RFP - Radio and TV audience research

IREX conducts regular audience research on behalf of its media partners in order to help those partners develop both programming and sales operations amd identify areas of further media assistance and training. IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program is inviting bidders to submit a proposal for Radio and TV Audience Research.

The invitation is open from September 1 to September 15, 2009

International Research and Exchanges Board – IREX
SERBIA MEDIA ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
RADIO AND TV AUDIENCE RESEARCH TO BE CONDUCTED IN THE AUTUMN OF 2009

The International Research and Exchanges Board --IREX -- implements USAID’s SERBIA MEDIA ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, a four year initiative. The project began on October 1, 2008.

IREX conducts regular audience research on behalf of its media partners in order to help those partners develop both programming and sales operations. IREX also uses the research to target areas where further media assistance and training are needed. Finally, the research helps measure the effectiveness of IREX’s media development program. The completion date for the research must be prior to the New Year Holiday.

Television: IREX supports selected local and regional TV stations and requires ratings information for the following markets:
• Nis
• Sandzak, Raska
• South Serbia,
• Zajecar
• Subotica
• Srem
• Zrenjanin

Measurements for target TV stations in 15 minute increments:
• Rating and rating percent
• Reach and reach percent
• Share
• Average time spent viewing.

The bidder shall include cross tabulation by demographic cells, (gender, age, region, income, and education).

All TV proposals must include:
• An overall picture of the share, rating and reach of local TV, as compared with regional, national, foreign and satellite stations.
• Trends in the performance of local TV over time.
• Top Line national ratings for TV in the survey period, including national ratings, share, reach and ATS broken out in demographic groups.
• Top Line TV ratings for Vojvodina.

Radio: IREX supports selected local and regional TV stations and requires ratings information, including rating, share, and Time Spent for the following markets:
• Novi Sad
• Nis
• Sandzak, Raska
• South Serbia
• Zajecar
• Uzice

Measurements for target radio stations in 15 minute increments:
• Rating and Rating %
• Reach and Reach %
• Share

The bidder shall include cross tabulation by demographic cells, (gender, age, region, income, and education) of the above information and the predicted reliability of that demographic break out information (Based on survey size, methodology, etc.).

All radio proposals must also include, for the targeted stations:
• Average Time Spent Listening
• Listening location (home, car, work, cafes, other)

IREX would also like a quote on top line national radio ratings, this may be part of the proposal or an add on cost.

Design and Methodology:
• Research should be conducted during a period October 2009-December 2009
• Research should be designed so that it can be replicated on a regular basis with a goal that it ultimately will be within the means of the media outlets and advertisers.
• IREX will entertain proposals using different methodologies, including diary, people meters, CATI or other computer-assisted technologies, face to face interviews or a combination of methodologies. The provider should provide justification for the use of the methodology.
• The proposals should include information about the source of baseline demographic data for the countries surveyed and its reliability and compatibility with proposal methodology
• IREX will entertain proposals in which fieldwork is combined with research for other clients.
• There should be sufficient control mechanisms to give IREX, media outlets, and advertising agencies confidence in the research results.
• The bidder must propose several ways to identify and cross check radio and TV stations, name, frequency, channel, program title, format, to make sure results are accurate.
• Bidder must describe and justify sample size.
• Bidder must state whether radio and TV research will be done at the same time and using the same instruments and justify that decision.


Implementation (Deliverables)
• Research must be delivered in written form (a summary is acceptable) and in a format compatible with a computer program (to be specified by the bidder)
o The program presenting the data needs to be flexible to allow combining data (for instance increasing from 15 to 30 minute time slots)
o The data must be easy to convert to graphic form for presentations by being exportable to a commonly used program.
• Results must be delivered in both written form and for computer use no later than December 31, 2009
• The research firm will be available to make a presentation of results to IREX, its funders, and local media outlets.
• The bidder will provide a timetable for work to be performed.

Pricing & Proposal Format
• The RFP is open to local and international firms and consortia of companies. Subcontractors or key partners should be named in the proposal. IREX will not allow the bidder to assign work to non-named partners.
• Responding companies may provide bids on alternative sample sizes, with costs attached to each sample size and levels of confidence and the quality of information from each sample size option. Respondents should specify whether research will be conducted as part of one study, or whether there will be a separation for the print and broadcast components.
• Proposals may present amendments and/or alternatives to the specifications contained in this document, but a proposal based on this document is required for comparative purposes. The financial implications of proposed amendments and/or alternatives must be indicated clearly and separately.
• Responses to this proposal must be presented in English.
• Bids must be denominated in US Dollars.
• The bidding company must propose a payment schedule. IREX expects that a significant portion of the payment will be made on acceptance of the research.
• The bidding company must be able to legally conduct the work in Serbia.

