1. Background

The Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP), funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), is a transformative initiative aimed at promoting the social and economic empowerment of women and girls across Liberia. The project’s five components address core drivers of inequality, with Component 1a specifically focusing on social norm transformation and public awareness to reduce gender-based violence (GBV) and promote gender equality. In this context, strategic communication is essential to ensure that communities understand the purpose of the project, the support available through it, and the roles of government, implementing partners, and communities in advancing project results. The visibility of the project in public spaces is therefore not only a communication need, but also a practical measure for strengthening community awareness, participation, and accountability. As part of its communication and visibility strategy, the project recognizes the importance of strategic public messaging to engage communities, build trust, and foster widespread awareness of project objectives. While various information, education, and communication (IEC) tools are being utilized under the project, the Community Signboards across 498 project communities has been identified as a key activity under the Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) approach. This approach is intended to reach audiences repeatedly in places where people live, work, travel, and access services, thereby reinforcing key messages beyond one-time meetings or interpersonal communication. The Community Signboards will complement ongoing community engagement efforts by serving as durable, static communication tools that can continuously promote project recognition and understanding. These Community Signboards will serve as high-visibility communication platforms to publicly inform and educate citizens about LWEP’s goals, components, and expected benefits. Their strategic placement will ensure they are seen by thousands of community members, travelers, and local stakeholders, ultimately driving broader understanding, engagement, and community ownership of the project. In addition to improving public understanding, the Community Signboards will contribute to the project’s visibility obligations by presenting clear and consistent branding that reflects government leadership, donor partnership, and the shared commitment to women’s empowerment, gender equality, and community well-being. The activity will also help establish a visible project presence in target areas, making it easier for communities to identify and associate the support they receive with LWEP interventions.

2.1 Instructions to Bidders

These instructions are designed to ensure that all Bidders are given equal and fair consideration. It is the Bidders’ responsibility to ensure their offer is complete and that you provide all the necessary information asked for in the format specified, or risk your offer being rejected. Further details can be found in section 9.1 of this ITT document, ‘Submission Checklist.’

Women consultants actively engaged in or advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace are especially encouraged to apply.

Documents comprising this tender pack are as follows:

• Plan Tender Dossier Reference Number: STA-ITT-LWEP-017

All interested companies are required to request for the tender documents using this email address: Liberia.Proculwep@plan-international.org

Submission:

Bidders are required to submit/hand delivered proposals hard copies and in sealed envelope and address to the Country Director, Plan International Liberia, Fish Market, Monrovia, Libera and deliver at the reception – Tender box inclusive of all required annexes and the deadline for submission of all proposals is May 21,2026 before 4:00PM.

The required annexes include:

• Plan Tender Dossier
• ANNEX B – Pricing Schedule
• ANNEX C – Technical Questions
• ANNEX D – Supplier Questionnaire
• ANNEX E – Non -Staff Code of Conduct

The offer and all correspondence and documents related to this tender must be written in English.

Each bidder may submit only one (1) offer.

Unless stated otherwise, all communications from Bidders in relation to this tender, including Clarification, Questions, must be directed to Liberia.Proculwep@plan-international.org and must include the ITT reference number: STA-ITT-LWE -017

Key Dates and Timelines

The following table outlines the key dates and timelines associated with this tender process. Plan International reserves the right to change these at any time as the tender progresses. To maintain transparency, fairness, and adequate time to prepare your offers, Plan International will inform all interested Parties of any changes to these key dates and timelines simultaneously and in a timely fashion.

3.1 Pricing

Bidders are required to complete the pricing schedule attached separately in ‘Annex B – Pricing Schedule.’ All prices must be quoted in United States dollars and exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT).

It is expected that prices will be fixed for the duration of the contract, and quotes will be valid for a maximum period of 90 calendar days following the closing date of this tender. If, for any reason, you are unable to guarantee fixed pricing for the duration of the contract, any projected price increases should be clearly stated in your tender.

To ensure a fair and transparent process, Plan International will not be able to divulge budget information relating to this tender or associated projects. It is expected that Bidders submit their best possible financial offer at the point of submission.

4.1 Outputs / Deliverables

This activity supports the achievement of strategic objectives under Component 1a (Community Awareness and Norm Change) and contributes to Component 1b (Institutional and Stakeholder Engagement) by improving public communication and accountability mechanisms, Component 2a &b (Reducing GBV and keeping girls in schools), and Component 3a &b (building capacity and strengthening economic empowerment for women and communities). Through well-positioned and professionally branded Community Signboards, the activity will increase public visibility of the project, strengthen awareness of the issues the project seeks to address, and reinforce confidence in the project among beneficiaries, local authorities, and stakeholders. It also creates a practical communication platform for ensuring that messages about gender equality, prevention of GBV, girls’ education, and women’s economic empowerment remain visible and accessible over time.

Key Outputs/Deliverables:

• Erection of 498 professionally designed and branded Community Signboards:

4.3. One (1) Community Signboards will be erected at each project community. Placement in these areas will allow the community dwellers to learn, acknowledge and take ownership of the project.

