and proposed days and the proposed professional fee. The financial proposal shall also include an indication of reimbursables (travel, meals, communication etc.) 

N/B: The technical and financial proposals are to be submitted separately in pdf format. 

Interested companies/individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. A technical proposal, including the following:

• A profile of the lead consultant explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
• CVs of the team composition.
• An understanding of the consultancy requirements.
• Methodology and work plan for performing the assignment.
• Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments.
• Signed letters of reference/recommendation and contacts from previous companies/assignments
• Relevant services undertaken. Sample of past work: applicants are requested to submit a sample of previous projects and/or links to demonstrate the experiences required by these Terms of Reference
• Registration and other relevant statutory documents (this applies to Institutional consultants).

2. A financial proposal

• A financial proposal (in KES) clearly showing the proposed team member, roles, and proposed days, and the proposed professional fee (daily rate and total amount per team member). The financial proposal shall also include an indication of reimbursables (travel, communication, etc.)

N/B: Submitting the financial and technical documents as one document will automatically lead to the disqualification of the applicant

10. Evaluation criteria

MANDATORY EVALUATION CRITERIA. 

1. a) Mandatory Requirements to be attached: –

• Company profile and CVs of Key personnel. 
• Trading license or Certificate of incorporation or Certificate of Registration, and other statutory documents. 
• Valid Tax Compliance certificate. 
• Passport/National Identification of the lead consultant and key personnel

N/B: FAILURE TO ATTACH AND ADHERE TO THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS WILL RESULT IN AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION. 

An evaluation committee will be formed by the AECF and may include employees of the businesses to be supported. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. The consultant should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated. 

The AECF may request and receive clarification from any consultant when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the consultants to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such an event, the evaluation committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating proposals. 

In deciding the final selection of a qualified bidder, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30% and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored.  

The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are identified in the table below. 

11. Application

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates based on merit without regard to race, gender, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

• Interested consultancies are requested to submit their technical and financial proposal to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org by 9th December 2025, 5 pm EAT
• All questions should be directed to the procurement email by 2nd December  2025, 5 pm EAT
• The subject of the email should be Consultancy – Videography services – Zimbabwe 2025
• The AECF shall not be liable for not opening proposals that are submitted with a different subject or responding to questions that did not meet the deadline as indicated.

 12. Disclaimer

AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice, and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.

The AECF does not charge an application fee for participation in the tender process and has not appointed any agents or intermediaries to facilitate applications. Applicants are advised to reach out directly to the AECF.