Request for Proposals to Provide Documentary Filming and Production Services to the Pioneers of Prosperity Program Deadline for submission – April 10, 2009 Start date – April 15, 2009

Background:

Research indicates that a key constraint to economic growth in the Caribbean is a low level of entrepreneurship, or low support (technical, access to financing, policy environment) for entrepreneurs who are trying to start, or build, their businesses.

Pioneers of Prosperity is founded on the fact that innovative ideas and dynamic business models exist in even the most challenging markets, and that greater prosperity will ensue if these local models of success are better understood, better supported, and showcased widely.

Pioneers of Prosperity (PoP) is a global awards program that seeks to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs in emerging economies by identifying, rewarding, and promoting truly outstanding businesses that can serve as role models to their peers.

Unlike other award programs, PoP does not end with the distribution of the award. Rather, the award is just the beginning. PoP will focus on post-award communication efforts to showcase the winning firms and connect participants to networks of other entrepreneurs, technical expertise, and financial capital, and inspire a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.

To create greater prosperity in the Caribbean, PoP will:

1. Identify existing small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that create value for their customers, owners, workers and future generations (i.e. their four key stakeholders). 2. Invest in their business models with a grant to apply towards technical infrastructure and training for their company, and by connecting them to networks of technical expertise and financial capital. 3. Inspire a culture of entrepreneurship by showcasing stories of success. Stories of success and the creation of robust networks will serve as concrete examples of what can be accomplished in even the most challenging business environments, thus inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurship in the Caribbean.

Purpose: The Pioneers of Prosperity (PoP) program is seeking to hire a documentary film company willing to travel throughout seven countries in the Caribbean to create a promotional and educational product or products – ranging from a full-length film to a series of shorts for use in new media platforms, for full and unlimited use by the program’s funders. These countries include , , , Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, , and .

Scope of Services: PoP envisions outputs that portray each finalist’s path to the final awards ceremony. Finalists must be interviewed on site at their place of business (requiring travel to each of the seven participating countries), as they move through the final judging stage, and during the final awards ceremony. Three to five minute film shorts of these interviews will be played at the awards ceremony and must be available for website release at the time of the ceremony. This will require timely editing, a high quality product, and the ability to present these film shorts in a public setting. In addition, there may be a translation requirement. For more information about the program’s design, and to view a sample documentary from the 2007 PoP Award in Africa, Unlocking Africa, visit the Pioneers of Prosperity website, www.pioneersofprosperity.org.

Proposal Requirements: PoP requests that applicants submit a proposal outlining the following:  Experience in the field of documentary filmmaking, experience in the Caribbean a plus;  Creative vision for documentary-style outputs - which includes showing inspirational human interest stories concerning business entrepreneurs;  Proposals for products that may capture the purpose of a full-length film, but that are more friendly to new-media platforms and viral distribution, e.g. film shorts and other approaches;  Capacity to deliver a broadcast-quality product;  Examples of previous work;  Fee Structure;  References.

Timeline: All proposals must be received no later than April 10, 2009 at 5pm, New York time.

Delivery: All proposals should be submitted electronically to [email protected].

Questions: Questions about the RFP should be directed to Mollie Ring, Communications Manager, Pioneers of Prosperity, via email: [email protected]. For more information about the Pioneers of Prosperity program visit: http://pioneersofprosperity.org/.

The OTF Group and S.E.VEN Fund assume no obligation, no responsibility and no liability for costs incurred by the responding firms prior to issuance of a contract.