Call for tenders Production of a short animated video

Fighting kleptocrats & dirty money: high time for the EU to act

Application deadline: Friday 7 August 2020 

(NB this is a revised, expanded call for tenders which replaces the call issued on 11 June, which was for script-writing only.) 

Purpose of the assignment 

TI EU, the Brussels office of the global movement against corruption, is looking for a dynamic, creative and original animated video producer to produce a compelling three-minute animated video on international corruption and in particular the theft of public funds by third country kleptocrats who use the EU as a safe haven / safe corridor for themselves and/or their ill-gotten gains.  

The aim of the video is to raise awareness of this important issue among EU policy makers, journalists, NGOs, EU citizens and other stakeholders participating in the public debate, including on the need for the EU to step up efforts to confiscate these assets and return them to the third countries concerned in a responsible way.   

The video should convey this complex issue in an accessible and understandable manner to an interested but largely non-expert audience, by explaining how assets are stolen and stashed away in and through the EU.  

The video should be hard-hitting and fact-based (humour is allowed), using prominent examples such as Ben Ali, Mubarak, Yanukovych, Dos Santos, and Gulnara Karimova. TI EU will provide all relevant facts and information. For more information, our recent report and infographic can be found on our website. 

Background: What do you mean by asset recovery?  

If you have a pot of money of dubious origin, Europe could appear a safe place to launder and hide it. For example, it is believed that former Tunisian President Ben Ali and his family have hidden as much as US$17 billion in bank accounts across the world, equivalent to more than a third of Tunisia’s average Gross Domestic Product (GDP)1. A big chunk of this money ended up in the coffers of European banks. 

According to EUROPOL estimates, a small 2.2% of the proceeds of crime are frozen and an even tinier 1.1% is actually confiscated, meaning very little is ever returned to victim populations.  

Objectives 

This video is part of a broader initiative which aims to explore the role the EU can play in facilitating the responsible return of stolen assets to victim populations in third countries.  

With the present project, TI EU aims to increase awareness and understanding of the issue of grand corruption and demonstrate how and why the EU appears as a favourite destination for dirty money.   

The video will call for the EU to act upon this and ensure the responsible repatriation of stolen assets to victim populations.  

Outputs / deliverables 

The final output is a 3-min animated video. Intermediary outputs include a kick-off brainstorm with the TI EU team and the development of the creative concept, including visuals and the script & story board. The purchase of stock video, photography and the recording of voiceovers etc. should also be accounted for in the proposed budget. 

Timeline & Reporting 

The consultant will be expected to complete the tasks according to the following timeline. The timeline is indicative and the exact timing of the different activities can be agreed with the consultant(-s) at the start of work. The consultant will be expected to participate in regular briefings and calls with the team in charge of the project.  

Tendering process

Interested agencies / independent producers should submit a short concept note (1 page of A4 or less) in which they set out their initial thoughts on how to approach the project, examples of recent and relevant work, bios of the consultant(s) who would form the team, a timeline (if different from the one set out above) and a price offer (in the range of €4,000 to €8,000 excl. VAT), including payment terms.  

Tenders should be submitted to brussels@transparency.org by 12.00 midday (CET) Friday 7 August 2020. The email subject should reference “Asset recovery video tender”. 

Tenders will be reviewed based on the following criteria: 

• Relevance, creativity and originality of the concept submitted 
• Demonstrated experience of working with NGOs / charities on similar projects, preferably in relation to the EU  
• Price and value for money 
• Demonstrated integrity and independence