The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the United Nations (UN) and World Trade Organization (WTO) based in Geneva, Switzerland. ITC’s mission is to enable small-business export success in developing and transition-economy countries by providing, with partners, sustainable and inclusive development solutions to the private sector, trade-support institutions (TSIs) and policymakers. The International Trade Centre implements various projects on trade and gender to create an ecosystem of integrated solutions that empower women economically through greater integration in trade and investment. The Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II) aims to promote economic growth in the East African Community (EAC) through private-sector development and export promotion. It seeks to enhance sustainable and inclusive intra-African trade, pan-African trade and trade with the European Union (EU). MARKUP II will address trade barriers, value addition, compliance, trade facilitation, investment, technology transfer and institutional support. The International Trade Centre (ITC) is the sole implementing agency, working in partnership with the EU regional delegation, the EAC Secretariat and the governments of six EAC member states. MARKUP II builds on the achievements of its predecessor, MARKUP I, streamlining procedures, supporting enterprises and facilitating international trade across sectors such as avocado, cocoa, coffee, essential oils, French beans, gum arabic, horticulture, leather, packaging, spices and tea. A critical part of this programme involves promoting gender-responsive business practices in key agricultural value chains—including coffee, avocado, horticulture and leather—through the ITC SheTrades initiative.

As part of these efforts, ITC seeks to produce a series of six short (1–2 minute) animated or illustrated videos that communicate key messages about gender inclusion in agricultural value chains, using a relatable and context-specific East African visual style for SMEs. These videos will support gender sensitization, encourage inclusive practices and showcase real-life business solutions emerging from East African SMEs. The objective of the assignment is to create a series of six engaging, animated, visually compelling short videos that:

• Convey the business case for gender-responsive practices in agriculture.
• Illustrate real-world challenges, solutions and success stories from East Africa.
• Reflect authentic East African cultures, people, landscapes and agricultural practices.
• Support training, outreach and awareness efforts under the MARKUP II programme.
• Design, animate and produce six short videos (1–2 minutes each) based on provided scripts, including creating subtitles.
• Work closely with ITC’s SheTrades team and gender expert throughout the process.
• Develop culturally appropriate visual concepts and storyboards that represent East African realities and agricultural settings of the selected value chains.
• Align visuals and animations with the themes of gender sensitization and inclusive value-chain development.
• Reflect diversity, inclusion and local authenticity in the portrayal of characters, environments and activities.
• Produce final videos optimized for online and offline dissemination (social media, training sessions, project websites) and aligned with ITC, EU and EAC branding.
• Deliver high-quality files and editable project files (e.g., After Effects, Illustrator or similar formats).
• Perform a maximum of three rounds of extensive review.

The topics for the video production that will be finalized together with the consultant, include the following

• Gender Inequality in Agricultural Value Chains: The impact of gender disparities on productivity, profitability and overall supply-chain efficiency.
• Business Case for Gender Equality: How investing in gender equality improves operational efficiency, market competitiveness and compliance with international standards.
• Key Gender-Based Constraints: Common barriers faced by women in agriculture at the supplier and worker levels, and their effect on business performance.
• SheTrades Approach to Gender-Responsive Business Practices: Supporting businesses in adopting gender-responsive strategies through training, gender analysis and action plans.
• Practical Gender Analysis for Companies: How to assess gender dynamics across the supply chain, services and workplace to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Inclusive Farmer Engagement: Promoting shared decision-making within farming households to ensure equitable distribution of resources and benefits.
• Gender-Responsive Service Delivery: Adaptations to services that support women farmers, including training, financing and better service models.
• Creating Inclusive and Safe Workspaces: Developing policies that ensure safe, equitable and supportive work environments for all employees.