ABOUT GARDP FOUNDATION

The Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP Foundation) is a not-for-profit global health organization registered in Geneva, Switzerland. GARDP’s mission is to accelerate the development and access of treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections. It does so by forging public-private partnerships all over the world to develop and expand access to treatments for serious bacterial infections and sepsis in adults, children and newborns, as well as sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

GARDP Foundation responds to the crisis in antimicrobial resistance. In 2015, the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), adopted the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. The following year, to deliver on this plan, WHO and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative created GARDP. In 2018, the GARDP Foundation was legally established as an independent entity.

Since then, GARDP Foundation has developed a portfolio of antibiotic treatments that targets WHO priority pathogens, priority diseases and key populations/regions that are especially affected by drug resistance. It is also pioneering new access initiatives with innovator, manufacturing and distribution partners.

As of 2024, the GARDP team consists of about 100 people who collectively share extensive cross-sector R&D and access experience. We work with key public and private sector stakeholders and partners, such as the research and development community, donors, industry and implementing countries.

PURPOSE OF THE RFP

In order to strengthen our corporate communications and increase our visibility, we will need external support in content development, strategic planning, campaign development and management, and graphic design.

SCOPE OF WORK 

In order to meet GARDP’s communications objectives over the next three years (2026-2028), external communications support will be needed, focusing on the following services:

1. Content development 
2. Editorial and content strategy
3. Corporate communications campaign development and management
4. Design and layout 

DELIVERABLES  

Content development 

• Drafting of GARDP Annual Report 2025, 2026 and 2027* (40-50 pages) and development of social media materials (12 tiles)
• Drafting of 7 fact sheets (GARDP & AMR, programs and regions) with infographics* (2 pages) in 2026
• Drafting of 1-2 GARDP white papers on AMR-related issues* (10-12 pages) in 2026, and development of social media materials (suggested posts, tiles)
• Drafting of 1 fundraising brochure (investment case)* (10-11 pages) in 2027
• Production of 4-5 short videos (max 90 secs) highlighting GARDP’s milestones and programs; develop script for videos* (each year)
• Drafting of outline for GARDP’s new 5-year strategy (to be done in Q1 2026), editing of first draft (Q4 2026/Q1 2027), and development of social media materials (10 tiles; 90-sec video; Q3 2027)

*Includes 2 rounds of validation by GARDP and implementation of changes 

Editorial and content strategy (2026-2028)

• Provide strategic support on content ideas and topics to increase brand awareness and reach our target audience
• Provide strategic support to repackage key messages on GARDP, its model, activities and impact across comms channels, using engaging storytelling and including SEO best practices
• Development of dissemination strategy for Annual Report and new 5-year strategy
• Organize corporate webinar – develop concept note, invite and brief moderator and speakers (1-2 per year)

Corporate communications campaign 

• Development of corporate communications campaign concept and strategy, to be reviewed yearly
• Development of 15-20 social media tiles (organic campaign) per year
• Development of a special newsletter to announce the campaign to partners and followers. Includes written content and campaign header and visuals (to be then inserted in the MailChimp template).
• Campaign results report – Metrics analysis of campaign results against KPI – Deliverables: 2 PPT presentations per year (Mid-year analysis and end of the year analysis)

Design and layout (each year)

• Layout of GARDP’s corporate materials (web and print-ready files), using campaign design or GARDP’s existing visual identity (Style Guide):
  • Annual Report in English (approx. 40-50 pages, A4 format) – only online
• Financial Report in English (approx. 30 pages) – only online
• GARDP fact sheets (2 pages, A4 format)
• GARDP case studies (4-5 pages, A4 format)
• GARDP white papers (10-12 pages, A4 format)
• GARDP fundraising brochure (10-15 pages, A5 format)
• GARDP 5-year strategy (approx. 55-60 pages) in 2027
• Creation of exhibition material (4 roll-ups, 3 flyers, & wall design for booth)

Printing (each year)

• Printing of corporate materials in English (fact sheets, case studies, fundraising brochure – 200 copies each)
• Printing of new 5-year strategy in 2027 (300 copies)

Participants are strongly expected to complete the budget grid included in Annex 4 of this RFP. Non-adherence to this bidding requirement may lead the proposal to not be considered.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING SUPPLIERS

The decision to award any contract as a result of this RFP process will be based on Suppliers’ responses and any subsequent negotiations or discussions. The decision-making process will consider the ability of each supplier to fulfil GARDP Foundation’s requirements as outlined within this RFP and the total cost of the offer.

Proposals will be assessed against, but not limited to, the following criteria:

Technical criteria 

Technical criteria will weigh a maximum of 70% of the award decision. They include technical expertise, project experience, team structure, project plan proposal, project management capabilities, client recommendations, values and cultural fit.

Financial criteria 

Financial criteria will weigh a minimum of 30% of the award decision. They include supplier competitiveness and the completeness of the offer, payment schedule based on deliverables, and a special discount for not-for-profit organizations.

Proposals evaluation and bid defense meeting  

Based on a pre-aligned selection grid, the GARDP Foundation selection committee will evaluate all written proposals to determine which suppliers shall be invited to a virtual meeting with the GARDP Foundation selection committee.

The duration of each meeting will be around 1 hour, including follow-up questions and answers. Agenda and potential questions will be shared in advance, together with the invitation to participate.

Value-add and insight 

Please list/describe any additional services that you feel would benefit GARDP Foundation and their associated costs (if any).

Data privacy 

GARDP Foundation is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy in compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our Privacy Notice (Annex 3) sets out the basis on which the personal data collected from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us in connection with your relationship with GARDP Foundation, as vendors, suppliers or third parties. By responding to our RFP, you confirm that you have read our Data Privacy Notice and confirm your understanding on how your personal data will be stored and processed by GARDP Foundation.

If you are interested to receive the complete documentation, please review, complete and sign both attached Annex 1 and 3 and send it to: RFP_Procurement@gardp.org.

Due/closing date: August 4th 2025