4.4During the erection process Community -level consultations and authorities will be used to verify the most appropriate sites for installation, taking into account land use, accessibility, structural safety, and public relevance.

• Graphic designs and messaging content developed to reflect LWEP’s components, government leadership, and donor support. The design process will ensure that messages are concise, visually appealing, easy to understand, and aligned with approved branding and communication standards. Content will be tailored to speak to the broader goals of the project while remaining suitable for public display and understandable to diverse audiences, including women, men, youth, and local leaders.
• Visibility enhancement for LWEP through long-term public display of key messages and branding. The Community Signboards are expected to provide sustained exposure to the project’s identity and themes over an extended period, unlike short-term communication activities. Their continued public presence will help reinforce recognition of LWEP, support public trust in the project, and strengthen the perception of active engagement by the Government of Liberia, the World Bank, and implementing partners.
• Coordination and installation reports documenting locations, timelines, and community feedback on the visibility intervention. These reports will serve as evidence of implementation and will provide a clear record of the installation process, site verification, dates of completion, and observations from communities and stakeholders. The reports will also support internal learning and future visibility planning by documenting practical lessons from the implementation process.

5.1 Outputs/Deliverables of the activities

The vendor is expected to deliver the following in line with approved specifications, branding requirements, and agreed timelines. All deliverables must meet quality standards acceptable to the LWEP Project Management Unit (PMU), Plan International Liberia, and other authorized reviewers, and must be completed in a manner that ensures durability, visibility, and safe public installation:

• Final approved Community Signboards design(s), including all artwork, layout, branding elements, and messaging content cleared by the relevant project authorities including the relevant Ministry before mass production.
• 498 Community Signboards fully produced, manufactured in accordance with the approved design, dimensions, structural requirements, and printing specifications, and ready for transportation and installation.
• 498 Community Signboards securely installed (one per project community)), erected at approved locations with adequate structural support, proper alignment, and visible placement suitable for public communication purposes.
• Installation completion report with photos, clearly showing each site, the final installed board, date of completion, and any relevant implementation notes from the vendor or supervising team.
• Handover certificate signed by county representatives and/or authorized project representatives to confirm satisfactory completion and acceptance of the installed Community Signboards at the respective locations.

6.1 The signboards distribution plan per county

In order to ensure faster production and delivery of the signboards to the different counties, the counties are divided into two LOTs as outlined here below:

LOT ONE:

LOT TWO:

Contracts will be awarded per LOT

7.1 SELECTION Criteria

8.1 Evaluation of offers

The Tender Panel will review all Bids to ensure they meet the minimum requirements listed under the ‘Compliance’ section in the above table. Following this, each Bid will be assigned a score on the basis of predetermined criteria and its associated weighted scores.

The contract(s) will be awarded to the Bidder(s) who represent the best overall value for Plan International in terms of the evaluation criteria set out above. By participating in this tender, you acknowledge and understand that Plan reserves the right to:

• Decide not to award to any supplier
• Decide to award to one or more suppliers
• Decide to re-advertise the opportunity
• Not necessarily accept the lowest cost offer

Notification of the award of the contract will be issued via email.

9.1 Terms & Conditions

By submitting a Bid as part of this Tender process, you also acknowledge and understand that:

• Plan International will not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred in the preparation of your offer
• You or your company will undergo vetting checks against an Anti-Terrorism and Sanctions Database as part of due diligence protocols
• Plan International reserves the right to keep confidential the circumstances that have been considered for the selection of the offers
• Part of the evaluation process may include a presentation from the Bidder and a site visit by Plan International staff, where applicable and necessary
• Plan International reserves the right to alter the schedule of tender and contract awarding
• Plan International reserves the right to cancel this tender process at any time and not to award any contract
• Plan International reserves the right not to enter into or award a contract as a result of this invitation to tender
• Plan International does not bind itself to accept the lowest, or any offer
• Any attempt by the Bidder to obtain confidential information, enter into unlawful agreements with competitors, or influence the evaluation committee or Plan International during the process of examining, clarifying, evaluating, and comparing tenders will lead to the rejection of its offers and may result in the termination of a current contract, where applicable
• You accept in full and without restriction the conditions governing this tender as the sole basis of this competition, whatever its own conditions of sale may be, which you hereby waive
• You have examined carefully, understood, and complied with all conditions, instructions, forms, provisions, and specifications contained in this tender dossier. You are aware that failure to submit a tender containing all the information and documentation expressly required, within the deadline specified, may lead to the rejection of the tender at Plan International’s discretion
• You are not aware of any corruption practice in relation to this competition. Should such a situation arise, we shall immediately inform Plan International in writing
• You declare that you are affected by no potential conflict of interest, and that you and our staff have no particular link with other Bidders or parties involved in this competition. Should such a situation arise during performance of the contract, you shall immediately inform Plan International in writing
• You accept Plan International’s standard terms of payment, which are 30 days after the end of the month of receipt by Plan of a proper invoice or, if later, after acceptance of the Goods or Services in question by Plan International Ltd

10.1 Submission Checklist