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Location |
Hanoi, Lao Cai, Son La – Vietnam |
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Assignment duration |
October 2025 – June 2026 |
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Maximum budget |
AUD 40,000 |
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Deadline to apply |
22 August 2025 |
ABOUT COWATER INTERNATIONAL
Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company and has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2,500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve.
ABOUT THE GREAT PROGRAM
GREAT, a 10-year flagship initiative of Australian Government, managed by Cowater International since 2016, focuses on women’s economic empowerment in Vietnam’s ethnically diverse north-west region. Utilising a market systems development approach, it primarily benefits women in Son La and Lao Cai provinces, particularly targeting ethnic minority communities, which are home to twelve and twenty-six ethnic groups respectively.
The objectives of the GREAT Program are:
Objective 1: Women, particularly ethnic minority women living in Son La and Lao Cai provinces have improved economic benefits.
Objective 2: Women, particularly ethnic minority women living in Son La and Lao Cai provinces, have increased confidence and social status, including more balanced workloads and greater decision making within the home, workplace, and community.
Objective 3: Women, particularly ethnic minority women and household members living in Son La and Lao Cai provinces benefit from more gender responsive, inclusive, and effective provincial and national policies, plans, strategies, and programs.
BACKGROUND
Communications is an integrated part of the program to highlight the visibility of the Australian Government and GREAT, scale up impactful lessons, contribute to bolstering GREAT’s objectives, and strengthen the program’s capacity for influence and advocacy.
As more tangible results are anticipated from project implementation in the coming year, robust communications will be essential for significantly amplifying program visibility and ensuring our successes are widely recognised. Therefore, we plan to implement a communications campaign to support the achievement of this objective. This campaign is expected to include a variety of products highlighting key project successes and learnings, with the products distributed through a variety of communications outlets.
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENT
We are looking for a service provider (preferably an organisation) who can provide campaign concepts that will create the best return on investment and can include public relations utilising national/provincial media and social media outlets. The service provider will also implement the campaign activities, including but not limited to production of videos, articles and/or online events for GREAT communications channels, which can be leveraged to be used by mass media platforms, including television, online news and social media.
Objectives of the campaign include:
- Increased awareness about the GREAT program impact among its target audiences, including the Government of Vietnam, local authorities of Lao Cai and Son La, businesses, and the public.
- Support efforts amongst businesses and national/local authorities to enhance women’s economic empowerment and social inclusion in the agricultural and tourism value chains.
Key messages of the campaign (to be refined with selected service provider):
- GREAT is supporting Vietnam in promoting inclusive economic growth through the development of agriculture and tourism in Son La and Lao Cai provinces, thereby bringing economic and social benefits to ethnic minority women and their communities.
- GREAT adopts the market systems development approach to achieve women’s economic empowerment, driving systemic changes and promoting sustainable development.
- GREAT partners with businesses, government agencies and civil society organisations to create opportunities for women to participate actively and equitably in agriculture and tourism sectors.
- GREAT supports government partners with technical assistance in developing and contributing to inclusive and sustainable policies, while improving services related to financial inclusion, digital transformation and inclusion, and women’s entrepreneurship and leadership. These facilitate the active and equitable participation of women in the agriculture and tourism markets.
Potential sectors to be highlighted:
- Bamboo shoot
- Medicinal plants
- Human resource development in tourism
- Digital transformation
- Women’s entrepreneurship and leadership
- DDCI (District and Department Competitiveness Index)
- Inclusive supply chain strengthening management
PROCESS AND DELIVERABLES
The service provider and GREAT team are expected to work closely together to complete the key steps as outlined below:
- Briefing with GREAT team to understand background and priorities
- Revise and finalise campaign concept and action plan
- Develop and implement communications campaign activities
- Evaluate and report on campaign results
The key assignment deliverables are:
- Draft communications campaign concept and work plan (in English)
- Finalised communications campaign concept and work plan (in English)
- A number of communications products for the GREAT program to be produced (target to be established) (in both Vietnamese and English)
- A significant number of audience is reached via communications activities (target to be established)
- An evaluation report of the campaign (about 5 pages)
The specific timing of each step and deliverable will be discussed after signing the contract.
BUDGET
The maximum budget available is AUD 40,000 and needs to cover all costs needed to design, deliver, and evaluate the communications campaign (excluding travelling, accommodation and meal costs).
ELIGIBILITY
This opportunity is open to organisations with the following experience:
- Media and communications firms with strong profile with minimum 5 years of experience in communications, marketing and media campaigns
- Experience in delivering communications campaigns, including but not limited to production of videos, articles and implementation of online/offline events
- Strong relationships with media agencies, including television, and online news
- Excellent analytical skills and report writing skills in both Vietnamese and English
- Understanding of women’s economic empowerment and experience in the agricultural and tourism sectors is preferred
EVALUATION PROCESS
An evaluation of proposals will be based out of a maximum of 100 points and composed of:
- Creative concept: 60 points
- Organisational experience and team: 40 points
A final budget will be negotiated with the preferred Applicant that is inclusive of all activity costs.
The successful Applicant will need to sign a contract that is compliant with Cowater International’s Head Contract with the Australian Government including the full copyright ownership of all deliverables from this assignment.
HOW TO APPLY
GREAT will hold an information session which is open to all candidates who are interested in our assignment to answer all questions that may occur. This session will be held online and offline and will be open to only those who register via email to [email protected] before Friday, 8 August 2025. Details (including location and timing) will be provided to registered candidates following the registration process.
Proposals then need to be sent to [email protected] before 5pm Hanoi time on Friday, 22 August 2025 with the subject line “Application for GREAT Communications Campaign”. Late applications will not be considered.
The proposal needs to include:
- A cover letter
- Business registration of the Applicant
- The Applicant’s experience relevant to the assignment and proposed team member (maximum four pages)
- Proposed concept (Applicants may choose the length and format for presenting their concept. Note that clear, concise proposals will be more favorably reviewed.)
- Proposed budget – Please send quotation for the proposed activities. We will finalise the budget upon agreement with the selected Applicant.