Call for Tenders: Gap analysis of newsroom skills, policies and gender mainstreaming in Eastern Europe

Background  

The International Fund For Public Interest Media (IFPIM) seeks a qualified research partner via open call to conduct a regional gap analysis of newsroom skills, workflows, policies and gender-inclusive practices across all 30+ current grantee newsrooms in Eastern Europe. The study will assess organisational capacity, identifying existing gaps, with a particular eye to providing tailored, actionable recommendations and a Technical Assistance (TA) plan for each grantee and regionally. 

Purpose and objectives 

The overall goal​ of the project is focused on enhancing ​gender-inclusive practices of existing grantees in the International Fund’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) portfolio through strengthening newsroom capacities and practices for newsrooms which are either based in or primarily reporting to audiences in the region.

The analysis aims to examine gaps in key areas of media outlets' operation, namely: newsroom workflows, multimedia production skills, audience analysis and audience strategy, business management and human resources skills, and risk assessment and safety. A particular emphasis on gender-inclusive policies is vital, both with regard to internal, employee-facing and external, audience-facing factors. 

Specific objectives 

• ​​Map newsroom audience strategy, business/management and HR practices, and risk assessment/safety across the grantee newsrooms, with a focus on gender inclusivity.
• Assess the presence, quality and implementation of gender-inclusive internal policies and audience-facing inclusivity.
• Conduct standardised organisational capacity assessments for each of the 30+ grantees.
• Provide prioritised, evidence-based recommendations for each newsroom and a regional overview.
• Develop a tailored TA plan, including practical tools and templates. 
  

Scope of work  

All current grantees are within the geographic scope of the EaP region (~35 newsrooms). Bidders should ​​confirm the capacity to provide analysis of all countries and all main content production languages represented in the EaP.

Proposal submission and selection process

The tender selection process assesses eligible candidates with regard to their financial, economic, technical and professional capacities, following a best price-quality ratio approach.

Timeline

Eligible organisations are invited to prepare and submit their tender proposals via open procedure within the duration period of 30 days, commencing from the date of announcement.

Kindly note that the 30 day advertising period closes on 07 June 2026. Submissions must include all supporting documentation.

Any tenders received after the closing deadline of this period shall not be considered.

Terms of reference

For further information on the full scope of work and application guidance, kindly consult the tender terms of reference.

Submitting an application

Eligible candidates are encouraged to consolidate all requested supporting information in one document and attach a single file to their application via Bamboo HR.