Rights: IREX will have rights to use the data for internal use and for public presentations. It will have the right to distribute it to advertising agencies, advertisers and media outlets. It will also provide the data to its funders. IREX realizes that the vendor may present a proposal that adds sample to an existing or planned survey. The vendor may present alternative proposals for rights to results from such an “enhanced” add on sample. (Research methods will be made available to requestors)

Proposals must be accompanied by a budget in sufficient detail to determine the price elements, resumes of key staff that will be assigned the project, a detailed description of the method used to perform the tasks outlined, and a list of five similar projects, with contact information for the clients.


INSTRUCTIONS FOR BIDDERS

Bidders are invited to submit a proposal to provide International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program with the above listed services. All bids must be submitted in accordance with the following instructions.


PROPOSAL
The following information should be provided as part of the Contractor’s proposal:
a) A cover letter (which shall be considered an integral part of the Proposal) shall be signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the bidding firm contractually. The signature must indicate the title or position that the individual holds in the firm. An unsigned Proposal shall be rejected. The letter must designate a person with contact details for any communications needed during the bidding review process.
b) a brief description of your organization,
c) any comments on and/or problems with fulfilling the services as defined in this RFP,
d) deliverable date,
e) terms of payment in U.S. Dollars,

The proposal must be received at the following address by the deadline for bid submission. Proposals received after this date will not be evaluated or taken into consideration.

IREX recommends that the proposal be either hand-carried to the International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program Office or sent by Post Express to ensure their arrival before the deadline for the bid submission. Proposals should also be sent via email in MS word with signature pages sent in PDF format.

Attention: Igor Mandic ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
IREX/ Serbia Media Assistance Program
Kralja Petra 54/III
11000 Beograd

KEY ACTION DATES
RFP Distribution September 1, 2009
Deadline for bid submission September 15, 2009
Award notification to vendor As soon as possible after that.

EVALUATION
The Request for Proposals will be reviewed by a committee consisting of at least two representatives from International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program. The committee reserves the right to seek outside expert opinion on the proposals. The committee may reject any or all bids and may waive any immaterial deviation or defect in a bid. Such a waiver of any immaterial deviation or defect shall in no way modify the RFP documents or excuse the Bidder from full compliance with the RFP specifications, if the contract awarded. The proposals from suppliers for delivery and vendor support of equipment will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Total Price of the proposal, which must be stated in U.S. Dollars;
• “Cost Share” and development of consortia in which other clients are providing part of the cost of the basic research.
• Compliance with the requirement specifications;
• Terms of payment;
• Qualifications and expertise of organization including the credibility of the organization with advertising agencies and media outlets;
• Qualifications of key personnel.
• The ability to provide trending information, in other words, comparability with data IREX has collected in the past.
• Previous experience in working in similar fields.
• Compliance of the bidder with ESOMAR standards.

PRICE
The proposal’s price must include all costs associated with support services to be provided.

NOTE: No costs incurred by the Bidder in preparing and submitting the proposals are reimbursable. All such costs will be at Bidder’s expense.

NOTE: All prices are to be quoted in U.S. Dollars.


ERRORS IN THIS RFP
If a Bidder discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or any other error in this RFP, the Bidder shall immediately notify International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program of such error in writing and request clarification or modification of the document.

Modifications will be made by issuance of an addendum to all parties who are participating in the bidding process. Modifications will be given by written notice, without divulging the source of the request.

If the RFP contains an error known to the Bidder, or an error that reasonably should have been known, the Bidder shall bid at its own risk. If the Bidder fails to notify International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program of the error prior to the date fixed for submission of bids, and is awarded the contract, the Bidder shall not be entitled to additional compensation or time by reason of the error or its later correction.

LANGUAGE OF PROPOSALS
The proposals, all correspondence and documents related to the proposal must be written in English. Supporting attachments, if any (e.g., organization registration and other statutory certificates) may be in Serbian.

NOTIFICATION UPON SELECTION
Notification of the successful bidder will take place according to the timetable stated under the section Key Action Dates in writing delivered to the contact address provided by the Bidder. The successful Bidder will be invited to sign a contract which embodies the terms of the accepted bid with or without technical modifications. The signed contract shall be the controlling document for the procurement.

CONTRACT
The contract for the study will be with International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program.

The Request for Proposal and the Vendor Proposal shall be attachments to the vendor contract to serve as a method of measuring vendor performance.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Any confidential information provided to the Contractor by International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program or by any other source referred to by or related to International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program is to be treated in accordance with confidentiality requirements specified by International Research and Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program. All proposals received by International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program will become the property of International Research & Exchanges Board – IREX/Serbia Media Assistance Program and will not be returned.